December 22, 2019
It’s been over 175 years since A Christmas Carol was first published, and in the time since, Charles Dickens’ story has been adapted more times than it’s possible to count. 
A Christmas Carol: Everything To Know About The BBCs New Adaptation
We all know the story – cold-hearted boss Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by ghosts from the past, present and future on a freezing Christmas Eve as they try to change his miserly ways – and while obviously nothing will ever compare to the Muppets’ take on the text, this Christmas sees a new-part adaptation debut on the BBC that deserves your time.
Here’s what you need to know about it...Is is written by the same guy as Peaky Blinders, so expect it to be darker version of the storyPeaky Blinders writer and creator Steven Knight has taken on the task of delivering a new version of the classic festive tale, so you can expect it to be a littler darker than others have been in the past.
A description of the show says it is a “haunting, hallucinatory, spine-tingling immersion into Scrooge’s dark night of the soul”.While Steven says he “tried to stay faithful to the text”, he found a new edge after he asked additional questions about Scrooge that perhaps Dickens was “not allowed to write about due to contemporary sensibilities”. 
“I have asked why Scrooge is the man he is, what caused him to be so, and I have offered what I hope are challenging answers,” he says. It has an all-star cast The cast is headed up by Hollywood star Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker, The King’s Speech and, of course, Neighbours) as the cold-hearted Scrooge. “For Scrooge, who I play, Steve and Nick Murphy (director), wanted somebody far more contemporary in personality,” he says of his version of the character.
“They wanted a ruthless businessman, someone with swagger and confidence, who faced the world in a very logical, rational, powerful way. They wanted somebody almost like a bully, who had enough confidence to take everybody on. As opposed to the Scrooge that we’ve come to know who is usually quite a bit older, a crotchety miserable old man, who doesn’t really want to have anything to do with the world anymore and has no joy left.
“This Scrooge has real swagger and real attitude.”
Andy Serkis (Lord Of The Rings, King Kong, Star Wars) plays the Ghost Of Christmas Past who he describes as being “much more confrontational”. “He’s normally portrayed as this affable character who takes Scrooge back to an early part of his life where things were happy,” he says. “But in this version, he is going in there to examine Scrooge’s soul, he’s got a red-hot poker that he’s trying to press against Scrooges conscience to get him to stop denying who he is.”
Line Of Duty star Stephen Graham (This Is England, Boardwalk Empire, Rocketman) plays Scrooge’s late business partner Jacob Marley, who has an increased role in the story. Stephen explains: “We get to see Marley and Scrooge in a way we haven’t before, as businessmen.
“He is trapped in purgatory and has repented, but the only way he can be redeemed is through Scrooge realising the error of his own ways. So, there’s an added pressure on him to try and make Scrooge aware of where he’s gone wrong in life.”
The show also sees Steven Knight team up again with former Peaky Blinders star Charlotte Riley – better known as May Carleton.Charlotte (DCI Banks, Dark Heart, World Without End) plays The Spirit Of Christmas Present, who is presented as a human, rather than an entity or an unknown spirit.
“Her spirit is that of his sister,” she says. “What I think is exciting is how Steven’s taken a character that I personally think is a bit dull in the book and created a connection with Scrooge.”
The Favourite’s Joe Alwyn (yes, Taylor Swift’s boyfriend) plays Scrooge’s employee Bob Cratchit. He claims he had not watched another version of the character going into the show as he “didn’t want to be clouded by other interpretations or versions”.
“I’ve seen snippets of the Jim Carrey one and I know Albert Finney was in one and Patrick Stewart and Richard E. Grant in another, but I’ve never sat down and watched them all,” he says, omitting the greatest interpretation of them all, Kermit The Frog.
Vinette Robinson (Sherlock, Delicious, Black Mirror) plays Bob’s wife Mary, while Jason Flemyng (Snatch, Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels) and Kayvan Novak (Fonejacker, Facejacker) are also among the cast. It has been well received by criticsRadio Times (4 stars)
“This grisly, gritty take on such a well-loved seasonal staple will surely prove divisive. But then what would be the point of doing it at all, if it turned out to be just another cosy re-tread? In Steven Knight and Nick Murphy’s hands, this familiar story feels vivid and vital and new.”
