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TV special · Fantasy, Music, Animated · 1974 · TV-G

The Year Without a Santa Claus: parents' guide

4+our pick

Best for ages 4 and up. Rated TV-G.

A sweet, low-stakes Rankin/Bass special that works for preschoolers with a parent nearby. A sick, discouraged Santa calls off Christmas, and Mrs. Claus, two elves and a young reindeer set out to find proof that people still believe. The peril is very mild: the reindeer, Vixen, falls ill in a warm Southern town and ends up caged at the dog pound, and the feuding Heat Miser and Snow Miser are blustery rather than menacing. There is no profanity or fighting. Sad moments, such as a little girl's weepy 'Blue Christmas' and children crying when they learn Santa thinks nobody believes, are the main thing to watch with the youngest.

What's in it

Violence

None

No fighting or injuries. The closest moments are a dogcatcher hauling Vixen off to the pound and the Miser brothers' comic blasts of heat and cold.

Language

None

Nothing objectionable. The strongest word reported is 'heck,' and the characters stay polite and good-natured throughout the special.

Sex and nudity

None

No romance or sexual content. Santa and Mrs. Claus are a long-married couple, and nothing more than affection is suggested.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

None

No alcohol, smoking or drug references appear anywhere in the special, by the accounts we reviewed.

Scary or intense scenes

Mild

Santa is sick in bed and gloomy, Vixen grows seriously ill and is locked in a cage at the pound, and children cry on learning Santa doubts they still believe. The Miser brothers are loud but played for laughs.

Worth talking about

Santa decides nobody cares anymore until children show him otherwise; talk about how small acts of kindness can lift up someone who feels discouraged.

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 24th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, combustiblecelluloid.com, Wikipedia, moviesanywhere.com, tv.apple.com, philo.com, swank.com, netflix.com, rachelsreviews.net, kindertrauma.com. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.