Sitting down to watch The Snowman has become is a key part of many people’s Christmas traditions. Raymond Briggs’ story of a young boy who builds a snowman that comes to life and takes him to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus is a classic. It’s as essential now as when it was first released, back in 1982.
In 2012, the story was updated with the equally brilliant The Snowman and the Snowdog. In this beautiful short film, another boy moves into the house in whose garden the original snowman was built. Finding a photograph of the snowman, the boy builds him again, and also makes a snow dog. When they come to life overnight, the three of them journey together to meet Santa.
If you’d like to have a family viewing of both movies, here’s how to watch The Snowman, as well as The Snowman and the Snowdog online, on TV or on any mobile device – absolutely free. And to make sure you don’t miss any essential viewing this year, you can check out our guide to the best Christmas TV.
And, if you’re likely to face any Christmas trivia questions this year, you might win a round by remembering that Aled Jones doesn’t actually sing in the film. His career took off afterwards, in 1985, when he had a hit with his cover of ‘Walking in the Air’.
We think that Channel 4 will broadcast these films over Christmas, but at the time of writing, Channel 4’s online TV guide only takes us up to 21 December. But there are other ways to watch the films whenever you want.
Channel 4
Stream The Snowman & The Snowman and the Snowdog for free
UK
Channel 4 has both The Snowman & The Snowman and the Snowdog, for free (with adverts, unless you pay £3.99 a month/£39.99 per year to ditch them as part of Channel 4+ – there’s a 7-day free trial on offer if you’re tempted).
If you want to watch Channel 4 when you’re abroad, the best way is to use a VPN (virtual private network), which will mask your true location. This also means you can watch the special festive episode of The Great British Bake Off from the US and other countries without a delay.
We’ve got a step-by-step guide on how to set up and use a VPN to watch Channel 4. But in short, there are loads of VPNs out there. We managed to successfully unblock the Channel 4 website with NordVPN, which is known for its reliability, speed and affordability – especially if you lock in for a multi-year plan.
You can also check out our guide to the best VPNs for more options.
Neither film is available to stream as part of your Netflix, Now or Amazon Prime Video subscription. Some services are showing a film that’s also named The Snowman, but it’s a crime thriller starring Michael Fassbender, so don’t put that on accidentally.
US
The Snowman is available for streaming on Pluto TV and Fandango at Home, but you will have to put up with ads. On the latter service, you’ll also find The Snowman and the Snowdog.
Buy The Snowman & The Snowman and the Snowdog digitally
UK
If you’d like to buy the films, The Snowman and the Snowdog is available to buy in HD from the Sky Store for £5.99. For even better value, you can buy Sky Store’s Christmas Classics collection, which includes The Snowman, The Snowman and the Snowdog, and Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas, all in HD for £4.99 (down from £8.99).
US
Sadly, in the States, you can’t rent or buy The Snowman on any service. However, The Snowman and the Snowdog is available on Fandango at Home – you can rent it for only $2.99 or buy it for $13.99.
Buy The Snowman & The Snowman and the Snowdog on DVD
UK
If you prefer a physical copy, you can pick up a DVD of both films for just £6.99 all in – and give them as a Christmas gift, or watch them whenever you’d like. Here’s where to buy The Snowman films on Amazon.
If you’re feeling Christmassy, you can get decorating inspiration with our round-up of the best smart Christmas lights we’ve tested.
US
In the United States, a DVD with The Snowman can be found on Amazon for $9.89. Physical copies of The Snowman and the Snowdog are also available in the store – DVD prices start at $15.63.