American Pickers

[cola62]

Anyone see the new American Pickers last night?  It was strange.  They were offered a $60,000 (10%) commission to fly to Italy to buy a rare car for a guy for $600,000.  They get there and the guy doesn't want to sell the car.  So now they are out the commission and all the expenses they paid to get to Italy.   I know its all fantasy but who fly's halfway around the world to buy something without checking with the seller to see if he really is willing to sell.  In this case the guys father who really owned the car said he wouldn't sell at any price.  For me, these story lines they make up just make the shows seem stupid.   

[Jacko1070]

Yeah.....seemed a little weird to travel 1/2 way around the world with no info on seller at all, and who the hell was that translator?  Seemed like a better drinking buddy than negotiator, half the time he forgot who he was working for.  To even step foot on a plane without knowing where in the negotiation stage they were was a real rookie move, so they're a combination of one of three 1) too trusting 2) morons 3) fake.........all three make for good TV but they really came off as a couple of rubes........"Lucky" they were able to track down that rare bike though!!

[Pixel]

I'm convinced all those shows are fake. Watch carefully, they reek of over-production. I'd say these shows are more heavily produced than regular TV.

[bcharlton]

I have determined that there is more "reality" going on with the original Star Trek episodes.  Don't watchem anymore.

BC

[BONOVOX]

Can we all agree that this is where Amrican Pickers has "Jumped The Shark"?

 

[genudoc]

Of course it is fake
My friend was on one episode and they did this big thing about "freestyling" and finding him
The site was scouted, there for 1 week, loaded stuff in van then took it out and put it in a ryder truck

How could it make sense for them to drive 1000 miles and buy $200 bucks worth of stuff

And those stupid waves goodbye after they rip the people off- Ahhhhhh

[bcharlton]

Ed,

Great analogy "jumped the shark"  the end of one of my all time favorite shows  "Happy Days".  I am really disappointed in the show.  It was good for a while.

Brian

[HowDueYouDue]

Technically its not jumping the shark if you dont come down - Supernatural

[SIGNGUY]

The Term has been stated already.. "Over Produced".

every Tv show is produced, and these shows have to be produced to keep them interesting.

Other things come to mind,  Fishing shows, and Pro Wrestling.

Do you really think they catch that many fish and the quantity in the 30 minutes the show lasts.. and wrestling, sure it's all set up , but it still takes some skill to pull off the moves.

imagine if they didn't produce this stuff,, the shows would get really boring fast just following the guys around and one out of 15 stops they make they find an unique item..

so watch them knowing that they are taking a concept,  "Picking" which does exist and people have been doing it for Many Many years before a TV show came along, and they are enhancing it to make it more watchable..

same with fishing, we've all done it but who is going to watch a fishing show where they catch one fish..  and lets face it .. regular greko style or whatever you call it is kinda boring, more entertaining when you jump off the top turnbuckle with a chair!

[BONOVOX]

John, good points.

I like the wrestling analogy (my  friend is a WWE wrestler now for almost 7 years.... Santino Marella) and yes it's fake, but they get injured more than real athletes do believe it or not.
But like wrestling, we all know these shows are fake, but we like watching for the things they show (divas lol) and the rare items they may dig up here and there.

Brian... I didn't think many here would catch my Happy Days reference lol.  I guess that shows our age 

I must admit that I like watching American Pickers... but I have to watch it alone as my wife can't stand the way Mike talks about RUSTY GOLD, or watch Frank buy another toy, oil can or chainsaw sign lol.

 

[Pixel]

I've pretty much decided the values on Antiques Roadshow are often inflated.

This stuff bound to impact the target market. I've seen ads on craigslist for "Alabama Pickers" or something like that.

Is this where people are getting the idea that a mostly functional but about 70% complete square top in unrestored condition is worth $600? 

[Kilroy]

Yes

[SodaShopNick]

Funny "jumped the shark" episode is getting mentioned.  I was trying to explain that saying to my 13 year old son the other day and as I explained it we were scrolling through the TV guide and we happened upon that exact episode of Happy Days right before the Fonz (in his leather jacket) jumped the shark!!!!

[GreenMo]

... yes and yet we continue to tune in

[Creighton]

Spend half the time spent watching TV mending something. Be amazed at what projects will get done.
Creighton

[rayg]

Thank God for the DVR!!!

[davethebirdman]

I watch Pickers for what's in the background rather than what they actually pick...

[sodaworks]

Wrestling is Fake? Are you serious? Haha. I have a buddy that I race vintage MX with. He was a 2 time world tag team champion with Jimmy "super fly" Snooka back in the day. My buddies name is JT Southern. JT was asked if wrestling was fake at one of our nationals. His response was that wrestling is in the "entertaining business" but that you can also get seriously hurt.

[BONOVOX]

lol.... I play wrestle with my 6 year old son.... he is always Macho Man (because I gave him my macho man figure when I was  a kid)... and me?  I am always Jimmy Superfly.
I still remember to this day how upset I was when I saw the Superfly pile driven onto the concrete and they took him away on a stretcher.  Oh the horror!

OOOOOOO yea,,......... DIG IT!

[Creighton]

Don't recall names but seems there was a stand up comedy clown that thought it was fake. Got his neck broke testing that theory. Had K's in his name.

Saw Andre the Giant and the rest of the show a few times in the midwest. Must have been miserable performing in nowhere for nothing. They all took time before and after the show to sign autographs/ pic's whatever.

Illegal body toss over the top rope. He hit that concrete floor hard.
Up now. He's grabbed a folding chair and is coming back into the ring...
Great times.

Creighton

[Larry]

Andy Kaufman was the comedian and that happened on David Letterman.  The wrestler was the King Jerry Lawler.  It all started when Andy was wrestling women.

I was watching the Man on the Moon movie about Andy Kaufman and it seemed that him and Lawler were friends and this was just a stunt.  I don't know if it was real or not.

I remember Andy Kaufman appearing on a Dick Van Dyke comedy hour back in the seventies doing Elvis.  That was funny.  It was before Taxi and he had that Latka voice when he talked and then sang like Elvis.  Very funny.

[cola62]

Yes Andy was very talanted and a master at setting people up and everyone thinking it was for real.

[BONOVOX]

Here he is on Johnny Carson doing Elvis...... simply a great performance!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r59AWfhwpPg