Original subtitles

[MAN ON TV] We've got discounts store-wide.

Come on in today till the end of December.

We'll have you ready,

and for the first 10,000 coming through,

they'll get a free Secret Santa hat.

Come on down. We're waiting for you now.

Good morning, everyone.

It is time to Wake Up Upstate.

- I'm Scott Morris. - And I'm Amari Harris.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Can you believe that Christmas is right around the corner?

Honestly? I can't.

But our man on the street, Cory Thomas, can,

because he's been out in the county

and he's found a holiday story that is sure to warm our hearts.

Well, good morning from Porter's Cafe.

Now, just over six months ago,

a kitchen fire shut the cafe down,

and Marco, the owner, didn't have the funds

to make the needed repairs.

Well, that is until

an anonymous fan of the cafe

started a Save Porter's fundraiser online.

Nobody knows who did it, but the effort went viral,

the locals pitched in, and before you know it,

the cafe had a new kitchen.

Now just over two weeks until Christmas

and they are celebrating their grand reopening today.

That just warms your heart.

What a beautiful story of neighbors helping neighbors

during the holiday season. I love that.

And I hear their famous Christmas sugar cookies

are to die for.

You know what, Cory, I'm gonna make you a deal.

I will de-ice your parking spot for a week if you bring me back

a dozen of those cookies, what do you say?

You've got a deal, Scott!

- Yes! - Those must be some cookies.

I would have de-iced his spot for a month, by the way.

I'm telling you. Cory, a deal's a deal.

You bring back those cookies.

[FESTIVE MUSIC PLAYING]

[BUZZER]

- Good show. - You too.

One more day and I am out of here.

Where is it you're headed this year?

- Bali? - Bali?

That was three years ago. I'm going to Belize.

Ten days.

Sun, surf, and scuba. It's gonna be amazing.

You can never get out of here fast enough.

What do you got against Christmas, anyway?

Nothing. I love Christmas.

Christmas is great if you've got people to spend it with.

All my friends are visiting family

and my relatives live so far away,

I just decided a few years ago

that I'm way better off traveling the world

at Christmastime, thank you,

instead of sitting at home, watching the snow fall.

Ah, the life of a bachelor, full of fun and freedom.

Yeah.

Something like that.

["WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS" THEME]

Hey, guys!

Beautiful day.

Hi.

[DOOR CHIMES]

- Good morning! - Good morning, boss.

Fresh cup of joe for ya.

What would I do without you, Colleen?

[CLEARS THROAT]

Hard to believe it's already the holidays again.

I know.

Any big plans this time around?

Uh, well Kylie and I will trim the tree,

then make sugar cookies

and maybe a little Christmas caroling,

then the winter carnival.

Just like every year.

Exactly. Why fix it if it isn't broken?

If you say so.

But, I do remember a time when you and Matt were always

coming up with fun new things to do at Christmas.

Sorry. I didn't mean to...

No, it's fine.

To be honest with you, Christmas was always Matt's thing.

Since he's been gone I've tried to keep up the tradition,

but it's just not the same.

Every year I think, this year will be easier.

It never is.

I'm sure Kylie taking off for Europe next week isn't helping.

Yeah, I am gonna miss her, but I am so happy for her and David.

I mean, what could be more romantic

than a Christmas honeymoon in Paris?

Newlyweds.

Well, you're handling her leaving better than I could.

Yeah. I couldn't have made it

through the last five years without Kylie.

She's more than a niece,

she's... she's like a sister to me.

So, we'll just celebrate a little early, before they go.

See, this Christmas is already shaping up to be different.

You could try to meet someone?

Uh, no. I'm good.

The only man I'm going to be

spending time with this Christmas is Mayor MacLean.

Sounds like the winter carnival

is gonna be different this year, too.

That's what I'm afraid of.

I'm meeting with him later.

Hopefully he'll still be open to a few ideas.

If anyone can convince him, it's you.

["JOY TO THE WORLD"]

I understand if you don't have the budget

for a Santa's village this year,

but can we at least put a tree in front of town hall?

Christmas in Cooperville just isn't the same without it.

It's tradition.

Well, you know the town took a big hit

when the plant shut down.

Our budget is stretched so thin,

we can barely afford a scaled-down version

of the winter carnival.

It's been a tough year all around.

Yes, I know.

All the more reason for some holiday cheer.

Okay, if you've got any other ideas

that won't break the bank, I'm all ears.

Actually, I do have one.

The other night I was on a walk,

on that path from Main Street to the park's gazebo

and I was thinking,

wouldn't it be so beautiful if we lined both sides,

and even over the top, with holiday lights.

Welcome lights. I love it.

Wait, that sounds too expensive.

Why don't we just save that idea for next year?

Mr. Mayor. Randy, a walk of lights would increase

foot traffic to all of our Main Street businesses.

Would make our town more of a destination for holiday shopping

and that would be great for all the businesses.

I'm not saying no just yet. Go on.

Well, I'm sure the town has plenty of lights

packed away in storage.

Let's put them to use.

And I was thinking we could hire Sean Cain,

I'm sure he could use the work.

Yeah.

Yeah. He and his wife had a pretty rough go of it this year.

Okay, I'm sold.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Now, if we could just put a big beautiful tree, right out front.

Don't push your luck, Jamie.

There you are!

I can come back if I'm interrupting.

It's okay.

I guess you're looking for these?

Yeah.

And to congratulate you on the great work

that you've been doing.

I mean, the message boards are lighting up.

People love the upbeat positive feel-good stuff

you've been doing.

- Great work. - I'm glad.

Ah, yes.

[SMALL LAUGH]

What's going on?

Cory's family surprised him and Vera with tickets

on a Caribbean cruise with the whole family for the holidays.

That's amazing. Why are you so bummed?

Because I can't go.

There's no one to cover for me.

No, there's gotta be some-

What about meteorologist Molly?

I asked, she can't.

Anyway, I've been doing these feel good local stories

around Christmas for years.

Our viewers love them and they're counting on me.

They're practically a holiday tradition for our show.

I'll stay put.

Hopefully I can FaceTime the grandkids from the islands.

Hey... what if I cover for you?

Very funny, Scott.

Nah, I'm being serious.

Really, I've been in the studio for so long.

Look, it would be good for me to get out there in the field

and do some reporting again.

But what about your trip?

Belize will always be there.

Cory, this could be a trip that you guys never forget.

You really deserve this.

Are you serious?

Yeah.

Scott. Wow, thank you.

I can't wait to tell Vera.

- You got it. - Yeah.

That was very sweet, Scott.

You sure you can handle it?

You're forgetting I started in the field, Amari.

It'll be fun. It'll be fine.

I'll fill in for Cory, co-host with you.

Works for me.

Looks like you'll be here for Christmas after all.

Hm. Looks like it.

♪

Remember this one?

Of course, I do, from our road trip to Niagara Falls.

Yes. Kylie was in charge of navigation.

Somehow, we ended up on the Canadian side

without our passports.

- Really? - Yeah.

It's a miracle they let us back in.

You might want to keep that in mind when you're in France.

Otherwise you might end up in Switzerland.

Um, we've actually had a change of plans.

David and I decided that it's not really

the best time for us to go on our honeymoon.

You cancelled your trip?

