Christmas TV History

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: Young Rock (2021)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #26 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

Today's discussion continues with parodies. I wanted to include a more recent example of a parody since most of my essays so far this month have been much older. But adaptations and spoofs of A Christmas Carol are still being made each year and here's proof.

Let's talk about the 2021 episode "A Christmas Peril" from the sitcom Young Rock on NBC. In this holiday episode, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson tells a young actress named Leslie a story to inspire her to find the emotions to play the scene they are filming together for the Christmas action film “A Christmas Peril.” The story he tells is about several painful Christmases he’s experienced in his past.

Young Rock with his Cabbage Patch Kid knock-off--Radish Baby.

Christmas 1982 saw young Rock not receive the only Christmas gift he asked for: a Cabbage Patch doll. At Christmas 1987, Dwayne experienced another miserable holiday when he spent the month working an humiliating job as the elf assistant with his father as Santa Claus at the mall.

Teenage Dwayne embarrassed by his very un-cool job as an elf at the mall.

Pere Noel--in the green suit--visits Dwayne.

And, Christmas 1993 was another unhappy holiday when The Rock spent Christmas in the hospital with Coach O and his mother. However, Dwayne learns a valuable lesson when the magical Pere Noel, played by André the Giant, teaches him to change his perspective in order to see how lucky he is rather than feel how miserable life can be.

The Rock as Big Tim--a grown up Tiny Tim.

The ridiculous action movie that Johnson is making at the start of this episode’s story is a parody of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” with Johnson starring as Big Tim, the grown-up Tiny Tim, who needs Santa’s sleigh to stop Ibiza Scrooge (the granddaughter of Ebenezer) who is determined to blow up New Orleans.

The cast includes Dwayne Johnson as Dwayne Johnson, Joseph Lee Anderson as Rocky Johnson, Stacey Leilua as Ata, Ana Tuisila as Lia, Adrian Groulx as young Rock, Bradley Constant as teenage Rock, Uli Latukefu as college-aged Rock, Jake Kasdan as Tyler the director, Emmett Skilton as Coach O, Melody Hurd as Leslie, and Matthew Willig as André the Giant.

Joanna Wilson is a TV researcher and book author specializing in Christmas entertainment. More about the TV programs mentioned on this website can be found in her book "Tis the Season TV: the Encyclopedia of Christmas-themed Episodes, Specials, and Made-for-TV Movies." Her latest book "Triple Dog Dare: Watching--& Surviving--the 24-Hour Marathon of A Christmas Story" was released in 2016. She is currently updating and expanding the encyclopedia for an upcoming release. Her books can be found at the publisher's website: 1701 press.com

*Support this website and its research by purchasing the books at 1701 press.com

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: Rich Little's Christmas Carol (1978)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #25 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

Continuing with my discussion of parodies, let's look at the hour-long special Rich Little's Christmas Carol which first aired in Canada in 1978 and then aired in the United States on HBO the following year.

This version of A Christmas Carol is a one-man show, starring Rich Little.

Master impressionist Rich Little performs all the roles in this unique version of Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol.” However, this comedy adaptation is even more special because Little adds another layer of cultural meaning to each of the roles, that is, playing Ebenezer Scrooge with the voice of the cantankerous hard-drinking W.C. Fields.

The familiar story takes on additional meaning when Ebenezer Scrooge is played by the cantankerous, hateful comedian W.C. Fields.

The cast of characters include Bob Cratchit as the put-upon Paul Lynde; nephew Fred as talk show host Johnny Carson; the charity solicitors are the bumbling Laurel and Hardy; Jacob Marley as the regretful Richard Nixon; the Ghost of Christmas Past is tough-talking Humphrey Bogart; Fezziwig is Groucho Marx; Scrooge’s former co-worker Dick Wilkins is Jimmy Stewart; the Ghost of Christmas Present is the voice of Peter Falk as his rumpled detective Columbo; Mrs. Cratchit as the ditzy Edith Bunker; Tiny Tim is short of stature novelist Truman Capote; the Ghost of Christmas Future is the voice of Peter Sellers as the clumsy Inspector Clouseau; the men on the street overheard discussing Scooge’s death are John Wayne, James Mason, and George Burns; the boy on the street sent to the butcher’s for the turkey is violin playing Jack Benny; and Scrooge’s new employee is the voice of Dean Martin.

