Elizabeth Mitchell, Austin Kane enjoy life as the ‘Santa Clauses’

Yes, Elizabeth Mitchell says, the Disney film, “The Santa Clause,” is entirely responsible for generations of kids misspelling Jolly Old St. Nick’s last name.

“I come from a line of teachers and I feel like they’re very unhappy about this,” Mitchell says. The film title had an “E” in “Clause” because Tim Allen’s character was signing a clause, not because he was changing the Christmas character’s surname.

Now, in “The Santa Clauses,” Allen’s Santa has an extra “S” to offer and a real surprise: He’s ready to retire.

Mitchell, who plays his wife, and Austin Kane, who plays son Cal, are there to provide support and help find a proper replacement. The Disney+ series continues the franchise and points toward a different tomorrow.

When Mitchell was cast in “The Santa Clause 2,” she was shocked just to be there. “I’m always shocked when I get cast in anything, but I was so nervous and scared about doing it. I fell in love with the experience. I never think about what might come next because I don’t want to hope that way.” Now, more than 20 years later, “it’s crazy to think we’re still doing it.”

That first Mrs. Claus outfit was interesting (in the series she describes it as “dumpy”), but she looked at the wardrobe and reasoned, “I guess that’s who she is. It’s a ‘character actor’ kind of thing. I understood her need to want more.”

Kane, who spends a good portion of the new series in pajamas, was thrilled to be on board. “I’ve been a big fan of the films and I just tried to go overboard as much as possible.”

To film his audition, the young actor prepped for possible improv moments with Allen. “It was so much fun,” he says. “There were so many jokes.”

Once Mitchell and Kane got on set, they were impressed with its holiday overload.

“We were playing around and wearing Christmas sweaters any time of the day,” Kane says.

Adds Mitchell: “The crew is happy. We’re happy. The writers are happy. It’s like a bunch of grown-up kids.

“They let us improv a lot,” she says. “And they used a lot of it.”

The scripts were filled with plenty of jokes “but they were so malleable, they’d pitch us other ideas while we were filming,” Kane says.

Naturally, “The Santa Clauses” put the actors in the holiday mood. “It’s my favorite holiday and I’ve already started shopping, but I could always do more,” Mitchell says. “I have nieces, so I just keep buying things.”

Kane says the best gift he has gotten was a guitar, which he’s learning to play. “It’s awesome,” he says.

Mitchell leans toward homemade gifts. “I’ve gotten a lot of mugs. Every time I get a mug that’s hand-painted by someone I love, it becomes my favorite thing.”

Working in Santa’s world? “It’s the best thing,” she adds. “It’s a really good job.”

The only occupational hazard? Adding that “E” to a certain someone’s name.

“The Santa Clauses” begins Nov. 16 on Disney+.