In this Christmas special of Drawn To Darkness, we swap favourite festive films (from Die Hard and It’s a Wonderful Life to The Muppet Christmas Carol and Scrooged) before diving into Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. We’ll discuss the plot and characters (Scrooge, Marley, the three spirits, Fezziwig, Tiny Tim, Fred), unpack life in Victorian London with its filth, disease, child labour, workhouses, debtor’s prisons and ghost-obsessed spiritualism, and trace how Dickens wrote this “ghostly little book” as a sledgehammer blow against capitalism, greed and cruelty. Along the way we’ll call out Dickens’ own contradictions (social critic, but a terrible husband), compare Bob Cratchit’s wages to modern minimum wage debates, talk through the horror of dying unmourned and unnoticed, and discuss whether Ignorance is more dangerous than Want.
Content & Spoiler Warning:
This episode includes spoilers for A Christmas Carol (book and major adaptations), and discussion of child death, Victorian poverty and disease, eternal damnation, bad bosses and workplace exploitation, and references to body parts/sexual topics.
Palate Cleanser:
The Office – “Dinner Party” (US) and Thor: Ragnarok
Recommendations:
Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooged – Bill Murray’s ‘80s TV-exec Scrooge, Mickey’s Christmas Carol (Marley's door-knocker and Scrooge’s hellfire grave are seared into our brains)
Other Christmas movies like It’s a Wonderful Life and Elf because like Scrooge, Walter Hobbes needs some Christmas spirit.
Newsies – A musical that reflects Dickens’ views on child labor.
Parasite – For a contemporary look at the horrors of the class divide.
The Castle – Australian working class family cult favourite that’s giving Bob Cratchit.
Home for the Holidays – Caroline’s favourite holiday movie with a cast including Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Dylan McDermott, and Claire Danes
Christmas specials! Look up your favourite 80s or 90s TV show and find their Christmas special (Caroline recommends Roseanne & 90210)
The Haunting of Bly Manor – For “ghost stories at Christmas” vibes
Time Bandits (TV) – jokes about how gross and diseased Victorian London was
Hugh Grant’s narration of A Christmas Carol (though his soothing voice might put you to sleep) which dovetails with Dickens’ descriptions of cholera-era filth.
The Signalman –A lesser-known Dickens ghost story
The Phantom Tollbooth – Audiobook family favourite for Caroline
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl – Structurally similar morality lessons
The podcast Scared To Death –annual Christmas readings of classic ghost stories,
Dark Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal -if you want to know more about Dickens’ fascination with spiritualism and the paranormal.
Black Mirror "White Christmas” – another Christmas special featuring eternal torment
Homework:
Watch: Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro) on Netflix.
Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryjkidd)