I think my favorite character interpretations are Paul Lynde as Bob Cratchit--that makes so much sense! And, Tiny Tim played by the diminutive writer/socialite Truman Capote. Rich Little has put a lot of thought into this comedy and it pays off.

Yes--this 1978 program is easily accessible and released on DVD.

Although the overly familiar story of A Christmas Carol is nothing new at holiday time, this pop culture version of it easily holds your attention as you listen closely to identify which cleverly chosen voice Little adds to his cast of characters.

Monday, July 24, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #24 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

Continuing with my discussion of parodies, let's look at the hour-long special Blackadder's Christmas Carol--the one-off story from the Blackadder series starring Rowan Atkinson. This British-made program made its debut in the United States on A&E in 1989. If you're familiar with Blackadder, you know that the lead character Blackadder is a vile, scheming man throughout history.

Rowan Atkinson as Ebenezer Blackadder.

Here, Ebenezer Blackadder is the kindest, most generous man in nineteenth-century London. He’s so generous that he’s given away all his food and money to others to enjoy and now he and his servant Baldrick are left with nothing for their Christmas celebration.

Robbie Coltrane plays the Ghost of Christmas who visits Blackadder in bed.

When the Ghost of Christmas visits Blackadder and shows him visions of his conniving, thieving ancestors, he sees the bountiful rewards of being selfish and stingy. Blackadder decides to change his ways and pursue the earthly rewards of a villainous lifestyle!

This reverse-Christmas Carol is clever parody of Dickens’ classic tale, and a fun explanation for Blackadder’s generational behavior of wickedness.

The cast includes Rowan Atkinson as Ebenezer Blackadder, Tony Robinson as Mr. Baldrick, Robbie Coltrane as the Spirit of Christmas, Miranda Richardson as Queen Elizabeth/QueenAsphyxia XIX, Miriam Margolyes as Queen Victoria, Jim Broadbent as Prince Albert, Stephen Frye as Lord Melchett/Lord Frondo, and Hugh Laurie as Prince George/Prince Pigmot.

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: George Burns Comedy Week (1985)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #23 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

Pardon my thumb! This is a 1985 TV Guide magazine ad of the program.

Continuing with my discussion of parodies of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, today let's look at the 1985 episode of the comedy anthology series George Burns Comedy Week. The series was hosted by comedian/actor George Burns. The half-hour episode "Christmas Carol II: The Sequel" is an unforgettable parody of Dickens’ literary classic.

Scrooge in this story is played by character actor James Whitmore.

The story takes place one year after Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by the three ghosts on Christmas Eve. Now Scrooge is a warm, kind-hearted man who is excessively generous with everyone. On Christmas Eve, he is surprised to once again receive visits from the three ghosts. The Ghost of Christmas Past reminds Scrooge how last Christmas day he purchased the largest goose from the butcher for the Cratchits and tipped the boy on the street generously. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge how Bob Cratchit is taking advantage of his goodwill by frequently skipping out on work. And, the Ghost of Christmases Yet to Come shows Scrooge how he won’t be buried properly when he dies because he gave all his money away. His friends and family have become too dependent on his generous hand-outs to pay for a suitable headstone, while a grown, business-savvy Tiny Timothy has taken over Scrooge’s business. When Scrooge awakens from his nightmare, he yells down to the boy on the street to purchase a modest goose at the butcher’s shop on his behalf at a fair price.

