I saw the title and instantly knew this TV made film was going to be a modernised version of the classic Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol, and with one or two names in the cast being good I gave it a go. Basically Carol Cartman (Scary Movie 2's Tori Spelling) is the conceited, cynical, selfish and cold sensationalist TV chat show host who has been moulded by her dead Aunt Marla (Dinah Manoff). It is Christmas Eve, and with her mean behaviour at its tether, her dead Aunt comes to haunt her and tell her she is making a big mistake being like she is, she could become what she has in the afterlife. Marla also tells Carol that she will be visited by three ghosts to see the error of her ways, and hopefully change her attitude towards family, work and Christmas. So the spirit to visit is the child star Ghost of Christmas Past (Diff'rent Strokes' Gary Coleman),who takes her back to see her childhood growing up with Aunt Marla, how she got her break to becoming a star of stage and then screen, and ultimately how manipulative her Aunt really was to get her any career at all. After returning Carol is next visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present, in the form of TV nice guy Dr. Bob (Star Trek's William Shatner),who shows her what her nastiness is doing to the people in her life, including work employees and family. Finally the silent and cold looking chauffeur Ghost of Christmas Future (James Cromwell) who shows Carol how her life will turn out if she doesn't mend her ways and make amends, including of course her death. So when she wakes up she is a reformed person, starts being nice to Jimmy Fields (Final Destination 2's Michael Landes) and assistant Roberta (Nina Siemaszko). In the end, live on her show she ultimately expresses her newfound heart saying she will give loads to charity and take her crew on holiday to Hawaii, and finally spends time with her niece and sister. Also starring Paula Trickey as Beth, Jason Brooks as John Joyce and Holliston Coleman as Lily. Spelling makes a slightly cheesy but near good Scrooge figure, the supporting cast members do alright as well, particularly Coleman and Shatner, the modern day showbiz satire is amusing at times, I agree it is like a pantomime most of the time, but a not too bad seasonal comedy fantasy. Okay!

With a bigger name cast than most year-end Christmas TV movies, "A Carol Christmas" should have been better than just a fair film. William Shatner, Michael Landes, and Gary Coleman are among the better-known actors. And, the plot of this film is a modern day "Christmas Carol" story. The title even is a play on words of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol." In this case, the Carol isn't a song or poem but a person.

The Hallmark plot reprises the Dickens format of three ghosts - past, present and future. But, unfortunately, it is treated heavily with humor and a light touch. Without the drama it's almost whimsical at times. Carol Cartman's trips with the ghosts become much less believable as having any real effect on her. Tori Spelling plays her character well enough, especially in the first part as a modern day Scrooge. As Dickens described the character, Spelling plays well "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner."

Her heavy use of makeup, especially lipstick, helps shape her image as a cold, frozen, bitter, totally self-absorbed person. When she changes toward the end, the heavy makeup is gone, her complexion softens, and she appears clean and kind. Good job, that.

But again, the light-hearted treatment of the ghosts runs counter to this and detracts from Spelling's character as being seriously flawed. So, instead of a possible modern remake of "A Christmas Carol," this film turns out to be a modern tale that resembles the original format, but with comedy and humor that all but smothers the original story and its values.

The original "Christmas Carol" is a timeless classic. So, it should lend itself to a modern adaptation, but one that keeps to the original story format. It would be set in modern times and with a super wealthy person who exists solely for wealth and power but who could have taken a different path in the past.

Needless to say, I am a big fan of Dicken's story, and have seen many versions. Susan Lucci did the best "female" portrayal in Ebbie, but I would not dismiss the fine performance of Tori Spelling, someone I initially would not consider worth watching.

I am a little biased in this one as her love interest (Jason Brooks) is a social worker.

The story does not need retelling, as most are familiar with it. It is a story that embodies the real spirit of the holiday. How could anyone not "reform" after being visited by the Ghosts of Christmas, played comically and wonderfully here by Gary Coleman and William Shatner.

A very interesting twist here substituting Tiny Tim's affliction with a custody battle. It was nice seeing Nina Siemaszko (Ellie Bartlet from "The West Wing") again.