This article is about the franchise. For the characters, see Wallace and Gromit.
Wallace & Gromit is a British claymation comedy media franchise created by Nick Park of Aardman Animations. The series mainly consists of four short films, two feature-length films, two television shows, and multiple other multimodal releases like video games and spin-offs. The series centers on Wallace, a good-natured, eccentric cheese loving inventor, along with his companion Gromit, a silent yet loyal and intelligent anthropomorphic dog. Wallace was originally voiced by veteran actor Peter Sallis, but as of 2011, the role has been passed on to Ben Whitehead. Gromit has no mouth and remains silent communicating only through means of facial expressions and body language.
History[]
Wallace and Gromit were originally two characters Nick Park had developed in his sketchbook for a graduation film (which would come to be A Grand Day Out) at the National Film & Television School. Gromit was perhaps partially inspired by the character of Snowy from The Adventures of Tintin (which was a favourite of Park's growing up) and was named after the word "grommets" (a ring or washer used in electricity) which his brother (an electrician) always used to say, and Nick liked the sound of the word.[1] Gromit was originally to be a cat, but was changed to a beagle because it was easier to animate. Gromit was to have a visible mouth and lines in the first script (he was to be voiced by Peter Hawkins), but his dialogue was hard to animate, and Park eventually scrapped the mouth to instead have Gromit communicate by sign language expressions in the brow and eyes. Wallace's personality was inspired by Nick Park's father, Roger Park, who was a tinkerer, inventor and architectural photographer. Many of Wallace's inventions were inspired by times where he built a wheelbarrow from scratch or decorated an old caravan like a "living room on wheels". Wallace's physical look was based on a moustached postman Park knew named Jerry, who he wanted to name Wallace after. But feeling that "Jerry" did not go well with Gromit, he was renamed after a Labrador retriever Park met on a bus in Preston (the town where Park was born). Park wanted Wallace to be Northern, so after watching The Last of the Summer Wine, Peter Sallis was his first and only choice for a voice actor.
Main characters[]
Wallace[]
Wallace lives at 62 West Wallaby Street, Wigan, along with his dog Gromit. His surname is never given. He usually wears a white shirt, brown wool trousers, a green knitted pullover, and a red tie. He is fond of cheese, especially Wensleydale, and crackers.
Gromit[]
Gromit is a beagle who is Wallace's pet dog and best friend. Gromit is very intelligent, having graduated from Dogwarts University ("Dogwarts" being a pun on "Hogwarts," the wizard school from Harry Potter) with a double first in Engineering for Dogs. He likes knitting, playing chess, reading the newspaper, tea and cooking.
Main series[]
Short films[]
A Grand Day Out (1989)[]
A Grand Day Out is a 1989 short film created by Nick Park. It is the first Wallace & Gromit short film and was released on November 4th 1989. The film focuses on Wallace and Gromit who spend a bank holiday by building a homemade rocket to the Moon to sample cheese. The film was Nick Park's first major work and was started as a student project before he joined Aardman. It was shortlisted for an Academy Award. However, it was A Grand Day Out which won the British equivalent, the BAFTA Awards.
The Wrong Trousers (1993)[]
The Wrong Trousers is a 1993 short film created by Nick Park. It is the second Wallace & Gromit short film and was released on December 17th 1993. The film focuses on Wallace being used by a villainous penguin in a robbery involving mechanical trousers. It won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 1994.
A Close Shave (1995)[]
A Close Shave is a 1995 short film created by Nick Park. It is the third Wallace & Gromit short and was released on December 24th 1995. The film focuses on Wallace who falls for Wendolene (a wool shop owner) while Gromit is framed for sheep rustling. It won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 1995. This film also marked the debut of Shaun the Sheep.
A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008)[]
A Matter of Loaf and Death is a 2008 short film created by Nick Park. It is the fourth Wallace & Gromit short and was released on December 25th 2008. The film focuses on Wallace and Gromit starting a new bakery business. When the duo both learn that bakers have been mysteriously murdered, Gromit tries to solve the case before Wallace ends up a victim himself.
Feature films[]
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)[]
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were Rabbit is a 2005 British stop-motion animated comedy film. The film was produced by Aardman Animations in partnership with DreamWorks Animation and took five years to complete. It was directed by Nick Park and Steve Box. The film focuses on an eccentric inventor Wallace and his mute and intelligent dog, Gromit, as they come to the rescue of the residents of a village which is being plagued by a mutant rabbit before an annual vegetable competition. It was released on October 7th 2005 it won and Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2005.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024)[]
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is an upcoming Wallace & Gromit feature-length film made by Aardman Animations and directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham. It will debut on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 25 December 2024 in the UK and stream internationally on Netflix on 3 January 2025. In the film, Gromit's concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified when Wallace invents a 'smart gnome' that seems to develop an evil mind of its own.
Television series[]
Wallace & Gromit's Cracking Contraptions (2002)[]
Wallace & Gromit's Cracking Contraptions is a slapstick miniseries which served as the first television series in the franchise.
Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention (2010)[]
Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention is a BBC One science show featuring the animated claymation characters Wallace and Gromit. The television series focuses on a whole new generation of innovative minds by showing them real but mind-boggling machines and inventions from around the world that have influenced his illustrious inventing career. It was released on November 3rd 2010 - December 8th 2010.
