Suranne Jones’ Christmas Carole – A Weak, Skippable 2022 Spin On The Original Classic.

Sky deserves praise for making an attempt despite having a repeating schedule. Seasonal-themed original dramas are commissioned annually. Its Christmas Carole (Sky Max) isn’t really good, unfortunately.

The idea to update A Christmas Carol by modifying some of the facts and the title is a clever one (get it?). Played by Suranne Jones, Carole Mackay is the Scrooge-like CEO of a company that specialises in selling tacky holiday decorations. She freely admits that her wares are inferior, in typical Gerald Ratner fashion. The idea is to produce goods at such low costs that they quickly deteriorate, requiring repeat purchases from customers the following year and the year after that.

Within hours after making the announcement that she will be selling the company to some Americans for £100 million, Carole is visited by the spirits of Christmases past, present, and yet to come. The most original part of Christmas Carole is when Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise’s spirits show up to talk about the past. Jonty Stephens and Ian Ashpitel, who play them, are nominated for an Olivier Award for their outstanding performances.

Stephens’ portrayal of Eric is eerie. They force Carole to perform a dance routine reminiscent of Angela Rippon, and use some of their greatest lines (“He’s not going to sell much ice cream travelling at that speed, is he?”) in the process.

The writers Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto, however, appear to have been uninspired. In Christmas Carole, everything about Carole becoming a nice, Christmas-filled person just happens. Almost immediately, she regrets how she treated Bobbie Cratchit-Singh, an assistant played by Taj Atwal, and she vows to start using more eco-friendly packaging. It has the same cheap, fragile quality as a cracker hat.

There are also the inside jokes shared by comedians. Jo Brand, in character as herself, waves a golden toilet brush as her wand as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Carole mutters a remark about the deceased. Brand assures us, “Believe me, I have died countless times on my a—.” Nish Kumar is the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come. ‘See, I’m like the next generation of celebrity, on the upward ascension – I might get my own show, maybe host the Baftas,’ he says. Cringe.

Mark Benton’s performance as Carole’s reunified father rescued the tense finale. When Carole showed up at his door, he beamed a smile so bright it might have warmed the iciest of hearts.