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Raymond Briggs: Snowmen, Bogeymen and Milkmen

Playful, moving portrait of Raymond Briggs, told through interviews with Raymond, animation illustrated by Chris Riddell, and contributions from friends and admirers.

Several decades ago, Raymond Briggs used a pot of coloured pencils to create The Snowman, a wordless book of illustrations which would inspire the film enjoyed by millions of British households every Christmas. His timeless story of the friendship between a young boy and a snowman continues to delight generation after generation with its effortless blend of warmth, humour and sadness.

After creating an instant classic with The Snowman, Briggs disturbed a generation with his anti-nuclear story When the Wind Blows, enthralled kids and adults alike with Fungus the Bogeyman and Father Christmas and, in recent years, moved readers to tears with Ethel & Ernest, a touching account of his parents' life story.

Raymond Briggs has been celebrating the ordinary and making it extraordinary for five decades. And the characters he has created have been both popular and influential. As Nick Park says in the film, he couldn't imagine Wallace and Gromit without the experience of reading Briggs's books. This playful, moving and often emotional portrait is told through interviews with Raymond, specially commissioned animation illustrated by Chris Riddell, and contributions from friends, colleagues and admirers, including Andy Serkis, Nick Park, Steve Bell and Posy Simmonds.

59 minutes

Last on

Wed 10 Aug 2022 18:30

Music Played

  • Howard Blake

    The Story of The Snowman

  • Discharge

    Cries of Help

  • Ambrose and His Orchestra

    Blue Skies Are Round The Corner

  • Joe Daniels & His Hot Shots

    Tea For Two

Credits

Role Contributor
Participant Raymond Briggs
Interviewed Guest Nick Park
Interviewed Guest Andy Serkis
Interviewed Guest Posy Simmonds
Narrator Brenda Blethyn
Interviewed Guest Steve Bell
Executive Producer Richard Bright
Producer Louise Lockwood
Director Louise Lockwood
Assistant Producer Amy Cameron
Production Manager Claire McCluskey
Production Coordinator Susan Scott
Editor Jonathan Seal
Composer Francis MacDonald
Animator Ross Hogg

Broadcasts

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