[SoBelle0]

Okay - I'm new to American Chopper... but am soo loving these guys. They are funny, and annoying, and building something about which I have no preconceived notion or knowledge.

Couldn't believe there wasn't already a thread about 'em. But, I just started watching this show during the repeats... and am noticing that the new shows don't have quite the same flavor. Did I miss something?

Paulie is the hottest, but Vance is the most real. Sr. just seems to yell a lot. And Mikey is most certainly the 'stabilizer' for the family. Can anyone fill me in on what I've been missing - or what's gone on with this show?

ps: their commercials for 7-11, Lance's show, etc. make me stop FFing... not a bad marketing ploy in my book.

 

[SR2]

You've missed about 3 years worth. The best place to catch up is their message board and info page and discovery.com.

I enjoyed it for a lot of the same reasons as you, but it also got real old after a while. Those shows (American Hot Rod, Overhaulin, etc.) also rely on the fake deadlines as the "antagonist," or one of them anyway, and that also wears thin.

That said, now I only watch new episodes and wait until they are on Discovery HD. I still enjoy the actual building of motorcycles (or Hot Rods) so I still enjoy the show overall.

 

[Mr. Soze]

I used to like it but it got old for me too.
Bike is behind schedule. Sr. yells at Paulie. Lots of goofing around with their
new expensive (sell-out) toys. Yawn.

It really makes me miss Indian Larry.

 

[SR2]

Lots of goofing around with their
new expensive (sell-out) toys.

Let's see -- small-time bike shop gets a show, makes it big, gets paid for its business, so that makes them "sell outs"?

Yes, that makes sense.

99% of the time "sell out" = financial success.

 

[jones07]

This show is so old...................Time to move on

American Chopper in HD..................Oh Please

 

[Satchel]

The thing that's changed is they stopped making arbitrary deadlines so Paul Sr. would have something to yell about...

 

[SR2]

The thing that's changed is they stopped making arbitrary deadlines so Paul Sr. would have something to yell about...

Deadlines are still there, maybe less emphasized on a couple projects. That is the common theme on all these shows to create much of the tension.

A major issue is that they have now gone to "Best of" compilations and specials like the "Mikey as Himself" I just saw on the guide. I have no use for these but it was inevitable.

I think the shelf life of Chopper and Hot Rod, and similar shows, is quickly expiring. Shows like that were definitely a great idea but there is really nowhere to go after 3-4 years.

 

[SeanC]

I've been watching for 2 years now, I still find Sr. raging away to be hysterical.

When it stops being funny, I'll stop watching.

 

[Rkkeller]

I watch the show but only in HD and still enjoy it. It does get old at times but I like to watch the bikes come together and some of their great designs.


Rich

 

[KRS]

I still watch, but I think the show took a major turn for the worse when they moved out of the old location. The "jump the shark" moment for me was when Sr. smashed up the shop with his Ford Excursion, destroying it in the process. They also ruined a new leather couch by throwing it through a window - you could tell that Rick and Vinnie were a little disgusted as well. I don't think they "sold out" - more like they got too much money to really care.

 

[Lee L]

Well, a ******* with money is still a *******. I know a few ******** so it's okay.

 

[jsmeeker]

I still watch, but I think the show took a major turn for the worse when they moved out of the old location. The "jump the shark" moment for me was when Sr. smashed up the shop with his Ford Excursion, destroying it in the process. They also ruined a new leather couch by throwing it through a window - you could tell that Rick and Vinnie were a little disgusted as well. I don't think they "sold out" - more like they got too much money to really care.

IIRC, they have always been smashing up stuff just for the heck of it. Nothing really new.

I'm happy the show has brought them success. I'm not a big motorcylce guy, but I find the bikes built by other builders on the other bike build shows to be much, much cooler than the "stick some stuff on a stock frame" theme bikes they build. Sure, some of them turn out pretty cool, but it's still usually about sticking stuff onto a more or less "standard" bike than it is coming up with a really interesting design.

 

[KRS]

IIRC, they have always been smashing up stuff just for the heck of it. Nothing really new.

They do like smashing things, true, but to total a $40,000+ SUV just for fun seems absurd. Before that, the biggest thing they wrecked (that I can recall) was Mikey's old POS car.

 

[jsmeeker]

They do like smashing things, true, but to total a $40,000+ SUV just for fun seems absurd. Before that, the biggest thing they wrecked (that I can recall) was Mikey's old POS car.

he did dumb crap with his SUV before. There was a time when the bumper got banged up. So, he hooked a chain to it, hooked the other end to another car, and ripped it off.

 

[SparkleMotion]

Let's see -- small-time bike shop gets a show, makes it big, gets paid for its business, so that makes them "sell outs"?

No...THIS makes them sell-outs:

Too much of a good thing. Used to look forward to it...now I delete them to open up TiVo space.

 

[SR2]

No...THIS makes them sell-outs:

Too much of a good thing. Used to look forward to it...now I delete them to open up TiVo space.

OK -- so making more money through endorsements is "selling out."
Yeah....

 

[DaveyG]

I'm happy the show has brought them success. I'm not a big motorcylce guy, but I find the bikes built by other builders on the other bike build shows to be much, much cooler than the "stick some stuff on a stock frame" theme bikes they build. Sure, some of them turn out pretty cool, but it's still usually about sticking stuff onto a more or less "standard" bike than it is coming up with a really interesting design.

Yeah, the bikes on Biker Buildoff are much more innovative. This show is fun, but the bike on Buildoff are just awesome. Definitely check that show out SoBelle. It was a series of specials in the beginning, but they made a longer series of them this year.

 

[SoBelle0]

No...THIS makes them sell-outs:

Too much of a good thing. Used to look forward to it...now I delete them to open up TiVo space.

No way... they've got a game! Now, that's really funny.

But, I must say - I'm still enjoying the show. 1) Paulie's HOT - 2) Mikey's hysterical - 3) Vance is as cool as a cuke - and 4) Sr's a mess... and who doesn't love a mess.

Mostly catching repeats, but, I'll keep watching until their humour wears sour for me. But, for now - I'm enjoying these guys immensely .

 

[Frank_M]

I only watch it in HD now, but I do still find it funny/interesting. The incident with the shock pen is funny no matter how many times you've seen it.

I'd be interested in having a camera follow junior when he "disappears" for a few hours at a time. Might be a whole new show!

 

[KRS]

he did dumb crap with his SUV before. There was a time when the bumper got banged up. So, he hooked a chain to it, hooked the other end to another car, and ripped it off.

Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that one, but didn't that start out with an accidental fender bender. Still, the intentional demolition of the old shop with his SUV was too much for me and was my personal shark moment. I still watch all the new episodes though.

The fact that they have a PS2 game is no reason to call them sellouts.

The fact that their PS2 game is a steaming pile of doo-doo shows they either don't care or they don't have control over the license (more likely).