Just postponed it for a while.

Why? I don't understand.

We want to save as much money as we can

for a down payment on a home next year.

You don't have to postpone your honeymoon.

You can always ask me for help.

But you've already done so much for me.

Like, when I moved up here for college,

you wouldn't even let me pay rent.

And when Matt got sick, you were my shoulder to cry on.

We support each other. We're family.

Why do I get the feeling

you guys aren't telling me something?

I got a job offer.

It's an amazing program,

helping young adults with disabilities

get vocational training.

Kylie, that's fantastic. Why wouldn't you tell me?

That sounds like your dream job.

It is, but it's in Seattle.

Oh.

Well, I knew when you moved up to Cooperville

it wouldn't be forever.

I mean, that job though,

it sounds exactly like what you've always wanted.

You have to take it.

I already did.

And David found a buyer for his shop.

It all happened really fast, but we're moving next month.

Wow.

I'm, I'm really happy for you guys.

That's another reason why we wanted to spend

the holidays here with you in Cooperville.

Because who knows what the future holds?

Maybe next year you'll spend Christmas with us.

Or we'll take a trip somewhere.

Future, right.

And in the meantime,

I want this to be the best Christmas we've had in years.

Let's make this year different.

Don't get me wrong, it's nice.

It's just felt a little stale recently.

No offense.

No, stale is the right word for it.

When it comes to Christmas,

your uncle really set a high bar.

I mean, I try but he was the one

that always brought the holiday spirit.

More like he was possessed by it.

Well, I remember when he came in the shop

with flyers promoting his idea for a town gift exchange.

[LAUGHTER]

Yes. He wanted to spread holiday cheer

in a meet your neighbor kind of way, I don't know.

He didn't write anything down and his plan got so mixed up,

nobody knew who they were buying for.

No need for a spreadsheet, Kylie,

I've got it all stored in my super computer, right here.

Yeah. Ideas were his forte. But execution, not so much.

But I did love the way he always brought joy

to Cooperville.

Our town could use someone like Uncle Matt right now.

That's for sure.

♪

[AMARI] So, while Cory's on vacation,

Scott here has nobly offered to step in

and do a bit of field reporting.

Those are some big shoes to fill.

That they are, but I promise everybody I will do my best

to be a worthy replacement.

[AMARI] We'll see about that.

In the meantime, I understand you've invited

some special musical guests to the studio this morning?

Yeah, I have. That's right, Amari.

I'd like everybody to meet Bellevue High classic quartet

and their amazing teacher Ms. Ramirez.

Welcome everybody. Welcome to wake up.

Thank you, we are so excited to be here.

We're excited to have ya.

And, as I understand,

you're not just here to play some beautiful music,

you also are on a mission

because of a very, very special invitation you got this week?

I'm very excited to tell you that this quartet was recently

invited to Washington, DC, to perform for the president

at the White House's annual Christmas party.

That is so fantastic. You must be so proud.

I am.

But, unfortunately, our school doesn't have the funds

to send these kids to Washington right now.

[SCOTT] Well, this is an opportunity

that you can't let pass you by.

So, what are you gonna do?

[MS. RAMIREZ] We've decided to raise enough money

to cover the travel costs ourselves.

[SCOTT] That's a great idea.

Tell our viewers, right now,

how they can help support you all to be able to do just that?

Well, tonight, my students will be performing

a donations-based concert at the Bellevue High auditorium.

We hope everyone in the area can come and show their support.

Fantastic. It's gonna be a great show.

It really is. Thank you so much, Ms. Ramirez.

Kids, fantastic.

You heard it here everybody, come on out and support

these talented, talented kids and at the same time,

listen to some beautiful music.

[QUARTET PLAYING JOY TO THE WORLD]

Hey, Kylie.

Quick question, do you and David have plans tonight?

Perfect.

♪

And then we can crisscross all the way up to the gazebo there.

I could run the lights around the edge of the roof there too

and support beams as well, if you like.

Yes. That would be great.

If I get started right away, I'll be done by tomorrow.

Okay. Perfect.

I'll let Randy know.

You selling your truck?

[SIGHS] Ah, yeah.

I don't want to, but I'm running out of options

unless some more nice people like you hire me.

We had to tell the kids this year

that Christmas might not be what they're used to, you know?

How's Marcie?

Oh, you know Marcie. She's trying to stay positive.

Hopefully she'll get a good job soon.

Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed for both of you.

Thanks. I can't wait to show this to her and the kids.

You know, it's little things like this that go a long way

to lift people's spirits up.

Forget their troubles. You know what I mean?

Yeah, I do.

- Oh, hi! - Hi.

You made it.

Not exactly Carnegie Hall.

Since when do you go out of your way

to help some high school kids you don't even know?

Since today.

I thought it would be nice to show some support.

You did say Christmas was getting a little stale, so?

Where'd you hear about it.

Wake Up Upstate. Scott did a story on it.

Come on.

That explains it.

Scott Morris is Aunt Jamie's TV crush.

No, he's not.

Here.

Why not? He's cute, he's nice.

He might even be single.

I doubt it.

- Does he wear a ring? - No.

So you've checked.

See what I mean? TV crush.

I do not have a crush on...

Scott Morris.

Yeah. You guys, uh, you guys watch the show?

I don't, but she does. Every day.

Never misses it.

Well, we appreciate that.

Would any of you mind being interviewed right now?

Sure. Aunt Jamie would love to.

- No, she wouldn't. - Yes, she would.

- Go. - Okay.

We'll just kind of be up there.

Okay, hi, Jamie, I'm...

- Scott Morris. - Yeah.

That's what they call me.

Oh, sorry.

No, that's okay. You ready?

Okay, three, two...

Hey, everybody.

Coming to you from Bellevue High

where the audience is starting to gather

for a great benefit concert.

I'm here with Jamie, so tell everybody at home

what brought you out to support the kids here, Jamie?

Uh, you did. You invited me.

Well, us, we all got invited by you.

That's true.

I di-Um, so do you live in Hudson City?

Cooperville, actually. It's off the 90 West.

About a 40-minute drive from here.

Give or take, you know, if there's no traffic.

Which there wasn't 'cause there's no rush hour right now.

Well, that's good to know.

I'm sure everybody appreciates you making the drive out.

The kids appreciate your support.

Yes, it's for the kids. That's right, mm-hm.

Absolutely, which is the spirit of Christmas.

That's for sure. Thank you so much, Jamie.

You're welcome.

Great. Thanks.

You did, you did really well.

[NERVOUS LAUGH] That was terrible, I'm sorry.

No, that's not true. You did, you did great.

It's hard, with the camera and everything.

Thank you again, for your support.

- Yeah. - Alright.

Enjoy the show.

- Oh. - Yeah.

Okay, who's next?

What just happened?

Well, you just got interviewed by Scott Morris

who was nice and cute and very charming.

While you were totally nervous and awkward.

All caught on camera.

I am so embarrassed.

Don't be, I'm sure he interviews so many nervous Nellies

he's used to it.

And hey, look on the bright side,

you finally got to meet Scott Morris.

And now I have a reason to watch his show tomorrow.

Hm. Okay. I need some air.

Hello, Bellevue!

- How's everybody doing? - [APPLAUSE]

Great. Good to see those smiling faces.

