The Henry Winkler- and George C. Scott-Led TV Movie Adaptations of ‘A Christmas Carol’ Are Still Among the Best

Jeff Pfeiffer December 8, 2024

image from the 1984 TV movie — ™ & © 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved./Courtesy Everett Collection

George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1984 TV movie *A Christmas Carol*

Charles Dickens’ classic 1843 novella A Christmas Carol has been among the stories most frequently adapted for the big and small screens ever since the respective beginnings of cinema and television.

And I’m glad there have been so many different versions, since while there hasn’t been one yet (that I’ve seen, anyway) that I truly feel captures the book throughout the entire film, several of them have scenes that are well done and that I like revisiting each year, as I do the book.

There have also been some interesting reinterpretations of the story placed in different settings and times, using different characters who are still recognizable as Dickens’ archetypes (like the 1997 USA Network movie Ms. Scrooge, starring Cicely Tyson as Ebenita Scrooge and Katherine Helmond as Maude Marley).

Two of my favorite adaptations of A Christmas Carol I first encountered as a kid when they premiered as made-for TV movies back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. I continued to remember them fondly over the years and have been delighted to rediscover them on various networks and streaming services in recent years.

An American Christmas Carol (1979)

image from the 1979 TV movie "An American Christmas Carol." Standing on the left, wearing a 1970s-style suit with a white shirt whose collar is open, and with a gold chain around his neck, is Dorian Harewood as the Spirit of Christmas Future. On the right, wearing a robe and made up with makeup effects to make him look elderly, is Henry Winkler as miser Benedict Slade.

Dorian Harewood as the Debtor of Christmas Future and Henry Winkler as Benedict Slade in An American Christmas Carol

Henry Winkler leads this likely little-remembered and -seen, but still charming and intriguing, take on A Christmas Carol, which first aired on ABC on Dec. 16, 1979.

Rather than Victorian London, this tale is set in Concord, New Hampshire, during the Depression-ravaged early 1930s and features Winkler as Scrooge-like businessman Benedict Slade.

Slade gets a chance at redemption one Christmas Eve when he is visited by three ghosts — resembling three of the people whose possessions he seized to collect on their unpaid loans — who force him to reassess his life. They are the Debtor of Christmas Past (David Wayne), the Debtor of Christmas Present (Gerard Parkes) and the Debtor of Christmas Future (Dorian Harewood).

This is also one of those Christmas Carol adaptations that has a scene from the book that always touches me, and that I’ve not seen in a lot of other films. It’s where Christmas Present shows Scrooge (or in this case, Slade) how the woman whose love he threw away years ago in his quest for wealth is now living, happily and with husband and daughter. Then the sense of loss and what might have been starts to hit him:

Winkler was just approaching his mid 30s when he made this, but for Slade’s “present” scenes he comes across as an aged miser impressively, thanks in part to future Oscar-winning makeup effects artist Rick Baker, who is billed as the film’s “special makeup consultant.” That helps Winkler further inhabit the character, which I’m sure must have been a nice change of pace for him from playing the Fonz on Happy Days, in which he was still starring and was most identified with at the time of this film.

You can see that makeup, and Winkler’s various other looks from the film, in the photo below.

image from the 1979 TV movie "An American Christmas Carol." It stars Henry Winkler as a Scrooge-like character. The main part of the image takes up the center, depicting Winkler with makeup effects applied to make him look elderly. Below him, on left and right, are images of his character at other, younger points in the movie, which is set during the Depression.

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

As of Dec. 8, 2024, I found that An American Christmas Carol can be streamed on Peacock, Plex, Xumo, Prime Video and Christmas Plus. Looks like you can also watch it on YouTube Movies & TV (free with ads).

On Television

On television in December 2024, An American Christmas Carol will be airing Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, at 9:55am ET on the MOVIES! channel.

A Christmas Carol (1984)

image from the 1984 TV movie "A Christmas Carol." Left to right are Roger Rees as Fred Hollywell, George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge and Caroline Langrishe as Janet Hollywell. They are dressed in the Victorian England attire of the story's setting. Scrooge is standing between the other two with his arms across both their shoulders, and they are all smiling.

(L-R) Roger Rees as Fred Hollywell, George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge and Caroline Langrishe as Janet Hollywell in the 1984 TV movie A Christmas Carol

This version of A Christmas Carol led by George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge first aired almost exactly five years after An American Christmas Carol. I watched it when it premiered Dec. 17, 1984, on CBS, and it is still near the top of the list among the story’s many adaptations, as far as I’m concerned.

The movie is set in the place and time of the original story, and its location work (it was filmed in England), cinematography and sets really help bring us into the story. As do the all-around great performances, led by the always wonderful Scott, who received an Emmy nomination for his work.

It’s hard to fully put a finger on what it is that Scott does that makes his Scrooge stand out from the many other terrific interpretations of the character over the years and make him feel a bit more complex, but you can just feel it as you watch, and that’s why Scott is a GOAT.

He is joined in the cast by Frank Finlay as the ghost of Jacob Marley; Angela Pleasence as the Spirit of Christmas Past; Edward Woodward as the Spirit of Christmas Present; Michael Carter as the Spirit of Christmas Future; David Warner as Bob Cratchit; Susannah York as Mrs. Cratchit; and Roger Rees as Scrooge’s nephew Fred (he also does some narration).

This is one of those Christmas Carol adaptations that includes elements from the book that I, at least, haven’t often seen in others (some of them eschew the more harrowing elements of the book, and there are some scary and intense moments in Dickens’ work; Scrooge had turned into such a bastard that he did literally need to be scared straight by the spirits!).

One of those comes in the scene in the video below, where the Spirit of Christmas Present reveals to Scrooge the two malnourished children representing Ignorance and Want.

This scene is also played great by Woodward and Scott, with the Spirit gleefully and sarcastically throwing Scrooge’s cruel words back in his face and by the end of the scene, clearly on the verge of kicking the miser’s ass to beat some humanity into him, if that’s what it takes.

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

As of Dec. 8, 2024, I found that the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol can be streamed on Pluto TV, Plex, Tubi, Xumo and Hulu.

On Television

On television in December 2024, the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol will be airing on the following channels:

FX: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, at 7am ET

FXM: Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at 11:55pm ET; Monday, Dec. 16 at 9:20pm & 11:30pm ET; Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, at 5:20pm ET; and Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, at 3pm ET