Scrooge

by Leslie Bricusse, directed by Ronald Neame

A faithful musical retelling of the original (complete with humbugs and the ambiguity over whether viewing the past and present consists of actual time travel).

— Michael Main

Humbug! Insolent young ruffians coming here with their Christmas nonsense!

Scrooge by Leslie Bricusse, directed by Ronald Neame (premiered at an unknown movie theater, Los Angeles, 5 November 1970).

retold for children

A Christmas Carol

abridged by Joan Collins from the original by Charles Dickens

The tale is a somewhat faithful retelling for children, abridge to about a third of the original length, in simple language, and with copious illustrations by Chris Russell. It even retains the metaphysical thought that the future will be bleak for Tiny Tim if things remain unchanged.

— Michael Main

If these shadows do not change, Tiny Tim will not see another Christmas.

“A Christmas Carol” abridged by Joan Collins from the original by Charles Dickens (Ladybird Books, 1982).

You Wish (s01e13)

Gift of the Travi

by Daniel Paige and Sue Paige, directed by Jeff McCracken

When Genie gives each of the kids a Christmas wish, Mickey wishes for a white Christmas in LA, and Travis wishes that it would be Christmas every day. Yeah, like that ever works out.

— Michael Main

I wish every day was Christmas.

You Wish (s01e13), “Gift of the Travi” by Daniel Paige and Sue Paige, directed by Jeff McCracken (ABC-TV, USA, 24 July 1998).

Magic Tree House: Merlin Mission 1*

Christmas in Camelot

by Mary Pope Osborne

On Christmas Eve, Jack and Annie’s tree house transports them to King Arthur’s castle in Camelot. They arrive to find that all is not well in Camelot, Merlin has been banned, and all magic use is forbidden. Many of the bravest knights have been lost on a mysterious quest to the Otherworld. The Christmas feast is interrupted by a knight, who sets a challenge to find the knights and break the curse. He demands to know “Who will go?” Annie, naturally, accepts. She and Jack set out on a quest to the Otherworld, to bring back magic and joy to Camelot.

— based on fandom.com

Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne (Random House, October 2001) [print · e-book].

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (s07e09)

It’s a Hot, Hot, Hot, Hot Christmas

by Dan Kael, directed by Melissa Joan Hart

While on a Christmas trip to Florida, Sabrina and Salem travel back in time to see who robbed the condo where everyone is staying

— Inmate Jan

Oh, oh, oh—I think you went back a little too far!

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (s07e09), “It’s a Hot, Hot, Hot, Hot Christmas” by Dan Kael, directed by Melissa Joan Hart (The WB-TV, USA, 6 December 2002).

The Santa Clause 3

The Escape Clause

by Ed Decter and John J. Strauss, directed by Michael Lembeck

Now that Santa and Mrs. Claus have the North Pole running smoothly, the Counsel of Legendary Figures has called an emergency meeting on Christmas Eve! The evil Jack Frost has been making trouble, looking to take over the holiday! So he launches a plan to sabotage the toy factory and compel Scott to invoke the little-known Escape Clause and wish he'd never become Santa.

— from publicity material

This is the part where I’m transported through time and everything goes back to the way it was, like I’d never become Santa at all.

The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause by Ed Decter and John J. Strauss, directed by Michael Lembeck (at movie theaters, Germany, 2 November 2006).

Magic Tree House: Merlin Mission 16*

A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time

by Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie travel back to Victorian London when Merlin asks them to use their magic to inspire Charles Dickens to write “A Christmas Carol.”

— based on fandom.com

A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time by Mary Pope Osborne (Random House, September 2010) [print · e-book].

Second Chances 3.1

An Old-Fashioned Christmas

by Peggy L. Henderson

Gabe McFarlain is adjusting to life in the twenty-first century, and looking forward to his first modern Christmas with his wife Morgan, and his adopted son. Sometimes, however, a little old-fashioned cowboy spirit can add sparkle to the magic of the holidays.

