American Chopper — a solid rebuild
Posted by: car shows / Category: Car Related TV / Movies
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Television has a long and not very proud history of revamping canceled shows. Such short-lived series as “After MASH” and “Golden Palace” suggest that it’s usually better to let dead dogs lie.
TLC canceled its reality series “American Chopper” in February after six seasons, then announced in April that the series would be returning under the new title “American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior.”
The revamped show is more appealing than one might expect, with a new dynamic that doesn’t feel like an afterthought. Viewers who enjoyed the previous version’s combination of mechanical skills and family dysfunction should be satisfied.
The season premiere, airing this Thursday, Aug. 12, at 9 p.m., brings us up to speed: Paul Teutul Sr., who runs a custom motorcycle shop in upstate New York called Orange County Choppers (OCC), has fired his son Paul Jr., who has turned around and sued him over the 20 percent of the shop he owns.
Paul Sr. claims that his son was spoiled, disrespectful and lazy. The younger Paul claims that his father was impossible to please and that his 20 percent is worth more than nothing, which is what his father is offering him.
The current season, three episodes of which were made available for review, focuses on the family’s legal and personal squabbles, on OCC’s business of creating and building cool bikes and on Paul Jr.’s attempts to start his own custom motorcycle company, Paul Jr. Designs.
