Why Are Wallace & Gromit Re-Releases So Interesting?

[@stilljamming]

The reason for the difference is the first releases used versions of the shorts sped up to the NTSC speed, while the slower versions are what they were supposed to look / sound like, when originally released in the UK, Europe and Australia (just changing up the frame count and altering how the image is drawn on screen).

[@MarcLovallo]

Ahhhh, that makes sense. I guess I've just grown so used to the faster versions that I assumed they were supposed to be the originals.

[@PeachLover94]

@@MarcLovallo Me too!

[@khalidmonzur5333]

I could be wrong but I would have thought the NTSC version would be the slowed one. The UK is a PAL region meaning the framerate would need to be 25fps for a 50Hz tv signal (since it would have been first broadcast on BBC 1 or 2). Surely Aardman would have made it at 25fps and then it would have been slowed to 24fps for a 3:2 pulldown for NTSC's 60Hz (59.94 Hz)? Unless it was sped up for the UK version instead?

[@ujiarchive]

It's actually the other way round. The PAL version, which you said was the slower version, is the original matched to European television, and the NTSC version is actually the slower version matched to US television. You can tell thanks to A Matter of Loaf and Death, which was done in universal HDTV, and that uses the PAL version of the theme across all versions, so the PAL version is the definitive edition.

[@ujiarchive]

@@khalidmonzur5333 I think you're right.

[@alwayssleepy2476]

10:20 this opened up a core memory, that was the dvd that I remember renting at my local video store for Wallace and Gromit shorts. I use to watch the behind the scenes on repeat and it was so fascinating to watch. I’m really happy that I got to experience the original three shorts with that dvd collection as a kid since it felt like they put so much effort into adding special features from the previous release and how creative the menus are with the newspaper design. Not sure the newer blu ray collection has that same quality as that dvd but I’ve been in a Aaradman mood since dawn of the nugget came out, I might check it out.

[@BJWanlund]

I’m so happy to see another American Wallace & Gromit fan!! I swear I thought I was the only one who knew about this duo. My favorite one is tied between Close Shave and Wrong Trousers and I think it would depend upon the day and how I was feeling as far as which one I would choose, if I was forced to choose just one. Fascinating stuff! Happy birthday! (And you share a general birthday time with me as well!)

[@LoganBrickfilms]

Same here

[@calamitykate1982]

Same here! ❤️💜

[@MediaNutso]

I own the Blu-ray of the complete collection, and I can tell you right now, they're all on one disc, and thankfully, they play in the correct order. Update: I found out the shorts had a laserdisc release in 1997, and that was the first time they were presented in the proper NTSC format.

[@RetroSanrioCentre]

Fun fact: The TV station over here in the UK called "Gold" show the Wallace and Gromit films every year and until recent years, still aired the original print of "The Wrong Trousers" with all the original music in tact! In fact, watching the christmas broadcast in 2018 was the first time I had ever heard the original version.

[@laurena9563]

As a Canadian who grew up with these shorts while attending daycare with a lovely Scottish lady who immersed me in Wallace and Gromit, I totally understand the attachment to them. Those VHS releases hold a special place in my heart.

[@NebLleb]

I've always had a fondness for old animation (1930s - 2000s/early 2010s), and Wallace and Gromit (specifically the fourth entry, Curse of the Were-Rabbit) laid the seeds for me getting that fondness. Back then, the films were hilarious with a signature artstyle, but I remember spending as much time watching the BTS special features on the DVDs as I did watching these shorts and learning the process behind making them. Now that I'm an adult and want to buy the Blu-Ray featuring all the films (barring my personal favourite Were-Rabbit due to length and licensing), I have an even greater fondness for old animation as it took a lot of work to make animated projects like the short Wallace and Gromit films. Films like Akira and The Nightmare Before Christmas made me an old animation fan, but Wallace and Gromit (and Shaun) set me on the path to that point. PS. YES, The Shaun the Sheep duology counts as Wallace and Gromit films due to starring a character from one of the shorts.

[@billycallanan4314]

For me, Wallace and Gromit are an absolute Christmas staple, every time around Christmas watching the telly and BBC broadcasting the short films and curse of the ware-rabbit as well. They always show Creature comforts as well which I absolutely love.

