ABC revives 'Mickey’s Christmas Carol' this November after 23 years

ABC is dusting off a holiday staple: the 1983 animated short Mickey’s Christmas Carol is back in primetime on Wednesday, November 25, slotted from 8:00–8:30 p.m. ET/PT as part of The Wonderful World of Disney . The timing lands on Thanksgiving Eve and marks the special’s first ABC airing in 23 years.

The last time the short appeared on the network was December 20, 2003, folded into A Merry Mickey Celebration for Mickey’s 75th anniversary. This return brings Scrooge, Mickey, and a very motivated trio of ghosts back to broadcast just as the holidays kick into gear.

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Directed by Disney legend Burny Mattinson, the approximately 26-minute film first ran in theaters in 1983, signaling Mickey’s return to cinemas after three decades and earning an Academy Award nomination. If you miss the ABC airing, the short is also available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

Airs Wednesday, November 25, 8:00–8:30 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

A darker Scrooge at the movies

Meanwhile, Paramount ’s big-screen take on Dickens arrives next month with Ebenezer, starring Johnny Depp as Scrooge and directed by Ti West (X, Pearl, MaXXXine) from a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern. The film opens November 13, 2026 , and the studio’s trailers suggest a creepier, more haunted spin on the redemption story you know by heart.

• Johnny Depp — Ebenezer Scrooge
• Ian McKellen — Jacob Marley
• Rupert Grint — Bob Cratchit
• Andrea Riseborough — Ghost of Christmas Past
• Tramell Tillman — Ghost of Christmas Present
• Sam Claflin — Fred
• Daisy Ridley — role TBA
• Ellie Bamber — role TBA

Ebenezer also marks Depp’s first major Hollywood studio release since 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. It opens in theaters November 13, 2026.

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