A New Traditional “Snowman” for Channel 4

On Christmas Eve at 8pm, Britian’s Channel 4 will premiere a sequel to the classic animated special, The Snowman. That original animated special – based on Raymond Briggs’ classic story, directed by Jimmy Murakami and Dianne Jackson – has been beloved by audiences everywhere since it’s first broadcast in 1982; no more so than in the UK where it has become a holiday tradition.

Now, exactly thirty years later, The Snowman and The Snowdog will be aired as part of an anniversary telecast celebrating the original. Hilary Audus, a storyboard artist on the original show, and a key animator on several other Briggs animation adaptations, wrote and directed. The late John Coates (the original producer) apparently gave his blessing to the production before his passing.

Whether or not the new show has charm of the original, the production was decidedly old school – and this excellent behind-the-scenes promo (below) shows how sincere the crew was in maintaining the traditional standards.