[@Pufstnutbrainofficial]

I’ve always had a fascination for differences between two versions! I really loved the video!

[@RetroGaming-gp2ef]

As a Canadian I grew up with these 3 shorts, the VHS versions I’ve watched for 20 years.

[@selder_7]

God the nostalgia at seeing those different VHS boxes, similar to with the Trumpton trilogy ones

[@GeneralHewett13]

Finally a video discussing this subject

[@nicks4802]

Fact: the version of the wrong trousers that I’ve had since 1997 has the “for he’s a jolly good fellow” edit…. Theres some cross-over editing that started happing some times before they rereleased it all on the “the incredible adventures of”

[@MichaelNixSpain]

Actually, 20th Century Fox did put out another Wallace & Gromit DVD (this was back in 1999 and was the 1st W&G DVD ever put out. It contained the alternate version of Wrong Trousers.

[@lukedrotos8718]

The reason The Wrong Trousers was ordered first in the VHS set and the Incredible Adventures VHS is because The Wrong Trousers was the first short to be released in the states on video.

[@CalldeMolly]

7:31 Don't worry I use to like watching it in that order when I use to have it on DVD.

[@edenanimates1465]

The new film is coming out so good timing

[@CelebWrestling1]

I have so many dvd releases of wallace and gromit as I’m from the UK I got loads of releases for like birthday and Christmas, even if it was the same releases I still was happy to own them

[@sirwalterwallcarpet6623]

Hi Marc, thanks for creating this video, very interesting. I worked on the W&G movies and you are right on most points, and the reason A Grand Day Out looks like an earlier film, is as you point out, it’s less developed style, but also just to add that it was Nick Park’s college film, his graduation piece at the National Film & TV School (near London). But he ran out of time there and Aardman kindly gave him employment, and studio space and time to finish it, before he graduated years later.

[@MarcLovallo]

I remember seeing that in the documentaries! Doesn't NFTS still get residuals for each re-release of A Grand Day Out since they funded parts of it?

[@rebeccah4732]

fascinating stuff! edit: i think wrong trousers will forever be my favourite short. the comedy is just perfect and has aged like a fine wine

[@RetroSanrioCentre]

I actually have an original BBC broadcast of the Christmas Cardomatic episode of cracking contraptions. Found it on a tape from christmas 2002.

[@adamkaunfer4384]

Shout! Studios recently re-released the four shorts on DVD and Blu-ray. The DVD is Walmart-exclusive. All are on one disc. No bonus features other than Cracking Contraptions though.

[@MarcLovallo]

Yeah, I got it over the holidays. It's nice to have the shorts on Blu-ray, but it's too bare bones for my liking. They also seemed to do new audio mixes for some of them, and the way they were done is a bit odd to me.

[@e-122psi3]

@@MarcLovallo Yeah Cracking Contraptions is sadly underrepresented (most recent UK packages don't seem to have them, no Shaun the Sheep episodes either D:), so I can't say that release is a total ripoff. It does feel badly timed however since a new film is coming out this year meaning another 'Complete Collection' is almost inevitable in due time. (Five films plus the shorts does sound like a good package though, someone make it happen.)

[@tylerfish2701]

I grew up with the Dreamworks release which doesn't work anymore, but I'm getting a new one tomorrow.

[@moirad3895]

I had the incredible adventures of Wallace and gromit dvd! My uncle had it and he introduced my siblings and I to Wallace and gromit when I was little

[@italktoomuchsorry]

I remember the first time I realized that in A Matter of Loaf and Death they were quite actually being targeted by a seasoned (12 under her belt) serial killer, I was maybe 10 when it came out and I was dumbfounded that my parents didn’t think about it too hard 😂 Great video!!!

[@randomsliceofcakeofficial]

As a Brit I’m glad to see Americans enjoying our media!

[@Jonathanest90s]

Wallace and Gromit are my childhood icons and I was born in Southern California

[@marionbaggins]

As someone who had it recorded on VHS *and lost them* by my Grandmother...She was very cultured!!! She recorded from A Grand Day Out in 89 though to A Matter of Loaf and Death in 08!!! Even though I wasn't born when the first 3 came out, I still an Australian Aardman fan all these years later thanks to her. And She would be 99 as of 2 days ago!!!

