For months, American Pickers fans have been trying to figure out whether the long-running History series would quietly end with one final season. The show has been through a lot in recent years, from major cast changes to the death of former co-host Frank Fritz, and past comments from the cast made it seem like the picking era might be winding down on The History Channel. Now, Mike Wolfe appears to have put some of that speculation to rest.

Mike Wolfe Shared A Big Update After Final Season Rumors

In a new Instagram post, Wolfe shared a video highlighting international versions of the American Pickers format, including clips from other “pickers” shows worldwide. The video itself was a fun reminder that the series grew far beyond one van, one shop and one corner of American roadside history. But the bigger news came in Wolfe’s caption, where he confirmed that the team would be start filming a new season of American Pickers soon. As for when production will begin, Wolfe says:

That is a pretty important update, especially after previous comments suggested the show’s future might be uncertain. Earlier this year, Wolfe shared a touching throwback post looking back on the early days of the series with Fritz, and the timing fueled rumors that American Pickers could be approaching its final season. Before that, Danielle Colby had also hinted that they had heard “Pickers is done,” leaving the whole thing in a weird kind of TV limbo.

American Pickers Became Bigger Than Expected

One of the more interesting parts of Wolfe’s Instagram post was his focus on how far the format has traveled. He mentioned the Irish, Italian, Australian and Canadian versions of Pickers, noting that each uses found objects to tell its country’s history. That may be the best argument for why American Pickers has lasted this long. The show is not just about buying old stuff. At its best, it is about the strange emotional charge of objects people refuse to throw away.

Wolfe has also been navigating a season of major personal and professional change. In 2025, he and his girlfriend, Leticia Cline, were involved in a crash while riding in one of his classic cars. Wolfe reportedly suffered minor injuries, while Cline was hospitalized with a broken jaw and other injuries that required a long recovery. She has shared parts of that process online, making it clear the aftermath was difficult for both of them.

Professionally, Wolfe has been making moves beyond the main American Pickers series. He closed his Antique Archaeology store in Nashville and has also been tied to other 2026 TV schedule programming for History, including History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe. So, even amid the uncertainty surrounding American Pickers, Wolfe never seemed fully out of History's orbit.

So, is American Pickers ending on History? Based on Wolfe’s post, it would seem there are miles of road left to explore, with a few more barns, and the original show is not being packed away and set for the graveyard of canceled TV shows. After 17 years, the road apparently still has a few more barns, garages and strange little treasure caves left to open.

A few weeks ago, amidst rumors that American Pickers may be ending its storied run on History, veteran host Mike Wolfe posted a throwback to his early days out in the trenches with Frank Fritz. Years after the events in this post, Fritz tragically passed amidst health issues leading to a guardianship, rumors of a feud with Mike Wolfe and reported substance abuse struggles. Despite the drama, the post we got a few days ago was nothing but loving and tender about the time when the two were just getting started, and now Wolfe wants to set the record straight about the relationship with his longtime road tripping partner.

In a candid new interview, the reality star didn’t hold back about the troubles he saw his co-star facing daily on set before his exit from Pickers. However, if there’s one thing he wants the fans to know about Frank and him, it’s this:

Though rumors said they'd been feuding, we’d seen hints the two had made up before Fritz's death. Reports prior to his passing noted he and Wolfe had met and reconciled. The reality star also spoke with The Daily Mail about those final meetings with his American Pickers co-star.

Following his exit from American Pickers, Frank Fritz was candid in the press about his struggles with substance abuse issues. He told outlets at the time he’d gone to rehab to get sober, and was addressing other health issues, including some stuff with his back. Wolfe says now that wasn’t the whole picture however, stating:

Unfortunately, a stroke ultimately led Fritz to more health problems, and the beef he allegedly had with Mike Wolfe grew for a time after Wolfe allegedly leaked his medical information. It’s good the two were able to reconcile before his death, and it’s clear from Danielle Colby’s recent posts it was all love in the end, but the way things ultimately played out is still heartbreaking for everyone involved.

Darren Aronofsky has been one of my favorite filmmakers ever since a friend introduced me to Requiem for a Dream in high school and pretty much changed my life. Though I haven’t loved all of his movies as much as others (Noah quickly comes to mind), I’ve genuinely vibed with what he’s put out. Coming off the high that was the oddly enjoyable Caught Stealing, I was excited to see what the acclaimed and visionary director had coming up next. Then I saw the trailer for his new AI-generated Revolutionary War series, On This Day… 1776.

Wait, is this a joke? Is this Super Bowl commercial for Google’s DeepMind AI division? No, I’m afraid not. Now I’m concerned. The more I read about it, the more concerned I get. I’m not saying I’m going full John Connor over here waging war on Skynet or something, but there could be some major ramifications for art and pop culture if this takes off.

