PBS Greenlights First Animated Prime-Time Series

BEVERLY HILLS, July 12:
PBS has greenlit an as-yet-untitled animated prime-time sitcom based on the hit
NPR Radio show Car Talk, hosted
by Tom and Ray Magliozzi.

The new sitcom will launch
with ten 30-minute episodes in summer 2008. The television series will take off
where the radio series ends, focusing on the adventures of the Tappet brothers
Click and Clack (voiced by the Magliozzi brothers) and their crew of mechanics
and co-workers. Based largely in Tom and Ray's fictional garage, the show will
focus on the "off-air" escapades of Tom and Ray Magliozzi as they try
to fix cars, fend off disgruntled customers and seek out ways to do less and
less work.

In conjunction with the
series, executive producer Howard K. Grossman has partnered with The American
Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) for a public safety campaign that will feature the
cartoon versions of Tom and Ray dispensing safe driving tips and other useful
information to drivers renewing their licenses in person at participating state
DMVs, and online, as well as other educational materials.

"We're looking
forward to bringing Tom and Ray to television, with new characters and stories
that capture the humor of the radio series and take it even further," said
John Boland, PBS’s chief content officer. "Through animation and fresh
content, we anticipate the show will be a hit among current fans of the radio
show and new audiences. PBS has long been a leader in creating animated,
educational programming for children, but, with Car Talk, we will present our first prime-time animated
series for a general audience."