Which 'Grinch' Is the Best? Fans Debate New and Old Adaptations

Dr. Suess' children's book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has enamored kids around the world since Random House published it in 1957. The story's success and status as a classic piece of children's literature have led to several adaptations over the years. With the latest adaptation recently gracing TV screens, fans have asked: Which Grinch is the best Grinch?

There are four key adaptations around the conversation. First, there's the 1966 animated TV special, which starred Boris Karloff as the Grinch and featured Thurl Ravenscroft's iconic rendition of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." While there were a couple more specials starring the Grinch in the years that followed, the next benchmark is the 2000 live-action movie directed by Ron Howard and featured Jim Carrey in an all-out portrayal of the storybook character.

In 2018, a fresh animated feature film, The Grinch, was produced by Illumination and featured Benedict Cumberbatch voicing the furry green creature. Finally, on Dec. 9, Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical Live! entered the conversation. It is a televised version of the Broadway musical version of the story, with Matthew Morrison as the titular Grinch.

While some of the adaptation of Dr. Suess' classic Christmas tale get more love than others, they all have their fans. Scroll through to see some of the debate around which version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is the best.