Verbal Diorama - Episode 185 - The Muppet Christmas Carol - Verbal Diorama

Episode 185

The Muppet Christmas Carol

There's (a little more than) One More Sleep 'Til Christmas, and with a Thankful Heart, it's time for Verbal Diorama to give some festive love to The Muppet Christmas Carol, so It Feels Like Christmas, finally!

Starring Kermit, Miss Piggy, Statler and Waldorf, The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens, Rizzo the Rat as himself, and the inimitable Michael Caine in his career-defining role as Ebenezer Scrooge, The Muppet Christmas Carol is not only one of the greatest adaptations of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but also one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made, and this year it celebrates its 30th anniversary with a remastered version on Disney+, complete with the "lost" song "When Love is Gone".

But out of over 150 adaptations of A Christmas Carol over the decades, how is the Muppet version so faithful to the source material, and why does it continue to endure? It's a story of loss, grief and redemption, and that's just the behind-the-scenes of this movie.

The YouTube video by dress historian Abby Cox I refer to in this episode is here

I would love to hear your thoughts on The Muppet Christmas Carol !

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Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

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About the Podcast

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Verbal Diorama
The podcast on the history and legacy of movies you know, and movies you don't.

About your host

Profile picture for Em .

Em .

Hi! I'm Em. I created Verbal Diorama in 2018, and launched the podcast in February 2019 to rapturous applause and acclaim.... from my cat Jess.

The modus operandi of Verbal Diorama is simple: movies are tough to make! The coming together of a team of people from all walks of life to make something to entertain, delight and educate us for 90+ mins is not an easy task, and yet so many succeed at it. That must be something to celebrate.

I'm here to do just that - to celebrate movies. Their history and legacy, and why they remain so special to so many of us.

Episodes are book ended by my cat, Jess. She sadly passed away in March 2022, aged almost 18. She featured in many episodes of the podcast, and that's why you can hear her at the end of every episode. The role of official feline producer is now held by the comparatively quieter Evie.

I love podcasts, and listen to many, but never my own.

I unashamedly love The Mummy (1999) and Grease 2. I'm still looking for a cool rider.