(sings) Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve, Christmas All The Way! Oh What fuan.. meh.. blin blurgh to.. a…. on a CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS DAY HEY!(ends signs)   We’ve finally done it – we are here, the end of this turmoil and heartache – Christmas is here to stay (for the next 48 hours at least). Relief spreads across your chin like the nutella from a knife you secretly licked and forgot to check in the mirror. There’s nothing left to do, except eat, drink and be merry. Classic Christmas begins here – and with that comes the last mention of Dickens… I promise.  

Christmas Carol (?)

When I decided this would be the day for watching a Christmas Carol properly, I could imagine how many – but perhaps I did not envisage how many would be contenders for the crown of the best adaptation. Do you choose the Patrick Stewart version in the made for TV wonder, or perhaps let Mickey and pals shore up your xmas eve?

Some of you may even prefer to give Jim Carrey his due for the recent animation hybrid Christmas Carol thing or else have a punt with a more recent Disney animation with Simon Callow and Kate Winslet which can’t be that bad. Kelsey Grammar even gave it a punt. Regardless of which you choose, please tell me you will watch one – and I think I’m going to stick my neck out and recommend you watch… this one, from 1951 with Alistair Sim, because it’s dark. Fucking hell there is even a Henry Winkler one. AND one with William Shatner in it, with co-star Gary Coleman as a spirit and all. Christ alive, you have so much choice!   But let’s suppose for a second that you don’t want to watch a Christmas Carol. Then why not check out our alternative Christmas film for today which is…    

Blackadder’s Christmas Carol (1988)

  Richard Boden, 43 mins Listen, you are watching some version of A Christmas Carol tonight if it’s the last thing I fucking do. And as you’ve already seen the Muppets earlier in the month (and even if you missed our original post no one can last this long without seeing it, surely?) then you may as well watch something equally joyous and brilliant. Blackadder it is then. Rowan Atkinson’s character sits perfectly into this Dickensian world, and suitably sends up the story while at the same time adhering to it’s principles, of a man without Christmas in his heart in a world that demands it. Curtis and Elton make this script something to be adored, and a real treasure for those who throughout the year endlessly watched repeats of the four short series of the show.   Although that Henry Winkler version does sound tempting..