It's been 28 years since audiences were first introduced to Scott Calvin in The Santa Clauses series released its first two episodes on Disney+ on November 16th, and it's already stirring up quite the buzz. Now a veteran at being Santa, Scott begins to lose some of his zest for the job and contemplates retiring in order to give his kids a better, more normal life.
Fans will have to wait until next Wednesday for more episodes which is a shame, considering the second episode left off on a major cliffhanger. Luckily, there are a handful of other holiday-centered TV shows that can hold everyone over until then. From teen dramedies to foreign language shows, there is no shortage of holiday spirit this year.
Christmas Flow (2021)
Stream On Netflix
Christmas Flow is a French series that ran for one season on Netflix. It centers on Marcus, a famous rapper, and Lila, a journalist, whose paths cross during the holiday season. As tensions flare and feelings bloom, Marcus and Lila must lay it all on the line to make their romance last through the holidays.
With only three episodes, Christmas Flow is the perfect series to watch while waiting for more of The Santa Clauses. Both shows take place during the holidays and explore the sometimes melancholy feelings around said holidays.
Dash & Lily (2020)
Stream On Netflix
Dash & Lily follows two teenagers who begin communicating via a red notebook they leave around New York City. As the two get to know each other better, the urge to meet becomes stronger, but both fear what it would means for the version they've created of themselves.
Dash & Lily is the most tonally similar to The Santa Clauses, as both shows cash in on the bittersweet nostalgia centered around Christmastime. The two leads also have a lot in common with Santa's kids, seeing as they're both outsiders yearning to be part of something bigger.
Holiday Secrets (2019)
Stream On Netflix
When three generations of a family plan to celebrate Christmas under one roof, they begin to uncover some interesting family secrets that have been kept from them for decades. A German mini-series, Holiday Secrets has three episodes that are worth the binge for anyone looking to get away from their own unpredictable family this holiday season.
While Holiday Secrets might be short on the Santa nature of the holidays, it does dive deep into the workings of family relationships, just like the first two episodes of The Santa Clauses has. Much like the Claus children, the sisters in Holiday Secrets are grabbing with their feelings about their unreliable mother, who is trying to get back in their good graces.
Home For Christmas (2019 - 2020)
Stream On Netflix
Not only is Home For Christmas a fantastic holiday series, but it's also Netflix's first-ever Norwegian series (and one of the best non-English Netflix shows). It follows Johanne, a 30-something nurse who is desperate to find a boyfriend to bring home for the holidays so that her family will get off her back. Unfortunately, finding a boyfriend proves a lot harder than expected, especially under the holiday time crunch.
Home for Christmas is all about families and the holidays, which is why it's the perfect show to watch while waiting for more episodes of The Santa Clauses. Though it is a bit different in tone, it does touch on the same less-than-happy emotions the holidays can bring out for some -- like the pressure to be what everyone expects you to be.
How To Ruin Christmas (2020 - )
Stream On Netflix
Tumi finds herself thrust into holiday and wedding stress when her sister decides to get married around the holidays. Despite wanting to be the perfect sister and daughter, disaster strikes, leaving Tumi scrambling to make things right with her family. How To Ruin Christmas is a South African Netflix series that will release its third season on December 16th.
Just like Scott Calvin is under immense stress to be a perfect Santa and a perfect father, Tumi is under stress to be the perfect bridesmaid to her sister and daughter to her family. Both of these characters must dig deep within themselves in order to rise above their family's expectations.
Merry, Happy, Whatever (2019)
Stream On Netflix
Don Quinn's plans for a perfect family Christmas are thwarted when his youngest (and favorite) daughter returns home for the holidays with a new boyfriend in tow. To make matters worse, several of his other children are harboring secrets of their own which threaten the fun, traditional Christmas this conservative father had planned.
Both The Santa Clauses and Merry, Happy, Whatever feature strong conservative undertones in how the families celebrate the holidays, with Scott and Don Quinn seeming to be cut from the same cloth. Still, their children manage to keep things balanced while reminding their stressed-about-change fathers that letting go of the reins sometimes leads to the best holidays.
Over Christmas (2020)
Stream On Netflix
Over Christmas is another German holiday mini-series (and one of Netflix's best miniseries) with three short episodes perfect to get anyone in the holiday spirit. It centers on aspiring musician Bastian who travels home for the holidays to discover that his brother is dating his ex. As if that's not bad enough, the two brothers also uncover a massive family secret.
While the only secret that the Calvins have is that they're actually Clauses, Scott does share Bastian's bah-humbug attitude for the holidays when his magic begins failing him. Though no one knows how The Santa Clauses will end, if Over Christmas is any indication, family is going to play an important role in setting the holiday spirit right.
