American Pickers

American Pickers is an American reality television series that premiered on January 18, 2010 on History Channel. The series began running concurrently on sister channel Lifetime in December 2010.

Ratings

The series debuted on January 18, 2010. The premiere episode of American Pickers produced 3.1 million total viewers, making it the highest rated History channel debut since Ice Road Truckers in 2007.

Season 2 debuted on June 7, 2010. The September 8, 2010 episode "Laurel & Hardy", which garnered ratings as high as 5.3 million viewers in the 25-54 adult class. As of that episode, the show retained the title of #1 new non-fiction series of 2010 among total viewers and adults 25-54.

Summary

The show follows Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, as they travel around the greater Midwestern United States as well as the eastern and southern U.S. in a Mercedes Sprinter, buying antiques and collectibles. They work with Danielle Colby-Cushman, who runs the office of their business, Antique Archaeology, from their home base in Le Claire, Iowa. While Danielle researches potential leads, Mike and Frank attempt to track down potential sellers on the road.

Wolfe and Fritz explore people's homes, barns, sheds, and other outbuildings, and other places where they have collected antiques and collectibles. They call upon casual collectors, hoarders and, occasionally, people who have inherited overwhelming collections of apparent junk. Wolfe, who has been "picking" since age four, has a particular interest in antique motorcycles, old bicycles and penny-farthings, while Fritz has a fondness for antique toys, antique oil cans, and old Hondas. They have purchased old advertisements and commercial signage, film posters, a rare 15-gallon visible gasoline pump, and a Piaggio Ape that one of their friends told them is probably the only one of its kind in North America.

Season 2 premiered June 7, 2010.