After last year's pratfalls with Peter Pan, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society have been banished from the BBC, who have decided to use professional actors for their recreation of A Christmas Carol starring Derek Jacobi.
However the inept amateur dramatic society ambushed the BBC production and staged their own version with Dame Diana Rigg providing the narration. She is the aunt of one of the members of the drama society.
Again the production was a shambolic travesty with actors having trouble remembering the lines, props not working, stage hands walking into shot and an actor trying to sabotage the production so he can play the lead role of Scrooge.
The trouble is this was dreadful (unintentionally.) I did not laugh once. It is clear that the joke has worn thin after last year's production.
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong
2017
Action / Comedy
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong
2017
Action / Comedy
7.3Plot summary
Following their disastrous production of "Peter Pan", the Cornley Polytechnic amateur dramatic society have been banned from participating in this year's "A Christmas Carol" with Sir Derek Jacobi. However, the enthusiastic amateurs, undeterred, nobble Sir Derek and the other cast members to stage their own version. There is dissent in the company when Chris (Henry Shields) and Robert (Henry Lewis) both want to play Scrooge, while nervous Dennis (Jonathan Sayer),as Bob Cratchit, has to read all of his lines off prop and Annie (Nancy Zamit) gets glued to her chair. When Lucy's (Ellie Morris') Tiny Tim is knocked out by falling scenery, the hulking Robert rather improbably must replace her. With faulty greenscreen special effects, and a seemingly romantic betrayal exposed, the company's version seems doomed until Sandra's (Charlie Russell's) Aunt Diana (Dame Diana Rigg) comes to the rescue.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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A time to call it a day
Nowhere near as good as last years
'Peter Pan Goes Wrong' was a treat for Christmas 2016, so you can imagine the BBC were keen to try and repeat the trick the following year.
Sadly they fail. From having seen some of Mischief Theatre's work on stage it largely works because that's what it is - live.
In translation some of that gets lost on TV. While the budget and calibre of the guest stars is clearly greater, the charm goes by the wayside.
It's like seeing a panto you've looked forward to all Christmas, only to find it's rubbish.
A disappointment.
Boy, does it...
As much as I liked their take on Peter Pan I think is where they seemed to run out of ideas.
I want to like it: the pieces all seem to be there but it lacks that X factor Peter Pan had. Some of it is funny and some of it just feels rehashed and contrived.
They go way too far with a lot of gags and put too much emphasis on the actors personal lives.
I'm not saying avoid it but go in knowing that the best of this franchise is behind it.