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Click & Clack's As The Wrench Turns Premieres July 9 On PBS

Tom and Ray Magliozzi, the didactic duo whose voices grace the NPR airwaves on the ever-popular radio show "Car Talk," are moving themselves into the world of animation with the all-new primetime series CLICK & CLACK'S AS THE WRENCH TURNS, premiering Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 8-9 p.m. ET on PBS.

The program takes off from the hit NPR show and follows the on- and off-air escapades of Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers (alter-egos of Tom and Ray Magliozzi) as they try to fix cars, fend off disgruntled customers and seek out increasingly creative ways to goof off. CLICK & CLACK'S AS THE WRENCH TURNS is set at Car Talk Plaza, a fictional building that houses their radio studio and their famed garage in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Click and Clack immerse themselves in such motley misadventures as a competition with a nearby garage staffed by sexy hunks, a run-in with the feds in their garage and a robot mechanic that causes a power-grid meltdown all across Boston. Continuing their constant pursuit of idleness, they tempt disaster in each episode by constantly looking for the easy way out while ignoring the unintended consequences, finding themselves right back where they started - square one.

In conjunction with the series, airing Wednesdays through August 13, executive producer Howard K. Grossman also has developed an innovative partnership with The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), whose membership includes all state motor vehicle agencies (DMVs) in the United States and Canada. In their role as a strategic content partner to the series' national outreach campaign, AAMVA will collaborate with CLICK & CLACK'S AS THE WRENCH TURNS to facilitate the communication of safety messages, regarding such issues as distracted driving, safety belts and teen driving, to the driving public as they interact with AAMVA members and state and provincial motor vehicle agencies.

"Tom and Ray have been 'animated characters' for years, so it's fitting that we've found a way to bring these garage gurus to the small screen," said John F. Wilson, SVP and chief TV programming executive for PBS. "Even though we hide inside our tote bags every time we say it, we're glad to welcome to PBS these public media figures who can connect with people as quickly as they can with carburetors. We're hoping for a truly unique experience for the viewer that's entertaining and fresh. Through the AAMVA outreach program, we'll also be providing useful public safety tips to complement the series."

The CLICK & CLACK'S AS THE WRENCH TURNS series Web site on www.pbs.org launches in July 2008 and offers visitors a chance to delve into Click and Clack's world. The site also features online video.

CLICK & CLACK'S AS THE WRENCH TURNS executive producers are Howard K. Grossman and Robert Harris. The head writer is Doug Berman. The series was created by Howard K. Grossman and Doug Berman. The executive producer of animation is Bill Kroyer and the director is Tom Sito.