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Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention facts for kids
| Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention | |
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| Genre | Science Comedy |
| Created by | Nick Park |
| Written by | Alex Pascall Richard Hansome |
| Directed by | Merlin Crossingham |
| Voices of | Peter Sallis Ashley Jensen John Sparkes |
| Theme music composer | Julian Nott |
| Opening theme | Bunker Sonix |
| Composer(s) | Bunker Sonix |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Nick Park Peter Lord David Sproxton |
| Cinematography | David Alex Riddett |
| Running time | 30 Minutes |
| Production company(s) | Aardman Animations |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 3 November – 8 December 2010 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
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Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention is a fun British TV show all about amazing inventions! It stars the famous duo, Wallace & Gromit, who are known for their clever (and sometimes wacky) gadgets. This show aired in 2010 and 2011. It mixes animated parts with real-life films to explore cool inventions from around the world.
The show ran for six episodes. It was the last time Peter Sallis voiced Wallace before he retired. The BBC hoped the show would inspire young people to become inventors.
Making the Show: How it Began
This TV series was created to explore real-life inventions. It looked at cool gadgets and contraptions. The idea was to teach viewers about science and inventing. But it also kept the funny, light-hearted style of Wallace and Gromit.
How Each Episode Works
Each episode of World of Invention focuses on a different theme. This theme connects all the inventions shown. Wallace and Gromit have their own animated adventures. Wallace often invents something new for their home. Gromit usually tries to keep things running smoothly.
Most of the show features real-life films. These films show amazing inventions and modern inventors. Ashley Jensen narrates many of these segments. There's also a special part called "It Never Got Off the Drawing Board." Here, Jem Stansfield shows inventions that were designed but never fully built. Another segment, "Contraption Countdown," lists five or six cool inventions from history. This part is narrated by Goronwy, Wallace's unseen archivist.
Episode Guide
| # | Title | Director | Original air date | |
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| 1 | "Nature Knows Best" | Merlin Crossingham | 3 November 2010 | |
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Wallace introduces his World of Invention! This episode looks at inventions inspired by nature. You'll see flying penguins and manta ray-like airships. There's a clock that runs on flies, just like a Venus flytrap. We also meet Theo Jansen, who builds amazing 'beach beasts' from PVC tubes. Scientists even study termite mounds to design self-cooling houses! Wallace's archivist, Goronwy, counts down five animal-inspired inventions. In the animated story, Wallace builds a "Jumbo-Generator" powered by an elephant named Kevin. But Kevin gets distracted by iced buns, breaking the machine!
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| 2 | "Reach for the Sky" | Merlin Crossingham | 10 November 2010 | |
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This episode explores our fascination with flying! Meet Steve Bennett, who builds rockets using fuel from car tires. Learn about the "Bio-Suit," a flexible spacesuit designed for exploring Mars. Discover Fred Ferguson, who makes kites and wind turbines using the Magnus effect. Goronwy counts down some flying machines that didn't quite work out. We also learn about Gustav Mesmer, who designed human-powered flying machines. In the side-plot, Wallace accidentally launches Gromit into space in their rocket from A Grand Day Out! Gromit barely escapes before Wallace presses the self-destruct button.
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| 3 | "Home Sweet Home" | Merlin Crossingham | 17 November 2010 | |
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Wallace and Gromit explore clever inventions for the home. See early household robots and helpful butlers. Learn about the history of the "teasmade," a machine that made tea automatically. Young inventor William Kamkwamba brought electricity to his village using a windmill he built himself. Did you know Albert Einstein designed a fridge that was never built? We also see a fridge made from scrap materials that doesn't need electricity. Trevor Baylis invented the wind-up radio to help people communicate in Africa. Goronwy counts down five useful household gadgets, including a beer-launching fridge! In the animated story, Wallace replaces Gromit with a robot helper. But the robot goes wild when Wallace tries to make it throw tea!
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| 4 | "Come to Your Senses" | Merlin Crossingham | 24 November 2010 | |
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Wallace and Gromit explore inventions related to our five senses. Learn about "invisibility cloaks" that bend light. Goronwy lists five sense-inspired inventions. Hear the story of Nathan Stubblefield, who showed off wireless phones over a hundred years ago. Meet Mark Lesek, who built his own prosthetic arm. Discover how bees can be trained to find explosives! Finally, the "BrainPort Vision Device" lets blind people "see" with their tongue. Wallace tries out different ways to communicate, like smoke signals and speaking tubes, with funny results.
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| 5 | "Better Safe Than Sorry" | Merlin Crossingham | 1 December 2010 | |
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This episode is all about safety inventions! Learn how ejector seats work, with a pilot who used one twice! See how spy drones can be disguised as birds. Discover how Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr helped invent a secret communication system for torpedoes during World War II. Learn about Arthur Pedrick, an inventor with many unusual patent ideas. The Extravehicular Mobility Unit protects astronauts in space. Goronwy counts down six inventions that are not so good for your health. In the side-plot, Wallace's safety demonstrations keep causing accidents for Gromit. Wallace even ends up in an accident himself with a special inflating safety suit!
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| 6 | "From A to B" | Merlin Crossingham | 8 December 2010 | |
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In the final episode, Wallace and Gromit explore unusual ways to travel! Meet Mikhail Puchkov, who spent 30 years perfecting his one-man pedal-powered submarine. Learn about Cedric Lynch, who invented a special motor for electric vehicles. The "Contraption Countdown" features some very strange transport devices. Discover the idea of a "flying saucer" train designed to solve railway problems. See the "Lightcraft," a modern laser-powered flying saucer. Learn about Sir Clive Sinclair, who helped popularize the pocket calculator and designed the Sinclair C5 electric bike. Finally, explore Isambard Kingdom Brunel's "atmospheric railway" that used air pressure to move trains. In the side-plot, Wallace invents a "runabout steam chair" that falls apart, but he cleverly reuses it as a water boiler and oven!
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Home Video Release
The complete series was released on DVD on December 13, 2010. It also came with a booklet of invention ideas and six short video demonstrations. A Blu-ray version was released in America on March 13, 2012.