Spirited Audio Adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” from The Merry Beggars Soars Atop Podcast Charts

Chicago, IL, December 12, 2024 — The timeless 19th century classic novel from Charles Dickens comes alive to families in a whole new way as an Audio Advent Calendar thanks to the creative interpretation of The Merry Beggars, a Christian entertainment apostolate dedicated to producing uplifting and  exceptionally-produced audio content for families.  Adapted into 25 immersive installments, featuring the vocal talents of professional actors, “A Christmas Carol: An Audio Advent Calendar” has surpassed the 1 million download mark, officially reaching #1 in the Apple Fiction Podcast category for 2024.

“I grew up reading an Advent calendar of A Christmas Carol–the most abridged version of Charles Dickens you’re ever going to read– in 24 little booklets,” recalled The Merry Beggars Founder and Executive Producer Peter Atkinson.  “Inspired by that experience, we made the bold and ambitious decision in 2021 to transform the beloved story into a series of 25 brief audio plays, with each episode falling under 12 minutes in length.  Three years later, I’m humbled to see this project become a new Advent tradition for families and to know that The Merry Beggars is playing some small role in helping to build homes full of adventure, joy, and faith.”

Rather than telling the story from Scrooge’s point of view, The Merry Beggars’ adaptation focuses on Charles Dickens as the storyteller, taking listeners back to 1843 London when Dickens delivered the first public reading, one short week after the book was first published.  Listeners will take note of the intricate sound design as well that makes the audio dramas so special–from the chilling wind and startling rap on the door to the rattling of Marley’s chains.  

“A Christmas Carol: An Audio Advent Calendar” saw instant success even in the first year of release with tens of thousands of listeners tuning in.  Since 2022, it has consistently peaked at #3 in the Apple Fiction Podcast charts.  Now in its third year of release, its ever growing listenership has propelled it to the #1 spot in Fiction, in the top 50 of Podcast Series, and closing in on the Top 100 list of all Apple Podcasts.  Increasing demand prompted The Merry Beggars to release free companion resources this year such as coloring pages, activity sheets, and family discussion questions.

Reflecting on the success of the project, Atkinson noted, “I founded The Merry Beggars with one mission: to heal our culture.  It became clear to me while acting in New York City that Hollywood was never going to produce stories that aligned with my Catholic faith. So we created our own.” Atkinson continued, “It is our privilege to serve hundreds of thousands of families by producing beautiful, adventurous, and truly exceptional entertainment.”