History Trivia / TheSantaClause

** Creator/JoeDante, Creator/RichardDonner, Creator/JohnHughes, Creator/JoelSchumacher and Creator/StevenSpielberg were considered to direct.
** The role of Scott Calvin/Santa Claus was originally written for Creator/BillMurray. Creator/ArmandAssante, Creator/RowanAtkinson, Creator/AlecBaldwin[[note]]He would play Santa in ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheGuardians''[[/note]], Creator/JeffBridges, Creator/PierceBrosnan, Creator/JimCarrey, Creator/ChevyChase, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/MichaelJFox, Creator/RichardGere, Creator/MelGibson, Creator/SteveGuttenberg, Creator/TomHanks, Creator/MichaelKeaton, Creator/KurtRussell[[note]]He would play Santa in ''Film/TheChristmasChronicles''[[/note]], Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, Creator/PatrickSwayze and Creator/RobinWilliams were also considered.
** Creator/KateBurton, Creator/SallyField, Creator/JenniferGrey, Creator/GoldieHawn, Creator/AnjelicaHuston, Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/MaryMcDonnell, Creator/MollyRingwald and Creator/JuliaRoberts were considered for Laura.
** Creator/WarrenBeatty, Creator/BryanCranston, Creator/JeffDaniels, Creator/RobertDeNiro and Creator/StanleyTucci were considered for Neal Miller.

** After Freeform dropped the second film, Creator/{{AMC}} quickly picked it up. It later moved to Creator/{{FX}} before moving back to AMC in 2018. Freeform's ''25 Days of Christmas'' ads lampshade this by promising to show "all the ''Santa Clause'' movies. ''[{{beat}}]'' That we're allowed to show." All three movies are shown on-screen during the former sentence, but ''2'' literally drops off the screen during the latter.

* IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine: In the first movie, the trucker that sees Scott and Charlie on the sleigh is played by Jimmy Labriola, who had a recurring role as Benny on ''Series/HomeImprovement''.

** The role of Scott Calvin/Santa Claus was originally written for Creator/BillMurray. Creator/RowanAtkinson, Creator/AlecBaldwin, Creator/JeffBridges, Creator/PierceBrosnan, Creator/JimCarrey, Creator/ChevyChase, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/MichaelJFox, Creator/RichardGere, Creator/MelGibson, Creator/SteveGuttenberg, Creator/TomHanks, Creator/MichaelKeaton, Creator/PatrickSwayze and Creator/RobinWilliams were also considered.
** Many people were considered for the roles of Neil and Laura; among those in the running to play Laura was Patricia Heaton.

* WorkingTitle: In its earliest stages, the script was called "Rose Suchak Ladder", making the eponymous ladder's appearance in the film a MythologyGag.

** The role of Scott Calvin/Santa Claus was originally written for Creator/BillMurray. Creator/JeffBridges, Creator/ChevyChase, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/MelGibson, Creator/TomHanks, Creator/MichaelKeaton and Creator/RobinWilliams were also considered.

** After Freeform dropped the second film, American Movie Classics quickly picked it up. It later moved to FX before moving back to AMC in 2018. Freeform's ''25 Days of Christmas'' ads lampshade this by promising to show "all the ''Santa Clause'' movies. ''[{{beat}}]'' That we're allowed to show." All three movies are shown on-screen during the former sentence, but ''2'' literally drops off the screen during the latter.
** Freeform lost access to the third film for a while, during which it was adored by the Starz networks, before it was regained by Freeform in 2018.

* DeletedScene: Jeffrey Katzenberger attended a test screening for the film and declared it too long, so some scenes involving Charlie dealing with Scott having become Santa Claus were cut from the film. One such scene involved another meeting with the rude boy from the classroom scene.

* DeletedScene: Some scenes involving Charlie dealing with Scott having become Santa Claus were cut from the film after a test screening. One such scene involved another meeting with the rude boy from the classroom scene.

* IronyAsSheIsCast: Jewish David Krumholtz playing the highest level elf in Santa's workshop.

