A Christmas Carol (1984)

🎄It’s 1984, and Ebenezer Scrooge is threatening to raise his asking price for a warehouse full of corn.

This Christmas Eve episode not only drops on a Scrooge Sunday, but it’s also the Advent Calendar House’s 150th episode. To celebrate, I let listeners vote for which “Christmas Carol” adaptation to cover, and the winner by a large margin was the 1984 TV movie starring George S. Scott, along with original “Equalizer” Edward Woodward as an exceptionally sassy Ghost of Christmas Present, and we even spotted our favorite Alfred Pennyworth, Michael Gough, as a not-so-portly gentleman seeking charity donations.

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🎙 Guests:

Erin Evans (@mserinevans).

Joey O. (Y-Not Radio, Words With Nerds, @imgonnadj24).

Anthony Strand (ToughPigs.com, Movin’ Right Along, @durwoodclapper.bsky.social).

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. Mickey’s Christmas Carol window displays in the Magic Kingdom.

2. David Warner in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze.”

3. George S. Scott in “Angus” and “Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.”

4. “God Bless Us Everyone,” this movie’s theme music by Nick Bicât.

5. Marley’s warning on film vs. in the original text.

6. Wikipedia and no one else names one of Bob Cratchit’s unnamed children “Michael,” played by Susannah York’s (Mrs. Cratchit) real-life son, Orlando Wells.

7. Michael Carter (Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come) as Bib Fortuna in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.”

8. “It’s Corn,” and My favorite joke from “Futurama.”

9. Scrooge’s grave was allegedly a real headstone that was reinscribed and is still at St. Chad’s Church in Shrewsbury.

10. A 1910 silent film of “A Christmas Carol,” and Mike discussing it on After Lunch.

11. Twelve Hundred Ghosts – A Christmas Carol in Supercut.

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📼 Commercial Break:

IBM Sponsored Commercial Break from the original airing of “A Christmas Carol.”

CBS/Library of Congress “Read More About It” PSA featuring George C. Scott.

The Christmas Podcast Network All-Star Comedy Christmas Show!

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“A Christmas Carol” © 1984 Travenol Laboratories Limited.

This season of the Advent Calendar House was produced in memory of Jason Gross (1976–2023), co-founder of The Retro Network. Clip of Jason and Mike from Bracket Madness: Christmas Movies, 2020.

“Christmas in Your Heart” (from “A Garfield Christmas Special”) performed by Todd from Vista Blue/Second Saturday.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.