Car Talk Guys Get Ready for Cartoon Debut

Date posted: 07-09-2008

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BOSTON — A spin-off of Tom and Ray Magliozzi's hit NPR show Car Talk debuts in cartoon format on Wednesday, tackling such tongue-in-cheek subjects as the first-ever pasta-fueled vehicle. The show, dubbed As the Wrench Turns, kicks off on PBS at 8 p.m. EDT.

According to the PBS Web site about the new cartoon, viewers will be introduced to an expanded cast of characters, including a trio of goofy auto mechanics. The Magliozzis, a.k.a. Click and Clack, provide the voices for their animated versions.

Unlike the Car Talk format, there will be no phone calls from listeners or "Stump the Chump" jokes. The escapades will include "increasingly creative ways to goof off," according to a statement by PBS.

PBS notes that this is its first animated prime time series. The 10 30-minute episodes take place mainly at Car Talk Plaza, a fictional building that houses their radio studio and garage. PBS says the pasta-fueled vehicle episode triggers a run on "generic noodles." In another episode, Click and Clack's insults "drive away their radio sponsor, forcing them to collaborate with a gas-guzzler manufacturer."

What this means to you: The Car Talk guys get ready to provide some much-needed laughs during our summer of discontent over rising gas prices. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent