Christmas is just not the same without snuggling up to watch Wallace and Gromit - ideally with some crackers and a nice slab of Wensleydale.
And to end 2024 on a high, the duo have returned to our screens with a brand new adventure, marking their first feature-length offering since A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008). The new film aired on Christmas Day and fans have been raving about the claymation festive offering - Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl - ever since, with the return of malevolent penguin Feathers McGraw sparking plenty of excitement.
However, those tuning into Nick Park's Wigan-set animation this festive season may not realise the dark troubles creators have endured over Wallace and Gromit's eventful 35-year history, from destructive blazes to a loss that changed the series forever...
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SWNS)Disastrous fire
In 2005, disaster struck when a fire ripped through a storage facility owned by the Oscar-winning Aardman Animations, destroying many of the iconic figures, props, and carefully crafted sets created by the geniuses behind Wallace and Gromit. Peter Lord, one of the founders of Aardman, told The Guardian: "The sets for the Wallace and Gromit films are pieces of art, even when they are not animated because they are so beautifully made. It's very sad to think that they are destroyed."
The ferocious blaze, which reached heights of 100ft, erupted just as the team was preparing to celebrate the incredible success of The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, which had just reached the top of the US box office chart. One of the greatest losses was reportedly a complete exhibition of the three Wallace and Gromit short films, which had recently returned to the UK after a tour of Japan. Thankfully, the films themselves had been stored elsewhere.
Company spokesman Arthur Sheriff said: "It couldn't have come on a worse day - we were supposed to be celebrating, but instead our history has disappeared in a couple of hours. Everything has gone, from as far back as Morph and through to Chicken Run, including Wallace and Gromit, and Creature Comforts, it's all there. Everyone is devastated."
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PA Archive/PA Images)Death of voice actor legend
On June 2, 2017, Wallace and Gromit fans said a fond farewell to Peter Sallis, who had provided the voice for loveable Wallace for nearly 30 years. Twickenham-born Peter, who was also known for playing Norman 'Cleggy' Clegg in Last of the Summer Wine, passed away at the age of 96, with his family by his side.
Peter enjoyed a long career in TV and theatre before the life-changing role of Wallace made him a household name of critical acclaim. Although fans were sad to lose a figure who had brought so much joy to so many, they took comfort in knowing how much the part meant to Peter, who once said: "It is pleasing knowing millions are going to see your work and enjoy it. To still be involved in a project like this at my age is heartwarming. To have a legacy like this is very comforting. I am very lucky to have been involved."
Paying tribute to Peter's 'unique character', Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park made an emotional statement, telling the public: "I'm so sad, but feel so grateful and privileged to have known and worked with Peter over so many years. He was always my first and only choice for Wallace. Working with him was always a delight and I will miss his wry, unpredictable humour and silliness - that started the moment he greeted you at the door, and didn't stop when the mic was switched off."
In Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Ben Whitehead takes up the role of Wallace from Peter, and it's clear he knows full well what huge clay shoes he has to fill. In a November interview with the Radio Times, Ben, who has worked with Aardman Animations for more than 20 years, said: "I was 14 when A Grand Day Out came out in 1989. I was a huge fan and did a Wallace voice to entertain people. Not in my wildest dreams did I think that one day I’d 'be' him." He added: "I’ll be honest, My excitement levels in the recording room have been problematic.
Vengeance Most Fowl premiered on Christmas Day, December 25, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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