Illustration by Hailey Kim.

The “Adaptations of A Christmas Carol” Wiki page lists 397 entries. This really just means whether you’ve listened to a cast recording, seen a cartoon, gone to a stage play, read a Marvel “Zombies” comic, seen Dolly Parton’s “Smoky Mountain Christmas,” or had the TV on at Grandma’s house, you’ve had some contact with Charles Dickens arguably most famous classic.

In considering its perennial power and why it lasts, “A Christmas Carol” really succeeds as a story about how even the worst of us, deep down, wants to be better. Ebenezer Scrooge is not just scared into change, he’s reminded why money came to mean so much to him in the first place, and for very real reasons. And it succeeds mostly because of three standout and iconic characters: the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

Specifically, the Ghost of Christmas Future sticks out. If you think Christmas is all Jingle Bells and “ho ho ho,” watch out, because Pete from the “Mickey Christmas Carol” is just as terrifying as anything else I’ve seen. He literally sends Ebenezer Scrooge McDuck down to hell via his own open grave. It is not subtle.

As for getting better, the audience can see a real change in Scrooge. His spooky reckoning reminds him of the really important things, including his relationship with his nephew Fred. Introduced as an adversarial relationship, Fred is a kindred spirit to Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s hapless employee about two toes from the poor house himself. These are whom Scrooge chooses to reconcile with as his first act of turning over a new wintery leaf.

And for a film with “Christmas” in the title, Christmas is really not the point —save for its  English winter setting in the 1840s. Though some versions shove Jesus in the narrative, and there are allusions to English Christmas traditions, it doesn’t feel like a sermon you’d get at church with your family. It doesn’t feel like it’s trying to convert you to a particular branch or scare you into a religion. The ideals are universal: charity, kindness, and duty toward community.

Though the piece is usually set in the 1840s, when it was written, the story is still easy to follow. And when you update it, as in Bill Murray’s “Scrooged,”  it’s still effective and feels authentic to place and time. —sometimes even made funnier by the updates. And again, if you want scary, Bill Murray is both almost tossed off a skyscraper and burned alive in his version.

In any case, I scoured the many many adaptations of a “Christmas Carol,” delved through my own memory banks, and watched a “The Jetsons” episode illegally because Hanna Barbera isn’t getting a cent of my money until they do a Blu-ray release of “Yogi’s First Christmas.” Ones not featured on this list might be in the online version of this article.

Adaptations that are already “A” tier, like “Muppet Christmas Carol,” are just on the jingle my bells list without another thought. There’s a reason for all those December Kermit memes you see right up until December 25. I’d wager Kermit himself could give Mariah Carey a run for her money in kicking off the holiday season.

Also, there’s a rumor that “Muppet Christmas Carol” is the version most well-loved by Dickens scholars for adhering closest to the spirit of the original — or, at least among Dickens scholars who like fun and joy.

These Versions Jingle My Bells (and that’s a Good Thing)

1984’s George C. Scott version is the gold standard for a reason. Made for TV, this is the one where you truly get to see the creepy, malnourished orphans hanging out under Ghost of Christmas Present’s coat. And if you still have cable, it’s a great alternative to “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

That “Xena: Warrior Princess” episode from 1996 where Xena and Gabrielle impersonate the Three Fates on Solstice Eve (because Jesus hadn’t been born yet). Everybody on “Xena” always really got into the world they crafted, and it’s only with true heart that a story set in 1840s London could really work in ancient mythological times.

“Diva: A Christmas Carol” makes Vanessa Williams the best female Scrooge (sorry Susan Lucci!), and also is the only one on the list with one of the best female pop Christmas songs of all time. Sometimes the snow really does come down in June, just not for Vanessa as Scrooge.

The 1999 “Christmas Carol” with Patrick Stewart, which was created because of the success of his one-man “Christmas Carol” show is also good. (When is Brett Goldstein going to do the same? We’ve all seen that video of you doing the Muppet medley as Kermit, Brett.)

These Versions are Naughty, Not Nice

The 2019 “Peaky Blinders”-esque version of “A Christmas Carol” isn’t great. I love Tom Hardy. I love grungy fantasy, and having a scene in hell is a wild choice. Why didn’t it work? The question, much like Marley’s ghosts, haunts me to this very day.

Any of the Amazon Prime Vincent Price versions are also bad. Depending on the year, you’re liable to get a TV reading, a radio play, or some variation of the two. I love Price’s voice, and you’d think it would work for “Carol,” but it feels more like opening credits that never go anywhere. For my money, the Bill Hader parody Vincent Price Christmas specials are much better.

“It’s Christmas, Carol!” from 2012 is like a Hallmark love story where the big city girl goes to a small town and falls in love with the sensitive Christmas artist — but in this version, she never actually leaves the big city in order to do so. Not even the late great Carrie Fisher playing all three ghosts and Marley could save it. I’d literally rather have just watched Carrie try on different holiday-themed hats.

That 2009 CGI “Carol” where Jim Carrey tries to capture the flame of my beloved live-action Grinch film, and it falls so flat on its face I literally only thought about it, so it could be added to this list. Sorry, Jim.

Where Can I Find This Online? (Because I’d Give Anything to Watch Them)

These versions of A Christmas Carol I found out about while researching for this article and want to see full versions of.

“3 Ghosts” is a steampunk-inspired version for the stage. For all of us nerds out there.

1997’s “A Christmas Carol” has Tim Curry’s voice and Whoopi Goldberg’s everything.

The Alec Guiness (vintage Obi Wan!) radio production from 1951. Maybe the BBC will re-release it out of the charity of their hearts one year.

David Tennant and Michael Sheen have a recurring gag about “A Christmas Carol” in their hit web series “Staged.” Using their fictionalized self parodies, and those of the famous friends they’d roped into being in the episodes, would be a true joy to see.

Whatever is going on with the 2010 fan-made “Mega Man” video game series is something I want to see. Who doesn’t want to play against robots playing ghosts from “Christmas Carol”? It’s not particularly redemptive sounding, but a great reminder Christmas can be fun, too!