A Christmas Carol (2000 film)

A Christmas Carol is a 2000 British television film that blends crime and fantasy, airing on ITV on 20 December 2000. Written by Peter Bowker, it updates Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella to a modern setting. Ross Kemp stars as Eddie Scrooge, a ruthless loan shark who torments the residents of a poor housing estate. His life changes when ghosts trap him in a time loop.

The film was one of several projects offered to Kemp under his “golden handcuffs” deal with ITV after he left *EastEnders*. Its debut on a Wednesday night drew 9.41 million viewers. ITV3 repeats it annually during the Christmas buildup, though it has never been released on DVD.

In the story, Jacob Marley, a criminal partner of Scrooge, is murdered. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge collects debts from tenants on the estate, aided by Bob Cratchit, who works to pay off his own. Marley’s mother, a charity collector, suspects Scrooge’s involvement in her son’s death. After declining a Christmas invitation from his nephew, Scrooge is visited by Marley’s ghost, bound in chains of his sins. Marley warns of three more spirits.

The Ghost of Christmas Past, Scrooge’s late father, shows him a troubled childhood, his turn to crime, and his breakup with girlfriend Bella due to his criminal life. Scrooge dismisses him and wakes to find it is Christmas Eve again. He predicts the day’s events but changes nothing. Marley returns as the Ghost of Christmas Present, revealing the happy festivities of Scrooge’s debtors. Bob’s son Tim is in hospital with cystic fibrosis. Two homeless teenagers die from hypothermia and appear as ghosts.

Christmas Eve resets once more. Scrooge half-heartedly tries to impress Bella by altering events, saving one teenager but failing to save the sister because the ambulance needs a police escort due to local crime. Confronted by Marley, Scrooge admits partial responsibility for his murder: Marley was operating in a rival crook’s territory, and Scrooge arranged a meeting without knowing the killer’s intent. Scrooge says he does not enjoy his life, and Marley vanishes.

To escape the haunting, Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Future, a mute boy. The boy shows him a near future where Tim dies, the Cratchits fall apart, and Scrooge is apparently murdered, to his debtors’ joy. His belongings are sold. Scrooge vows to change if allowed to return, and he does.