This comedy sketch draws its humor from our familiarity with the original story. Here, Scrooge has gone from miserly to overly generous and now the ghosts must remind him to aim more for the middle ground and act in moderation. I like this parody because it considers Scrooge's life one year beyond Dickens' original tale and the comedic consequences of being frightened into changing his extreme behavior.

The cast includes James Whitmore as Ebenezer Scrooge, Roddy McDowall as Bob Cratchit, Samantha Eggar as Mrs. Cratchit, Ed Begley Jr. as adult Tiny Timothy, Jerry Supiran as young Tiny Tim, Paul Benedict as the Ghost of Jacob Marley, James Widdoes as the nephew Fred, Conrad Janis as the baker, and George Burns as the narrator.

More parodies are coming as we continue the Christmas in July marathon. Thanks for joining me on this month-long journey so far.

Saturday, July 22, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: Karroll's Christmas (2004)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #22 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

Last week (Days 15-20), I discussed a collection of TV adaptations of "A Christmas Carol" in which a self-aware character has read Dickens and takes it upon themselves to influence another to change their holiday attitude. So let's start something new for this week. Let's look at TV and film PARODIES of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Most of these comedy parodies are written for a more sophisticated viewer who knows the classic story and structure, and can appreciate liberties taken to poke fun at the familiar or reach for additional truths. This week is going to be fun!

Tom Everett Scott plays Allen Karroll--a miserable man but not this story's Scrooge!

Today let's look at the 2004 feature-length comedy Karroll's Christmas. This TV movie originally debuted on A&E. In this story, greeting card writer Allen Karroll doesn’t enjoy himself at Christmas. His unpleasant, nasty neighbor Zeb Rosecog makes things even worse. In this silly re-worked adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ novel “A Christmas Carol,” Allen is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who have the wrong address and mistake him for his neighbor Rosecog. Despite Allen’s protests, he’s shown Christmases past, present and future of Rosecog’s life. He comes to recognize that the two miserable men may have a few things in common. Allen chooses to end his bitterness by helping Rosecog change his life.

Wallace Shawn plays Rosecog--a name that is an anagram for Scrooge.

In this story, the role of Jacob Marley is taken up by his distant relative, reggae music legend Bob Marley. The Ghost of Christmas Past is a former Borscht Belt comedian, the Ghost of Christmas Future is a little person named Spike with a Napoleon complex, and the Ghost of Christmas Present is a ditzy female intern named Jody. The director of this film, Dennis Dugan, can be seen in the film playing the role of the ghostly doorknocker.

The cast includes Tom Everett Scott as Allen Karroll, Wallace Shawn as Zeb Rosecog, Verne Troyer as Spike, Richard Kline as Bradley Carchet, and Larry Miller as the Ghost of Christmas Past.

The humor begins with the inept ghosts making a terrible mistake by haunting the wrong guy, but by the story's end, it is quite satisfying to see two men changed for the better this Christmas.

Friday, July 21, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: Barbie in A Christmas Carol (2008)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #21 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

In honor of the release of the summer blockbuster movie today, let's indulge ourselves and talk about the 2008 feature-length story Barbie in A Christmas Carol. This CGI animated movie for children was originally released directly to video but has since aired on TV as well. The film brings the plastic toy doll Barbie by the Mattel toy company to life. This lavish story interprets the familiar Scrooge plot to the female character Eden Starling, a nineteenth-century London songstress who focuses on her career at holiday time. This tale is told by Barbie as a lesson to her younger sister Kelly as a means to inspire her Christmas spirit.

The story of Eden as Scrooge is told by Barbie to her younger sister Kelly.

