Get ready, ‘90s kids. Scott Calvin will soon be back on our screens as Santa Claus in Disney’s The Santa Clauses series! A limited follow-up series to the iconic Tim Allen-led Santa Clause trilogy is officially coming to Disney+. It’s been over a decade since the release of the last movie in the franchise, with many re-watching the classic films each time the Christmas season rolls around. Now that a new addition to the story is almost here, fans are much more excited about their Christmas TV line-up.

Released in 1994, the original The Santa Clause film was positively received by critics and audiences and has gone on to become a staple in the holiday movie season. Two sequels, The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, were later released in 2002 and 2006. While the sequels were not as warmly received, the trilogy as a whole has achieved a cult following in the years since its release.

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The announcement of the new series has been accompanied by quite a few questions. Besides Allen, can we expect any returning faces from the film series? In addition, what new players are joining the cast? How will it continue the story established in the film trilogy? When and where can audiences watch the new series? Here’s everything to know about The Santa Clauses TV series!

Updated November 2022 by Jessica Peerez: If you’re excited about The Santa Clauses series, you’ll be happy to know we’ve updated this article with additional info about it.

The Santa Clauses: The Plot

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Described as a sequel to The Santa Clause 3, the series will follow Allen’s Scott Calvin as he makes the bombshell decision to retire from his role as Santa Claus. The plot will follow Calvin as he looks for who will become the next Santa Claus and adjusts to everyday life together with his children and wife. However, despite Calvin’s excitement to spend Christmas with his family, not everything goes according to plan, and Calvin is “reined” back in from retirement to save Christmas.

Disney has released a synopsis of what fans can expect from the series:

The first film revolved around Calvin as he took on the mantle of Santa Claus after accidentally causing the death of the previous Santa. The sequels saw Scott fulfill the “Mrs. Clause” by getting married and later being tricked into undoing his life as Santa by Jack Frost, according to the “Escape Clause.” Now, it appears as though the miniseries will act as the natural conclusion to Scott’s tenure as Santa Claus. This could potentially leave the door open for Disney to continue the franchise with a new lead star as Santa if the miniseries is successful, even if replacing leads of beloved long-running franchises rarely works out.

“In the Disney+ series, Scott Calvin is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s starting to lose a step in his Santa duties, and more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially his two kids who have grown up at the Pole. With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole.”

Giving fans their first official look into the chaos that’s scheduled to overtake Santa’s retirement, an official trailer was released by Disney+ on October 27, 2022.

The Santa Clauses: The Cast

As mentioned, Tim Allen is back in the titular role as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus, reprising his role from all three films. “So here we go again…HoHoHo!” tweeted the actor back in January, confirming his role in the series. Elizabeth Mitchell will also be joining Allen and reprising her role as Carol Newman/Mrs. Claus, after previously appearing in the second and third films.

Elf Number 1 David Krumholtz is also returning to the series with Eric Lloyd as Santa Claus’ son Charlie Calvin. Given the many years that have passed since the release of the first two movies, it will be interesting to see what time has done for the returning cast. Krumholtz, expressing his excitement at the opportunity to return to his role, took to Instagram to say:

Besides Allen and Mitchell, several new players joined the cast. Kal Penn will be joining as Simon Choksi. Penn’s character is described as a product developer with aspirations of becoming the next Jeff Bezos, but that all changes when he visits the North Pole. Interestingly, Simon Choksi has the same “S.C” initials as Scott Calvin and Santa Claus, possibly hinting that he may become Calvin’s successor as Santa. Matilda Lawler is joining the team as Santa’s Chief of Staff, Betty, a demanding elf focused first on her job above all else. Austin Kane plays Cal Calvin, the oldest son of Scott and Carol, who lacks ambition and knows that what he wants out of life is not at the North Pole. Rupali Redd is playing Grace Choksi, the daughter of Penn’s Simon, who has an unshakeable belief in Santa and loves everything to do with Christmas. Devin Bright portrays Noel, Santa’s right-hand elf, who perceives himself as Santa’s best friend.

“Couldn’t be more proud to add another chapter to my “The Santa Clause” career this fall in “THE SANTA CLAUSES” on @disneyplus . I think you’re going to love it! I loved every minute of revisiting this character, including this moment, when the hair team pinned my wig on for the first time. Tune in!”

Fittingly, Allen’s real-life daughter Elizabeth Allen-Dick is playing Sandra Calvin, the youngest daughter of Scott and Carol. Sandra is lonely due to a lack of other humans at the North Pole, giving her a special connection to the animals and a strong sense of right and wrong. Interestingly, this is the first-ever acting gig for Allen-Dick.

The Santa Clauses: Other Details

For Tim Allen, his return back to the role of Santa Claus is quite significant. While being nostalgic and emotional about the chance to spread the Christmas cheer once again, Allen exclusively told People that the opportunity to be on set with several returning cast members “was like seeing family again.” He added, “It’s almost as if time had stood still other than my age.” The 69-year-old actor is also overjoyed at the opportunity to involve his daughter in a series that he surely holds close to his heart.

However, the actor is well aware that production requires professionalism and cautioned his daughter about the importance of teamwork on set. “The advice I gave to my daughter Elizabeth is that the writers, producers, and crew have the most important roles on a production. Being an actor is a wonderful craft but we are just a part of a teamwork experience,” recalled Allen while speaking to People.

In addition to his role as the much-beloved Santa Claus, Allen will also act as an executive producer for the series. Jack Burditt, who has worked on shows such as Modern Family, 30 Rock, and The Mindy Project, is the showrunner for The Santa Clauses.

Release Date

The series has been in production in Los Angeles since March 2022 and is set to release just in time for the Christmas season on November 16, 2022. The series will have a limited number of episodes, though the exact number is still unknown, and will premiere exclusively on Disney+.