‘AGT’ and ‘Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge’ Premiere on NBC
May 30 features a competition series staple season premiering on NBC, and a new entry to the category starting up as well. Season 18 of America’s Got Talent debuts that day, as does Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge. Simon Cowell, also an executive producer, is a judge on America’s Got Talent along with Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara.
Starting Tuesday, August 22, AGT will have six weeks of live shows at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Results shows will air on Wednesdays.
Cowell created the show, and executive produces with Sam Donnelly and Jason Raff. AGT is co-produced by Fremantle and Syco Entertainment.
Hot Wheels features car lovers and superfans of Hot Wheels, who turn a nostalgic car from their past into a life-sized Hot Wheels car “of their dreams,” according to NBC.
Each episode sees two superfans enter the Chrome Zone, where they face off in transforming an ordinary vehicle into an extraordinary Hot Wheels car that’s inspired by personal stories and pop culture.
A team of designers known as The Car Pool helps the contestants bring their dream cars to life.
Some contestants are gearheads. Most are not. “They don’t have to have spent their entire life tinkering in the garage to participate in the show or enjoy the show,” said executive producer DJ Nurre, also an exec producer on Fox competition series Lego Masters.
Rutledge Wood hosts Hot Wheels. Wood covered NASCAR for Speed TV and NBC Sports, and reported from the Olympics in 2016, 2018 and 2021. He has hosted game show Floor Is Lava and American BBQ Showdown on Netflix and Southern and Hungry on Cooking Channel. He was also a host on Top Gear USA for BBC and History Channel.
Nurre described Rutledge as “the biggest kid on the set. He did not lose his enthusiasm even for one second.”
Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge is developed and produced by Endemol Shine North America in association with Workerbee under license from Mattel Inc. Executive producers are showrunner Tim Warren, along with Andy Thomas, Sharon Levy, DJ Nurre and Michael Heyerman from Endemol Shine North America; Rick Murray and Chris Hale from Workerbee; and Fred Soulie and Phil Breman from Mattel Television.
AGT is on 8-10 p.m. and Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge is on 10-11 p.m.