Look, if it's all right with everybody,

before the concert starts we would like to shoot

a quick update with Ms. Ramirez here

that will be on tomorrow's show.

All right?

Oh, look, there's your TV crush again.

Oh, stop it.

- You ready to go? - Yes.

All right, let's do this. Here we go.

Rolling? In three, two...

Hello everybody, I'm Scott Morris coming to you

from Bellevue High where the benefit concert

for these talented kids right here,

this amazing quartet is about to begin.

Ms. Ramirez, great to see you again.

Nice to see you too, Scott.

How's the fundraising going?

Well, we've raised about $300 so far.

So, we have a long way to go.

But we're so grateful to everyone who came out

and dropped cash in our donation box or texted in a donation.

Oh... okay.

Is something wrong?

Yes. I mean, no.

We just had an anonymous donation for the full amount!

What?! That's amazing!

[CHEERING]

Oh boy, hugs too!

This is crazy.

- Congratulations, everybody. - An absolute miracle.

Congratulations, guys.

[SING-SONGY] You're going to the White House!

Lots of smiles...

Whoever you are, thank you. You're our hero!

[SCREAMS OF DELIGHT]

Woo. Well done, everybody.

[APPLAUSE]

♪

So, do you live in Hudson City?

Cooperville actually. It's off the 90 West.

About a 40-minute drive from here.

Give or take, you know, if there's no traffic.

Hello.

Well, if it isn't Cooperville's latest celeb.

I was just watching your screen debut.

I was hoping that would end up on the cutting room floor.

Tell me Scott Morris is as nice in person as he is on TV?

He is. Was... nice.

And very handsome.

I might just be imagining it,

but I got the sense he kind of likes you.

- Okay. - You two would make a cute couple.

You are being ridiculous.

Why not, Jamie? Newsflash, you're a catch.

You're smart, kind, fun, pretty.

[PHONE RINGING]

Cooperville Tours?

No, I didn't. Really?

Okay. Thanks.

What, what's up?

There's something we need to see.

Come on.

I thought our town couldn't afford a tree this year.

Maybe the mayor had a change of heart.

I'm glad you came to your senses, Mr. Mayor.

It's not Christmas in Cooperville

until there's a tree outside town hall.

Oh, I can't take credit for that.

It's an anonymous gift.

Kind of like what happened at Bellevue High last night, right?

Maybe it's the same person.

No, doubtful.

It's probably just a couple of random acts of kindness.

Whatever you call it, I'm grateful.

Town Hall already looks more festive.

Yep.

Looks great. Thank you.

Wishing you were in Belize right now?

What Belize?

- I haven't given it a second thought. - Good.

I might have a scoop for you.

I got a call from the mayor of Cooperville.

It seems somebody

anonymously gifted the town with a Christmas tree.

Not exactly a hot scoop, Amari.

What if it's the same person

who gifted those kids their trip to DC?

Or, an epidemic of coincidental kindness.

Either way, it's worth checking it out.

Okay, you got me.

I've been meaning to visit Cooperville anyway.

- Really? - Mm-hm.

Uh-huh. Sure.

With Christmas just around the corner,

it seems that Hudson county has a bona fide holiday mystery on our hands,

as another anonymous donation

has spread Christmas cheer in one of our towns.

Good morning, Scott.

Good morning, everyone.

For the first time in years, Cooperville was not able

to get a Christmas tree for the season due to a budget crisis.

However, yesterday,

this beautiful tree that you see right here

showed up, no note, no explanation whatsoever.

I'm joined here with Cooperville mayor, Randy MacLean.

Mr. Mayor, you must have been as surprised as anybody

when this beautiful tree showed up at your doorstep?

You can say that again.

It's absolutely amazing.

In fact, it didn't feel like Christmas around here

until this happened, so we're all very grateful

to the person that made this possible.

I bet you are. Absolutely.

Very happy for everybody here in Cooperville.

Uh, well there you have it, everyone,

you heard it from the mayor himself.

Come on out to Cooperville,

where the Christmas spirit is in full display

each and every night.

Great. Good job, Mr. Mayor.

- Thanks. - Fantastic.

Can I ask you a question?

Do you happen to know that young woman

that's standing right there by the back of the van?

Do you know who that is?

Oh yeah, that's Jamie Monroe. She runs Cooperville Tours.

Kind of a local expert around here,

if you need a guide.

Hm. You know, I just might.

Oh!

- Were you just at the tree? - Yeah.

Isn't it gorgeous?

Last night, Gary and I came down,

got hot chocolates and just looked at the tree for an hour.

Most romantic thing we've done in years.

Is that Scott Morris?

- Welcome to Cooperville. - Oh, thank you.

This is great.

Um...

I'm sorry to bother you, it's, it's Jamie, right?

You were at the concert the other night?

Yep, that's Jamie.

I have things to do.

In the back.

Leaving now.

So, what brings you here?

The Christmas tree, actually.

No, I meant here, to Cooperville Tours.

Oh, um, yeah, I need a tour.

We need some shots of Cooperville and I figured,

who better to show me around than the local tour company.

Oh, okay.

Would that be for you or you and your camera man?

Just me, for now.

Well, unfortunately our tour van already left for the morning.

Well, that's okay.

I'm more of a walking tour kind of guy anyway.

We don't have that in the winter.

I'm so, so sorry.

But, we were just talking about

adding a Cooperville Christmas tour.

- Right, Jamie? - Oh.

Today would be the perfect day to do a trial run,

don't you think?

I'll cover here.

You give the tour and you take the tour.

- Off you go! - Okay, great!

Have fun, explore. Enjoy Cooperville!

We're glad you're here.

Okay, well, uh, it looks like I will be giving you your tour.

Great.

Is there anything in particular you wanted to see?

Not really, no.

I'll just... I'll just follow your lead.

All right. Well, uh, this is our downtown.

- Obviously. - It's beautiful, it really is.

I love the mix of old and new architecture.

Exactly.

Okay, well if you will follow me, Mr. Morris,

I will begin your tour.

Great.

- You okay? - I don't know.

- Which side do you? - Doesn't matter to me.

What an amazing space.

I mean, you don't typically see buildings like this

in small towns around here.

Performing arts has been a great way to bring

the community together.

It's one of the reasons Cooperville was voted

best upstate town in 2016.

Really? That's pretty cool.

It was a great honor, but it's not that cool.

I don't know why I just said that.

Because you're proud of your town and I admire that.

Besides, I've always wondered who won best upstate town 2016.

Now I know.

Shouldn't you be taking notes or something

for your shot list or whatever?

- I got it stored all up here. - Huh.

You don't believe me?

No. You just reminded me of someone.

This is one of my personal favorite spots.

I can see why, I really can.

How long have you lived here?

- My whole life. - Really?

By choice or just circumstance?

Um, I guess a little of both.

When I was a kid, my parents moved here for work

and then after I met Matthew,

he said I knew so much about this town

we should start a tour company, so we did.

- Matthew? - My late husband.

- I'm sorry. - Thanks.

After he passed, I could have gone anywhere.

Started fresh, but Cooperville's been good to me.

I have a job here that I love, a wonderful home

and a niece that I love like a sister so I decided to stay.

I mean, I get it. I really do.

