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The Year Without a Santa Claus

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A Rankin Bass Productions' Stop Motion puppet animated (called "Animagic") holiday special from 1974. This time, Santa Claus (voiced by Mickey Rooney, reprising the role from 1970's Santa Claus is Comin' to Town) decides to take a holiday from Christmas when he becomes convinced that nobody really cares anymore. In an effort to get Christmas back on, Mrs. Claus (voiced by Shirley Booth) sends a pair of elves out to find enough Christmas spirit left in the world to make Santa change his mind. Hilarity Ensues, contributed to in no small part by the memorable obstructiveness of the climate-ruling Miser Brothers, Snow Miser (Dick Shawn) and Heat Miser (George S. Irving).

The script was written by Wiliam Keenan (instead of Rankin-Bass stalwart Romeo Muller), with the studio's usual mixture of classic Christmas tunes with original songs by Maury Laws and co-producer Jules Bass.

A Live Action remake aired on NBC in 2006, starring John Goodman as Santa.

Followed in 2008 by the non-Rankin/Bass A Miser Brothers Christmas, in which Heat Miser and Snow Miser are forced to work together to save Christmas.

This holiday special contains examples of:

  • All Animals Are Dogs: Vixen, while disguised as a dog, barked at and chased a cat. One could argue that she was really in character, but even so.
  • All Just a Dream: It's implied in the closing song that the whole story is something Santa dreamed. Though that wouldn't explain the sequel.
  • Anticlimax Boss: Mother Nature is hyped up to be a dangerous, hot-headed woman, whom even her vicious children fear. The main characters are nervous but bravely go to confront her... only to have a charming friendly lunch with her and have all of their problems peacefully solved without any hesitation from Mother Nature.
  • Ass in A Lion Skin: See All Animals Are Dogs, above.
  • Christmas Special
  • Don't Tell Mama!:
  • Deus Ex Machina: When Mrs. Claus can't persuade the Miser brothers to cooperate, she goes over their heads and calls on their mother. Their mother happens to be Mother Nature.
  • Different As Night and Day: The Miser Brothers, of course. Aside from the obvious, Snow Miser seems to be more of a joker who likes the Clauses while Heat Miser is, well, hot-headed.
  • Even Elemental Demi-Gods Love Their Mamas: "See what you did, you old blizzard? She's gonna tell Mother!"
  • Evil Is Hammy: Both the Miser brothers. Their hamminess is even lampshaded by Mrs. Claus. (The sharp-eyed will catch Ignatius rolling his eyes at the Heat Miser.)
  • Fire Ice Lightning: The Miser Brothers supply the first two, of course, while Mother Nature causes bolts of lightning when she summons and scolds them.
  • Flat Earth Atheist: Apparently, most children don't believe in Santa anymore. The question is how do they explain the presents that their parents never bought. Or the fact that Santa gave interviews to several reliable newspapers who also publish photos of him.
    • Likely they just assume the adults are tricking them--once Iggy brings the issue up to his parents they actually convince him pretty easily.
  • Hey, It's That Voice!: Jangle the Elf sounds very much like Tennessee Tuxedo's walrus pal, Chumley -- because both were voiced by Bradley Bolke.
  • I Am Song: The Miser Brothers.
  • An Ice Person: Snow Miser.
  • Ironic Echo Cut: When Santa learns that Jingle and Jangle are AWOL in the mortal world, he says, "Poor little guys. They must be scared to death," which is followed by a hard cut to Jangle saying "I'm scared to death!"
  • Large Ham: The Miser Brothers are, well, too much.
  • Let There Be Snow
  • Live Action Adaptation: The 2006 TV movie with John Goodman as Santa, Delta Burke as Mrs. Claus, Michal McKean as Snow Miser, Harvey Fierstein as Heat Miser, and Carol Kane as Mother Nature. Among other famous faces. Despite rather dramatic changes from the original story, it still retained those SONGS.
  • Mrs. Claus
  • Our Elves Are Better: The elves here are rather Keebleresque, and a bit shorter than the children.
  • One Scene Wonder: Okay, so they've got slightly larger parts. The one thing people remember from this special is the Miser Brothers, in no small part because of those SONGS. Half this page is devoted to the guys, even.
  • Painting the Frost On Windows: Snow Miser, Heat Miser and Mother Nature.
  • Paper Thin Disguise: The elves disguise Vixen as a dog by putting a pair of brown socks over her ears.
  • Playing With Fire: Heat Miser.
  • Santa Claus
  • Saving Christmas: From Santa's ennui, no less.
  • Sweet Home Alabama: Part of the plot depends on bringing a snowy day to "Southtown, U.S.A." (partially averted in that only the mayor and the policeman sound as if they came from anywhere south of Staten Island).
  • Triumphant Reprise: "There'll be no year without a Santa Claus".
  • Villain Song: The Miser Brothers' songs (mentioned under "Ear Worm" on YMMV).
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