The Santa Clauses Season 2 Release Date, Cast, Plot, And More Info
It's kind of baffling that "The Santa Clause" is one of those franchises that's still going on today. It feels like something we should be talking about in hushed whispers. Like, "Hey, remember that Disney movie where Tim Allen commits manslaughter against Santa Claus and then undergoes a Cronenbergian physical transformation into Jolly Old St. Nick after inadvertently entering a contractual agreement to take his place? The '90s were wild, man." To be fair, I'm sure even Allen had no idea he would still be playing the cynical toy marketing director turned fabled gift-giver Scott Calvin almost 30 years after starring in the original "Santa Clause" (much less eventually battling a life-size toy version of himself or ending up trapped in an "It's a Wonderful Life"-style alternate reality after striking a Faustian bargain with Martin Short as Jack Frost — those "Santa Clause" film sequels go places, let me tell you).
Yet, here we are in 2023, with season 2 of the Disney+ sequel series "The Santa Clauses" right around the corner. Season 1, much like the feature-length "Santa Clause" sequels before it, was far from a critical darling, but it absolutely has its supporters and brought in a large enough audience to land a renewal. Or, at least, that's what we assume; due to the lack of transparency around the viewership for Disney's streaming service, it's difficult to say with any certainty just how well any single title is faring on Disney+ (even when the House of Mouse provides "official" data to back up its claims).
Anyway, that's enough jibber-jabbering from me. Let's break down everything we know about "The Santa Clauses" season 2 so far.
When does The Santa Clauses season 2 premiere?
"The Santa Clauses" season 2 will unwrap (don't give me that look; bad Christmas-related puns are totally fair game when it comes to "The Santa Clause") its first two episodes on Disney+ on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, with new episodes arriving weekly each Wednesday. For now, however, it's unclear if the show will be dropping episodes at midnight or if its episodes will be released in the evening at a specific time. Disney+ tried a more targeted strategy for the first time back in August with "Ahsoka" and it appears to have paid off, with "Loki" season 2 now set to follow suit. Admittedly, the "Santa Clause" franchise is a very different beast than "Star Wars" or the Marvel Cinematic Universe (one doesn't typically have to tread carefully on social media for fear of stumbling upon spoilers about the latest developments in the Scott Calvin saga), so we'll have to wait and see how the House of Mouse decides to play things here.
What are the plot details of The Santa Clauses season 2?
"The Santa Clauses" season 1 saw Scott Calvin on the hunt for his replacement, preferring to retire the old-fashioned way by simply no longer doing his job and not, you know, falling off a roof and hoping whoever finds him puts on his clothes after he magically vanishes. This is also where I should clarify, for those who didn't watch it, season 1 revealed that Scott's predecessor as Santa Claus actually chose him for the job when he was very young and his falling off Scott's roof was no mere coincidence. As I said earlier, this franchise's mythology goes places.
Moving on: Things didn't pan out for Scott, as his chosen successor, Kal Penn's Simon Choksi, wound up draining the North Pole of its magic in an effort to realize his dream of becoming "the next Jeff Bezos" (a major red flag, if there ever was one). As such, season 2 will see Scott training his youngest son, Buddy aka "Cal," to take over from him, what with Scott's oldest son and Cal's half-brother Charlie — the more age-appropriate choice for the position — having decided he would rather focus on raising his own family and working a more customary job than oversee the Calvin "family business" (lest anyone assume we're getting a "Santa Clause" take on "Succession" in season 2).
Who is in the cast of The Santa Clauses season 2?
Tim Allen will once again don his red coat, white beard, and black slickers to play Santa/Scott Calvin in "The Santa Clauses" season 2. Joining him are Elizabeth Mitchell as Mrs. Claus/Carol, Austin Kane as Buddy "Cal" Calvin Claus, Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra Calvin Claus, Devin Bright as Noel, and Matilda Lawler as Santa's chief of staff, Betty. Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias and Eric Stonestreet will also be heading to the North Pole in season 2 as Kris Kringle and Magnus Antas/The Mad Santa, respectively, the latter of whom we can probably safely guess will be serving as an antagonist of sorts (just a hunch). Other cast members include Marta Kessler as Olga, Liam Kyle as Gary, Isabella Bennett as Edie, Sasha Knight as Crouton, Ruby Jay as Riley, Mia Lynn Bangunan as Pontoon, and Laura San Giacomo as La Befana, the Christmas Witch.
Who are the writers and producers of The Santa Clauses season 2?
"The Santa Clauses" creator Jack Burditt, who also developed Allen's hit sitcom "Last Man Standing," is back as showrunner and executive producer on season 2, with Allen, Kevin Hench, Richard Baker, and Rick Messina also serving as executive producers along with Jason Winer and Jon Radler for Small Dog Picture Company. Allen starring in back-to-back hit TV shows with "Last Man Standing" and "The Santa Clauses" also comes on the heels of his complaints about "cancel culture" and him not being allowed to say the N-word (!), as well as a general increase in awareness around his conservative political beliefs in recent years. It just goes to show: For as much as cishet white guys like Allen love to carry on about political correctness and being "canceled," it very rarely seems to have any material effect on their careers, does it? Ho ho ho, indeed.
"The Santa Clauses" season 1 and the "Santa Clause" films are streaming on Disney+, with season 2 premiering on November 8, 2023.