I traveled a lot as a kid and then even more with my career.

So, I don't really have a place that I call home.

You're lucky.

Well, maybe someday you'll find it.

Maybe I will.

Come on.

Okay.

[BELLS RINGING]

Merry Christmas!

That was very generous of you.

Ah, it's the holidays.

It's the time to be generous, right?

Yeah.

To be honest, I'm trying to get into the holiday spirit.

Really?

I get the impression from TV that you are Mr. Christmas.

You'd think so.

But I actually try and get out of here

and escape to warmer destinations.

I haven't stuck around for Christmas in a very long time.

How is it going this year?

Full of surprises.

- I know what you mean. - Hm.

Well, I guess that concludes your impromptu personal tour.

You get everything you need?

Did you get ideas for the show?

Actually, I was having too much fun,

I seem to have forgotten some of the landmarks.

- Noggin let you down, huh? - Hm.

Probably should have taken notes.

I was hoping for another tour. One that includes dinner?

Oh, we don't offer that.

That was, that was my attempt at asking you out to dinner.

Oh.

I got to work on that, huh?

Yeah. Wow, okay.

Yeah?

- Mm-hm. - Great.

Okay. I'll call ya.

You don't have my number.

Sure, I do.

Well, there it is, okay.

Okay.

Call me. [LAUGHS]

♪

When I saw what that person did for those high schoolers,

and then the tree at town hall,

I realized I should do something to spread some cheer myself.

So, I bought these cards

and I gave them to the kids at the shelter to fill out.

Now, anybody who shops here can read a card from a kid

and buy them the present they're asking for.

That is a great idea, Kylie.

Hopefully we'll be able to get something for every child.

There's so many more families in need at the shelter this year.

We can barely feed everybody this Christmas.

I had no idea it was so bad.

How 'bout we go first?

I'd love to.

Let me get a shot of you two in action.

And I'll take one of those cards too.

What better way to start the giving then now, right?

Oh, you two.

[LAUGHS]

[TV SHOW THEME]

[SCOTT] Good morning everyone.

It is time to Wake Up Upstate.

- I'm Scott Morris. - And I'm Amari Harris.

- We missed you in studio yesterday, Scott. - Oh.

How was your trip to Cooperville?

It was great.

The townspeople there are just so excited

about their new Christmas tree,

it was hard not to get into the Christmas spirit myself.

In fact, I took a tour.

- Really? - Yeah.

This beautiful old town, so charming,

with so much history.

Of course, it probably helped to have a great tour guide,

which I did.

I highly recommend Cooperville Tours and Sightseeing

if you happen to be in the area.

You planning to go back?

Absolutely.

Especially if more of these mysterious Christmas donations

keep popping up.

Oh, well let's hope they do

because our viewers are loving these stories.

Here are a few of the posts we've gotten just this morning

from our page.

"Keep up the great work, Scott."

My favorite.

"People at Christmas are Santa, Amari and Scott."

- Aww. - And oh, "We love you Scott".

[SCOTT] That's very sweet.

I love you, too. I really do.

And we'll have today's top stories

after a very short break. We'll see you in a little-

[BUZZER]

A tour guide, huh? What's her name?

- Hm? - Oh, you heard me.

Her name was, well, is, it's Jamie.

Oh, well whoever this Jamie is, she's got you blushing

redder than Rudolf's nose.

Hm.

Maybe she is the reason for all this holiday spirit

you're giving off on camera?

- It's that obvious, huh? - A little bit, yeah.

Being out in the field's giving you fresh energy.

Keep it up.

Oh, and call this Jamie, okay?

♪

Here she comes right now.

One moment, please.

It's Scott Morris.

Be peppy.

But not overeager.

Hello, this is Jamie.

Uh-huh.

Mm-hm.

Can I just put you on hold for one second?

He's coming back to Cooperville this afternoon for a story

and he wants to take me to dinner.

A date! That's fantastic!

I haven't been on a date in so long.

Just think of it as dinner with a friend.

A successful, charming, really good-looking friend

we all watch on TV every morning.

- Just be yourself and have fun. - Okay.

You know he's still on hold.

Right, yeah. Okay.

What should I say? Should I go?

Hi, sorry about that. Busy morning here.

Um, yes, that would be great.

It's perfect. It's just how I pictured it.

I can't wait to see it at night.

The town's gonna love it.

You pulled all this off by yourself?

Some of my construction buddies volunteered to help me out.

- Ah. - I still have a couple more things to do,

but it will be ready for tonight's unveiling.

I love it. Thank you, Sean.

Happy to do it.

Let me get back to it.

Oh, did you hear the shelter received

a big food donation today?

What? That's fantastic.

You didn't know about it?

Me? No.

Why would I know about it?

Well, I kind of figured, since your niece works there

and you always know everything

that's going on around town anyway.

Do they know who the donor is?

No one knows.

But when I find out,

I am going to personally throw a parade for that person.

I called Scott Morris, you know, the TV guy,

he said he's gonna come out here and do a bigger story

in order to figure out who the generous mystery person is.

That kind of PR is going to bring a lot more

holiday shoppers to this town.

I wouldn't play it up so much.

I mean, if the donations were anonymous,

don't you think they probably want to keep it that way?

I mean, shouldn't we respect their wishes?

Well, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun then, would it?

No. It wouldn't.

I'm here with Kylie Monroe

outside of the Cooperville shelter.

- Hi, Kylie. - Hi, Scott.

And hi David!

My husband. We're newlyweds.

Oh, well congratulations.

Tell everybody what happened here.

It's been a tough winter in our town.

A lot of families in need

and not enough food to feed everyone.

But, today a truck showed up unloading cases of canned goods.

Pasta, eggs, bread, milk. It was really amazing.

But, just like with the town's Christmas tree,

it was an anonymous donation.

Did anyone happen to speak with the donor,

or were there any clues at all?

The delivery guy said it was all ordered online,

so, we just don't know.

But, whoever they are,

they're really good at figuring out what's needed

in this town and making it happen.

And we couldn't be more grateful.

Or more deserving.

Thank you so much, Kylie.

All right.

Well, there you have it, everybody.

A lot of acts of kindness here in Cooperville

but the mystery remains.

Is this the work of one person or many?

Tell you what, I'm gonna stay on this story until we find out.

♪

Kind of hard to believe that in one week

I've interviewed both you and your niece, right?

I should probably tell David he's probably next.

Yeah, I'll give him a heads up.

So, how did you become the host of Wake Up Upstate?

Honestly, I never really set out to be on a morning show at all.

I was just hoping for a career somewhere reporting the news.

And I got my big break

in a small little station in Wilmington, North Carolina.

It's kind of a fun story. There was a hurricane watch.

Our producer was just desperate to find someone

to go out on a remote shoot, so I volunteered.

No experience at all, zero plan.

- What could go wrong? - Exactly.

We all thought it was going to just be a quick weather update, but I...

- Am I talking too much? - No.

- No, I like it. - Okay.

Here I was, out there,

just like wind blowing sideways, soaking wet,

but I was shooting my first story.

Well, clearly you survived.

- Hm. - Barely.

But I knew after that, I knew that's what I wanted to do.

I wanted to be out in the field reporting real news.

So, I just worked hard and paid my dues and here I am.