[@SavageGame1998]

I happen to own the two different versions of The Wrong Trousers on VHS, yes the one with different music came out on VHS too but that was a reprint from 1996, I also find it weird that they released that before releasing A Grand Day Out.

[@belinajonathan4643]

4:54 The Cantonese there made me have happy tears

[@UranusMcVitieFish-yd7oq]

Re the lower pitch. The 2nd and 3rd shorts were financed in part by the BBC and as such were shot on film at 25 frames a second to match the now obsolete 50 fields a second UK analogue PAL TV format. It looks like the USA distributors mastered the second USA DVD from either the original negative or more likely an inter-positive but at 24 frames a second to match the 60 fields a second USA NTSC TV format. Hence the speed up. It would have easy to allow for frame rates if a video master was used but it's a little more time/cost consuming to do from film. So put it down to cost cutting or a cock up.

[@adultmoshifan87]

I hope one way or another, The Wrong Trousers gets a legal rerelease with its original soundtrack reinstated! If Crazy Taxi could be released on iOS with its original soundtrack despite the PSP/PS3/360 versions not including it, surely The Wrong Trousers can get Happy Birthday, the Open University theme and the 2 latter tunes Feathers played reinstated?

[@antonioblundell3514]

I have a DVD called Wallace and Gromit The First Three Adventures, and it has the original music for The Wrong Trousers.

[@nathancruz9172]

That’s awesome. Also, I have this on 📀.

[@WillCWilson]

Yeah, that was the first US Wallace and Gromit DVD; it came out in 1999. Also had the original BBC Video logos attached, and a rare glimpse at the CBS/FOX Video logo in DVD quality.

[@nathancruz9172]

2:18 I remember watching Wallace and Gromit short films on 📼 when, I was 1 year old.

[@CatNapTheWestHamFan96]

8:58 Pal Pitch and NTSC Pitch, Pla Pitch is higher and faster and NTSC Pitch is normal

[@YoungButRetro]

It was made in a PAL territory so NTSC isn't the normal pitch

[@itsjayden8002]

11:01 One thing that annoys me about this DVD is that it doesn’t have the storyboards from the Incredible Adventures DVD. Also, the menu you show in this section is the same as the Complete Collection DVD from 2009

[@ultram2561]

Dang didn't mention the 1999 Wallace and Gromit The First Three Adventures on DVD. That version has the original Wrong Trousers with the copyrighted music

[@lisabowe9310]

My favorite wallace and gromit film is the curse of the were rabbit

[@joezelljr]

Honestly i prefer "for hes a jolly good fellow" over "happy birthday" Just feels more cheesy (no pun intended) and very much something wallace would do xD my only complaint is losing the doggy in the window song since it was feathers mocking gromit

[@nicks4802]

I’ve owned the VHS trio box since i was like 3, Wallace & Gromit are very near and dear to me. Like power rangers and pokemon.

[@Wenlocktvdx]

Big fan of Wallace and Gromit here. Love them all and have DVDs of them all. One oddity in my collection is Curse of the Warerabbit on Video CD. This edition came from Indonesia, where DVDs are expensive and Video CDs are cheaper. The few Video CDs I have came mostly from Indonesia and India. Because CDs have much lower capacity, most movies are published on 2 or 3 discs. Also, the definition is very low and looks like VHS-LP.

[@e-122psi3]

Rereleases will likely have another turnaround soon due to a new film coming this Xmas.

[@plunderbird]

I been trying to find out I'm from the UK and I had the three shorts DVD years ago and recently they release the four shorts version and I been wondering if the sound quality is the same on the HDTV in the recent DVD

[@truemetalsonic]

i have the complete collection but it has a very british box art - as in the union jack is the back drop, could have been released around an event - cant remember. a while ago i saw a new collection celebrating the anniversary and it came in a golden box but most special features are online now so i dont need another one

[@noksukaukonen6698]

There is a collection that is both in Blu Ray and DVD, which is called: Wallace and Gromit - The Complete Cracking Collection". In the collection it had all 4 shorts and the cracking contraptions. It was produced by Shout! Factory in October 10th 2023. So when are you gonna get it?

