Well, I've had to keep a lid on it until the official press release came out. Now I can say that after Hanna Barbera, Walt Disney, Dreamworks, Warner Bros and Fox, my new employer is



I know, it seems like I just can't hold on to a job, but this one is cool.

I am working with Linda Simensky, Bill Kroyer and a bunch of great people to bring the hit radio show Car Talk to series television. The show is written by Tom & Ray's collaborators, who also created the show Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me!" I am directing all ten episodes of the first season. Here the official press release.

PBS Greenlights 'Car Talk' Television Series
Tom and Ray Magliozzi of CAR TALK come to PBS in summer 2008 in an as-yet- untitled animated sitcom focusing on the adventures of "Click and Clack" and their crew of mechanics and co- workers. Shown: Tom and Ray and their pal ZuZu at Car Talk Plaza. More information at www.pbs.org/pressroom. (PRNewsFoto/PBS)

BEVERLY HILLS, CA UNITED STATES

First-Ever Animated Primetime Series for PBS to Launch in Summer 2008
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Start your engines! PBS is bringing Tom and Ray Magliozzi, of CAR TALK, to TV. Based on the hit NPR radio show, the as-yet-untitled animated sitcom will launch with ten 30-minute episodes targeted for summer 2008. Fans will be invited to submit title suggestions for the television show.

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 andless work.
"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 are larger than life characters, and the only way to keep them larger than life, and not diminish them on TV, is through animation,"said creator and executive producer Howard K. Grossman. "We've brought on a world-class animation team, and I'm confident the series will rank amongthe best anywhere."
"Unlikely!" said Tom.
"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 takeit even further," said John Boland, PBS chief content officer. "Through animation and fresh content, we anticipate the show will be a hit amongcurrent fans of the radio show and new audiences. PBS has long been aleader in creating animated, educational programming for children, but, with CAR TALK, we will present our first primetime animated series for a general audience."
The animated series takes place at Car Talk Plaza, a fictional building which houses their radio studio and their famed garage in Cambridge,Massachusetts, in Harvard Square.

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I've already been to Boston and New York a few times to work with Tom and Ray, and believe me, they are as much fun as they sound on the radio. I'll be adding some details of my experiences on the show on this blog as the year goes on.
Look for the first show to air in June 2008.
Car Talk's website is http://www.cartalk.com
My dad loved to fix cars, as does my brother. But if I check the oil, it's a miracle. So I'm looking forward to learning a lot more about cars as we hopefully make a fun show. Wish us luck.
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Birthdays: Gaius Julius Caesar is 2,106 years old, Henry David Thoreau, Oscar Hammerstein, Kirsten Flagstad, Andrew Wyeth, Pablo Neruda, George Eastman, Milton Berle, Cheryl Ladd, Van Cliburn, Buckminster Fuller, George Washington Carver, Josiah Wedgewood- of Wedgewood china and pottery, Richard Simmons, Krysty Yamaguchi, Bill Cosby is 70

1824- Birth of Eugene Boudin, French painter who pioneered Impressionism by being one of the first artists to work from nature in the open air.

1870- Celluloid film patented. The inventor had been trying to find a substitute for ivory billiard balls. Inventor George Eastman later perfected the sprocket and hole system of roll film for cameras, replacing the large glass plates.

1876- Gunfighter Wild Bill Hickock arrived in Deadwood South Dakota to prospect for gold, see some old friends like Calamity Jane, and play a little poker.

1928 - 1st televised tennis match.

1979- Disco Demolition Night. Chicago Fans could get into Comisky Park for 98 cents if they each brought a Disco record to burn. Thousands of records were thrown at the players like Frisbees while they were trying to play, so Chicago was forced to forfeit the game. “I love the Nightlife, I love the Nightlife…”

1984- Geraldine Ferrarro named the Vice Presidential running mate of Walter Mondale. They lose in a landslide to Reagan-Bush.

1990- TV series Northern Exposure premiered.