Sounds like you made a lot of sacrifices.

You ever have time for a relationship or marriage?

Uh... almost, once.

It was a long time ago.

Sounds like there's more to the story?

No. We just met in the field.

She was a producer and we were both travel junkies.

There comes a time when you got to make a decision

whether you want to settle down or you want to continue on

at the crazy pace that we were going at.

I was ready, put down roots, buy a house, start a family.

But right before the wedding,

she decided that the settled life wasn't for her.

That was it.

Never saw her again.

I'm sorry.

Losing someone you love is never easy.

I think it was the, the loss of trust that hurt the most.

But it's in the past,

and you move on.

And honestly, if it hadn't happened,

I probably wouldn't be in Cooperville right now.

I have a feeling you would be in town anyway,

covering the big Christmas mystery.

I hope that I meet the real person, I really do.

I mean, if it is just one person.

And get that interview, right before Christmas.

Don't take this the wrong way,

but are you sure it's a good idea

to make a bigger deal out of this whole thing?

Are you kidding me? Our viewers are loving this.

They can't get enough of it.

Yeah, I owe it to them to keep looking into it.

And in the meantime, I get to spend more time in Cooperville.

With you.

Thanks.

- Oh, here you go. - Thank you.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

Oh.

So, you've heard all about me.

What about you?

Do you date often?

To be honest with you,

you are the first man I've dated since Matt.

Can I ask how long ago that was?

Five years, one month, three days.

I get it.

I do.

When you lose someone that's important to you.

I mean, the past makes us who we are, right?

Exactly, yeah.

You know what, it's after 8:00, I bet they're on.

Come on, I want to show you something.

- You did all this? - Mm-hm.

No, it was just my idea.

There were other people involved in making it happen.

Humble. Another one of your great qualities.

I appreciate you saying that,

but I'm just like everybody else in this town.

You see what I mean?

You're such a good person, you do so much for the community

and you're not looking for any credit at all.

That remind you of anybody?

I don't know what you're getting at.

I'll take your word for it. It's just all so beautiful.

Would you look at that?

I was just in charge of the lights,

I had nothing to do with that.

It is a tradition, after all.

Well, we wouldn't want to break tradition, I guess.

♪ Deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪

♪ Fa la la la la, la la la la ♪

♪ 'Tis the season to be jolly ♪

♪ Fa la la la la, la la la la ♪

It's late.

Yeah, I've got a really early start tomorrow.

But, I had a really great time with you tonight.

Me too.

Scott?

There's something I should tell you.

It gets really icy in the parking lot, so be careful.

Thank you, I will.

Good night.

Am I late?

You're never here before me.

I need to tell you something.

How did your date with Scott go?

It was nice. It was really nice.

We went to dinner and we took a romantic walk in the park.

But that's not what I want to tell you.

You know the things that have been going on around town?

The tree in front of town hall,

the music students, the shelter...

The anonymous acts of kindness?

Yes.

You?

You're our town's Secret Santa?

Ah, it feels so good to say that.

I've been dying to tell someone.

But why?

I mean, I always knew you were kind-hearted and generous,

but this is above and beyond.

Yeah, well, the other night, Kylie and I

were reminiscing about Matthew and she said something like,

what this town really needs right now

is someone like Uncle Matt.

And I thought, why not me?

Why not, you know, share some of my good fortune

with the town and all the people that need it?

Well, you've certainly done that.

It's just, it's felt so rewarding.

I mean, I just can't stop thinking about

what I'm gonna do next.

By far, you are the coolest person I have ever known.

But you can't tell anyone, okay?

Of course. Mums the word.

Good, 'cause I might need your help.

I am so in.

Okay.

It looks like Scott is going to keep reporting

on the things that are going on around Cooperville

until he figured out who the mystery donor is.

So, you two will be spending more time together?

That's great.

Yes. But, I also want to stay anonymous.

You know, I... I... I don't want people to feel like

they have to thank me or they owe me anything.

Sounds like you got yourself into a bit of a pickle.

Do you think Scott suspects?

- No, I don't think so. - That's good.

Christmas is in five days.

If we can stall him until then, keep him off track,

he won't uncover your identity before Christmas

and then, poof, the story will go away.

Okay, that's good. Stall him.

How do we do that?

Oh, I've got it.

What if I do a couple of good deeds on your behalf,

to throw him off the scent?

Meanwhile, when you're together, you act a little bit Scroogey.

Scroogey?

You know, selfish, cold-hearted, not into Christmas.

That way he won't see you as the type

who would do any of this stuff.

Maybe I should just tell him it's me,

I mean, I don't like misleading him.

You said you like doing these things for people

but you want to stay anonymous, right?

Yes.

So, let's try my plan.

You get to spend time with Scott and do your good deeds.

Okay, but if he asks me, I'm gonna tell him the truth.

Agreed.

So? What's your next mission, Agent Double S?

Secret Santa?

Okay. I have some ideas.

♪

Merry Christmas, Colleen.

How did you know it was me?

Can I help you find anything?

You want to buy all these toys?

That's right.

Ring 'em up.

Happy to.

It'll take me a few minutes.

Wait a second, Colleen, are you the Secret Santa?

Me? No.

Let's just say I work for a client who is, okay?

Oh, okay. Cool.

Yeah. So, I'm gonna buy all those toys

but I need you to do something for me.

Sure. Anything.

Great. If anyone asks, here's what I want you to say.

[LAUGHING]

This goes all through town

and it stops at a great little restaurant,

where they have some very good fondue.

Aunt Jamie, can I talk to you for a second?

Yeah, sure.

Hey, Colleen, can you come help this couple book a trolley tour?

- Sure. - Thanks.

Hey. What's up?

Well, I have some good news.

Someone bought all the toy drive gifts.

Yes, that's awesome.

But, so, is there something you want to tell me?

Hmm. No, not that I can think of.

Really?

Because I know for a fact you've been hiding something from me.

Okay. I was gonna tell you. I didn't mean any harm.

I... I... Let me explain.

Please do, because it was pretty shocking to find out online

that you're dating Scott Morris.

Oh, that. Yes, I can explain that.

Why don't I take you for a coffee?

So, earlier this morning a customer wearing

a hat and sunglasses bought all of the remaining gifts

for the Cooperville toy drive.

Someone who the owner here describes as being a very tall,

over six-foot female with blonde curly hair,

used a cane but had no noticeable limp.

Did I get that right?

Now that I think about it, she could have been wearing a wig.

Well, there you have it everybody.

Who is this mystery person?

Great. Thank you, so much... I think.

Don't mention it.

He's a pretty great guy.

He's funny and smart and down to earth.

And handsome.

You like him.

We're still getting to know each other.

I can't believe you didn't tell me.

You never keep secrets from me.

Maybe I do.

Oh, really?

What else are you keeping from me besides Scott?

And speak of the devil.

Jamie.

- Hi. - Hi.

[CLEARS THROAT]

You remember my niece?

How could I forget. Hi Kylie.

Hi.

I didn't think you'd be back in Cooperville so soon.

Well, I was just at your husband's toy shop and it seems

that someone in disguise bought all the toys for the toy drive.

So, the mystery continues.

Your job is so cool. Isn't his job cool?

So cool.

I better get back to the studio. I'll see you.