Barbie’s story unfolds the life of the demanding Eden, visited by three ghosts after insisting that her staff work for her on Christmas day. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Eden a vision of her girlhood holidays, a reminder of the joy of friendship and the passion behind her talent. The Spirit of Christmas Present shows Eden how her co-workers truly feel about her and she learns about her friend Catherine’s selfless work with orphans. The third ghost convinces the singer that her future will be filled with coldness and loneliness if she doesn’t choose to make changes today. This is similar to A Diva's Christmas Carol--but much less campy and intended for young viewers. (Click HERE to see the discussion again on A Diva's Christmas Carol).

Eden and the Ghost of Christmas Present.

The strength of this retelling of the Dickens’ book lies in the lessons learned from the Ghost of Christmas Future. Eden is shown the consequences of her own selfish life by the corruption of others around her who become selfish, making the same mistakes she does. This interestingly serves as a powerful message about making choices and considering the consequences of one’s actions. The original Dickens’ story only considers the consequences to Scooge’s own individual life, not a projection of a more selfish world.

This animated movie contains musical segments of traditional carols including “O Christmas Tree,” “Deck the Halls,” “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” and “Joy to the World.” Music performed by The Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.

Yes--Mattel released a tie-in Barbie with Eden's white cat Chuzzlewit. Clever, huh?

The voice cast includes Kelly Sheridan as Barbie, Morwenna Banks as Eden Starling, Kandyse McClure as Catherine, Tabitha St. Germain as the Spirit of Christmas Past, Lisa Roth as the Spirit of Christmas Present, Gwynyth Walsh as the Spirit of Christmas Future, Amelia Henderson as Kelly, Melissa Lyons as the singing voice of Eden Starling, and Shauntia Fleming as the singing voice of Catherine.

If you're going to see Barbie today--have fun!! Eat some popcorn for me.

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: Quantum Leap (1990)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #20 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

This week, let's look at especially creative examples of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in TV episodes in which characters have read Charles Dickens' book and look to influence someone else who needs inspired with the holiday spirit! For more--see Day 15's introduction with a discussion on the TV series The Rogues, Day 16's discussion on Bewitched, Day 17's essay on the Six Million Dollar Man, Day 18's The Real Ghostbusters, and Day 19's essay on Xena : Warrior Princess.

Sam and Al have read Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

Today's discussion is on the 1990 episode "A Little Miracle" from the sci-fi series Quantum Leap. In this third season episode, Dr. Sam Beckett discovers that he’s a valet named Pearson working for a very rich man named Mr. Michael Blake on December 24th, 1962 in New York City. Mr. Blake wants to expand his business empire by tearing down the 4th Street Mission. Sam decides to correct history and save Blake’s soul by taking inspiration from Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”

SNL alum Charles Rocket plays wealthy businessman Michael Blake (right).

First, Pearson drives Blake in his car back to the old neighborhood to remind him of his pleasant childhood but the effort backfires. Next, Pearson convinces Blake to visit the 4th Street Mission to spend time on Christmas Eve with the people there, making merry and singing Christmas carols. Blake feels a spark of attraction for the Salvation Army’s Captain Dowling but he eventually feels manipulated.

Sam wants to do what it takes to save the mission.

So, Sam and Al go one step further. The hologram of Al appears as the Ghost of Christmas Future to Blake while Sam pretends he can’t see the ghost. Together the Ghost and Pearson convince the frightened Blake that his future should be spent invested in people not acquiring more money.

Al, played by Dean Stockwell, goes all-in on his frightening portrayal of the Ghost of Christmas Future.

Note: this adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” sees Sam and Al familiar with Dickens’ book when they take it upon themselves to inspire Blake with the holiday spirit. However, even Blake knows Dickens’ book as he corrects Al’s Ghost of Christmas Future for carrying chains when that’s the burden of Jacob’s Marley’s ghost! Despite Blake's knowledge of Dickens' classic, the suspicious businessman still finds himself moved by the Ghost of Christmas Future and he transforms his heart.

The cast includes Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, Dean Stockwell as Al, Charles Rocket as Mr. Blake, and Melinda McGraw as Captain Downey.

#DVDdress

About Christmas TV History