Off Season (2001-2002)

Starring: Sherilyn Fenn, Hume Cronyn, Bruce Davison

When 10-year-old Jackson Mayhew loses his parents in a car accident, he goes to live with his aunt, Patty Winslow, an aspiring singer down on her luck. Patty takes a job at a Florida hotel where she tends bar in exchange for a free room. Mel Breskin, the manager, has promised to let her sing when business improves. In the meantime, Jackson amuses himself by making up stories about hotel guests. Jackson spreads a rumor that hotel guest Sam Clausner, an elderly, white-haired man, is actually Santa Claus. Patty apologizes to Sam, but asks him to humor Jackson by going along with his prank. Before long, word spreads that Santa is vacationing in Florida and television stations pick up on the story. Business is booming and everyone is thrilled, except for Sam. When Richard Frangello checks in, he and Patty are instantly smitten. But Jackson soon learns that Frangello, who claims to be a dentist, is actually a cop who has come to arrest Sam.