NBC Sets Summer Premieres for AGT, Ninja Warrior, Hot Wheels Competition and Dick Wolf's LA Fire & Rescue

The 18th season of America’s Got Talent returns with a new set of aspiring performers looking to compete for the ultimate $1 million prize. Executive producer Simon Cowell returns to the star-studded judging panel with global fashion icon Heidi Klum, renowned comedian Howie Mandel and acclaimed actress and international superstar Sofia Vergara. The dynamic Terry Crews returns as host. This season promises to deliver some of the wildest acts to ever grace the “AGT” stage. AGT then kicks off six weeks of live shows at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium beginning Tuesday, Aug. 22. Results shows will air Wednesday nights.

New series Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge revs up to give passionate car lovers and superfans of Mattel’s Hot Wheels® the opportunity of a lifetime – turning a nostalgic car from their past into the life-sized Hot Wheels of their dreams. Hosted by car afficionado Rutledge Wood, each episode will invite two superfans into the Chrome Zone, where they will face off in transforming an ordinary vehicle into an extraordinary Hot Wheels showstopper, inspired by personal stories and pop culture touchstones. Working alongside a team of automotive magicians known as “The Car Pool,” the two superfans will create their designs in high-tech, decked-out garages. The winner of each episode will take home $25,000 and the chance to get into the finale where three lucky finalists will transform another car in hopes of winning a legendary prize – an additional $50,000 and the honor of having their design made into an official Hot Wheels die-cast car.

Season 15 of American Ninja Warrior returns with the most elite athletes in the country competing on the world’s most difficult obstacle courses. Hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila, along with co-host Zuri Hall, are back to call the action as the ninjas make their way through the qualifying and semifinal rounds in Los Angeles before moving to the national finals in Las Vegas. With the biggest changes in show history, Season 15 will challenge the ninjas to race side-by-side and head-to-head across a high-stakes course with a spot in the national finals on the line. Additionally, the Mega Wall is even taller than before at 18½ feet and, for the first time ever, ninjas will need to complete all six obstacles in a designated time in order to earn a shot at the $10,000 prize. A top prize of $1 million will go to the winner who can conquer all four stages at the national finals.

From the producers of NBC’s hit drama Chicago Fire comes LA Fire & Rescue, a new docuseries offering unprecedented access to the inner workings of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Responsible for protecting the lives and property of four million residents living in 59 cities across Los Angeles County, the LACoFD’s 2,300 square miles of service is unlike any other in the United States. From helicopter mountain rescues and lifeguard beach SOS, to fireboats, hazmat units and California’s raging wildfires, the department does it all. The series documents real calls and real drama while giving faces to the passionate fire firefighters who risk their lives in the name of service. These real-life heroes and their compelling stories are told alongside the unpredictable dangers they face on the front lines of life and death.