Do you want to join us for dinner tonight?

Our third wheel over here needs a date.

I wasn't aware we had dinner plans.

You must have forgotten.

You should join us.

I would love to.

Um, where's dinner?

It's a surprise.

Aunt Jamie will send you all the details.

Just don't wear anything fancy, okay?

Perfect. I'll see you there.

- Okay. - Okay.

[KYLIE] Looks like we have a double date.

♪

Did you get it?

Don't be shy, come on up. Would you like some bread?

There you go. Thanks for being here.

Merry Christmas.

Have seconds if you want.

Okay. Lots of food. Lots of food, everybody.

Hey, thanks for this.

Really.

I mean, usually I spend so much time at the studio,

reporting on other people's good deeds,

that it just feels great to actually be helping out myself.

So, thank you.

What?

I was just thinking,

I've watched you for so many years, every morning, on TV.

I felt like I knew you.

And now I'm getting to know you, in real life,

in a soup kitchen.

It's just all still a little surreal.

You know that I'm just a regular guy

who wears makeup every day and talks to people, right?

[CHUCKLES]

I think you're a little more than that, Scott.

Well, hello.

Oh, my gosh, look at you, you're all cozy.

Merry Christmas.

♪

You guys are gonna love France, especially Paris.

I mean, the sights and the food...

The bread, you cannot fathom how good the bread is.

Mmm, bread. I love bread.

You think you love bread now, you just wait, man.

When's the honeymoon?

It was supposed to be this week,

but we decided to postpone for a while.

That's too bad, how come?

We want to buy a house next year,

so, we decided to save as much as we can for now.

These two are far too young to be so sensible.

We'll get to Paris eventually, right?

Right.

So, what else are you working on besides the Secret Santa story?

Hmm.

A lot of serious journalism, as a matter of fact.

A caroling competition,

there's a dog that can bark "Jingle Bells."

Big stuff. I love it. I really do.

But the viewers,

they just want to find out who's behind these stories

of anonymous generosity.

That's what they want to know.

Really? I don't see why it's so interesting.

Why is that?

Well, at the heart of it, it's just some guy

giving people a bunch of stuff they don't really need.

What?

Just, um, I'm a little surprised hearing that come from you.

Well, I don't mean to sound cold-hearted, but I'm just...

I'm a little tired of this whole Secret Santa gag.

Well, I'm not, and I'm happy to help however I can.

We know just about everyone in town.

Scott's a professional reporter, he'll be fine.

Personally, I say go with the talented dog.

This fruit cake just really looks good.

Mmm... so good. You should try it.

♪

Okay.

Good morning.

Don't "good morning" me.

I barely slept last night because I couldn't stop thinking

about dinner and how weird you were acting.

And then it hit me. It's you, isn't it?

I'm not following.

You can't fool me. It's you.

You're Cooperville's Secret Santa.

Okay, yes, it's me.

I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner.

I mean, it all makes perfect sense.

But, why don't you want anyone to know?

Because I didn't do any of those things for attention.

So, you acted like a weirdo at dinner

so Scott wouldn't think it was you?

Colleen told me to act Scroogey, which felt so weird.

I'm not doing that again.

Colleen knows?

Yes, I needed help.

I couldn't just walk into David's shop

and order up all the toys, could I?

I'm gonna tell Scott.

Kylie.

Unless, you let me help with your next anonymous gift.

Of course. Yes, you can help.

My last Christmas here before we move will be so memorable.

So, what's the next plan?

I haven't thought of it yet. They kind of just come to me.

I know. How about we adopt a family?

We find a family that's had an especially hard year

and we help give them a great Christmas?

Someone like...

[BOTH] The Cain family.

Sean's carpentry business has really been struggling.

Yeah, and Marcie lost her job.

They could really use some holiday cheer.

Let's give the Cain family their best Christmas ever.

So, Kylie knows our secret?

She figured me out.

The more the merrier.

So, what's the plan, secret Samaritan?

Oh, shoot.

Jamie! Jamie, hi!

Scott. Hi.

You planning on feeding the whole town?

No.

Of course not. No.

It wouldn't be the holidays if you didn't overeat.

I know I do.

You've got like 30 bags of groceries there.

Yes, I do.

Do you need some help?

No, I'm good.

I didn't expect you to be back in town so soon.

You working on another story? Better get to it.

Yeah, well we probably should get back to work.

Actually, just wanted to say hi.

Hey, are you free tonight?

There's a place in West Hudson

I'd love to take you to if you are.

Uh, yeah, okay.

Great. Okay. I'll text you the address.

- All right. - Okay.

And you're sure you don't need any help?

No. I'm good.

- Okay, let's do it. - Okay.

You think he suspects you?

No. I mean, he was looking at me weird

but I don't think he thought much of it.

People stock up during the holidays, right?

Not that much.

Should we call it off?

No, no way.

He's taking me somewhere tonight.

I think that will buy us enough time to get to Christmas

if I have your help.

[BOTH] Absolutely.

[DAVID] Hey Colleen.

So, another person knows our secret?

Sorry, I had to tell him.

I couldn't load everything by myself.

Plus, we're newlyweds.

We don't keep secrets from each other.

I totally get it. All right, let's do this.

This will work for you, look inside.

Uh, yeah, put that on.

We look ridiculous.

I think that's the point.

Now, if we're spotted, it'll be hard for them to identify us.

♪

Thank you.

- Hi. - Wow.

You look amazing.

Not that you don't always look beautiful,

I just meant now.

I'm gonna stop talking.

Breaking news, Scott Morris speechless.

Thank you.

I've never been here before.

Where is everybody? Did you buy this place out?

It's just my way to say thank you

for sharing your town's Christmas with me.

- Shall we? - We shall.

- Definitely. - Okay.

Here, let me get this.

- Thank you. - Okay.

- Are you okay there? - Yeah, I got it.

David, be careful.

Shhh.

- Okay, let's go. - Faster, guys.

Here, take this.

♪

- Thank you. - Ooh. Okay.

- What are we having? - Oh, here we go.

I had the chef prepare

some of the Morris family Christmas classics.

The Cornish hen,

which is kind of the star of the show, a little bit.

And then you've got a little bit

of the mashed maple sweet potatoes.

Oh, my gosh, it all looks so amazing.

Good.

Being here for the holidays for a change has got me reminiscing

about family Christmases and the feast that we used to have.

The Morrises don't do Christmas dinners anymore?

Well, my sister moved to New Zealand,

my folks passed away a few years ago, so...

- I'm sorry. - Yeah, me too.

I miss them. Especially this time of year.

So, are you glad that you stayed in town for Christmas?

Absolutely.

I love being here for, for a lot of reasons.

Reminded me of what I loved most at Christmastime.

The way that people come together,

and the joy that you get from Christmas traditions.

I mean, I totally get why you love this town so much

and I know what I'm missing from my own life.

And if I jetted off to Belize I wouldn't have met you.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

Marcie, kids! Come here!

- You have to see this! - What is it, honey?

Wha...

I can't... This is amazing!

This is incredible! Can you believe this?

[MARCIE] Kids, look over here.

Oh, my gosh! Grab the one on top.

- Yay, so many presents! - Honey, look at this!

- Santa came. - Yes, it's a huge present.