The List
“This remoulding of A Christmas Carol is a welcome and wintry depiction of torment.”
The Hollywood Reporter
“There have certainly been attempts at gritty and dark interpretations of the Dickens text, but few as random and gratuitous as Steven Knight brings to the table in his new take for FX and BBC. Finally, we have a Christmas Carol in which Ebenezer Scrooge can bellow ‘Fuck!!!’ several times for limited reason.”
The Telegraph (4 stars)
“It’s ultimately an ambitious, brutal take on Dickens’s familiar ghost story (although the traditional cautionary element is still very much to the fore). Yes, it’s a little hammy, but it’s also haunting and hallucinatory. Just don’t expect to sleep well on Christmas Eve.”Watch the trailer...A Christmas Carol airs on 22, 23 and 24 December at 9pm on BBC One. MORE CHRISTMAS TELLY... A Tidy Guide To What's Occurrin' In The Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special 30 Unmissable Films On TV This Christmas The 50 Best TV Shows To Feast Your Eyes On This Christmas
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Politic
Mary Trump 'energized' as uncle 'Donald's campaign spirals into chaos'
Mar 29, 2024
Donald Trump's campaign is in chaos, and his niece says she's energized.Mary Trump, the niece of the former president and a psychologist by trade, has previously been critical of her uncle.On Thursday, she said her uncle's failures are adding up.ALSO READ: A neuroscientist reveals how Trump and Biden's cognitive impairments are different"As the RNC’s fundraising falters and Donald’s campaign spirals into chaos, I am energized!" she said in a Substack post.She then continued:"When Donald dominates the news cycle, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. Every bad headline has a negative impact. But then I remember something crucial: There’s usually more to the story than meets the eye. I’m determined to cut through the media noise and share with you all the good that happened this week. These are the headlines we need to remain energized and hopeful that the media largely ignored."Mary Trump goes on to highlight President Joe Biden's recent fundraising hauls."President Biden’s $155 million+ war chest has just received another turbo boost, bringing the total of cash on hand to at least $180 million. (By comparison, between his campaign and the RNC, Donald barely has over $50 million — and continues to drain the accounts to cover his absolutely staggering legal expenses)," she wrote. "This is a development that could significantly increase Biden’s ability to influence the narrative in crucial swing states."This, she says, also tells us a lot about voter excitement for Biden."While critics have expressed doubts about the degree to which the Democratic base is fired up as compared to 2020, today’s $25 million fundraiser, raised with donations ranging from $250 to $500,000, should put any doubts to rest — yes, we are absolutely behind President Biden and Vice President Harris and we’re in this fight until the end," she wrote.Read the full post here.
READ MORE
Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Ruby Franke’s Husband REVEALS Alleged Rules He Had to Follow at Home | E! News
March 28, 2024
_mU-3lE2QwI
#KenanThompson speaks out following the #QuietonSet documentary. (🎥: Tamron Hall Show) #shorts
March 28, 2024
8AGP-Gfw_Ek
King Charles Shares "Great Sadness" at Missing Royal Appearance | E! News
March 28, 2024
lyizFqf1kQY
Martha Reeves Walk of Fame Ceremony
March 27, 2024
QzyezumEPtQ
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
Montell Jordan Dishes On Young MC Wedding, 'This Is How Date Night' Plans | TMZ
March 28, 2024
G3SMExj-qio
Davina Potratz Says TV Not Helping 'Selling Sunset' Relationship Woes | TMZ
March 28, 2024
D4piy4GNm4k
Logan Paul Rips Graham Bensinger Over Documentary, You Promised Apple TV+ | TMZ Live
March 28, 2024
NiSDpZhZklQ
Prince William pinned royal medal to Spice Girl Mel B’s boobs #shorts
March 28, 2024
O1cQ0UW9pco
Jennifer Garner shares ‘hard’ part of raising her and Ben Affleck’s kids
March 28, 2024
3Q7mZaVUdgc
50 Cent's ex Daphne Joy named as an alleged sex worker in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuit #shorts
March 28, 2024
yhLFI8DG9rM
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
PSG W - Hacken W
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Barcelona W - SK Brann W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Chelsea W - Ajax W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Lyon W - SL Benfica W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.