Life-long Winnie-the-Pooh fan Alan Titchmarsh will explore the character’s history in a special one-off Channel 4 documentary airing on New Year’s Eve.
In Winnie-the-Pooh: the Most Famous Bear in the World will see Titchmarsh interview Ann Thwaite, Milne’s award winning biographer, children’s author Brian Sibley, social historian Hester Barron and journalist Matthew Sweet about the enduring appeal of A A Milne’s creation.
The documentary was commissioned to mark the 90th anniversary of the publication of Winnie-the-Pooh, the first collection of Pooh Bear stories. The tales of adventure and friendship in the Hundred Acre Wood written by Milne for his son, Christopher Robin, have captured the imaginations of generations of fans around the world.
In the programme, Titchmarsh will set out in search of the history and locations that inspired Milne’s poems and stories and E H Shepard’s memorable illustrations. What was different about these stories and why did so many parents and children fall in love with them?