Television specials[]
Wallace & Gromit's Musical Marvels (2012)[]
Wallace & Gromit's Musical Marvels is Prom 20 of the 2012 season of The BBC Proms that was broadcast on radio and as a television special before coming a full touring show in 2013. The television special focuses on orchestral renditions of Julian Nott's theme of Wallace & Gromit and classical music set to scenes from the franchise. It was performed at The BBC Proms and released on 29 December 2011. The video broadcast has not been widely redistributed since its original airing.
Spin-offs[]
Television series[]
Shaun The Sheep (2007-20)[]
Shaun The Sheep is a British stop motion animated television series that is a spin-off of the Wallace & Gromit franchise. It stars Shaun, who previously featured in A Close Shave. The series focuses on his madcap adventures around a small farm as the leader of his flock.
Timmy Time (2009-12)[]
Timmy Time is a British stop-motion animated children's comedy series made for CBeebies by Aardman Animations, broadcasting in the US on Playhouse Disney/Disney Junior. The show is a spin-off from the Shaun the Sheep television series, which itself is a spin-off from the Wallace & Gromit series, which introduced the character of Shaun. The series focuses on Timmy's adventures in going to preschool and is aimed at younger viewers. The series had two special episodes in "Timmy's Christmas Surprise" and "Timmy's Seaside Rescue".
Shaun the Sheep 3D (2012)[]
Shaun the Sheep 3D is a short-form series of 3D shorts created for the Nintendo 3DS' Nintendo Video service released in 2012. They began releasing on the official Shaun the Sheep YouTube channel every Friday from 15 January, 2016 as "Mossy Bottom Shorts" without the 3D effect.
Shaun The Sheep Championsheeps (2012)[]
Shaun The Sheep Championsheeps is a short-form series meant to coincide with the London 2012 Olympics celebrations. It aired on CBBC in July 2012 and on BBC Kids in October 2013.
Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas (2015)[]
Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas is a 30-minute special that was aired as a 2015 Christmas television special.
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021)[]
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas is the second 30-minute Christmas television special that was aired in 2021.
Feature films[]
Shaun The Sheep Movie (2015)[]
Shaun The Sheep Movie is a 2015 British stop-motion animated adventure comedy film based on the television series Shaun the Sheep, created by Nick Park. The film focuses on Shaun and his flock going into the big city to rescue their farmer, who found himself amnesiac there as a result of their mischief. It was released theatrically on February 6, 2015.
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)[]
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon is a 2019 British stop-motion animated science fiction comedy film that follows up on Shaun the Sheep Movie. In the film, Shaun and the gang find an extraterrestrial alien called Lu-La and try to get her back home against an alien agency looking for her. It was released theatrically on October 18, 2019.
Other media[]
Video games[]
Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo (2003)[]
Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo is the first console video game in the franchise. It was developed during the production of Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and follows the return of Feathers McGraw.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)[]
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is the second video game in the franchise and loosely follows the feature film's plot.
Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures (2009)[]
Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures is the third video game in the franchise and comes in four different episodes. It was one of the first times Ben Whitehead voiced Wallace.
The Big Fix Up (2021)[]
The Big Fix Up is the fourth video game in the franchise and the first to be released as a mobile application in augmented and mixed reality. It is set after A Matter of Loaf and Death and features the return of the Cooker.
The Grand Getaway (2023)[]
The Grand Getaway is a virtual reality game and serves as the fifth video game in the franchise. It was launched on Meta Quest 2 in December 2023.
Cameo appearances[]
- Main article: References between Aardman Animations works
In the Limo-Land music video for the Tina Turner and Barry White song "In Your Wildest Dreams", Wallace and Gromit appear beside a caricature of Antonio Banderas. Wallace is dressed up and offering cheese whilst Gromit is sitting on a stool.
In the Rex the Runt episode "Adventures on Telly, Part 1", the gang hear a window cleaner and Wendy gets suspicious that he intends to burgle them while they're out. Bad Bob reassures that he'll take care of it whilst they start the car, Rex worrying he'll do something drastic, to which Bob denies. It's then revealed that the window cleaner is Wallace, in a reference to his role in A Close Shave, yet Bob still pushes him off his ladder, believing him to be a burglar.
In The South Bank Show "Nick Park & Aardman Animations" episode, a claymation animation is presented of host Melvyn Bragg, in which robotic arms do his makeup and Gromit accidentally bumps him with the boom mic.
In the Red Nose Day 2007 Creature Comforts-style "Wellard" animated sketch, when Wellard is imprisoned in the dog pound at the end, Gromit can be seen in the background.
In the documentary A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman, Wallace and Gromit watch the feature on their TV in the intermittent animated segments.
In Early Man, when Lord Nooth meets with Queen Oofeefa at the big match, Wallace can be seen in the crowd alongside the ears of Gromit for a very brief moment. Soon after, Feathers makes a cameo when the duck is flying the team into the stadium.[2]
In the ITV special We Are Most Amused and Amazed, Wallace and Gromit appear via video call to give a message to the then-Queen's heir.
In the Star Wars: Visions "I Am Your Mother" episode made by Aardman Animations, the Cooker makes a background appearance alongside Wallace's ball from A Grand Day Out, possibly as a nod to that film's Star Wars influence in its original story plan.
In Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Feathers McGraw makes an appearance in the background of the ending scene, wearing his chicken disguise and ducking back down whilst the characters go forth.
In Series 22 of Strictly Come Dancing, in the lead up to Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Wallace and Gromit made an appearance on the show reading out the terms and conditions.
Trivia[]
- A Grand Day Out is the only film in the franchise that does not have a title that makes the rest of the film parody a horror film.