Every 300 years a new Santa Claus is chosen. After a year-long search, and several misfires on potential candidates, The Elf Council selects a small town mall Santa. When they approach him he’s hesitant at first, but eventually is convinced and decides to go. His wife thinks it’s crazy and resists, but he talks her into going too. The new Santa hits the road running at The North Pole with childlike joy. But as the holidays approach, he begins to think of something he hadn’t considered before. To all of the kids that he has seen over the years at the mall, he is the only Santa they have ever known. To them, he is the one and only Santa, and he begins to worry that their belief in Santa is in jeopardy if there is a different one sitting in his old throne at the store. So he makes a deal with the Elf Council that he can periodically make visits back to Cottonwood Falls and continue to be the Santa for these kids that he cares about so much. These visits create some logistical problems and he has instances where examples of his new Santa magical powers occur while he’s in the “real world”, because he hasn’t quite learned how to control them. Still feeling out of place after months of struggling to fit in, Mrs. Claus disappears on Christmas Eve. Santa’s focus shifts from Christmas to finding his wife. After confiding in a “special” character she can’t see who encourages her, Mrs. Claus decides to go back and help save Christmas. She is surprised when it’s revealed who she’s been talking to.

SYNOPSIS:

The time has come to implement a centuries old Christmas pledge of honor and service. It states that every 300 years a new Santa Claus is to be chosen. The Keepers of The Pledge - The North Pole Elf Council – have been preparing for this event for the past year. During the previous Christmas season they sent out Elf Councilmember Finley as a scout all around the world to seek out possible replacements and prepare a short list (no pun intended) of candidates. Finley has returned and is presenting his findings at a special meeting of the Council. As he tells his findings, we see all of the action of his travels unfold in flashbacks as Bing Crosby singing, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” is heard in the background. (or “Christmas Cha-Cha-Cha” by The Merry Macs)

Their first contender is Svend Hedegaard – a gregarious, bearded Danish man who owns the toyshop in the local village where he sells his handmade toys. Finley observes Svend and sees that he’s a kind man who is very well liked by everyone in town. He makes high quality toys and appears to be a good choice as the new Santa. That is until Finley discovers that Svend is very absent-minded in a charming way. Finley witnessed him calling people by names that rhyme with their real names and he’s constantly being corrected. Sometimes he forgets to wear pants or at times he can’t remember which toy he was working on – so some became interesting hybrids. One child was quite surprised when he used the combination potty training toilet and jack-in-the-box. (We hear more of the song)

Candidate number two from Brazil is Fabrizio Rojas who is well known in the region for being a top-notch entertainer at children’s parties. Finley locates him at his family’s home and is met by Fabrizio’s nephew. He tells him that he needs to speak to his uncle. The nephew remarks, “You are so tiny my friend. If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were one of Papai Noel’s elves!” They both laugh and Finley fears for a moment that he’s been discovered. As he is being escorted through the house, Fabrizio’s nephew says, “You know, Tio Fabrizio tells people all of the time that he’s Papai Noel! Not just at Christmas time either!” “Really?” Finley says. “Well, I have some Sant…Papai Noel business to talk about with him privately.” The nephew’s smile disappears and he says, “Ohhhh, I wish you’d been here yesterday.” Puzzled, Finley asks “Why? Has he gone somewhere else?” The nephew pauses and replies, “You could say that.” He opens a door and Finley sees a man crouched in the middle of the floor…dressed as a bunny. The nephew smiles again and says, “Today he thinks he’s the Easter Bunny!” Fabrizio’s nose twitches. Finley points into the room and says - “Are those…?” The nephew interrupts, “Rabbit pellets. Don’t ask me how.” Finley quickly replies, “I wasn’t…no.” He thanks the nephew and leaves quickly. (We hear more of the song)

A quick jaunt across the North Atlantic Ocean brings Finley just outside London, England in a town called Hertfordshire where Tiberius Hickinbottom III lives. He’s an eccentric man and a self-proclaimed inventor. Finley locates him in the backyard of his small farm, tinkering with what looks like a rocket ship. Helping him is his assistant, Nigel, who is soft-spoken and a bit dim. Nigel explains that Tiberius will be the first man to land on Mars. Finley tries to talk with Tiberius about his purpose for coming to visit, but Tiberius is very focused on the rocket and only responds in British gibberish that can’t be understood by anyone except Nigel. Tiberius shouts something and starts climbing up a ladder attached to the outside of the rocket. He climbs inside the cockpit, puts on his helmet and goggles, gives a thumbs up and closes the cockpit. As they rocket engine rumbles to life, Nigel and Finley take cover inside the barn. After blast off they both step back outside and watch the rocket rise higher and higher. They both turn their heads slightly sideways as they continue to watch, and we see that the rocket is veering off course and disappears over the trees. Finley asks, “Is he coming back?” Nigel replies, “I have no idea.” (We hear the instrumental part of the song)