[MARCIE] Yes, Secret Santa is with us.

Kids, can you believe that Secret Santa came here?

Grab all the stuff...

Anyone else got the warm fuzzies?

- Mmm. - Wow.

This is ridiculously good.

Good. I'm so happy. I've got a secret for you.

Because as good as the food is here,

and I love the food,

I actually come for the gingerbread cake.

It's so great.

And you're probably wondering what these guys are.

Another Morris family tradition, right here.

These are Christmas crackers from England.

Okay.

Typically, you open them before the meal,

but my parents always used to make us wait until dessert.

So pretty.

I'm gonna show you how to do it.

Okay.

So, you go... you go in here and you find the little tab.

Uh-huh.

And I'm gonna show you right now why they call it a cracker.

Make sure you squeeze them hard, and then on the count of three,

everybody pulls at the same time.

- You got 'em? - Okay. Ready?

Here we go, one, two, three!

[CRACKERS POP]

There it is! You see? Isn't that good?

Yeah, wow.

What is all this?

It's just more surprises.

For instance, I got a joke for you.

Who is Santa's favorite singer?

I... Yeah, I don't know.

Elfis Presley.

[LAUGHS]

Good one.

Okay, ready? I'll tell you mine.

What do reindeer hang on their Christmas trees?

I have no idea.

- Hornaments. - Hornaments.

[LAUGHING]

I thought mine was bad.

Now, if you choose to open that up,

then you gotta wear it.

Oh, it's open now. You gotta wear it.

Okay.

Like this.

See that?

Look at you!

How is it possible that you still look great wearing this?

[LAUGHS]

- How about a little coronation dance? - Okay.

- Yeah? - Mm-hm.

Since we're royalty.

Okay. If you say so.

♪

♪ Snow is falling lightly on the ground ♪

♪ People smiling, love is all around ♪

♪ There's a feeling in the air tonight ♪

♪ You are here beside me ♪

♪ and the stars are shining bright... ♪

There is something I want to tell you.

[PHONE CHIMES]

- It's okay, you can answer it. - No, no, no.

What, what were you gonna say?

[PHONE CHIMES]

It might be an emergency. Go ahead.

Okay.

It's an anonymous text.

"Secret Santa does it again."

Oh?

- And there's a video attached. - Oh.

No, you know what, it's work.

No.

- I can look at it later. - I want to see it.

Okay.

- [CAIN FAMILY CHEERING] - This is incredible!

Oh, the Cain family, I know them well.

- You do? - Mm-hm.

I'd love to interview them. Could you introduce me, maybe?

Sure, yeah.

Great.

Okay. Um...

What were you going to say?

Oh, um...

I just wanted to say that I'm really glad I met you.

Me too.

♪ ...Christmas, Christmas once again ♪

What a wonderful Christmas moment caught on camera.

Absolutely.

It's been a very tough year for the Cain family,

but thanks to someone they may never get the chance to thank,

at least their Christmas will be a memorable one.

It's a great reminder about what the holidays are all about.

Absolutely.

See you tomorrow, everybody.

Bye-bye.

[BUZZER]

I've been getting emails from all over the county

from people inspired to give back in their own communities.

Hm. Well, that means that we are doing our job.

- [PHONE RINGS] - Absolutely.

- Excuse me. - Okay.

This is Scott Morris.

Really?

Last night felt so good.

It's a shame you missed it,

but, I guess, that was the point.

Uh... we have a problem.

Last night with Scott was so perfect.

That's fantastic.

Yeah, I'm not really seeing the problem.

Well, the problem is, I'm not being honest with him.

And right when I was about to tell him the truth,

the phone beeped with that video and I chickened out.

- Good. - No, not good!

I don't like keeping secrets from

the only man that I've really liked in a very long time.

So, here's what I'm gonna do.

I am going to just come clean

and I'm gonna tell him the truth,

say I'm sorry for wasting your time,

even though I could have outed myself days ago.

And just hope that he looks past it.

Or, we could stop the anonymous donations.

He has nothing to report on,

Christmas arrives, the story's forgotten and no one ever knows?

No, he deserves better than that.

You're right. You should tell him.

Right now.

Now?

Well, he's about to walk in through the door.

How'd you do that?

You guys are not gonna believe this,

but we found the Secret Santa.

What? Who?

The person responsible for all this anonymous generosity.

I'm gonna go meet him right now.

Give him a little pre-interview

before I get him on the show tomorrow.

Would it be okay if I came with you?

I don't see why not.

Okay.

Great.

Let's go.

So, why did you want to do these things anonymously?

Just wanted to spread, you know, some holiday cheer.

Make people happy.

So, am I gonna be on TV tomorrow?

Oh, well, we got a couple things to go over

before we start scheduling.

Ah, ah, sorry. I'm curious about one thing.

What made you want to fund that trip to New York

for those five students?

They're great kids. They deserve it.

Except it was DC, and they're a quartet.

That's a quartet, is four kids, not five.

Yeah, yeah, four. I know that.

Anyway, they're going to DC and that's all that matters to me.

What can I say?

I'm just bursting with holiday spirit.

So, would it be all right if we shoot the interview

at my tire shop instead of the studio?

Yeah, I can make that happen.

Uh, the Christmas tree in front of town square.

What was your inspiration for that?

I go by my gut and it felt like, you know,

every town needs a Christmas tree.

So, we... we good?

Where'd you get it?

Joe's Christmas Trees?

Okay.

I don't need you cross-examining me

and questioning my motives, okay?

I withdraw my admission.

I'm not the Secret Santa.

You happy now?

You really thought it was him, though?

Well, I mean, I wanted to break the story before Christmas

so, I guess, just part of me wanted to believe him.

Can I ask you something?

Um, does finding out this person's identity really matter?

I mean, it's just another news story, right?

Yeah, and I thought that at first

but it's just such a feel-good mystery

that people are getting so interested in.

I gotta believe that it's inspired people

to celebrate Christmas a little differently this year.

You know what I mean?

Yeah. I do.

Well, I better get back to the studio.

Me too. I mean, to the office.

Okay.

- See you later. - Bye.

[VOICEMAIL] Hey, this is Scott.

Leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Hey, Scott. It's Jamie.

I was hoping that you could meet me at the auditorium

where we first met.

Tonight at 8:00?

I'll be there with the Secret Santa.

Okay. Bye.

[KYLIE] You should do this again next year.

[JAMIE] I don't know.

I loved helping people

but keeping it a secret has not been easy.

What did you want to show me?

Look what you've inspired.

Wow. How cool is this?

People from all over the county donated.

This is amazing. I'm so glad.

But I'm really feeling like this was all a big mistake.

I don't like misleading Scott.

I'm gonna tell him the truth tonight.

Hopefully he will respect my wishes and keep my secret.

What if he doesn't?

I'll just have to accept whatever happens.

I have to go.

See ya later.

Hey, I need your help with something.

♪

Well, there she is, but where's the Secret Santa?

- Hey. - Hi.

I didn't expect to find you alone.

About that.

I came here to tell you that...

I'm the Secret Santa!

What?

Kylie?

Actually, it's me.

Wait, Jamie, what's going on?

I have no idea, but I came here to tell you that I...

Secret Santa, here.

Wait a second, guys.