** After Freeform dropped the second film, American Movie Classics quickly picked it up. It later moved to FX before moving back to AMC in 2018. Freeform's ''25 Days of Christmas'' ads lampshade this by promising to show "all the ''Santa Clause'' movies. {{Beat}} That we're allowed to show." All three movies are shown on-screen during the former sentence, but ''2'' literally drops off the screen during the latter.

** Creator/{{Freeform}} often runs this movie during ''25 Days of Christmas''. They used to air the sequels as well before other networks acquired the rights.
** After Freeform dropped the second film - likely because of Creator/CharlieSheen - American Movie Classics quickly picked it up. It later moved to FX before moving back to AMC in 2018.
** Freeform later lost access to the third film which is currently adored by the Starz networks.
* {{Bowdlerise}}: A scene from the first film ended up deleted when it was released on DVD. Parents complained that their children dialed the number that Scott Calvin sarcastically gave (1-800-SPANK-ME), and discovered that it was a real number for a phone sex hotline. Some TV broadcasts dubbed over the "1-800-SPANK-ME" line with "1-800-POUND."

** After Freeform dropped the second film - likely because of Creator/CharlieSheen - American Movie Classics quickly picked it up. It later moved to FX.

** After Freeform dropped the second film - likely because of Charlie Sheen - American Movie Classics quickly picked it up. It later moved to FX.

** The role of Scott Calvin/Santa Claus was originally written for Creator/BillMurray. Creator/ChevyChase, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/TomHanks and Creator/RobinWilliams were also considered.

* YouLookFamiliar: Creator/PeterBoyle plays Scott's boss in the first movie, and Father Time in the second and third.

* ActorAllusion:
** While fighting the toy Santa in mid-air at the of the second movie, the real Santa is told [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory "You are a sad, strange, little man."]]
** In the first movie Scott [[Series/HomeImprovement repeatedly grunts "Oh no!"]]
** Also in the first movie, when Scott is first touring the North Pole he picks up a [[Series/HomeImprovement tool belt]] and holds it to his waist.
** In the first film, when Scott reluctantly agrees to put on Santa's clothes, there's a StealthPun where he says the name of his character's last name on ''Home Improvement'':
--> '''Scott''': Well I hope you're happy, Comet. I hope ''you're'' happy. But most importantly, I hope the guy that lives here IS A ''TAILOR''!

* MoneyDearBoy: Well, there ''is'' a reason the [[{{Sequelitis}} third film]] is referred to as [[WebVideo/JonTron "Tim Allen and Martin Short get Mad $$$ for Christmas"...

* SequelGap: The second movie was released eight years after the first.

* ActorAllusion: While fighting the toy Santa in mid-air at the of the second movie, the real Santa is told [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory "You are a sad, strange, little man."]]

* YouLookFamiliar: Peter Boyle plays Scott's boss in the first movie, and Father Time in the second and third.

** The role of Scott Calvin/Santa Claus was originally written for Creator/BillMurray. Creator/ChevyChase, Creator/TomHanks and Creator/RobinWilliams were also considered.

** The role of Scott Calvin/Santa Claus was originally written for Creator/BillMurray.
** Creator/RobinWilliams and Creator/TomHanks were also considered for the role of Scott.

* [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Bowdlerise Bowdlerise:]] A scene from the first film ended up deleted when it was released on DVD. Parents complained that their children dialed the number that Scott Calvin sarcastically gave (1-800-SPANK-ME), and discovered that it was a real number for a phone sex hotline. Some TV broadcasts dubbed over the "1-800-SPANK-ME" line with "1-800-POUND."

* AdoredByTheNetwork: Creator/ABCFamily often runs this movie and its sequels during ''25 Days of Christmas''.
** They dropped the second film - maybe because of Charlie Sheen - but American Movie Classics quickly picked it up.

** Also in the first move, when Scott is first touring the North Pole he picks up a [[Series/HomeImprovement tool belt]] and holds it to his waist.

* ExecutiveMeddling: A scene from the first film ended up deleted when it was released on DVD. Parents complained that their children dialed the number that Scott Calvin sarcastically gave (1-800-SPANK-ME), and discovered that it was a real number for a phone sex hotline.