A middle-aged cheese-loving inventor partnering with his silent, wise, and humane dog is sure to ring some bells.‘Wallace and Gromit’ is a popular stop-motion comedy that originated in Britain and became popular in the ’90s. The series portrayed a very real version of British culture, and it took over the hearts of many ’90s animation enthusiasts.‘The Wallace and Gromit’ franchise features four short-film adaptations and one full-length feature film. The characters, however, have inspired many to make numerous spin-offs and TV adaptations. The concept was birthed by its creator, Nick Park of Aardman Animations.The stop motion comedy features Wallace, a fun-loving, enthusiastic inventor who shares an ardent love for cheese, especially Wensleydale cheese and crackers. Wallace lives at 62 West Wallaby Street in some unknown town with his dog. Gromit is a silent, wise, and loyal anthropomorphic beagle who supports Wallace.Did you know the daily telegraph posts a happy birthday message on February 12, every year? This message is for Gromit and is hidden in the classified ads.The pairing is a classic comedy, quintessentially British. The idea of a middle-aged man called Wallace and his silent wise dog Gromit came from the early sketches of the young artist Nick Park. The duo were brought to life by animators Peter Lord and Steve Box.Wallace is shown mostly bald and usually wearing a white shirt, brown wool trousers, a green knitted pullover, and a red tie. Gromit is a highly intelligent yet silent beagle who is a master of dog electronics, having graduated from Dogwarts University. The entire Wallace and Gromit franchise is made out of plasticine, and each scene was made by hand by Peter Lord.The creator, Nick, began his work on this while he was studying at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield. And it took him around seven years to bring his vision to screen. Once you have finished reading this article, why not head over and discover Dumbo facts and Mulan facts here on Kidadl!The Popularity Of Wallace And GromitAfter the release of the first ‘Wallace and Gromit’ short film, ‘A Grand Day Out,’ in 1989, the fame surrounding the duo skyrocketed.With the veteran actor Peter Sallis as his voice, Wallace came to life for the first time in 1989. Gromit is largely silent and usually communicates with facial expressions and body language.Wallace and Gromit’s adventures continued for three more animated shorts and a feature film from Aardman after ‘A Grand Day Out.’ Nick Park and Peter Lord, along with an array of animators working day and night to carefully craft each scene out of plasticine, gave out short films ‘The Wrong Trousers’ and ‘A Close Shave’ in 1993 and 1995, respectively.A full-length feature film named ‘Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-rabbit’ came out in 2005 and became the second-highest-grossing amongst animated feature films after ‘Chicken Run.’ Nick Park and Aardman Animations later released another short film named ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death’ in 2008.The ‘Wallace and Gromit’ films have collectively earned several national film awards. ‘A Grand Day Out’ was nominated for an academy award but lost to ‘Creature Comforts.‘The latter three, namely ‘The Wrong Trousers,’ ‘A Close Shave,’ and ‘The Curse of Were-rabbit,’ won Academy Awards. ‘The Curse of the Were-rabbit’ has also won a British Film Academy Award and an Annie Award.The characters had become so popular in Britain and the British empire that even the Queen and her husband had claimed the show to be their favorite, which had earned creator Nick Park a lunch with Her Majesty.Wallace And Gromit EpisodesWallace and Gromit’s world is quite exciting. The ‘Wallace and Gromit’ project consists of four short films, one full-length feature film, a six-part TV series, 10 two-minute shorts, and a BBC Prom special.Originally, Wallace was voiced by veteran actor Peter Sallis. The new Wallace was later voiced by artist Ben Whitehead.The popular character of the show, Feathers McGraw, is actually a penguin and not a chicken. The nefarious criminal mastermind pretended to be a chicken by wearing a red rubber glove on his head.Nick Park partnered with animators Peter Lord and David Sproxton at Aardman to carefully craft each scene of the characters. Each curated scene took months to fall into place. The show also has a robot dog named Preston, which was quite ahead of its time.Episodes of Wallace and Gromit present different aspects of the character building of the duo. In addition, the franchise features references and cross-over to other shows, including Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time, which also helped increase the popularity of the characters.The second Wallace movie after ‘A Grand Day Out,’ namely ‘A Close Shave,’ features a scene where Wallace rescues a flock of sheep and helps them break out. The scene is a reference to the show ‘Shaun, the Sheep,’ which is actually a spin-off of the Wallace and Gromit franchise.Things To Learn From Wallace And GromitThe duo is sure to teach young, impressionable kids a thing or two in the most fun way possible.Despite there being fundamental differences between the two, the way they stay together and go through everything with their heads held high is something we must all learn.The ‘Wallace and Gromit’ movies and their adventures together show how teamwork and trust are essential in any partnership. The way they stay together right through the end, understanding each other’s flaws and shortcomings, is something that is rarely seen today.With his eccentricity and starry-eyed nature, Wallace teaches us never to let that child-like wonder within us die, no matter how old and frail we grow. His crazy ideas, his ardent love for cheese, and his deep love and trust for his insanely intelligent and mature beagle are things we must protect at all cost.The Business Context Of Wallace And GromitThe show did not originally start out the way it is today.In the original script drafted by Park, Gromit was supposed to be a cat. Another version of the original story was that the duo was going to go to the Moon, and the story would be about their encounter with other characters.However, while exploring more possibilities and considering the technical difficulties that went behind the production of the characters, Park settled on Gromit being a silent Beagle.Nick Park had originally signed a five-film deal with Dreamworks Productions. The deal, however, fell through after just three films due to creative differences between Park and the production company.Dreamworks wanted to Americanize the very British Wallace, which Park believed would make the duo lose their iconic and nostalgic charm.After the fallout with Dreamworks, Park independently released ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death,’ which became the most-watched television program in 2008. ‘Loaf and Death’ won a BAFTA award, which further accelerated the fame of Wallace and Gromit.The rising fame of the duo also made Wensleydale cheese famous, and the sales of the brand went up by about 500% after ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death.’ The names of Park and Aardman gained substantial recognition as well.The show made by Park and Aardman is a must-watch for youngsters and adults alike. It is sure to teach a thing or two to the new generation, making it an all-time classic.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Wallace and Gromit facts, then why not take a look at Tangled facts or Mardi Gras facts.
A middle-aged cheese-loving inventor partnering with his silent, wise, and humane dog is sure to ring some bells.
