The Santa Clauses creator Jack Burditt says he and Tim Allen were tricked into making the Disney+ series by the studio. Allen portrayed a reluctant Santa, whose real name is Scott Calvin, for three movies from 1994 to 2006, with The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause serving as the end of his trilogy. In January of this year, a legacy sequel to the classic Christmas franchise was announced as a limited series on Disney+, called The Santa Clauses.
During a conversation with Deadline, series creator Burditt explained the circumstances around his and Allen's involvement in the new show. While Burditt was not involved with the original franchise, Allen was the star of the ABC (later Fox) sitcom Burditt created, Last Man Standing, in 2011. Since the two had worked together previously, Burditt reveals that Disney seemed to know just which strings to pull in order for the pair to reunite on The Santa Clauses, likening the experience to "being played." See what the series creator had to say below:
“I heard that at some point Tim was told, ‘hey, Jack Burditt has this idea to do Santa Clause as a series. And he was like, ‘really?’ I don’t quite know the timeline, but Tim and I might have been played by Disney. I mean, each of us hearing the other was on board before either one of us was actually on board? That’s Hollywood.”
What To Expect From The Santa Clauses Season 1
The Santa Clauses' debut delivered the magic and nostalgia viewers had been waiting for since the conclusion of Allen's original trilogy, proving that, if Disney did trick Burditt and Allen into making the show, the gambit paid off. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause already foreshadowed Scott's difficulty balancing life and family with wearing the red suit, and The Santa Clauses picks up that thread and runs with it. With only two episodes out, it remains to be seen whether the rest of the season delivers a strong send-off for Allen's character, who is seeking to retire as the series opens since the job is beginning to catch up to him.
In The Santa Clauses season 1, it's likely that Scott will continue his search for a replacement Santa so he can retire in peace. Since he's reluctant to let the North Pole go, he first tapped his children as successors to the role, but none were interested. Thus, the remainder of the series will see Scott looking elsewhere for a worthy successor, which, once found, will allow him to leave the North Pole so his family can pursue a new adventure.
With the first two episodes bringing wit, charm, and pop culture references, it's likely that the remainder of the show will keep up the same tone and energy. In addition, the trailer for the series revealed the return of fan-favorite character Bernard (David Krumholtz), the peculiar and grumpy elf who starred in the first two Santa Clause films. As Scott searches for his replacement, The Santa Clauses will likely delve deeper into 'Santa' and North Pole lore as well as his family dynamics and relationship with the elves. Hopefully, the series finale will see Scott hang up his hat in peace, though Burditt has hinted that there is room to explore more in a potential The Santa Clauses season 2.
Source: Deadline