Channel 4 has commissioned Terry Pratchett's The Abominable Snow Baby for December 2021. Produced by Eagle Eye Drama, the production company recently launched by the team behind global drama brand Walter Presents, in association with Narrativia, Sir Terry's independent production company, the animated Christmas special is based on a short story from his bestselling book of Christmas tales (Father Christmas' Fake Beard).
The magic of Terry Pratchett, the legendary national treasure and maverick British author who sold over 100 million books worldwide, comes to life in this half-hour programme. The Abominable Snow Baby tells the story of a quintessentially English town which is thrown into disarray by a huge snowfall and the dramatic appearance of a 14-foot tall Abominable Snow Baby.
Shunned and feared by the local townsfolk, Snow Baby is rescued by the indomitable Granny who along with grandson Albert, welcomes him into her home, showering her new pet with love and affection, changing the town's perception and helping the community overcome their initial prejudices.
Commissioned by Channel 4 Head of Drama Caroline Hollick and Commissioning Editor Gwawr Lloyd, the programme is supported by a grant from the BFI's Young Audiences Content Fund, and will be directed by Massimo Fenati and Executive Produced by Tess Cuming, with Eagle Eye Drama's Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino overseeing the project as joint Creative Directors and with Rob Wilkins as Executive Producer for Narrativia.
Created with traditional hand-drawn animation techniques to capture the timeless nature of Terry Pratchett's story, The Abominable Snow Baby is part of a long and established tradition of Channel 4's animated Christmas specials such as The Snowman, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and last year's Quentin Blake's Clown.
Rob Wilkins, Managing Director of Narrativia and Manager of Sir Terry Pratchett's Estate said:
In his lifetime, Terry wrote over seventy books, which have been translated into 41 languages. He started his career as a writer of short stories for young people, who remained his favourite audience. The Abominable Snow Baby showcases Terry's firmly held belief in not judging people on appearances, his reverence for the elderly, and his very genuine love of Christmas. Narrativia is delighted to see Terry's work brought to life by the talented team at Eagle Eye Drama, in the fiftieth year of Terry Pratchett being a published author.