[@HydraSpectre1138]

The most interesting one has to be the Japanese releases, as they have exclusive bonuses and were made by Studio Ghibli. Studio Ghibli is the official Japanese distributor of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep due to a close friendship between Nick Park and Hayao Miyazaki. Isao Takahata (director of Grave of the Fireflies and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) also directed the Japanese dubs.

[@thattailsguy8142]

I grew up with the Dreamworks release

[@jamiewilliamson9829]

When you showed the DVD menu for the Hit Entertainment/20th Century release of Three Amazing Adventure, why did it show A Matter of Loaf or Death on the menu?

[@tievebauntraffic]

He actually showed the UK release

[@jamiewilliamson9829]

@@tievebauntraffic So he showed the wrong version?

[@station5045]

Weird, I own a copy of The Complete Collection. I guess the British copy is completely different. For one, everything is all on one disc!

[@CrashFan03]

the audio is still slowed down though for some reason

[@pauljakeman]

Great to see an American fan of w and g!

[@ThatRetroGuy2005]

The news paper menu was used in the uk first in 2005

[@bigbadseed7665]

Any idea what features are on the 30th anniversary Bluray release? Amazon says it includes the original 3 shorts plus A Matter of Loaf and Death, but it doesn't mention any special features.

[@MarcLovallo]

I imagine the special features are mostly the same, probably just on less discs.

[@robbiewalker2831]

What you said about the order between the three shorts in the “Incredible Adventures” release, and that it was made by Warner Bros.? That explains why it feels so weird when it was on Cartoon Network.

[@josephchittum6207]

2:23 3:17 4:16 5:06 5:30 5:45 7:05 8:01 8:29 8:43 9:27 10:29 11:01 12:12 12:36 12:50 13:07 13:37 14:11 14:50 15:16

[@trashpanda2147]

Have you watched the Morph series by Aardman? If so, would you ever make a video for it?

[@dobbie563]

I have the 3 amazing adventures but the uk release. It has different box art to yours

[@spinballpac-man]

2:24 Um,wrong tape!! That’s the one from the UK! 😂😂

[@MarcLovallo]

Technically you're right. Aside from the addition of the CBS Fox Video logo at the start, they're basically the UK tapes in American packaging.

[@spinballpac-man]

@@MarcLovallo Yeah,but doesn’t it have a US announcer on it?

[@RetroSanrioCentre]

@@spinballpac-man The wrong trousers VHS has a promo for a grand day out on it (with a US announcer) but aside from that, the differences are the cbs fox logo, a US only version of the bbc video logo (white background and pure 3D animation) and an fbi warning at the end of the tapes. (the wrong trousers is the only tape out of the three which has the original uk version of the bbc video logo).

[@adamhendrick.]

i need help, so there is "the complete collection" dvd but there is a dvd called the "complete collection: 30 cracking year" but it dos not say that it's on 4 disc's i it's dos not say it has cracking contraptions so what do i get?

[@autistic_baby_doll_mom_reb7898]

I have that 3 vhs pack to Aslo there was A bonus pack of curse of the were rabbit with A gromit dvd

[@RubenGuzman69]

Hi Marc. 👋🏽

[@Harvey_kermit_the_frog]

I have the 30th anniversary DVD

[@caolanochearnaigh9804]

You're obsessed with Wallace and Gromit? At least you know where to find the films... I'm a die hard fan of the Olsen twins, and I can't find any of their films ANYWHERE.... Can someone please give me a hand? I can't find any of their films online, and you'd have to be damn lucky to come across a physical copy of one of their films nowadays...

[@fozi_tatoz5045]

Have you ever heard of only fools and horses or auf weidersain pet ? They are British comedy’s

[@kryten1300]

If you like wallace and gromit robbie the reindeer is worth a watch its real good

[@ChelseaMarie282]

Wow lovely cheese gromit

[@samsontag]

Cheese 👍

[@Sailor-Khione]

I'm not a Wallace and Gromit fan. More like an observer at this point. But I guess I'll fall down the rabbit hole. I only knew of them because of the movie. That's not to say that I hate them.

[@OgOccupantYT]

First

[@assmuddafukkinhole2]

I think Wallace & Gromit is just as popular here in the US. I've never met a gen x-er or millennial who didn't (at least) know of them.

[@killingmewillnotbringbacky9177]

Seeing ads for the dreamworks film on nickelodeon probably introduced loads of zoomers to it as well.