Click & Clack's As the Wrench Turns was an animated series that aired on PBS in 2008. The show was a Celebrity Toon based on the NPR call-in auto-repair advice radio show Car Talk. It starred the hosts of that program - Tom and Ray Magliozzi (or "Click and Clack, the Tappett Brothers") as themselves. It was the first original animated series for a primetime adult audience ever aired by PBS.
The show is about two brothers from Boston who both manage to run a small local neighborhood car garage and a national radio talk show and get into wacky hijinx. Their natural curiosity and creative schemes ensure that Hilarity Ensues.
As the Wrench Turns aired for ten episodes that premiered between July 9 and August 13, 2008, and were typically aired by PBS affiliates in two-episode blocks.
This series provides examples of:
- Big Blackout: The episode "Boston Blackout" unsurprisingly features one. Stash, a mechanic working at the garage, has just invented a robotic car-repair device. His employers agree to test it. The device ends up draining enough electrical energy to cause a black out throughout the northeastern United States.
- Gone Horribly Right: The episode "Outsourcing" has the protagonists, bored with their show duties, deciding to outsource their work. Hiring Rajiv and Sanjiv, the Gupta Brothers, to perform their show. Meanwhile Click and Clack are supposed to both focus on their garage work and enjoy their free time. Instead the Gupta brothers increase the show ratings to unprecedented levels and send many customers to the garage. Too many customers for Click and Clack to handle. The titular characters are swamped in work and are left with no free time.
- Ink-Suit Actor: PBS Newshour anchor Jim Lehrer as Jim Lahair. James Carville.
- Click and Clack themselves.
- It Runs on Nonsensoleum: The plot of the episode "Pasta Wars" involves a pasta-powered car. They never bother to explain how that works.
- Fan Service With A Smile: In-story example. In "Abercrombie and Wrench", the garage of the protagonists loses customers to a rival business. The rivals use the sex-appeal of their mechanics to attract female customers.
- Special Guest: Garrison Keillor.
- Zany Scheme: The episode "Campaign" has the duo running their own Presidential campaign. They hope to get enough votes to secure federal funding for their network.
