THE SNOW SPIDER
Eight Legged Squeaks
UK CBBC, finished
Director Jennifer Sheridan
Cast Fflyn Edwards, Mali Jenkins,
Melanie Walters, Kezia Burrows
The first book from Jenny Nimmo’s children’s trilogy – already adapted for TV once, back in 1988 – is given a luscious update here by BBC Wales. The story opens with the disappearance of a young girl, Bethan (Mali Jenkins), before flashing forward four years to the ninth birthday of her brother, Gwyn (Fflyn Edwards).
With the family still reeling from their loss, Gwyn is startled to discover that he’s the descendant of Gwydion, a magician in collection of ancient Welsh tales the Mabinogion. Gifted with a magical silver spider by his gran (Melanie Walters, whose wholesome pagan witch is quite the best thing about the whole show), Gwyn has to deal with magical powers, the possible reappearance of his sister and the rise of an evil being.
The Snow Spider is adorable in places – Arianwen the spider’s little squeaks, for instance – and the young cast aren’t too bad, either. While the format of “Gwyn runs off into the mountains while his parents freak out” gets a bit old by the end, the scenery, occasional animations and sweeping orchestral score are all beautiful.
Best of all, though, is Gwyn’s aforementioned gran. “It’s no time for children to be roaming around with the weather all up on its hind legs!” she berates at one point. Love her. Jayne Nelson
Julia Jones, who adapted the book in the ’80s, was a neighbour of the parents of Owen Sheers, who wrote this version.