Today in Pop Culture History

Upper:
19 December 1843: Proving he was not only a genius novelist but also a master of marketing, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol in England today. The pop culture adaptations of Dickens's novella about how fear of death can make miserly old men do just about anything are literally legion. It's been performed on stage as a musical, ballet, and opera; on the radio with luminaries like Laurence Olivier and Alec Guinness as Scrooge; and of course on screens both big and small. Some of my favorite pop culture Scrooges include:

Michael Caine! And Muppets! The Muppet Christmas Carol is a new classic. Fozziewig is a particular highlight.

Maybe I just saw this 1984 television adaptation starring George C. Scott at an impressionable age, but it scared the HELL out of me.

I trust this smart and hilarious reboot before reboots even became a thing needs no introduction.