Finally, he comes to the last candidate on the list. Ernie Colson is a retired schoolteacher, handyman and woodcrafter in the average sized town of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas and has played Santa Claus for the last few years at the out-dated Cottonwood Mall. Like most people in this town, he has lived here from birth. Those who have known Ernie his entire life call him “Red”, because in his youth he had bright red hair. Finley shares with the council that “There’s something different about this fellow that separates him from the other Santa candidates”. As he spoke to the children – either at the store or on the street - I could see the twinkle in his eyes. I saw the joy he gives reflected on the faces of young and old, and noticed the palpable feeling of love and warmth that filled the area of the store’s toy section where he sat on an ornate Santa throne that he made himself. The children looked at him in awe as if he were the real Santa.” Finley explains that there was no need for him to talk to Ernie at that time because he knew in his heart that he’d found their new Santa. The Elf Council decides on Ernie “Red” Colson” and they all set out to notify him.

Ernie is at home enjoying a cold bottle of beer and watching TV, when he hears the doorbell. He gets up, walks over to the front door, looks through the peephole and sees no one standing there. He opens the door, looks around and then down to see the Elf Council standing there smiling up at him. “Hello!” says Finley. Startled, Ernie shouts “AH!” and drops his beer - but it’s deftly caught by one of the elves. Stammering, Ernie says “Who…what…who are you guys?!” Finley speaks up, “We’re The North Pole Elf Council and where here to see you, Ernie. May we come in?” Still stunned, Ernie opens door and the elves file into the house. Before walking inside, the elf that caught the beer bottle looks at it, sniffs it and starts to take a drink. Finley grabs it from him before he can and motions for him to get inside. Finley hands Ernie his beer and says, “Please. Sit.” as he gestures towards Ernie’s chair. Ernie plops into his chair and the elves find places to sit. Finley asks, “Ernie, if your wife is home we’d like her to be in here too because what we’re going to talk about involves her as well.” Ernie let’s out a short on-the-brink-of-crazy laugh and without taking his eyes off of the elves shouts, “Jessie honey? Can you come in here please? And bring me another beer?” She enters with Ernie’s beer in hand, and stops dead in her tracks at the sight of these little people in her living room. She’s nice, with a good heart but doesn’t always have a filter when she speaks. (Think Melissa McCarthy) Her first response is, “Who the heck are these guys?” Finley starts to answer, but Jessie continues with, “My gosh, these are the tiniest Amish people I’ve ever seen! I mean are they even house-broken?” Finley explains that they’re not Amish, but in fact North Pole elves that have come to see both of them. Jessie says, “Right. I didn’t realize the circus was in town. So, did you all fit in the same clown car?” Ernie gets her to calm down and listen to them. Finley goes on to explain why they are there, and after his initial shock and disbelief at not only meeting actual elves, but also at being asked to become the real Santa – Ernie enthusiastically decides to go all in. But Jessie is skeptical that these little guys are who they say they are and she pushes back. She remarks, “Ok, time to go. We’re not buyin’ whatever you’re tryin’ to sell. And if you come back I’ll turn the garden hose on you.” After some “magical examples” performed to convince Jessie, a smiling Ernie reaches for his beer, but his wife downs it instead. She somewhat reluctantly agrees to go and they embark on this once-in-a-lifetime journey.

The new Santa hits the road running at The North Pole with childlike joy. But as the holidays approach, he begins to think of something he hadn’t considered before. To all of the kids that he has seen over the years at the mall, he is the only Santa they have ever known. To them, he is the one and only Santa, and he begins to worry that their belief in Santa is in jeopardy if there is a different one sitting in his old throne at the store. So he makes a deal with the Elf Council that he can periodically make visits back to Cottonwood Falls and continue to be the Santa for these kids that he cares about so much. These visits create some logistical problems and he has instances where examples of his new Santa magical powers occur while he’s back home, because he hasn’t quite learned how to control them. Back at The North Pole, after months of struggling to fit in and experiencing one comical frustration after another, Jessie finds herself on the brink. Feeling overwhelmed, she disappears on Christmas Eve. Santa’s focus shifts from Christmas to finding his wife because he can’t do Christmas without her by his side. Jessie finds a secluded spot out by the barn and starts talking to herself about her struggles. Suddenly we hear one of the reindeer voices responding to her, but we can’t see who it is. With the help of this reindeer, Jessie realizes she does have something to offer and she belongs there. She stands up to see that it’s Rudolph she’s been talking to. Rudolph in turn is surprised that he’s been talking to Mrs. Claus. Jessie suddenly discovers that she’s been able to understand what Rudolph has been saying – when she hasn’t been able to before – and takes that as a sign that she really does belong there and can make a difference, and thanks Rudolph for helping her. He’s delighted – “I did that?!” She heads off to help save Christmas. Santa makes it a point to give Mrs. Claus the credit she’s deserved for a long time. Not just since they’ve been at The North Pole, but for their entire marriage. As Santa is flying back to The North Pole after delivering all of the presents, his sleigh is passed by a different flying contraption that is piloted by Tiberius Hickinbottom III, with Nigel as the co-pilot. Nigel smiles at Santa and waves before it veers off course again.