It’s been 23 years since Mickey’s Christmas Carol last aired on ABC, but Disney is finally bringing the beloved animated holiday classic back to network television.
The 1983 animated short will return to ABC on Wednesday, November 25, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, the night before Thanksgiving, as part of The Wonderful World of Disney holiday programming lineup. The half-hour presentation marks the first time ABC has broadcast the special since 2003, giving longtime fans a chance to revisit a Christmas favorite on television.
Directed by Burny Mattinson, Mickey’s Christmas Carol puts a Disney spin on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with Scrooge McDuck stepping into the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Mickey Mouse plays his long-suffering employee Bob Cratchit, while Minnie Mouse appears as Mrs. Cratchit and Donald Duck takes on the role of Scrooge’s nephew Fred.
The familiar Christmas ghosts are played by an assortment of Disney characters, including Goofy as Jacob Marley, Jiminy Cricket as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Willie the Giant as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Pete as the Ghost of Christmas Future.
The story follows Scrooge McDuck as he receives a series of supernatural visitors on Christmas Eve, each attempting to convince him to reconsider his selfish ways before it’s too late. Although the special features Disney’s familiar animated characters, it retains the darker elements of Dickens’ original story, particularly during Scrooge’s encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Future.
Originally released theatrically in December 1983, Mickey’s Christmas Carol marked Mickey Mouse’s return to a new theatrical animated short after approximately 30 years. The film was released alongside a theatrical reissue of The Rescuers and went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film.
The special subsequently became a familiar part of holiday television programming, airing on NBC throughout the 1980s and CBS during the 1990s before making its way to ABC in 2000. Its last ABC broadcast came in 2003, when the network included it in programming celebrating Mickey Mouse’s 75th birthday.
Although Mickey’s Christmas Carol has remained available through home video, cable television and Disney+, its return to ABC brings the special back to the kind of holiday television lineup where many viewers originally discovered it.
The November 25 broadcast also kicks off ABC’s Wonderful World of Disney holiday schedule, which continues with Mary Poppins on Thanksgiving night, November 26, and The Sound of Music on November 29. Other seasonal favorites scheduled for December include The Santa Clause on December 23 and Home Alone on Christmas Eve. Disney will also present The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular on November 30, followed by the annual Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade on December 25.
For anyone who grew up watching Scrooge McDuck learn the meaning of Christmas alongside Mickey, Donald and Goofy, the November broadcast offers a chance to revisit the special as part of the holiday television tradition. Mickey’s Christmas Carol airs Wednesday, November 25, from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, marking its first appearance on the network since 2003.
