Author Raymond Briggs will be remembered in a special documentary about his timeless picture book The Snowman.

The Snowman: The Film That Changed Christmas will mark 40 years since Channel 4 first broadcast the film adaption of the book, exploring how the short film became so embedded in the nation’s heart during the festive season.

The programme includes interviews with composer Howard Blake, Hilary Audus and Joanna Harrison from the female-led animation team, and Channel 4’s then-commissioning editor Paul Madden.

In the show, Ms Audus remembers a visit by the late Sussex-based author to look at some of the animations for the film version of his book.

She said: “Raymond was coming in to see our work, we knew he had a dry sense of humour and could be quite caustic.

“He came in and he looked and he said ‘These are terrific, I wish I could have done them’.

“It was wonderful. He was so sweet, so modest.”

The Argus: Hilary Audus, left, and Joanna Harrison were part of the animation team for the film adaptation of The SnowmanHilary Audus, left, and Joanna Harrison were part of the animation team for the film adaptation of The Snowman (Image: Channel 4)

The programme also corrects popular misconceptions about The Snowman, such as Aled Jones being the angelic choirboy singing the film’s theme Walking In The Air.

A boy called Peter Auty was the actual singer, but was never credited due to a last-minute rush to release the film.

Aled Jones, however, did not first sing the song until three years after the film was first shown on television, as part of a Snowman-themed advertisement campaign for Toys R Us.

Originally published in 1978, The Snowman was created and illustrated as a wordless picture book by Raymond Briggs, following the story of a boy who builds a snowman in his garden one winter’s day, only for his creation to come to life and for the pair to embark on a magical adventure.

In the film adaptation, the pair can be seen flying across Sussex landmarks, including the South Downs, the Royal Pavilion. and the Palace Pier.

Raymond Briggs, who lived in Sussex since 1961, died in August at the age of 88.

The Snowman: The Film That Changed Christmas airs on Channel 4 on December 17 at 5pm.