1 9 8 8 (UK)
4 x 25 minute episodes 1 9 9 0 (UK)
5 x 25 minute episodes 1 9 9 1 (UK)
4 x 25 minute episodes
Based on a book by Jenny Nimmo, The Snow Spider – a four-part ITV fantasy series for children – revolved around Gwyn Griffiths (Osian Roberts).
On his ninth birthday, Gwyn is given five extraordinary gifts by his grandmother (Siân Phillips) – a piece of seaweed, a yellow scarf, a tin whistle, a metal brooch and a small broken horse.
Nain declares that it is time to find out whether or not he is a magician and has inherited the powers of his Welsh ancestors.
Gwyn offers the brooch to the wind, and in return, he receives a tiny silvery spider – Arianwen, the snow spider – confirming that, as Nain had already guessed, he has indeed inherited magical powers from his Celtic ancestor Gwydyon, a powerful magician.
With the help of the snow spider, Gwyn is drawn into a web of adventure and discovery where he battles against evil forces in other worlds of snow and silver to solve the five-year-old mystery of the disappearance of his sister Bethan (Rosslyn Killick) in a snow storm one night when she went looking for his pet ewe.
Filming took place at Cwmbyr Farm in Llangurig (Montgomeryshire), Abergavenny, and HTV’s Cardiff studios.
The Snow Spider won a bronze award at the New York Film and TV Festival in November 1988. The series was repeated on British television in 1990 as a feature-length 100-minute presentation.
A sequel series – Emlyn’s Moon – was produced by HTV in 1990. Sian Phillips and Osian Roberts reprised their original roles, with newcomers Steffan Morris as Emlyn and Lucy Donovan as Nia. A further four-part continuation called The Chestnut Soldier was produced in 1991.
Nain Griffiths
Siân Phillips Gwyn Griffiths
Osian Roberts Glenys Griffiths
Sharon Morgan Ivor Griffiths
Robert Blythe Alun Lloyd
Gareth Pritchard Eirlys/Bethan Griffiths
Rossilyn Killick Mrs Davies
Gillian Elisa Mr Davies
Ifan Huw Dafydd Mr James
Norman Comer Mrs Betty Lloyd
Jill Richards Mr Iestyn Lloyd
Glan Davies Mr Llewelyn
Gareth Thomas Nia Llloyd
Lucy Donovan Emlyn
Steffan Morris Evan Llyr
Cal MacAninch Catrin Lloyd
Stephanie Hull
Video
You May Also Like
Bureau of Alien Detectors 1 9 9 6 (USA) 13 x 20 minute episodes When Intergalactic beings institute a secret invasion…
Smugglers Beware 1 9 6 3 (Australia) 4 x 30 minute episodes This early four-part children's series from the…
Gwyn offers the brooch to the wind, and in return, he receives a tiny silvery spider – Arianwen, the snow spider – confirming that, as Nain had already guessed, he has indeed inherited magical powers from his Celtic ancestor Gwydyon, a powerful magician.
A sequel series – Emlyn’s Moon – was produced by HTV in 1990. Sian Phillips and Osian Roberts reprised their original roles, with newcomers Steffan Morris as Emlyn and Lucy Donovan as Nia. A further four-part continuation called The Chestnut Soldier was produced in 1991.
Eirlys/Bethan Griffiths
