This ‘Christmas Carol’ Podcast Will Get You Into the Holiday Spirit
By Movieguide® Contributor
“SCROOGE: A Christmas Carol Podcast” is returning this holiday season!
The podcast is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ beloved Christmas story, “featuring a star-studded dramatic audio adaptation in podcast form,” a synopsis reads.
“Ebenezer Scrooge, a self-obsessed, miserable miser of all things un-merry and un-bright, is everything Christmas isn’t,” the synopsis continues. “After he is visited by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, Scrooge transforms into a new man and embodies all the best parts of Christmas. Through this journey of transformation, listeners will encounter themes of joy, mercy, hope and more. This fresh retelling of the holiday classic will entertain, inspire and remind you that even the hardest of hearts can find redemption. The story of Scrooge is a known commodity and has been well-loved for nearly 180 Christmases.”
SCROOGE’s cast includes John Rhys-Davies, Sean Astin, Juliet Mills, Ben Barnes, Bethany Joy Lenz, Ryan O’Quin, Clive Standen, Lucy Punch and Maxwell Caulfield.
“Hope Media Group is proud to bring ‘SCROOGE: A Christmas Carol Podcast’ back for the 2024 holiday season,” Joe Paulo, the president and CEO of Hope Media Group, said in a press release. “The global response to this audio drama has been phenomenal and it is a testament to our mission to engage people to love Jesus, serve others, and spread Hope. We believe listening to SCROOGE will become a holiday tradition for individuals and families alike. It is also perfect for sharing with friends, family, and co-workers as a reminder of the true reason for the season.”
Mark Ramsey, the podcast’s showrunner, added, “The overwhelming success and recognition ‘SCROOGE: A Christmas Carol Podcast’ received last year as the top-rated audio drama on the Apple podcast chart showed us how this reimagined classic tale connected with listeners all over the world. We are thrilled this story of redemption will be around for years to come.”
“What is it that keeps people coming back?” Astin, who voices Scrooge, said of the enduring legacy of ‘A Christmas Carol’ in an interview with GOOD MORNING AMERICA. “I think we all know that we have that grumpy, frustrated part of ourself, and somehow we’re more aware of it at the holidays, and the idea that you have a sort of extreme version of that, and then you see that there can be hope and light and joy and love — I think that’s what brings people back.”
“SCROOGE: A Christmas Carol Podcast” is available on all streaming services.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Creator and Director Mark Ramsay and President and CEO of Hope Media Group Joe Paulo recently sat down with Movieguide to talk about an all new, interactive way to experience the iconic Christmas story, A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
“I have been doing podcasts for a few years now and I’ve been doing scripted ones lately—t occurred to me with all the versions of ‘A Christmas Carol’ that we’ve seen, the ones we’ve heard haven’t nearly been so rich,” he said of ‘SCROOGE: A CHRISTMAS CAROL PODCAST.’ “They’ve either been audio books, or they’ve been straight dramatic reads of the novella. I thought, ‘Well, where is the full cast, Fully immersive sound quality, wonderful sound design, names you know in the cast version of a Christmas Carol in audio?”
Mark and Joe added that not only was it their goal to not just make another audiobook version of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ but to bring the story’s faith elements to the forefront.
“What if we were to bring the faith forward in the story?” Mark said. “What if we were to make those themes that are resonant within the story, and make them more obvious, more front and center? Themes like redemption and mercy and grace and generosity and compassion and forgiveness and just bring these more to the surface and do it really well?”
Mark said that as soon as he brought the idea to Joe at Hope Media Group, they were on board.
“It was a match of visions,” Joe said. “Because we’re always wanting to do and put forth content that is both fun and yet meaningful. So this fit that beautifully.”
- Content: +4Share:
- Content: +1