From a ghostly Morecambe and Wise to high-kicking dance numbers, this modern retelling of the Dickens classic is absolutely glorious
I think we are all of the same opinion that Christmas Eve cannot be said to have reached its full splendour until the first proper – charming, joyful, fun, family-friendly, tear-inducing – Christmas drama has been consumed. So thank the seasonal gods and commissioners for Christmas Carole (Sky Max), a glorious, modern retelling of Charles Dickens’s tale by Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto that will set you up brilliantly for the whole yuletide shebang.
Carole Mackay (played by a pitch-perfect Suranne Jones in her most severe bob and red lipstick yet) is 2022’s Scrooge – a successful, wealthy entrepreneur who is about to become even more wealthy (“I’m giving myself £100m for Christmas!”) through the imminent sale of her Christmas decorations and merchandise business (“Cheap tat!” says the awful Carole, who cares not a jot that she is filling the planet with waste as long as it makes her a profit) to Limpopo. “The massive American online retailer?” asks her put-upon assistant. “No, the river in Africa,” replies Carole, rolling her eyes. I cannot imagine who this is meant to be.
