Rich Little's Christmas Carol, broadcast in Canada as A Christmas Carol, is a TV special that premiered on CBC Television in December 1978, and in the United States on Home Box Office (HBO) on December 16, 1979. The special won an International Emmy Award[1] and a Rose d'Or award. It was produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1978. It starred Rich Little in a one-man performance with impersonations of his characters playing the parts in Charles Dickens' famous 1843 holiday story, A Christmas Carol.[2]Little played the following celebrities:
- W. C. Fields as Ebenezer Scrooge §
- Paul Lynde as Bob Cratchit
- Johnny Carson as Fred
- Laurel and Hardy as the two solicitors §
- Richard Nixon as Jacob Marley
- Humphrey Bogart as the Ghost of Christmas Past §
- Groucho Marx as Fezziwig §
- James Stewart as Dick Wilkins
- Peter Falk as Columbo/the Ghost of Christmas Present
- Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker/Mrs. Cratchit
- Truman Capote as Tiny Tim
- Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau/the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
- James Mason, George Burns and John Wayne as the three businessmen
- Jack Benny as a boy §
| Rich Little's Christmas Carol | |
|---|---|
 Artwork for Rich Little's Christmas Carol on HBO | |
| Also known as | A Christmas Carol |
| Starring | Rich Little |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Production | |
| Running time | 55 minutes |
| Production company | CBC Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBC Television, HBO |
| Release | December 1978 |
The show was shot on videotape and included a laugh track.
§ - denotes the celebrity was deceased at the time of production
In 1963, Little released the LP "Scrooge and the Stars", which may have been the inspiration for this version of A Christmas Carol. On the LP, Little portrayed Scrooge as Jack Benny.
