“A Christmas Carol” Miniseries Review
By: Shain E. Thomas
Tags: A Christmas Carol, BBC, Television, Entertainment, Writing Prompts

In this BBC/FX co-produced adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, we see an authentically darker version of the tale than that previously seen on the big screen, television, and in live theatrical performance. The dark cold tones, reminiscent of what we see with Taboo, perfectly addresses the London of the period. This is not a production fitting for children.

Each instalment of the three-episode miniseries presents a fully realised interpretation. Each episode, with a constant dramatic intensity, holds the audience attention. If a light-hearted approximation is what you seek, with how Knight presents Dickens’ characters, this miniseries isn’t one you’ll enjoy. A Christmas Carol is best described as a fantasy drama with a modicum of horror.

Guy Pearce, best known in these United States for the big screen films L.A. Confidential and Memento, personifies a version of Dickens’ Ebenezer Scrooge the likes of which we have never previously encountered. Scrooge, with a heart every bit as cold as that extra lump of coal we see him begrudge the lowly paid Bob Cratchit, has the memory of an elephant.

Even though it has been five years since Bob misspelt the word litigation, it doesn’t stop Scrooge from reminding his beleaguered clerk. This Scrooge, obsessively keeping track of the sights and sounds emanating from outside his office window, is bordering on being psychologically unstable. Nothing escapes his attention.

Joe Alwyn’s Bob Cratchit is not one that suffers in complete silence. Bob understands perfectly the narrowness of his situation. His wife and children are extremely important to him. Mary Cratchit, as played by Tiarna Williams, despises Scrooge every bit as much as her husband. It’s not until the concluding episode that we see what causes her hatred towards Scrooge. Their children, Tiarna Williams’ Belinda, Remmie Milner’s Martha, and Lenny Rush’s Tiny Tim, see how their father working for Scrooge impacts the family.

Image Credit: IMDb.com

People familiar with Dickens’ classic 1843 published novella will recall how the story begins with the words “Marley was dead: to begin with.” This miniseries, opening with an angry individual urinating on Jacob Marley’s gravestone, shows exactly how he was thought of in life and in death.

Marley, played by Line of Duty’s Stephen Graham, offers penance for his wrongdoings. The chains Marley forged in life are weighing heavily on him in death. Each link in his chains is a man, woman, and child that died as a result of his greed.

Ghost of Christmas Past, as played by Middle Earth franchise actor Andy Serkis, has a darkness to him which fits perfectly with what Dickens characterised within his writing. The same is equally true of the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Future, embodied perfectly by Charlotte Riley and Jason Flemyng, respectively. Even though their respective performances are engaging, we only get to see these characters in the third episode. Much more time is devoted to the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Marley warns Scrooge of what’s to come, but with him being the person he is, there is no convincing him. As the clock strikes midnight, Scrooge readies himself for the first of three visitations to occur. Scrooge, having mistakenly thought a white mouse is the Ghost of Christmas Past, tosses it out the window.