After 15 Years, Tim Allen Returns in Disney’s ‘The Santa Clauses’

Former toy salesman Scott Calvin is coming back as Santa Claus!

On Nov. 16, Disney + will release the first two episodes of its new six-episode limited series The Santa Clauses. The series is based on the 1994 movie The Santa Clause and its two sequels The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clauses, which are on our list of the best Christmas movies for kids.

And yep, Tim Allen will be returning in his role as Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who, along with his son Charlie, had to take over Santa’s duties on Christmas Eve after he caused Santa to fall from a roof.

Where did the past Santa Clause films leave off?

In the original 1994 film (which many think is one of the best Christmas movies of all time), Scott unwittingly becomes the real Santa Claus after he puts on Santa’s suit. Over the course of the following year, Scott grows a big belly, a long white beard and a fondness for milk and cookies. However, he has a hard time convincing his ex-wife and her new husband he’s become the real Santa and they try to take his visitation rights to his son Charlie away from him.

In the 2002 follow-up, Scott has to search for the perfect “Mrs. Claus” to marry and contend with his now-teenage son Charlie being on the “naughty list.” In the third installment, which came out in 2006, he must reverse a curse put on him by Jack Frost that causes him to lose the title of Santa Claus. The sequels were packed with all of the best Santa jokes we’ve come to love from the franchise.

So what’s going to happen in the new series? And who will be back, other than Tim Allen? Read on for all the magical details.

Here’s what we know about The Santa Clauses series

Courtesy Disney/James Clark

It’s nearly 30 years later (both in real life and since the original film came out!), and Scott Calvin is still relishing his role as Santa Claus. But unfortunately, the world has become a more cynical place, and Christmas is declining in popularity which causes his magic to wane. Plus, all of the children from the original film are now adults and they no longer believe in him. In one scene in the trailer, after he falls down the chimney into a grown woman’s home, she assumes he’s a burglar and throws a bottle of wine at his head!

Scott, who lives at the North Pole with his wife and two children, is beginning to grow weary of the role and feels like he can’t keep up with the pressures of the job and raising his family. When he discovers a clause that states he can retire if he finds a replacement, he decides to do that and return everyone back to a “normal life” once more.

What follows is a realization that his replacement is a super bad choice who could ruin Christmas forever. Now, Scott has to resume his role in order to save the holiday. His family is on board, and off to the North Pole they go. As they say in the trailer, “The family that sleighs together…”

Who is part of The Santa Clauses cast?

Courtesy Disney/James Clark

Other than Tim Allen reprising his role, Elizabeth Mitchell is also coming back as his wife Mrs. Claus, and Eric Lloyd will return as his son Charlie. (Charlie is now grown with a wife of his own.) David Krumholtz also returns to his original role as Bernard the Elf.

Of the newcomers, one of the most exciting ones is Allen’s real-life 13-year-old daughter Elizabeth Allen-Dick, who will play Scott’s daughter Sandra. She was originally meant to play a background elf but impressed the cast and crew with her comedic timing so much that she was given the larger role. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight about working with her dad for the first time, Allen-Dick said, “He was there when I needed help, but he also let me kind of figure it out, too, which I really liked.”

Kal Penn will play Simon Choksi, the not-so-amazing Santa Claus replacement, and Laura San Giacomo makes an appearance as an evil Christmas Witch.

There’s also a delightful cameo by football great Peyton Manning, who decides to audition for the role of the new Santa—and explains how he “can’t wait to rub this in Brady’s face.” When asked to do his best ho-ho-ho, he can’t help but chant, “ho-ho-HOmaha!” That may go down as one of the best Christmas movie quotes of the season.

How to watch The Santa Clauses

You can stream the first two episodes on Disney + starting Nov. 16. If you aren’t already a subscriber to the streaming service, monthly subscriptions start as low as $7.99.

After the first episodes drop, the rest of the series will come on a weekly schedule—ensuring plenty of fun family time on the couch as the holiday countdown begins! And if you’re still feeling the holiday spirit while waiting for new episodes, check out these other Christmas movies on Disney + that the whole family will enjoy.

Sources:

• Disney+: The Santa Clause