Doctor Who: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About A Christmas Carol

2. Kazran’s Mansion Was Inspired By Citizen Kane

Doctor Who A Christmas Carol
BBC Studios

Though the character of Kazran Sardick is modelled on Ebenezer Scrooge, another fictional icon also played a part in shaping his portrayal.

Kazran keeps himself locked away from the world in a giant mansion overseeing the rest of the town. This is similar to how Charles Foster Kane, the title character of the classic movie Citizen Kane, builds himself an enormous fortress to hide from the rest of society.

Kane's house, called Xanadu, served as the inspiration for Kazran's own lonely home. The gigantic fireplace set was almost entirely copied, as was the ominous portrait that hung over it.

Citizen Kane Xanadu
RKO Radio Pictures

Despite not being an original idea, it was effective in communicating to the audience how a life of greed can lead to misery, as it did for Messrs Sardick, Scrooge, and Kane.

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Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.