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To launch the brand new ´óÏó´«Ã½ One series, Wallace And Gromit's World Of Invention, world-renowned inventor Wallace and his ever faithful sidekick, Gromit, are asking the UK to get inventing.

From their self-built basement television studio in 62 West Wallaby Street, the inimitable pair are trying to track down Britain's best amateur invention. Wallace and Gromit are asking enthusiastic kids and crackpot inventors to invent their very best contraption. The winner – chosen by a panel of judges, led by Nick Park – will be given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have themselves or their invention immortalised in a future Aardman production.

To celebrate Wallace and Gromit's debut as TV presenters, ´óÏó´«Ã½ One are unveiling a website and nationwide series of regional roadshows, that hope to get Britain inventing. In their brand new ´óÏó´«Ã½ One series the inimitable pair present a factual series for the very first time, uncovering the quirky, inspiring and accident-prone world of inventions.

But not everyone is as expert an inventor as Wallace, so the pair are planning to kickstart the UK's inventive spirit through a series of regional inventors roadshows that will provide the tools and motivation needed to root out the inventor in all of us.

Nick Park, Oscar-winning creator of Wallace and Gromit, said: "It is an enormous honour for Wallace and Gromit to be asked to take up the torch (all be it solar powered) and shine it on the world's top and most innovative inventors."

Create your own cracking contraption

Wensleydale-loving inventor Wallace knows just how powerful a great idea combined with only a little bit of engineering know-how can be. So, inspired by his favourite contraption, LAD, Wallace is asking the British public to unleash their inner inventor and create their own device. He's asking budding inventors (complete novices included) to design and build their most inventive contraption, made entirely from bits and pieces around the home. It could be something that wakes up Wallace, helps Gromit complete his household chores or moves one (or both of them!) from A to B – anything goes, as long as it meets the judges' criteria, which are available online.

Anyone can enter – individuals, teams of friends or even entire school classes. Entrants need to record a short video (maximum three minutes) of their creation, and upload it onto the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Wallace And Gromit website.

For full details, including judging criteria and terms and conditions, visit .

Inspiring invention

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ have teamed up with Aardman Animations to create an exciting new roadshow event to accompany the new ´óÏó´«Ã½ One series Wallace and Gromit's World Of Invention. Inspired by Wallace’s love of inventing, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Learning roadshows will give budding inventors the opportunity to step into the world of Wallace and Gromit.

The tour will visit six UK shopping centres throughout November and December 2010 and will be open to the public on both Saturday and Sunday.

The roadshows will be accompanied by an entire Wallace and Gromit world online. To find out more about the secrets of invention, play in Wallace's Workshop and find out more about the regional roadshows, visit .

Wallace And Gromit's World of Inventions, ´óÏó´«Ã½ One

Having inspired us all to try our hand at a spot of inventing, in November Wallace and Gromit unveil their favourite inventions from around the world. In their grand presenting debut the pair introduce films about inventors from Bristol to Brazil. Wallace and Gromit discover the real life cracking-contraptions that have shaped our world, from gadgets that help around the home to the mind-boggling world of space travel and much more in between.

The six-part factual series (6x30) goes out on ´óÏó´«Ã½ One in early November.

The Great Egg Race – ´óÏó´«Ã½ remembers "cracking" feats of engineering

In the spirit of ingenious engineering, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Archive is releasing a small selection of programmes from the 1979-1986 ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two science-based series The Great Egg Race. The programmes showcase the variety of challenges that teams of inventors turned their hands to, from creating a rubber-band powered device to transport a single egg the furthest possible distance, to an ingenious tea-making device made from humble household materials.

The collection will be available from 14 October. Watch eccentric scientist Professor Heinz Wolff putting the contestants through their paces and get tips to help you with your own engineering endeavours, at the .

VAA