American Pickers has been a long-running reality show since 2010. Over the years, the series has taken viewers all over the country, exploring vast collections in barns, homes, and estates. Originally, the show was hosted by Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, and it seemed set to stay that way until health problems led to Fritz’s firing in 2021.

Following the show’s replacement of Fritz with a new co-host, Mike’s brother Robbie Wolfe, fans did not stay silent in their disapproval. The last season of American Pickers saw low ratings, low views, and angry fans. It seemed that American Pickers might be done for good. A new season for 2022 debuted in July, but the new episodes didn’t air for long before the low views made the History Channel pull the new season off the air.

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With so many reality TV shows to choose from, will American Pickers be able to regain its footing on the network?

American Pickers Adds a New Co-Host

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While the show has had a rough time recently, it seems like new content is currently being filmed across the U.S. There are reports of American Pickers filming in Oregon, North Carolina, South Carolina, and even New York City. With all these reports coming out in the latter half of 2022, it seems American Pickers is shooting footage for a future season. However, with fans still upset at Frank’s firing from the show, it seems unclear if American Pickers will continue with its current cast.

With season 23 falling short of the series’ typical 20-episode seasons, with only 14 new ones released, the future of American Pickers is uncertain. While season 24 is yet to be announced by the History Channel, if the Pickers are traveling to shoot in cities around the country now, it seems there will be some kind of new American Pickers content available soon. Whether that’s a new season, streaming content, or a new show entirely, we’ll have to wait to find out. Newest co-star Robbie Wolfe teased that season 24 would be coming out sometime in January 2023, so perhaps we’ll see more Robbie and Mike seasons after all.

Rumors of Bad Blood Between Fritz and Wolfe

American Pickers has had quite a few controversies in recent years. In 2020, co-star Frank Fritz suffered a back injury that would worsen over time. Fritz last appeared on American Pickers in March 2020, just before he underwent surgery that required 185 stitches and 2 rods in his back. Following his surgery, Fritz’s health only worsened, leading to his firing from American Pickers, which was announced by co-star Mike Wolfe in 2021.

Fritz never quite recovered from the invasive procedure, and in July 2022, he was found in the midst of a stroke. Recently, a friend was instated as Frank’s guardian to assist with his medical needs and finances as he continues to recover. Fritz revealed details, as reported by The Sun:

Since the co-host’s firing from the show, fans have become increasingly upset with Mike Wolfe and the network’s decisions. American Pickers brought on Wolfe’s brother to continue the show, replacing Fritz. Fans’ reactions to this change were instant and devastating to the show’s ratings, and the trend has only continued downhill since.

A recent September 17th episode from season 23 only clocked in at 762,000 viewers – a number so low that the History Channel chose to stop airing the new episodes as scheduled. The channel has since continued airing the new season 23 episodes. However, with fans still upset about Fritz’s firing and reports that Mike Wolfe hadn’t spoken to Fritz in two years at the time, the future of American Pickers seems uncertain.

What Comes Next for American Pickers?

There are many factors at play that could determine the future of American Pickers. With Frank Fritz no longer able to return to the show and fans continuing to boycott due to his firing, American Pickers is in a tough spot. If rumors of season 24 coming in January 2023 are true, the show will likely try to continue with new co-star Robbie Wolfe beside his brother. However, if American Pickers’ ratings continue to nosedive, it seems uncertain how long the network will continue airing the show.

Perhaps audiences want a new series with new hosts now that Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe’s days together are over. Or perhaps the newest season will convince fans to give Robbie Wolfe a chance to improve. The rise in popularity of docuseries could also push the Pickers in a different tonal direction. Whatever comes next, we’re sure that American Pickers will have more fun antiquing road trips to come. The show is still a uniquely formatted reality TV show, diverging from the format Antiques Roadshow established by going directly to the collections themselves. American Pickers is a fun series and has been beloved for almost thirteen years, and we don’t see it disappearing for good any time soon.