Walkies in the Air...
Written by Sam Lister / December 17th, 2012, 11:55am
Christmas would not be Christmas without a viewing of the much-loved family favourite The Snowman. Raymond Briggs' iconic children's book The Snowman follows the wonderful adventures of a young boy and the remarkable Snowman he creates. Adapted for the screen in 1982, the Oscar-nominated film - wordless, apart from its evocative theme, Walking in the Air - has been screened by Channel 4 every year since it was first transmitted and has enchanted generations of children.
Now, on the 30th anniversary of the original film, Briggs has given his blessing to a brand-new sequel, entitled The Snowman and The Snowdog. The magic is about to begin all over again, this time with a new set of friends.
When a young boy and his mother move house, the boy discovers a secret box hidden under the floorboards of his bedroom. In the box, he finds a hat, scarf, some lumps of coal and a shrivelled tangerine - it's a snowman-making kit! Later that day it starts to snow and the boy builds a Snowman and with the little spare snow leftover, a Snowdog.
That night, at the stroke of midnight, the Snowman and Snowdog magically come to life. The boy awakes and joins them on an amazing adventure, flying over London and onwards to the North Pole, where Snowmen and Snowwomen from around the world are gathering for ‘The Annual Downhill Race.'
Competing with an assortment of colourful characters, the boy and the Snowdog narrowly win the race and are rewarded with a prize from Father Christmas. Dawn is breaking so the boy stuffs the present unopened into his pocket for the journey back. When he arrives home, the boy must leave his new friends outside and return to bed - but first, a wonderful surprise awaits him...
The Snowman will be shown on Channel 4 on Sunday 23rd December, with The Snowman and The Snowdog airing on Chritmas Eve. Fans may also be interested in the documentary The Art of the Snowman and The Snowdog which provides viewers with an exclusive beind-the-scenes look at the creation of the brand new animated sequel.