Click and Clack Coming to Television

I love that PBS is going to launch a animated series (formerly known as a cartoon) about Tom and Ray Magliozzi, aka Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers or the Car Talk guys.

This is the one radio show that is still appointment radio for me. I suppose the only other show on PBS that has as wide a following (outside of news) would be Prairie Home Companion.

The press release says,

The fast-paced series will take off where the radio series ends, focusing on the adventures of Click and Clack 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 (”known to their listeners as Click and Clack,” the Tappet brothers) as they try to fix cars, fend off disgruntled customers and seek out ways to do less and less work.

I think this could work.

The animation will be handled by the guy that does Shrek, The Little Mermaid, Lion King and others. He’s no slouch.

Tom and Ray (Tom’s the tall one, Ray is the smart one) are two great characters that play off each other like brothers and friends can do. If the writers can capture that, it will be a hit.

“We want to apologize in advance to Jim Lehrer, Bill Moyers, the folks at FRONTLINE, NOVA and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE for the damage we are about to do to your network’s reputation,” said Tom and Ray Magliozzi, who will provide the voices for their own animated characters. “Oh, and Big Bird, too. Sorry, pal.”

Tom and Ray will be supported by a cast including Fidel, Crusty, Stash, Sal (short for Sally) and Beth.

I hope it works, because it’s so different for PBS and it will let the snobs something besides Prairie Home Companion and All Things Considered are the only thing public radio is good for.

I’m still holding a grudge against Bob Vila because he tried to leverage his popularity on This Old House to make his fortune on commercial television.

8 Responses to “Click and Clack Coming to Television”

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1
Jul 12th, 2007 at 9:53 am

I love their show. They are from my neck of the woods. There is actually an office window above Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass., that is painted like a lawyer’s office and it says “Dewey, Cheatham and Howe.”
2
Jul 12th, 2007 at 11:17 am

Cambridge (our fair city) or whoever is cool for doing the office bit.
3
Jul 12th, 2007 at 2:33 pm

Thanks for the tip (and your hilarious blog).

I have grown up listening to Car Talk - the brothers’ voices and humor are as much a part of my life as socks or dirty dishes or air. They deserve all the success in the world, and I bet they’ll have a captive audience on PBS (although I’m not sure it will be kids)!
4
Jul 12th, 2007 at 2:51 pm

I love those guys, and I think you are right about the audience not being kids.
5
Jul 12th, 2007 at 10:18 pm

My all time favorite show from PBS is The Red Green Show, with those wacky muppets on Sesame Street running a very close second. This new series sounds interesting…and it’s probably a given that anything animated and having to do with cars will be a hit with my husband who is really still a big kid.
6
Jul 13th, 2007 at 8:02 am

I’ve never seen The Red Green Show. Haven’t seen Sesame Street in ages - old children does that. Most men are still kids when it comes to cars, Letterman was giddy last night because he had the Tuetel guys from American Chopper.
7
Jul 29th, 2007 at 6:28 am

That son of mine who thinks like tree bark? Huge addiction to Tom and Ray. I grew up in New England and I remember hearing them on the radio all the time before I moved to the Midwest. You are so right about them being appointment radio. I read about the animated shows a little while ago and sent the info to my son (well, emailed it). We’re all very excited for it!
8
Jul 29th, 2007 at 7:16 am

Hey, good deal. Let’s spread the word!