TV Bulletin Board (Jan. 29)
01/29/08 11:22
By ED BARK
PBS' first prime-time cartoon series will star likenesses of NPR's famed Car Talk hosts, Tom and Ray Magliozzi.
They're better known as "Click and Clack," so the show will be called Click & Clack's As the Wrench Turns. The title was picked from contest emissions, er, submissions, which also included Transmission Impossible (like that one better) and Ken Burns Presents Car Talk.
"We kind of liked the idea of using Ken Burns' name in the title," says Ray in PBS press materials.
"At least, that way, a lot of people would have tuned in," adds Tom.
The 10-episode series is due this summer, PBS says.
***CBS has gone ahead and ordered two more editions of Survivor, which will bring the total to 18. Speaking in perfect press release-ese, returning host Jeff Probst says, "I still get excited to get on the plane and travel to another exotic location with another group of adventure-seeking, Type A personalities."
The 16th edition, Survivor: Micronesia, premieres on Feb. 7 in the usual Thursday 7 p.m. (central) slot.
*** Cable's Spike TV will counter-program Sunday's official Super Bowl halftime show with a ham 'n' egg eating competition. Eight top-flight competitors with cast iron guts first will mainline hard-boiled eggs. Then it's on to the spiral ham. Entrants include Joey Chestnut, Tim "Eater X" Janus and Tim "Gravy" Brown. Renowned hot dog eater Kobayashi is sidelined due to a jaw injury, Spike says. What a great country we live in.
***NBC is throwing another two reality series on the prime-time grill. My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad, premiering on Feb. 18th, bumps the previously announced Baby Borrowers, which supposedly will air later. Dan Cortese (Veronica's Closet) is your host.
Then comes Amne$ia, a "thrilling comedy-game show" hosted by Dennis Miller. Almost forgot, it's due on Feb. 22.
***The commercial-free Starz cable network plans to turn the Oscar-winning Crash into a weekly series. Paul Haggis, who directed the feature film, will co-produce the series along with actor Don Cheadle. No cast has been announced yet, but 13 episodes have been ordered.
Haggis has had a tough time keeping a TV series afloat, even though several of his efforts have been of high quality. They include last season's The Black Donnellys for NBC, and Due South and EZ Streets for CBS.