— from publicity material

“An Old-Fashioned Christmas” by Peggy L. Henderson, serialized in Peggy L. Henderson’s newsletter, circa December 2015.

50 Year Calendar

by Alex Johnson, directed by Connor Tatum

A teenage boy opens a Christmas present that takes him from 2017 to 2047 where he meets two antisocial teens, learns of a future war, and has a confused end to his trip.

— Michael Main

I’m from 2017. Can you fix it? I need to get back.

50 Year Calendar by Alex Johnson, directed by Connor Tatum (Youtube: Rock Ledge Studios Channel, 19 January 2017).

The Knight before Christmas

by Cara J. Russell, directed by Monika Mitchell

In AD 1334, a crone prophesizes Sir Cole’s future and sends the Englishman on an ambiguous quest to 2019 Ohio, where he does knightly non-Ohioan things and discovers the love of his life on Christmas Eve.

— Michael Main

You shall travel to faraway lands, see things undreamed of: flying steel dragons and horses, magic boxes that make merry.

The Knight before Christmas by Cara J. Russell, directed by Monika Mitchell (Netflix, USA, 21 November 2019).

Second Chances 3.2

A Second Chance Christmas

by Peggy L. Henderson

Gabe and Morgan McFarlain are looking forward to spending Christmas Eve with their close friends, Jake and Rachel Owens. When the Reverend Johnson makes an unexpected visit, it is Gabe who holds the key to his friends' family secret. When he's asked to go back in time to save Jake's ancestor, the past and the future may be changed forever.

— from publicity material

He chuckled and shook his head. To think that he’d wanted to ruin his brother and the ranch at one time. Because of his misguided need for revenge, he’d ended up in the future. Meeting Morgan and her son had been the best thing that could have happened to him. Although he missed his simple life in 1872, there was much to like about modern times, too.

“A Second Chance Christmas” by Peggy L. Henderson, serialized in Peggy L. Henderson’s newsletter, circa December 2019.

The Christmas Chronicles 2

by Matt Liebermann and Chris Columbus, directed by Chris Columbus

Two years after the first Christmas Chronicles movie, young Kate Pierce is sitting on a beach in Cancun, missing her father and losing her status as a True Believer, all of which causes her to try flying back to Boston on her own—a plan that plays right into evil Belsnickel’s plan to overthrow Santa Claus and Mrs. Santa Claus.

— Michael Main

Santa: [shaking head] Only Belsnickel would power a time machine with triple-A’s.

The Christmas Chronicles 2 by Matt Liebermann and Chris Columbus, directed by Chris Columbus (at movie theaters, USA and elsewhere, 25 November 2020).

Tudo Bem No Natal Que Vem

English release: Just Another Christmas Literal: Everything will be okay next Christmas

by Paulo Cursino, directed by Roberto Santucci

While playing Santa on the roof, avowed Christmas hater Jorge takes a fall that results in him waking up every Christmas with no memories of what happened since the last Christmas.

— Michael Main

Teu avô disse que eu ainda ia descobrir pra que serve o Natal. Foi você, né, sue velho?

He did it! Two days ago he said I’d find out what Christmas is all about! You cursed me, didn’t you, old man?

English

[ex=bare]Tudo Bem No Natal Que Vem | Everything will be okay next Christmas[/ex] by Paulo Cursino, directed by Roberto Santucci (Netflix, worldwide, 3 December 2020).

Ghosts of Christmas Always

by Zach Hug and Annika Marks[/urlx, directed by Rich Newey

This time around, the usual three ghosts are only one of the many three-ghost teams who are given a yearly assignment to scrooge one of the many Scrooges who seem to be more numerous than ever before. Together with their 2022 assignment—Peter Baron, an unsatisfied son of a food baron—they provide a nice tear-jerker for the entire family.

— Michael Main

He’s like the anti-Scrooge.

Ghosts of Christmas Always by Zach Hug and Annika Marks[/urlx, directed by Rich Newey (Hallmark Channel, USA, 30 October 2022).