Is there a Santa Claus? The most contemporary special on the list, "Yes, Virginia" is inspired by the true story of a New York Sun newspaper editorial back in 1897 that famously replied to an eight-year-old girl's letter, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." Featuring the vocal talents of Jennifer Love Hewittand Neil Patrick Harris as Virginia's parents, the CGI-animated special debuted in 2009. Another animated special with a similar theme, "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus," debuted in 1974.