Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death

[Rob McCow]

Umm... yeah. Don't know much else really.

Nick Park Video
I haven't clicked the link because I'm at work.

Hurrah!

[Si Hunt]

Here are the details:

Wallace and Gromit are to return in a half-hour television adventure - the first since 1995's A Close Shave.

Aardman Animations has announced that the cheese-loving inventor and his loyal dog will star in Trouble at' Mill - to screen on BBC One in late 2008.

Creator Nick Park said: "The story takes Wallace and Gromit in a direction we haven't seen before - both emotionally and technically."

Shooting starts in January at Aardman studios in Bristol.

Trouble at' Mill is a murder mystery that sees Wallace and Gromit running a bakery business - with their house converted into a granary with ovens and robotic kneading arms.

It also introduces a new love interest for Wallace - bread enthusiast Piella Bakewell.

The new film will reunite Nick Park with writer Bob Baker who co-wrote both The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave.

It is the first outing for Wallace and Gromit since The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, which won the Oscar for best animated feature in 2006.

Mr Park said he was looking forward to making a short film after the pressure of a Hollywood feature.

"I love making films for the cinema but the production of Chicken Run and Curse of the Were-Rabbit were virtually back to back and each film took five years to complete," he said.

"This one we're making for the BBC. It's going to be a seven or eight-month shoot. That's faster than we've ever done it before," he told the BBC News website.

"It's nice to be out of that feature film pressure now. I don't feel like I'm making a film for a kid in some suburb of America - and being told they're not going to understand a joke, or a northern saying.

"I'm making this for myself again and the people who love Wallace and Gromit."

It's nice to see that for once the journey to movie-ville can be reversed, and that working for TV again isn't seen as a "step back". This should be great!

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

Well I'm impressed & I'll be watching it. I mean anyone who has a Gold Dalek on his desk can't be all bad. You can see it if you pause the video on that link @23 seconds.

[Logo Polish]

Great! Looking forward to this one already.

[SiHart]

This is wonderful news! I'm glad they're back where they belong.

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

Some sketches of what's to come...



Gromit has a busy day at the bakery in this pre-production drawing for Trouble at' Mill. (Aardman Animations 2007)



The new Wallace and Gromit TV adventure sees Wallace wooing new love interest Piella.



In Trouble at' Mill, Wallace and Gromit are running their own bakery business, but local bakers are disappearing in mysterious circumstances...



Trouble at' Mill is expected to be shown on BBC One in late 2008.

[Pip Madeley]

Peter Sallis (left), the voice of the Wallace and Gromit animations, was given a cake as a surprise on his 87th birthday. It was decorated with replicas of the two characters and was handed over at a recording studio in London by the man who created the pair, Nick Park.

[Si Hunt]

The temptation must be rife to get him in the studio quick to record the next ten films!

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

I was thinking something similar.

[Si Hunt]

It's now called A Matter of Loaf and Death. And they've cast Wallace's new love interest Piella Bakewell:



It's former Corrie star Sally Lindsay!

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

Do you think the series will end if Wallace settles down with a Lady friend or will he finally admit that he has a thing for his Dog?

[Antony Cox]

I know this is incredibly morbid, but refering to your previous post(s), I think there's only one reason which would cause the series to end.....

[Dirk Gently]

Well, if there is still money to be made they could always recast...but it wouldn't be the same.

[Antony Cox]

but it wouldn't be the same.

I agree - think his voice is just too distinctive and characteristic to be attempted by anyone else.

[Dirk Gently]

I heard that Gromit was recast but no one noticed.

[WhiteCrow]

Did you watch it? Did you enjoy it? Was it the best yet?

[Andrew Curnow]

I always quite enjoy W&G when I find myself watching it, and yet oddly I can never work up any enthusiasm to make a point of watching it. So, er, I didn't watch it. I gather it was quite popular though.

That doesn't really add anything does it.

[Larry]

Iwas quite suprised at the time slot it was given but sandwiching W & G in between the two episodes of eastenders was a work of genius by the BBC as because of the crap itv had on it was always goingto be a ratings winner .

but after the misery of eastenders this was a much needed bit of fun.

[Dirk Gently]

I watched it & I thought it was great. I wouldn't say it was the best one but it was right up there.
I just love these things & this was good fun.

[Alex]

I really loved it, it was full of good old fashioned charming fun, and whilst plot wise there wasn't much originality, there was so much attention to detail and so many funny lines in it that I didn't care at all.

I too share concerns about Peter Sallis, as mentioned it's a bit morbid but I kind of hope they write a whole bunch of scripts in advance, and get him to record his lines, so we can enjoy W&G for many years to come.

[WhiteCrow]

I enjoyed it, but didnt think it was the best alas.

I loved the little homage to Batman and Aliens in there.

[Carol Baynes]

I really loved it, it was full of good old fashioned charming fun, and whilst plot wise there wasn't much originality, there was so much attention to detail and so many funny lines in it that I didn't care at all.

I too share concerns about Peter Sallis, as mentioned it's a bit morbid but I kind of hope they write a whole bunch of scripts in advance, and get him to record his lines, so we can enjoy W&G for many years to come.

i enjoyed it! It was good old fashioned fun.

With regards to Peter, I'm in hope that he's got plenty more years left in him, so let's think positive!

[Philipnet]

Wallace and Gromit - a matter of Loaf and Death rated a solid 10 / 10 for me.

I absolutely loved it: there was fun, frolics, laughter, story line, plot, twists, innuendo and more!

It was absolutely funtastic!


Shame BBC1 were running 5 minutes late. I got to see five minutes of Eastenders; for those 5 minutes I spent my time looking through the movie guide in the Radio Times rather than watching the TV

[Si Hunt]

Given the relevent expectation, I thought it was a dissapointment. It was as well-made as usual, but surely the plot, namely "Wallace is lured in by a new woman but then discovers she is behind an evil scheme involving a new Guest Animal to commit crime behind the cover of a food-themed enterprise" was identical to the last one?

Si.

[Llordllama]

I enjoyed it last night, having finally had time to watch it (the Wife and friends saw it Xmas day whilst I was locked upstairs in the editing booth). Loved it, but The Wrong Trousers remains my favourite for sure.

The "Yorkshire Border - Keep Out" sight gag was my favourite, but I agree with Si plot seemed more of the same/don't change something that works. Here's hoping that the next one is something a bit different. Or maybe not.