The Snowman and the Snowdog, Channel 4, review - Telegraph.co.uk

To be fair, Snowman II managed the tough job of balancing traditionalism with modernity. Where once there was a rustic idyll, the new kid on the block was found, fatherless, in a sprawling housing estate. Instead of swooping over Brighton, the migration to the North Pole this time took in a London 2012 panorama dominated by the Shard. Even the dulcet sound of a boy soprano had been swept away in favour – ugh – of a mushy anthem crooned by adult singers. Yet the underlying message was soothingly old-fashioned: don't worry, this update assured us, boys are still being boys, mums remain mumsyish, and it's amazing what you can do with a few lumps of coal, a hat and scarf (conveniently found under the floorboards of the boy's new home) when the weather conditions are right and your imagination is on fire.