''Waiting for Santa'' (known as ''Barney's Happy Christmas'' in Australia) is a

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...

Christmas Eve special. Released on video on May 11, 1990 as part of the '' Barney & the Backyard Gang'' series, it features an array of traditional

Christmas songs Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject m ...

as well as new arrangements. The video had sold almost five million copies by 1999.

Plot

Everyone is asleep in Michael's house on Christmas Eve, except for him and his sister, Amy. They try to stay up to wait for Santa. They fall asleep, but are soon awakened by Barney who has gotten stuck trying to get down the chimney. Michael and Amy pull him out. After he is released, he magically brings the other kids there and then explains that Derek, a new boy in the neighborhood, is worried that Santa will not be able to see him. In addition, it is stated that he really wishes for some new friends more than anything else. Barney takes the gang to his house to get him and then they go on a magical sleigh ride to the North Pole to prove that Santa knows his new address. At the North Pole, they meet a snowman as well as go ice skating on a frozen pond. Afterwards, they meet Mrs. Claus and she proves to Derek that his new address is in Santa's computer and therefore he will be able to visit him. After some fun in Santa's workshop, they return home and Barney reads "

A Visit from St. Nicholas ''A Visit from St. Nicholas'', more commonly known as ''The Night Before Christmas'' and ''Twas the Night Before Christmas'' from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously under the title ''Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas'' i ...

" (also known as "Twas the Night Before Christmas") to Michael and Amy, unaware that Santa is there. They soon fall asleep. At the very end, a silhouette of Santa flies over the moon, shouting "Ho ho ho. Merry Christmas!"

Cast

* David Voss as Barney (body costume) * Bob West as Barney (voice) * Brian Eppes as Michael * Becky Swonke as Amy * Jessica Zucha as Tina * Leah Montes as Luci * Alexander Jhin as Adam * Rickey Carter as Derek * Bob West as the Snowman (voice) * Jeanne Cairns as Mrs. Claus * Henry Hammack as Santa Claus

Songs

# "Barney Theme Song" (tune: "

Yankee Doodle "Yankee Doodle" is a traditional song and nursery rhyme, the early versions of which predate the Seven Years' War and American Revolution. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today. It is the state anthem of Connecticut. Its ...

") # "When Santa Comes to our House" # "Waiting for Santa" # "I Love You" (tune: "

This Old Man "This Old Man" is an English language children's song, counting exercise and nursery rhyme with a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3550. Origins and history The origins of this song are obscure. The earliest extant record is a version noted ...

") # "S-A-N-T-A" (tune: " B-I-N-G-O") # "

Star Light, Star Bright "Star Light, Star Bright" is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 16339. Lyrics The lyrics usually conform to the following: :Star light, star bright, :First star I see tonight; :I wish I may, I wish I mig ...

" # "

Up on the Housetop "Up on the Housetop" is a Christmas song written by Benjamin Hanby in 1864.Bronson, Fre"Signs Of The Season" Billboard Magazine; December 6, 2007. It has been recorded by a multitude of singers, most notably Gene Autry in 1953. Fresh Beat Band ...

" # "

Jingle Bells "Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and most commonly sung American songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857. It has been claimed t ...

" # "Winter's Wonderful" # "Skating, Skating" (tune: " Sailing, Sailing") # "The Elves' Rap" # "Let's All Do a Little Tapping" (tune: "

We Wish You a Merry Christmas "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is an English Christmas carol, listed as numbers 230 and 9681 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The famous version of the carol is from the English West Country The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is ...

") # "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" # "

" # "

Deck the Halls "Deck the Hall” is a traditional Christmas carol. The melody is Welsh, dating back to the sixteenth century, and belongs to a winter carol, "Nos Galan", while the English lyrics, written by the Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant, date to 1862. ...

" # "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"

References

External links

* {{Barney & Friends 1990 direct-to-video films 1990 television specials 1990s American television specials American Christmas television specials American direct-to-video films Barney & Friends Mattel Television films 1990s English-language films