Based on the book of the same name by the author Raymond Briggs, the film was produced by TVC London and was first broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on Christmas Eve 1998.
The musical score was by Howard Blake and the end theme "Somewhere A Star Shines For Everyone" was sung by Charlotte Church.
A young polar bear cub chases a bird and is captured by seamen on a ship after he is spotted.
The bear wakes up and spots the teddy, paws at it and carries it off to his cave as Tilly looks on shocked.
That night, Tilly cries over her lost bear and her mother attempts to give her a toy rabbit for her to use as a sleeping comfort.
Tilly cleans up the waste and empties it outside before walking into the bathroom and nearly slipping over the bear's urine.
While eating the honey, the bear makes a mess of the kitchen and gets his nose stuck in the jar (to Tilly's amusement).
The pair move to a wide open park area where they meet the Star Bear, which is a bear shaped constellation (like The Great Bear) and the trio embark on a tour around London, showing a wide variety of notable landmarks such as Nelson's Column, and bringing a display of Christmas angels to life with a Father Christmas display also coming to life.
As the sun rises the next morning, Tilly wakes up to find the windows open and the Star Bear's constellation fading.