A Christmas Carol

The Sesame Street Storytime Calendar 1982.

"A (Sort of) Christmas Carol"
from Muppet Magazine issue 5.

Scene from A Sesame Street Christmas Carol.

A Christmas Carol is a sentimental short novel, written by Charles Dickens in 1843. The book attracted instant popularity, and has endured across the decades. The tale of the redemption of miser Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly encounters has been reworked, remade, parodied, and referenced in countless subsequent stage, print, and film works, including several Muppet productions and products.

References

• The Muppet Christmas Carol is an elaborate, feature-length adaptation of the book, as presented by Gonzo as Charles Dickens. It incorporates most of the key characters and scenes, and often word for word dialogue from the book. One of the more notable alterations was changing Jacob Marley to Jacob and Robert Marley, to accomodate both Statler and Waldorf.

• In Dinosaurs Episode 212: Refrigerator Day, Baby Sinclair does an impersonation of Tiny Tim at the end of the Sinclairs' pageant, complete with costume and crutch. He says "And God bless us, everyone" before falling onto the floor.

• A Sesame Street Christmas Carol, a 2006 direct-to-DVD production, features Oscar the Grouch in the Scrooge role, with Rhubarb the Grouch as the Grouch of Christmas Past, Christmas Carole as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Sam the Super Automated Ghost of Christmas Future.

• The 1979 special A Special Sesame Street Christmas incorporated many elements of the story, including a crippled kitten named Tiny Tim. To win round a typically grouchy Oscar, celebrity guests portray the ghostly visitors. Anne Murray appears as the Ghost of Christmas Past, who shows Oscar his childhood (with Leslie Uggams as his nurse); Imogene Coca plays the Ghost of Christmas Present, with alarm clocks strapped to her attire; and Dick Smothers is the Ghost of Christmas Future.

• The Sesame Street Storytime Calendar 1982 featured Sesame Street characters re-enacting the tale, to illustrate the month of December.

• Muppet Magazine issue 5 includes the story, A (Sort of) Christmas Carol, as illustrated by Dean Yeagle with text by Ellis Weiner.

• The 1987 book and tape set A Sesame Street Christmas includes the story "Oscar's Christmas Carol (A Dickens of a Story)". Oscar reads A Christmas Carol for the first time and is enthralled by Mr. Scrooge, who reminds him of his Uncle Smarmy. Oscar is subsequently disheartened when he finds out that Scrooge reforms.

• A Very Muppet Christmas included a short version of the story entitled, "Yet Another Christmas Carol".

• It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie referenced the story in passing, through its Moulin Rouge spoof "Moulin Scrooge". Sam the Eagle appears as banker Baron von Scrooge.

• In episode 108 of The Jim Henson Hour, Fozzie Bear meets a head-less ghoul in his motel room who, after re-attaching his head, heads to a power breakfast with the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Connections

Several actors who have appeared in Muppet/Henson productions have performed in Christmas Carol-based productions.

• Jason Alexander played Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol (2004, TV)
• Wayne Allwine voiced Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit, a begger dog, and a gravedigging weasel in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
• Annette Badland played Mrs. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV)
• Timothy Bateson played Mr. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol (1984, film)
• Geoffrey Bayldon played a toyshop owner in Scrooge (1971, film)
• Jim Carrey voiced Scrooge and all three ghosts in A Christmas Carol (2009, film)
• Geraldine Chaplin played the Ghost of Christmas Future and a blind beggar in A Christma Carol (TV, 2004)
• Tim Curry played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1997, animated video)
• Jamie Farr played Jacob Marley in Scrooged (1988, film)
• Louise Gold puppeteered Iris who played Mrs Cratchit in Roland Rat's Christmas Carol (1986 TV)
• Kelsey Grammer played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (2004, TV)
• Joel Grey played the Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV)
• Buddy Hackett played Ebenezer Scrooge in Scrooged (1988, film)
• Michael Hordern played Jacob Marley in Scrooge (1951) and A Christmas Carol (animated, 1971) and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1977, TV)
• Gordon Jackson played Tom in Scrooge (1971, film)
• Stefan Ljungqvist played Scrooge on stage in Sweden
• Mickey Mouse played Bob Cratchit in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983, theatrical short)
• Gerard Parkes played Jessup in An American Christmas Carol (1979, TV)
• Edward Petherbridge played Foster in A Christmas Carol (1999, film)
• George C. Scott played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1984, film)
• Elizabeth Spriggs played Mrs. Riggs in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV)
• Patrick Stewart played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV)
• Zoe Wanamaker played Belle in A Christmas Carol (1977, TV)
• David Warner played Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol (1984, film)
• Edward Woodward played the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol (1984, film)
• Henry Winkler played Benedict Slade in An American Christmas Carol (1979, TV)