With a stellar cast and creative onboard, BBC's new 'dark' adaptation of A Christmas Carol was billed as the next gripping watch this festive season.
Yet, viewers appear to be let down by the eerie production and asked why producers have "bothered" with another adaption of the festive novella when nothing would ever compare to Jim Henson's The Muppets Christmas Carol.
Written by Stephen Knight, who also worked on Peaky Blinders, BBC's three-part Charles Dickens re-imagination is executive produced by actor Tom Hardy and was teased as a "haunting, hallucinatory, spine-tingling immersion into Scrooge's dark night of the soul."
The period drama sees Hollywood actor Guy Pearce taking on Ebenezer Scrooge while Taylor Swift's boyfriend Joe Alwyn plays Bob Cratchit opposite Vinette Robinson, who play's Bob's wife, desperately trying to care for her sick son, Tiny Tim.
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Andy Serkis plays the Ghost of Christmas Past, and Jason Flemyng undertakes the role of Ghost of Christmas Future.
Meanwhile, Stephen Graham stars as Jacob Marley, who runs a factory but it all goes terribly wrong when his workers die in a gas blast.
Despite the incredible cast and crew, telly fans have been left disappointed following the first episode, which aired on Sunday, and claimed that Charles Dickens' Christmas tale should be left alone as it will never live up to 1992's Muppet adaption.
One viewer penned on Twitter following the first episode: "Not really sure why @BBCOne have bothered with this #AChristmasCarol remake when we all know that nothing will ever beat Michael Caine and The Muppets.
"Frankly the best version of the story ever, maybe even better than the book!? Yeah I said it."
Another shared: "You know what this needs? More muppets. And maybe a little bit of Dickens. But mainly muppets. #AChristmasCarol".
"Isn't Bob Cratchit supposed to be unendingly upbeat and happy despite his miserable life?" a third wrote. "Muppet's Christmas Carol was more faithful and they made Cratchit a frog."
While a viewer shared a shot of the Muppets with Michael Caine and cheekily asked: "Anyone know when this lot start rocking up? Asking for a friend. #AChristmasCarol".
The Muppets Christmas Carol has previously been branded by critics and telly fiends alike as the greatest holiday movie of the 90s (Sorry Home Alone, The Santa Clause, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Jingle All The Way).
While that could possibly be up for debate, the 1992 feature is certainly seen as the definitive adaptation of the Dickens classic, with British acting legend Michael Caine, who played Scrooge, as the cinematic project's sole human star.
The movie's script was faithful to Dickens' book, featured plenty of humour but more so, saw Caine singing, which he has never done before or since, alongside Ms Piggy and Kermit The Frog.
The film also marked Brian Henson's directing debut. He was the son of Muppets creator Jim Henson and made the film in the wake of his father's 1990 death so it's understandable why it has a such a fond place in many a heart.
Meanwhile, A Christmas Carol continues on Monday and the final episode on Tuesday on BBC One at 9pm.
Featured Image Credit: BBCTopics: Christmas, BBC, TV News, TV Entertainment
