This article is about the 2001 Rankin/Bass special. For the 2006 ABC Family Original Movie, see Santa Baby.
Santa, Baby! is a 2001 animated holiday special that aired on FOX. It was Rankin/Bass' first new original Christmas special in over sixteen years (following the 1985 adaptation of The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus), and the only one produced after the liquidation of their animation department. The special featured the voices of Eartha Kitt and Gregory Hines. Like much of Rankin/Bass' specials, it was based off a song, in this case, the 1954 song originally recorded by Kitt and covered in A Very Special Christmas by Madonna in 1987.
This is the only Rankin/Bass Christmas special that is owned by Perisphere Pictures and not NBCUniversal or Warner Bros. Discovery. As such, it is the only special that was not included on The Complete Rankin/Bass Christmas Collection DVD box set in 2022.
Synopsis[]
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When a young black girl uses her wish from a Christmas partridge (of Twelve Days of Christmas fame) to help her dad (a struggling songwriter), he finds his inspiration and even gives the real Santa Claus a helping hand!
Songs[]
Soundtrack[]
A soundtrack to the special was released in 2001. In addition to the songs used in the special, it included classic Christmas tunes sung by Eartha Kitt and many other R&B artists.
# | Song | Artist(s) | Running time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "Santa Baby" (Techno)" | Eartha Kitt | 3:07 |
2 | "Jingle Bells" | Vanessa Williams | 2:12 |
3 | "Deck the Halls | Eartha Kitt, Vanessa Williams, Patti LaBelle & Gregory Hines | 3:39 |
4 | "Heart and Soul of Christmas" (Reprise) | Patti LaBelle | 2:56 |
5 | "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" | Eartha Kitt | 3:59 |
6 | "Silent Night" | Lawrence Clayton | 3:57 |
7 | "Santa Baby" (Trio) | Patti LaBelle, Vanessa Williams & Eartha Kitt | 1:51 |
8 | "Every Time I See a Santa" | Gregory Hines | 0:23 |
9 | "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" | Eartha Kitt | 3:29 |
10 | "Pick Me!" | Eartha Kitt, Vanessa Williams, Patti LaBelle & Gregory Hines | 1:21 |
11 | "Heart and Soul of Christmas" | Gregory Hines | 2:56 |
12 | "Santa Baby" (Club Mix) | Eartha Kitt | 6:28 |
Notes[]
- Co-writer Suzanne Collins would later go on to write the New York Times Bestselling book series The Hunger Games, which received a film adaptation in 2012.
- This is the only Rankin/Bass Christmas special to use Hanna-Barbera sound effects.
- Gregory Hines and Kianna Underwood also voiced relatives in the Nick Jr. animated show Little Bill as Big Bill and Fuchsia, respectively, only being uncle and niece.
Cast[]
Voice actor/actress | Character |
---|---|
Gregory Hines | Noel |
Patti LaBelle | Melody Songbird |
Vanessa Williams | Alicia |
Eartha Kitt | Emerald |
Tom Joyner | Mr. Sweet |
Kianna Underwood | Dakota |
Danny Burstein | |
Lawrence Clayton | |
Lynne Lipton | |
Stanley Mathis | |
Michael McElroy | |
Rosalyn Morehead | |
Hugh Morgan | |
Mary Gordon Murray | |
Natalie Toro |