‘SCROOGE: A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ PODCAST, STARRING JOHN RHYS-DAVIES OF ‘INDIANA JONES’ AND ‘LORD OF THE RINGS,’ RETURNS FOR THE 2024 HOLIDAY SEASON
Presented by Hope Media Group and Compassion International, the award-winning audio
drama ‘SCROOGE: A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ podcast becomes a new holiday tradition
Houston, Texas / September 24, 2024 – SCROOGE: A Christmas Carol podcast, the four-part audio drama presented by Hope Media Group and Compassion International is back for the 2024 holiday season. After an extremely successful run in 2023, garnering accolades such as Christian Music Broadcasters ‘Podcast of the Year,’ Ambie nomination for ‘Best Performance in Audio Fiction,’ and the top rated audio drama on the Apple Podcast Charts, SCROOGE will be available wherever podcasts are found on November 22. This new adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens highlights inspirational themes and will encourage listeners for many generations to come. While being true to the original story, screenwriter P.G. Cuschieri and creator/producer Mark Ramsey imagined fresh elements which highlight the story’s redemptive nature with beloved actors John Rhys-Davies (Indiana Jones) and Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings).
“Hope Media Group is proud to bring ‘SCROOGE: A Christmas Carol’ back for the 2024 holiday season.
The global response to this audio drama has been phenomenal and it is a testament to our mission to
engage people to love Jesus, serve others, and spread Hope. We believe listening to SCROOGE will
become a holiday tradition for individuals and families alike. It is also perfect for sharing with friends,
family, and co-workers as a reminder of the true reason for the season.”
Joe Paulo
President and CEO of Hope Media Group
“The overwhelming success and recognition ‘SCROOGE: A Christmas Carol’ received last year as the top-rated audio drama on the Apple podcast chart showed us how this reimagined classic tale connected with listeners all over the world. We are thrilled this story of redemption will be around for years to come.”
Mark Ramsey
Creator, Director and Show-runner of Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
To encourage deeper engagement with the message, The World’s Biggest Small Group will once again offer the companion piece, ‘SCROOGE: A five-Day Devotional’ based on the Charles Dickens’ classic tale. This study invites people to reflect on choosing joy, embracing contentment, and extending mercy. This year there will also be activities for children which will encourage families to listen to SCROOGE together.
WORLDS BIGGEST SMALL GROUP: SCROOGE BIBLE STUDY
- World’s Biggest Small Group Bible Study In a 5-day devotional, we explore the timeless lessons from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol about choosing joy, finding contentment, and extending mercy during the holiday season. It’s a reminder that Christmas offers a second chance for all, just as it did for Ebenezer Scrooge in the past and for us today.
SCROOGE 2023 HIGHLIGHTS
- 2023 Christian Music Broadcasters Podcast of the Year
- 2023 Ambie ‘Best Performance in Audio Fiction’ Nominee
- 2023 # 1 Apple Podcast Chart: Fiction
- 2023 Premiered World Wide
- 2023 480,000 Downloads (and counting)
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
- “My husband and myself and our 7 kids truly enjoyed this retelling of SCROOGE! Such a classic with a breath of fresh air with the addition of the true reason for the season, Jesus. Hope. Thank you!” – Mountain Mama
- “This was captivating, the actors were outstanding. The sound effects brought you to the very place portrayed. Will be cherished as a tradition to listen to each year.” – Nero Wolfe
SCREENWRITER AND PRODUCER
P.G. Cuschieri (writer)
Mark Ramsey (showrunner/producer)
Jim Young (producer)
SYNOPSIS
This four-episode adaptation of “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens brings the characters we all know and love to life like never before, featuring a star-studded dramatic audio adaptation in podcast form. Ebenezer Scrooge, a self-obsessed, miserable miser of all things un-merry and un-bright, is everything Christmas isn’t. After he is visited by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, Scrooge transforms into a new man and embodies all the best parts of Christmas. Through this journey of transformation, listeners will encounter themes of joy, mercy, hope and more. This fresh retelling of the holiday classic will entertain, inspire and remind you that even the hardest of hearts can find redemption. The story of Scrooge is a known commodity and has been well-loved for nearly 180 Christmases.
CAST
Sean Astin LORD OF THE RINGS, RUDY, STRANGER THINGS) as Scrooge
John Rhys-Davies (LORD OF THE RINGS, INDIANA JONES) as Narrator
Juliet Mills (AVANTI!) as Ghost of Christmas Future
Ben Barnes (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN) as Ghost of Christmas Present
Bethany Joy Lenz (ONE TREE HILL, DEXTER) as Elizabeth
Ryan O’Quin (BELIEVE) as Bob Cratchit
Clive Standen (VIKINGS, THE MORNING SHOW) as Fredrick
Lucy Punch (INTO THE WOODS) as Ghost of Christmas Past
Maxwell Caulfield (GREASE 2, THE COLBYS) as Jacob Marley
About Hope Media Group
Hope Media Group is a family of media brands that engage people to love Jesus, serve others, and spread Hope through radio, events, online content, and mobile apps. Its platforms include Houston-focused KSBJ, the national network of WayFM stations, the Spanish-language Christian network Vida Unida, digital content outlets NGEN Radio (Christian hip-hop and pop), Hope Nation, WAYLOUD (Christian rock), the God Listens Prayer App, and a concert and event producer, Hope Events.
Click here (https://www.hopemediagroup.com/) to learn more about the ministry.
About Compassion International
Compassion International is a child-development ministry dedicated to releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. Through sponsorships and donations, they empower local churches to provide individualized and holistic care to children in poverty so they are free to learn, grow, play and dream.