Wild About Wheels
The original car show · Returning

TV’s first primetime car show is coming back.

Wild About Wheels premiered on The Discovery Channel in 1990 and became one of its highest-rated shows. Now the team that made it is producing all-new episodes for a new generation of viewers, on cable, streaming and mobile.

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Show introduction · Plays on YouTube

1stautomotive series to air in primetime on a major channel
1.5rating, beating Discovery’s top show, Wings
1M+households tuning in every week
100+territories worldwide, including every industrialized nation
The story

A groundbreaking hit, built for everyone

Wild About Wheels was the first automotive television series ever to air in primetime on a major channel. The Discovery Channel licensed the show for domestic airing, and it premiered in 1990. It ran for three years in primetime, and Discovery commissioned additional episodes along the way.

It became one of Discovery’s highest-rated shows, earning a 1.5 rating and beating the channel’s top show, Wings. It outdrew the programs before and after it by as much as 30%, a sign that loyal viewers were seeking it out. More than a million households tuned in each week.

The show was made for general viewers, so its audience came from all walks of life. Enthusiasts appreciated its attention to detail, and the whole family enjoyed its entertaining style. After Discovery, the Speedvision Network picked up the series, and it has since aired in more than 100 territories.

Its success proved that a series about the worldwide passion for the automobile could find a large, loyal audience among everyday viewers.

CableACE Award nomineeWild About Wheels, 1992
  1. 1990Premieres in primetime on The Discovery Channel
  2. The Discovery yearsThree years in primetime, more episodes commissioned, and a waiting list of sponsors
  3. 1992Nominated for a CableACE Award
  4. 1995–1996Primetime on the Speedvision Network
  5. WorldwideAirs in more than 100 territories, from Japan to Sweden
  6. NowAll-new episodes in production
From the vault

Classic segments from the original series

Concours lawns, custom shops and one-of-a-kind collections. Three stories that show what Wild About Wheels was all about.

The original team

The people who made it are making it again

Jim Barisano

Jim Barisano

Creator & Executive Producer

For Jim Barisano, cars have always been about more than what’s under the hood. They’re about the people who build them, the places they take us and the stories they leave behind. That spirit shaped Wild About Wheels, bringing car culture, remarkable vehicles and unforgettable personalities to television audiences.

As the show’s creator and executive producer, Jim helped turn a shared love of cars into a series with something for everyone. From celebrated classics to unusual creations, Wild About Wheels invited viewers into the automotive world with curiosity, humor and a sense of adventure.

Jim’s television career also includes WHEELS, Motor Trend Television and The IMSA Grand Prix Hour. He went on to found WheelsTV, bringing professional automotive storytelling into the digital age.

Now, as Wild About Wheels returns, Jim is opening the garage doors again, sharing favorite stories from the original series and making room for new discoveries.

Bill Stephens

Bill Stephens

Writer, Producer & Narrator

Every great car has a story. Bill Stephens knows how to tell it. As the writer, producer and narrator of Wild About Wheels, Bill gave the series its familiar voice, drawing viewers into the history, personalities and surprises behind the machines.

His career has taken him from Boston television to the pits and broadcast booths of some of America’s biggest motorsports events. Along the way, he has covered NASCAR and NHRA racing and brought his knowledge of collector cars to Mecum Auctions broadcasts.

Bill is also an accomplished author, with books about racing legends including “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney and Kenny Bernstein. His work connects the achievements on the track with the people, ambition and determination behind them.

That mix of knowledge and approachable storytelling is at the heart of his work on Wild About Wheels. Whether you’re a lifelong enthusiast or simply enjoy a good story, Bill makes you feel welcome along for the ride.

The new series

Same team. All-new episodes.

The same beauty, action, fun and excitement that won devoted fans, made with a 21st-century production style for today’s audience.

The original crew is still together

The core production team is still active and has stayed together over the years. They’re car enthusiasts who know how to tell a story about people and cars that anyone can enjoy, from multi-camera productions with sets, lights and staging to single-camera run-and-guns.

Made for how people watch now

New episodes are produced for linear and interactive media: traditional cable, streaming and OTT networks, mobile, and anywhere quality programming can be found.

An archive few can match

Over the years, Wild About Wheels has built a significant automotive history archive, with unique access to many private and corporate libraries. It adds real value to documentaries and to current news and information stories.

The right show at the right time

Interest in the automobile is at an all-time high. Automotive programming now runs on general-interest networks including The History Channel, Discovery, The Learning Channel and PBS. The genre Wild About Wheels helped prove is now a recognized part of television.

Get involved

Come along for the ride

For fans

Ride along again

Grew up watching on Discovery or Speedvision? Subscribe to the Wild About Wheels YouTube channel for classic segments from the original series and news on the new episodes.

Subscribe on YouTube
For sponsors

Join a proven property

During its Discovery run, Wild About Wheels had a waiting list of sponsors, and its success led Discovery to open its first-ever sales office in Detroit. Auto manufacturers, aftermarket companies, quick-lube chains, restaurant chains and retailers all reached its loyal audience.

Sponsors of the new series are welcome partners in the creative and distribution process, with in-show exposure that respects the integrity of the show and bonus reach through ancillary distribution.

Talk sponsorship
For distribution partners

Bring back a hit

A recognized brand with a track record in primetime and in more than 100 territories. Family entertainment with broad appeal, now produced for cable, OTT networks and mobile.

Talk distribution
Contact

Let’s talk wheels

For sponsorship, distribution, press or anything else about the return of Wild About Wheels.

Chris King

Wild About Wheels

chris@wheelstv.net

Jim Barisano

Creator & Executive Producer

jimbar@wheelstv.net