# The Year Without a Santa Claus

The Year Without a Santa Claus is a 1974 stop-motion animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. The story is based on Phyllis McGinley's 1956 book. It is narrated by Shirley Booth (her final acting credit before her retirement from acting) and stars the voices of Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn and George S. Irving. It was originally broadcast on December 10, 1974, on ABC.

## Plot

Santa Claus awakens with a cold in early December. When a Christmas elf doctor sarcastically says that nobody cares about Christmas like they used to, Santa decides to forego his annual Christmas Eve journey. Hoping to change Santa's mind, Mrs. Claus instructs two elves named Jingle and Jangle to seek evidence of Christmas spirit.
Jingle and Jangle leave with Santa's youngest reindeer Vixen and land in a small town in the Southern United States called Southtown, loosely based on Oxford, Mississippi. Unfortunately, their efforts to find Christmas spirit are fruitless, and Vixen is detained by a dog catcher and taken to the local pound.
After learning that Vixen is missing, Santa travels to Southtown, disguised as a civilian named "Klaus". There, he meets a boy named Ignatius "Iggy" Thistlewhite and his family. After Santa leaves to rescue Vixen, Iggy realizes Santa's true identity and resolves to help the elves. Jingle, Jangle and Iggy visit the town's mayor, who agrees to release Vixen if they make it snow in Southtown.
Mrs. Claus collects the trio, and they ask Snow Miser, the keeper of cold weather, to dispatch snow to Southtown for a day. He says that he cannot oblige because Southtown is situated within his brother Heat Miser's domain. They approach Heat Miser, and he offers to cooperate if Snow Miser hands over the North Pole. When neither brother proves willing to cede to the other's wishes, Mrs. Claus tells them that she is going to have to "go over their heads". As Mrs. Claus leaves, Snow Miser and Heat Miser blame each other as Mrs. Claus is going to speak to their mother. When Iggy asks what Mrs. Claus means by that comment, Jingle and Jangle tell Iggy that they are going to go see Mother Nature.
Mrs. Claus' narration stated that she never interacted with Mother Nature before and noted how she did not want to be disturbed. At Mother Nature's house, Mrs. Claus consults with her about the situation. Summoning Snow Miser and Heat Miser to her, Mother Nature persuades her sons to reach a compromise or two where Snow Miser will let it snow in South Town and Heat Miser will allow one warm day at the North Pole.
As Christmas approaches, the children of the world send presents to Santa, generating international headlines. Touched by the outpouring of generosity, Santa decides to embark on his yuletide journey after all. Mrs. Claus remarks that "yearly, newly, faithfully and truly, somehow Santa Claus always comes".

## Voice cast

* Shirley Booth as Mrs. Claus
* Mickey Rooney as Santa Claus
* Dick Shawn as Snow Miser
* George S. Irving as Heat Miser
* Bob McFadden as Jingle Bells and Elf Doctor
* Bradley Bolke as Jangle Bells and Police Officer
* Rhoda Mann as Mother Nature and Mrs. Thistlewhite
* Ron Marshall as Mr. Thistlewhite and Mayor of Southtown
* Colin Duffy as Ignatius "Iggy" Thistlewhite
* Christine Winter as the Blue Christmas Girl
* The Wee Winter Singers as the Children Choir

## Songs

* "Sleigh Ride" (instrumental)
* "The Year Without a Santa Claus"
* "I Could Be Santa Claus"
* "I Believe in Santa Claus"
* "It's Gonna Snow Right Here in Dixie"
* "The Snow Miser Song"
* "The Heat Miser Song"
* "Blue Christmas"
* "Sleigh Ride" (instrumental)
* "Here Comes Santa Claus"
* "The Year Without a Santa Claus (reprise)"

## Release

The special premiered in 1974 on ABC and aired annually on Freeform during its 25 Days of Christmas programming block until 2017. As of 2018, American Movie Classics airs the uncut special as part of the Best Christmas Ever block. The special also airs on Warner Bros.-owned TNT and TBS as part of the All I Watch for Christmas block, the only Rankin/Bass special that TNT and TBS air.
Warner Bros. Entertainment currently distributes the special through their ownership of the post-1974 Rankin/Bass Productions library.

### Home video

The special was released on VHS by Vestron Video on September 5, 1991, as part of their Christmas Classics Series, which is distributed by Family Home Entertainment. Warner Home Video released the special on VHS on September 2, 1992, and re-released it on VHS on September 28, 1999. The special was released on DVD on October 31, 2000, and re-released on the Deluxe Edition DVD on October 2, 2007. Warner Home Video released the special on Blu-ray on October 5, 2010, making it the first Rankin/Bass production to be released on that format.

#### DVD details

* Release date: October 31, 2000 (Original DVD), January 17, 2004 (30th Anniversary Edition DVD), October 2, 2007 (Deluxe Edition DVD), October 5, 2010 (Blu-ray)
* Full Screen Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
* Region: 1
* Audio tracks: English
* Special Features:
** Rudolph's Shiny New Year
** Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
** Stop Motion 101 (Deluxe Edition Exclusive)
** We Are Santa's Elves: Profiling Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass (Deluxe Edition Exclusive)

## Remake and sequel

A live-action remake of The Year Without a Santa Claus premiered on NBC on December 11, 2006, and was released on DVD the following day. It follows largely the same plot as the original special.
A sequel titled A Miser Brothers' Christmas was released in 2008, produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Cuppa Coffee Studios, and it also uses stop-motion animation. Mickey Rooney reprised his role as Santa Claus, and George S. Irving reprised his role as Heat Miser. Dick Shawn and Shirley Booth, both of whom died prior to the film's production, were replaced by Juan Chioran and Catherine Disher as Snow Miser and Mrs. Claus, respectively.