News / Arts
Celebrating 40 years of Aardman
Forty years of Aardman are being celebrated on Boxing Day with a documentary on BBC One.
Narrated by Julie Walters, a host of stars both human and clay will look at the Bristol company’s multi award-winning work across film, television and advertising including the much-loved characters from Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Morph and Creature Comforts.
Some special animation has been created especially for the documentary, which also features Martin Freeman, Jane Horrocks, David Tennant, Bill Nighy, Terry Gilliam, Matt Groening, Timothy Spall, Hugh Grant and more.
Aardman co-founder David Sproxton said: “When we arrived in Bristol in 1976 with our clockwork cine camera there was a total of three television channels for the British audience to watch.
“Although we were lucky enough to have a small contract with BBC Children’s Television we never imagined our two man outfit would develop into a major studio of international repute. It’s been an extraordinary journey, even if it is one we’ve taken one frame at a time.”
Co-founder Peter Lord added: “The last 40 years has been an amazing adventure. When we arrived in Bristol 40 years ago, our only ambition was to find a niche, if we possibly could, in the world of animation.
“Our friends and colleagues thought we were pretty well barmy to start up anywhere outside London. So it’s amazing now to find that Aardman has become this huge community of superbly talented people, making films and telling stories that travel all round the world.”
A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman will be shown on Boxing Day at 2.25pm on BBC One alongside a brand new 30-minute special adventure Shaun the Sheep The Farmer’s Llamas which is also showing on Boxing Day at 6.15pm.
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