I loved this movie and of course I had and still have a major thing for the late Nigel Hawthorne who is so charming and handsome even at 72 in this film. His portrayal of Santa Claus is so genuine and heartfelt , you really just want to hug him. The plot of him looking for someone to replace him as the new Santa is cute. He finds Whoopi Goldberg and he must convince her that she is the one. . I'm shocked that this movie did not get a theatrical release ,while a movie as awful as ELF with the abysmal Will Ferrell did. It's kind of sad to know that Nigel Hawthorne had been fighting cancer for months and still did this movie as sick as he was. Without Hawthorne this movie wouldn't have been worth watching.

He pushed to promote it and get it released and then he sadly passed away the day after Xmas that year. Wonderful movie and should be given a re-release at Xmas time in theaters.

I am that bah humbug guy when it comes to watching most Christmas movies made after 1990. Something about them seems forced, especially since the characters are not likeable and their agenda is questionable. However in the case of this TV movie, I was immediately warmed over especially by the presence of Tinashe as the little girl looking forward to her father coming home for Christmas from Vietnam and the tragic circumstances that prevent that. Melody Garrett is truly touching as the mother who must break the bad news. I wish there had been more of her in the post flashback sequences.

Tinashe goes from heartbroken little girl to be cynical TV shopping network producer Whoopi Goldberg whose anger over the memory of that Christmas season has left her saying bah humbug to everything. But she becomes the desired replacement by the aging Santa (Nigel Hawthorne) who wants to retire. What he sees in the hard-boiled Whoopie is as invisible as his reindeer at first, but a sweet script has you liking her in spite of all that. Will Santa's magic turn this Ebbie Scrooge into the queen of ho ho ho?

Broadway favorites Victor Garber and Brian Stokes Mitchell are hysterically funny as Goldberg's over-the-top business cohorts, and Hawthorne is very poignant as Saint Nick whose two centuries are up. This is a delightful surprise that takes the cynical modern era of materialism and adds magic to it (finally!),giving me holiday hope that there are more hidden gems out there to bring me back to the Christmas spirit and not always have to go back to the old Christmas standards from the 1930's and 40's. Goldberg is always a delight, and it's nice to see her character turn around. There are so many funny moments in this that I don't even want to spoil them for the viewer.

Nick (Nigel Hawthorne) is nearing the end of his 200 year term as Santa Claus and needs to find his successor. Failure to do so will bring calamity such as the melting of the North pole ice cap.

Nick hopes to recruit Lucy Cullins (Whoopi Goldberg) someone who was a true believe in the spirit of Christmas as a young girl. However her father died in the Vietnam war soon after she sat on Nick's lap.

Now the grown up Lucy is a cynical grinch working for a shopping channel. Nick applies to be the Santa salesman for the shopping channel in the run up to Christmas, so he can get near Lucy an persuade her to take on his job.

The plot about finding a replacement Santa is a well worn one in these days of mass produced Christmas movies. This is indistinguishable for those types of quickly made and low budget films apart from having a better calibre cast.

Despite being made for cable back in 2001, Call Me Claus is not that funny or appealing. It actually wastes the talents of an Oscar winner and Oscar nominee.

This was Nigel Hawthorne's last film role. At least he got to play a sweet natured part, a far cry from his mean and cynical Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister.