There’s Vengeance Most Fowl this Christmas Day on BBC One

Best on the Box choice for Christmas Day 2024…

Wallace and Gromit are back on the BBC this Christmas Day with a brand-new adventure, made by studio Aardman. The feature-length film sees Gromit’s growing concern as Wallace becomes over-dependent on his inventions – which proves justified when Wallace creates a ‘smart gnome’ that seems to develop an evil mind of its own.

As events begin to spiral out of control, it’s up to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces, or Wallace may never be able to invent again.  After a recent crime wave of stolen garden goods from across the region, Wallace and his pre-programmed smart gnome, Norbot, are the main suspects. While Wallace proclaims his innocence, it’s up to Gromit once again to save the day.

Norbot – a pre-programmed smart gnome designed to do any kind of gardening task or “gnome improvement”. A quick learner, efficient, incredibly polite and cheerful – Norbot quickly becomes popular with the locals to help with their gardening needs until the accusations start to fly.

But who could possibly be behind such evil actions?

“We really hit the ground running with this film – Wallace is still an inventor of course but in this film, Wallace’s inventions are really starting to get to Gromit and get in between their relationship. To add insult to injury, Wallace – with good intentions – invents a smart-gnome, but everything goes wrong from there and the film explores how Gromit copes with this new favourite in the household.” – Nick Park, Director, Aardman

“[Vengeance Most Fowl]also explores how technology, which is brilliant and we do celebrate it in the film, can sometimes become a wedge between Wallace and Gromit. Technology thematically is something that is so important to Wallace so it’s also about Gromit needing to accept Wallace for who he is and to eventually find a compromise for them both.” – Merlin Crossingham, Director, Aardman

Feathers McGraw was last seen in 1993’s BAFTA® and Academy Award® winning short The Wrong Trousers, which saw the manipulative and calculating penguin – already a wanted criminal – rent out a room at Wallace and Gromit’s house where he sought to use Wallace’s techno trousers to steal the blue diamond. Rightfully behind bars ever since, he’s now back for revenge.

Ben Whitehead stars as the eccentric, cheese-loving inventor from the North of England who lives with his best friend and loyal pooch, Gromit.

Vengeance Most Fowl will also feature the return of Peter Kay as Chief Inspector (formerly PC) Mackintosh. The new cast features Reece Shearsmith as Wallace’s latest invention Norbot, Lauren Patel (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Lloyd of the Flies) with cameos from Diane Morgan (Afterlife, Motherland), Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton, Invictus), Lenny Henry (Three Little Birds, the Lord of the Rings) and Muzz Khan (Brassic, Galavant).

Aardman also created the three festive Wallace and Gromit BBC One idents which have been screened across December.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 6.10pm today.