Do we really need another version of "A Christmas Carol"?
Perhaps not, given that this has to be one of the most-filmed, most-copied stories in history. Charles Dickens' tale has been adapted to everything from the fine 1951 British film to the Muppets, from Mr. Magoo to episodes of sitcoms like "Family Matters" and "Growing Pains."And it's the lure of that original story that keeps the tale alive and powers yet another version -- a very good made-for-TV movie that stars Patrick Stewart ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") and is produced by Robert Halmi Sr. (whose credits range from "Merlin" to "Moby Dick").
"It is so close to everybody. Everybody knows a Scrooge somewhere," Halmi said. "Everybody knows the social injustices Dickens was talking about. It'll never go away, and everybody is rooting for old Scrooge's soul and for Tiny Tim.
"It's a natural. It's a tear-jerker, and it's wonderful."
The TNT version, which premieres on Sunday, Dec. 5, is quite true to Dickens' novel -- and quite wonderful in a thoroughly familiar way.
"Each one of us knows what it is like to withhold because we are fearful, whether it's professionally or personally or domestically," Stewart said. "And in this story, a man who only knows withholding is given a second chance to give instead of take, and there are none of us that cannot respond to that in some way.
"One of my closest friends said to me a couple of years ago in connection with 'A Christmas Carol,' he said, 'Patrick, you will continue to do "A Christmas Carol" until you have expunged the Scrooge from your own spirit.'"
TV viewers will have more than a few chances to become familiar with Ebenezer Scrooge over the next few weeks. In the midst of the hundreds of Christmas specials and movies, there are dozens of takes on "A Christmas Carol." In addition to those already mentioned, you can dial up everyone from Jack Palance to Henry Winkler to Cicely Tyson to George Jetson to Fred Flintstone in the role.
And that's just a small part of what TV has to offer in the way of holiday programing. There are old favorites like "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas," a bunch of new made-for-TV movies on a bunch of different channels, and music specials featuring the likes of Brandy, Garth Brooks, Sawyer Brown, Mariah Carey, Charlotte Church, Perry Como, Amy Grant, Kenny Loggins, Mannheim Steamroller, Martina McBride, Rosie O'Donnell, the Boston Pops and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, among others.
Happy holidays, and enjoy!