So, let me get this straight, all of you were lying to me?

No. It was me.

To string me along

so that you'd get more publicity for your town?

Is that what this is about? Is that what's happening?

No.

If you would just let me explain.

All of this was a lie?

Scott, if you would just give me a chance to explain.

Explain what?

Like, I don't even know what's happening here!

They had nothing to do with it, okay?

We were just trying to help.

I have been wanting to tell you the truth this whole time.

I trusted you.

Scott.

[SIGHS]

♪

We just wanted to stop by and make sure you're okay.

Yeah. I'll be fine.

Besides, it's Christmas, not a time to mope around, right?

We're sorry about what happened with Scott.

Maybe we took things a little too far.

No, don't be.

If anything, you two helped me do good deeds

for a lot of people.

Good morning, you two.

Oh. Kylie, something came for you this morning.

For me? Here?

I was surprised too.

What is it?

Two tickets to France. Leaving tonight!

[LAUGHS]

Aunt Jamie, this is so sweet.

You did not have to do this.

No, I didn't.

- Really? - I swear, it wasn't me.

David? Is this one of your surprises?

Not me.

Don't look at me.

Is there a note in there or anything?

Nothing.

Wait.

Did we just get Secret Santa'd?

It looks that way.

[LAUGHING]

Well, bon voyage.

Well, it looks like we'll be away for Christmas after all.

Which I couldn't be happier about.

You two deserve the best honeymoon ever.

Thanks.

And we better get packing, like, now.

Yeah, you guys have a great time.

Send me lots of pics, okay?

We will. Merry Christmas.

- Uh, I gotta make some calls. - Okay.

Well, I have to admit,

you made this the most memorable Christmas ever.

Not too stale for you?

No. Not at all.

I think Uncle Matt would have been proud of us.

Me too.

- I'll miss you. - I'll miss you too.

And, you swear this wasn't you?

Believe it or not, this is one of those random acts

that I had nothing to do with.

I'll miss you.

And hey, Aunt Jamie, maybe you should give him a call.

Yeah, maybe I will.

Thank you.

There's something I should tell you...

There's something I want to tell you...

I have been wanting to tell you the whole time...

♪

Christmas Eve is finally here.

Scott, I understand you have a very special story

that you want to share with us today.

I really do. I do.

And if I look a little tired this morning

it's only because I was up very late last night working on it.

I'm sure our viewers are wondering

if you finally unmasked Cooperville's Secret Santa.

I'm sure they are.

And, I'm sorry to say that I have not.

But, I have an even better story

that I'd like to share with all of you.

But, before I do that, I need to say a heartfelt thank you

to all the people of Cooperville

for sharing this Christmas with me.

I've gotta say, for the first time in many years,

I really felt home for the holidays.

So, thank you.

And, without further ado, here's the story.

Hope you enjoy.

The holiday season means a lot of things to a lot of people.

But, for the town of Cooperville,

this year Christmas was all about a Secret Santa.

And it seems everyone wanted to be one,

whether it was making a difference close to home,

helping out a friend,

or providing something for strangers in need.

So, what started

as a personal, anonymous mission

quickly spread to an entire community.

It's just so easy to say a quick Merry Christmas

and then just get lost in our hectic holiday plans.

But the residents of Cooperville consciously made time to give.

They rolled up their sleeves, and they showed each other,

they showed all of us, what the season is truly all about.

It's about letting others know that you care.

It's about showing them that they matter.

It's about doing, for others.

And the Secret Santas of Cooperville have done just that.

[DIRECTOR] And we're out.

I don't know what to say.

My work the last couple weeks definitely has reminded me

that there's good out there in the world

and that people need to see it.

And honestly, I don't want to stop telling these stories.

You think maybe Cory's

going to want to take vacation every Christmas?

He might.

So, no more jet-setting to exotic places

at the holidays for you?

I think I'm gonna save those for summer hiatus.

- Oh. - Hm.

Looks like somebody's got their holiday spirit back.

So, how will you be planning to spend Christmas?

I mean, I hate to picture you sitting all alone in your condo

watching the snow fall.

I'll think of something.

Mm-mm. I will think for you.

Call her.

Merry Christmas, Amari.

I should just text him.

No, I shouldn't text him. I should call him.

But if he doesn't want to talk to me,

then I'll just send my call to voicemail.

And what do I say? I don't know what to say.

And then if I don't say anything on voicemail

he'll still know I called because...

You know what, I should just go old school.

Great.

Looking for someone?

You're Amari Harris.

I am. And you are?

Jamie.

Monroe.

Um, I was looking for Scott, is he around?

Oh, he left a while ago. Said he was going home.

Okay. Okay.

You could call him.

Merry Christmas.

[VOICEMAIL] Hey, this is Scott, leave me a message

and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Hi, it's me. Jamie.

Look, I... I wanted to apologize for what happened.

I had no idea that Kylie and my friends

would interfere like that

and I would never waste your time or mislead you.

I was just trying to help a few people out

and spread some Christmas cheer in my town.

But then something unexpected happened.

I met you.

And we got to know each other,

and I got to see what a kind, good man you are.

And for the first time, when we kissed,

I felt like I was ready to have love in my life again.

And that is the best Christmas present I could hope for.

So, thank you.

Merry Christmas.

[CAROLERS] ♪ Joy to the world, the lord is come ♪

♪ Let earth receive her king... ♪

Well, I don't like to toot my own horn, but...

You pulled it off, Mr. Mayor.

We pulled it off, team work.

That story that Scott did, boy, that was really touching.

I actually got a little misty-eyed.

Me too.

It was you, wasn't it?

I don't know what you're talking about.

You can deny it all you want,

but that was a good thing you did, Jamie.

I'm very proud of you.

Hey, that's my cue.

Care to join us for a little caroling at the gazebo?

I think I'm gonna head home soon.

Merry Christmas.

Hey, to you as well.

[CAROLERS SINGING "SILENT NIGHT"]

♪ ...Radiant beams ♪

♪ From thy holy face ♪

♪ With the dawn ♪

♪ Of redeeming grace ♪

♪ Jesus Lord at thy birth... ♪

I didn't expect to see you here.

After almost 48 hours I started to miss this town.

And, I got a mystery invitation.

Apparently, the winter carnival is the...

is the place to be on Christmas Eve.

That it is.

Especially since you're here.

I take it you got my message.

The story you did was really amazing.

Only because you're amazing.

All of those selfless acts inspired so many people.

Where'd you get all those pictures?

Flash drive just showed up at my office yesterday,

anonymously, of course.

Huh.

Kylie.

Speaking of Kylie, I hope she and David

are enjoying their flight to Paris right now.

Once you fly first class, there's just no going back.

- First class. - Mm-mm.

Ah-ha, you are the one

that anonymously gifted that trip to them.

I had some miles saved up and I honestly don't believe

that anybody should have to wait for their honeymoon, so...

Besides, this way I get you all to myself this Christmas.

As long as there's no more secrets.

No more secrets, I promise.

Until next year.

♪

♪ I've been dreaming of Christmastime ♪

♪ Every day through the year ♪

♪ Trees shine in every window ♪

♪ Children all dream ♪

♪ Of reindeer hoof-prints in the snow ♪

♪ Christmastime the best time of the year ♪

♪