For thirty years, The Snowman by Raymond Briggs has become as much a part of Christmas as mince pies for many families in UK.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the film – featuring the iconic Walking In The Air flying sequence – the team behind it have made a sequel, The Snowman And The Snowdog, to be screened on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve.
The Snowman And The Snowdog will be screened on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve
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The Snowman has been a perennial Christmas television fixture for almost 30 years in UK.
Now Channel 4 has decided that The Snowman needs to be updated with new characters and without its “Walking in the Air” theme song.
In a bid to “freshen” the animation, based on a story by Raymond Briggs, a remake is to be made with the little boy at the centre of the story updated and the Snowman joined by a “snow dog”.
The new version of The Snowman, which is about to go into production, will be shown next Christmas as part of a celebration of the television channel’s 30th anniversary.
The Snowman and the new little boy will no longer fly over Brighton pier, but will be seen soaring over landmarks including the London Eye.
They will also go to a ski resort, rather than a Snowman’s party as in the 1982 version.
Channel 4 has decided that The Snowman needs to be updated with new characters and without its “Walking in the Air” theme song
The song “Walking in the Air” will also be axed because the makers say the remake needs to feel “new and fresh”.
“Walking in the Air” was originally sung by St. Paul’s choir boy Peter Auty, but was made famous when it went into the top-10 after it was covered by Aled Jones a few years later.
One element from the original will remain though, the sad ending, as the Snowman will still melt away as the sun comes out.
The production, which makers are considering making in 3D, will cost £2 million ($3 million) and is being made with the help of many of the original creative team.
Raymond Briggs, who had resisted the idea of a remake for many years, said that he has given it his approval for the production, but is not involved.
“I am keeping a polite distance,” Raymond Briggs told The Guardian.
“I haven’t written the new story.
“I was against making a new version for years and refused to agree. But there has been such a huge elapse of time, 30 years, a lot of people have died in that time.
“An awful lot of the old team are being reassembled to make it, that is good. I am not grumpy at all about it.”
The original version of The Snowman will be shown on Channel 4 on Christmas Day this year at 2:30 p.m.
