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Remember that cute old piece of seasonal animation called "The Year Without a Santa Claus"? It was an hour-long stop-motion animation special from those Rankin-Bass guys that has since gone on to be kind of a cult item for people of my generation. You remember it? Good. They're making a 2-hour, live-action TV movie out of it.

The story comes from Variety, but since I can't get their darn website to load, the linkage goes to the fine folks at Dark Horizons. Here's the news:

"John Goodman has signed on to star in the live-action version of the 1974 claymation holiday favorite "The Year Without a Santa Claus" for NBC reports Variety.

Ron Underwood is directing the two-hour film, which also stars Ethan Suplee, Chris Kattan, Eddie Griffin and Carol Kane.

The story follows a disgruntled St. Nick (Goodman) who decides to take the year off from delivering presents; he ultimately rediscovers the meaning of the holiday through the help of a young boy.

Suplee and Griffin will play Santa's trusted elves Jingle and Jangle, while Kattan will portray the more devious head elf. Kane will play Mother Nature, whose sons Heat Miser and Snow Miser are at war."

Ron Underwood's previous movies include "Tremors," "City Slickers," "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," and "In the Mix."

*(For those who may not remember, Mr. Goodman once played a very nasty Santa Claus in a very funny episode of "Futurama.")