Tis the season to bring back old favorites, especially if you’re one of the elves hard at work over at Disney+. Hot on the heels of the announcement that cult classic Real Steel is being developed for a streaming series return, it looks like Tim Allen is bringing back The Santa Clause franchise for that same platform. However, the new project isn’t exactly what you’d expect for such an announcement.
Rather than continue with a cinematic outing, like Disney is currently doing with Hocus Pocus 2, this new chapter in another beloved holiday franchise is going to be a limited series. Recently announced by Disney+, The Santa Clause is the working title for Allen’s return to both TV, and the character of Scott Calvin. With a goal to start production this March, this new adventure is going to be about a pivotal moment in the current Santa’s career, according to the official synopsis:
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.
While the certified Disney Legend is no longer playing the role of Buzz Lightyear, Allen is committed to The Santa Clause limited series as both an executive producer and as a star within his role of Scott Calvin. Working alongside Allen behind the scenes is executive producer and showrunner Jack Burditt, the sitcom veteran who’s worked on Frasier, 30 Rock, and Modern Family. Mr. Burditt was also part of the team that helped make Last Man Standing a nine-season smash hit for Mr. Allen in the past, which is a promising and very on-brand partnership.
Reading through that plot synopsis does inspire some early questions forming pertaining to this legacyquel series. Besides figuring out whether or not Scott Calvin is going to invoke “the escape clause” again, or if some new contractual convenience is going to be presented to get things going, the issue of Scott’s kids needs to be discussed. Let’s take a small detour into Santa Clause lore for a moment, shall we?
In the synopsis above, Santa Scott’s “two kids who have grown up at the Pole” are mentioned. By time we got to the ending of The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Scott Calvin was known to have two children: Charlie (Eric Lloyd), from his previous marriage to Laura (Wendy Crewson), and Buddy, his newborn with second wife and current Mrs. Claus, Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell). Since Charlie was pretty much grown up in that final film, it sounds like one of the first new characters we’re going to be introduced to is this other Claus child born sometime in the interim.
It might be a bit early to get that deep into The Santa Clause rabbit hole, we’ll admit that. Then again, when another long dormant Disney franchise returns to the game, isn’t that the right time to start asking the hard questions? While we’re at it, are the reindeer retiring too? Has Comet got his diet under control, and did Chet ever straighten up and fly right? We’ll just leave things there, before we start to ponder a potential return of Bernard the Elf.
Not to be confused with its cinematic namesake, The Santa Clause limited series doesn’t have a release date specified just yet. As you keep your eyes peeled for those details, don’t forget you can head to the 2022 TV premiere schedule, in order to see what’s on the way through the winter and spring seasons. And if you’re still in the holiday spirit, you can watch all three installments of The Santa Clause on Disney+!
