Take one Santa who’s losing his powers, a Santa-to-be who is addicted to Miami nightlife, and a scheme to bring a totally unexpected new demographic to Christmas, and you have a wild new holiday under the sun from Hallmark Entertainment…  

In Mistletoe Manor, a Bavarian castle glimmering under the Aurora Borealis, King Nicholas XX, commonly known as Santa (Oscar and Emmy nominee Charles Durning, Hard Time), and his wife Carlotta (Emmy nominee and Golden Globe winner Katherine Helmond, Who's the Boss?), aren’t feeling particularly jolly. With Christmas only weeks away, the aging king is ready to pass his throne, his toys, and his powers to the Crown Prince, Nick St. Nicholas (Golden Globe and Emmy winner Kelsey Grammer, Animal Farm). But the sexy Santa-to-be is a no-show heir with other priorities—like a conga line in his lavish seaside estate, leggy newswoman Heidi Gardelle (Elaine Hendrix, The Parent Trap), and public relations expert Hector Villarba (Luis Garcia, American Family). Heidi and Victor may not know Nick’s true identity, but they do know that “Miami’s Most Eligible Bachelor” is the prince of benefits. Their plan? Use his knock-out connections to create an online holiday charity.

Nick’s all for it. He can retire the family sleigh and soak under the sizzling December sun. No elves. No suit. No sweat. MrStNick.com may be a killer concept to Nick, Heidi, and Victor, but the impatient King isn’t so wild for the 21st century advantage. With his own powers beginning to wane, he has to persuade his son to find a queen, head for home, and take up the torch. Unfortunately, the problems are just beginning. A charge of fraud has turned Nick’s charity into a nationwide scandal, the falling snow on Mistletoe Manor is turning to slush, and the lights of the Aurora Borealis are on the blink. What’s it going to take to prevent Christmas from becoming a dim memory? Nothing short of a miracle.

 Filled with dazzling special effects and delightfully skewed twists on holiday traditions, Mr. St. Nick is a Christmas movie like no other. Enjoy this very special gift from Hallmark Entertainment.

-- www.hallmarkent.com (Official Website)

KELSEY GRAMMER AND CHARLES DURNING STAR IN THE HEARTWARMING "MR. ST. NICK," AIRING SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, ON ABC'S "THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY"

Katherine Helmond, Brian Bedford, Elaine Hendrix, Ana Ortiz, Luis Garcia, Colin Cunningham and Lupe Ontiveros Among the Cast

Legendary Executive Producer Robert Halmi, Sr. Brings This Jolly Christmas Tale to Life

Golden Globe and Emmy-winner Kelsey Grammer ("Frasier," "Animal Farm") and Oscar and Emmy nominee Charles Durning ("State and Main," "The Hudsucker Proxy") star in the heartwarming holiday tale "Mr. St. Nick," a story about Santa's passing on the Christmas torch to his prodigal son -- who is not quite ready. The two-hour original movie is executive-produced by award-winning producer Robert Halmi, Sr. ("Dinotopia," "Gulliver's Travels"), and will premiere on "The Wonderful World of Disney," SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17 (7:00-9:00p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

In Mistletoe Manor, a Bavarian castle glimmering under the Aurora Borealis, King Nicholas XX, commonly known as Santa (Charles Durning), and his wife, Carlotta (Emmy nominee and Golden Globe-winner Katherine Helmond, "Who's the Boss?"), are not feeling particularly jolly. With Christmas only weeks away, the aging king is ready to pass his throne, his toys and his powers to the Crown Prince, Nick St. Nicholas (Kelsey Grammer). While his parents have been toiling at the North Pole carrying on the holiday traditions, Mr. St. Nick has been enjoying the nightlife and raising funds for charity in sunny Miami. At a party at his lavish seaside estate, Nick meets leggy newswoman Heidi Gardelle (Elaine Hendrix, "The Parent Trap") and public relations expert Hector Villarba (Luis Garcia). Heidi and Hector may not know Nick's true identity, but they do know that "Miami's Most Eligible Bachelor" is the prince of benefits. Their plan? Use his knock-out connections to create an online holiday charity.

Nick's all for it. He can retire the family sleigh and soak under the sizzling December sun. No elves. No suit. No sweat. MrStNick.com may be a killer concept to Nick, Heidi, and Hector, but the impatient King is not so wild for the 21st-century advantage. With his own powers beginning to wane, he has to persuade his son to find a queen, head for home and take up the torch. Unfortunately the problems are just beginning. A charge of fraud has turned Nick's charity into a nationwide scandal, the falling snow at Mistletoe Manor is turning to slush, and the lights of the Aurora Borealis are on the blink. As he wrestles with a love triangle and a charity scam, the true spirit of the season rapidly begins to take over Mr. St. Nick and his father's magical powers are inherently passed on - he has to accept his destiny, ready or not!

Filled with dazzling special effects and delightfully skewed twists on holiday traditions, "Mr. St. Nick" is a Christmas movie like no other.

Also starring are Brian Bedford ("More Tales of the City") as Jasper, Ana Ortiz ("Kristin") as Lorena, Wallace Shawn ("Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle," "Clueless") as Mimir, Colin Cunningham ("UC: Undercover") as Agent Nardo and Lupe Ontiveros ("As Good As It Gets," "Selena") as Tia Sophia.

"Mr. St. Nick" is a production of Hallmark Entertainment and was written by Matthew Jacobs, Dan Levine, Maryedith Burrell, Michael Sargent, Debra Frank and Steve Hayes. Craig Zisk directs the two-hour movie. The producers are Tom Rowe, Mary Anne Waterhouse and Camille Grammer.

-- www.abcmedianet.com
ABC Television Press Release (November 17th, 2002)

Santa's son would rather run a holiday charity from Florida than accept the mantle of responsibility at the North Pole.

-- www.eonline.com

Christmastime has come around again and this year Santa Claus, or Nicholas XX (Charles Durning), will pass on his responsibilities to his son, Nick St. Nicholas (Kelsey Grammer), who is just not ready to take on the family business. While his parents have been toiling at the North Pole carrying on the holiday traditions, Mr. St. Nick has been enjoying the nightlife and raising funds for charity in sunny Miami, while searching for the future Mrs. Claus.

 As he wrestles with a love triangle and a charity scam, the true spirit of the season rapidly begins to take over Mr. St. Nick, his father's magical powers are inherently passed on - and he has to accept his destiny, ready or not!

-- www.allyourtv.com

Kelsey Grammer stars as Nick St. Nicholas, a Miami-based playboy philanthropist who is about to make his life complete by wedding the girl of his dreams, gorgeous TV weathercaster Heidi Gardelle (Elaine Hendrix). Not known to the general public is that the profligate St. Nicholas is really the son of none other than Santa Claus (Charles Durning)--or, as the jolly old elf is known in this story, Nicholas XXX. Expected to take over the "family business" at the North Pole before his father's power fades, Nick balks, choosing instead to remain in Miami, where he is about to launch his latest charity at the behest of his fiancee Heidi. By the time he realizes that his "dream girl" is actually a mercenary nightmare, Nick finds himself besieged by a vindictive INS agent (Colin Cunningham)--and racked with guilt over the gloomy fate awaiting his father and the North Pole toy factory. It is up to Santa's head elf Jasper (Brian Bedford) and Nick's lovely Latino cook Lorena (Ana Ortiz) to come to the rescue. Armed with a surprising number of sexually suggestive jokes for an ostensible family film, Meet St. Nick was coproduced by Disney Films and Hallmark Entertainment, and was first broadcast as an episode of ABC's Wonderful World of Disney anthology on November 17, 2002.

-- www.blockbuster.com