I Thought It Was A Joke, Or A Commentary On Those AI Slop Videos

Spend enough time on Instagram, TikTok, or any other major social media platform, and you’ll be bombarded with countless AI-generated historical videos depicting life in ancient Egypt, the Middle Ages, or the Industrial Revolution. At first, I thought this was going to be some biting commentary on those videos or at least the societal and environmental concerns of AI use in today’s world.

I mean, Aronofsky has shown time and time again over the years that he doesn’t pull punches when he’s commenting on something, and honestly, I thought On This Day… 1776 was going to be that. Instead, it’s a real series about the Revolutionary War and the founding fathers depicted with AI-generated visuals and voice-acting from SAG-AFTRA union actors. A lot is going on here.

What If This Takes Off? What Does That Mean For The Industry?

One of my biggest problems with this project, besides the aforementioned environmental and societal concerns, is the fact that having a big name like Darren Aronofsky pushing this type of content is legitimizing it. I’m honestly afraid people will see this, see Aronofsky’s name attached to it, and think that maybe this type of series is okay. It’s not. I have a problem with random content creators making this type of stuff, but that pales in comparison to the impact of one of the most well-respected filmmakers of our time doing it.

I just have to ask… what does this mean for the industry if it takes off and people accept it? It’s great that the director and Time Studios, which is distributing each episode, hired SAG-AFTRA union actors to voice our founding fathers, but this feels like the industry is co-signing on the premise when it could potentially put film crews and animators out of work. Call me old-fashioned, say I’m afraid of AI tech, and think I’m getting worked up over nothing. I just don’t have a good feeling about this.

I very well could be overthinking this situation and freaking myself out about the ramifications of AI technology in the entertainment industry, but I just can't shake this feeling. Now I have to see if the show is any good...

It’s hard to believe American Pickers has been on the air for more than 15 years. It’s gone through changes over time, with a public back-and-forth leading Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz to break up the duo in 2021. (The former reality star tragically passed away in 2024 after years of declining health reports.) Now, we may be nearing the end of the History Channel original series in general, and Wolfe is looking back at the beginning.

The reality star shared a throwback post to the early days on American Pickers complete with a caption that paid homage to the work he’d put in with Frank. It was touching, but also played into those final season cancellation rumors that have been running around.

Wolfe spoke fondly of the “great team” they employed at the beginning and how they were only able to create the success they did after History handed them “the ball” and they “took it over the finish line together.” His comments are bittersweet now that we’ve lost Frank and now that television in general – not just Pickers – is moving into a new era.

The timing is also especially important. A while back, Danielle Colby hinted that the era of American Pickers may be coming to an end. In December of 2025, Wolfe’s partner in picking said they’d found out “Pickers is done” and felt they were at an “epic crossroads” of sorts. History Channel has not confirmed the show is officially done at this point, and said new episodes could be produced at some point. Thus, things have been left in limbo, though the tone of this post has me feeling like change is afoot.

It’s been a long year for Mike Wolfe outside of any professional developments. Back in September, he and his girlfriend Leticia Cline were out for a joy ride in one of his classic cars when they were hit by a drunk driver who Cline has said was out “on probation.” He suffered minor injuries, but she was hospitalized with a broken jaw and other injuries that took months to recover from. While she’s been candid about her journey on social media, it’s also been clear it’s been a hard year for the couple to endure.

In this time, Wolfe has made changes, closing his famous Antique Archaeology shop in Nashville and picking up some additional work. He’s set to host History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe, which will hit the 2026 TV schedule on Sunday, February 22 at 9 ET. So, the man’s definitely not done with the cabler. He also recently landed another acting role while Pickers is off the schedule. So, he has stuff in the pipeline.

All good things must come to an end, and if American Pickers does go the way of the dinosaur, it leaves behind a lasting legacy of hobbyism, history and camaraderie, highlighting the open road and the cool ways so many Americans hang onto things that otherwise might get lost to Mother Time. I’m grateful Mike and Frank got the ball rolling all those years ago.

And hey, if it lands in the graveyard of cancelled TV shows there’s always more than 400 episodes of reruns.

Several months after we lost American Pickers’ Frank Fritz, the show’s other longtime host Mike Wolfe admitted he got into a bad car accident. He was driving in a vintage vehicle with his girlfriend Leticia Cline in Columbia Tennessee when things went south, but the good news is that he and Cline seem as if they will be OK. His car on the other hand? Not so much.

Taking to social media on the evening of Saturday, September 13th, Wolfe admitted that he and Cline had been driving in Columbia, TN when the accident occurred. Wolfe didn’t get into specifics about what happened with himself and Cline, but he did share a message with his 587,000 Instagram followers, writing:

He went on to call it a “rough nite” and show off what looked to be the aftermath picture of the vintage car he and Leticia had been driving when the accident went down. If the real deal, the crumpled hood and general terrible shape the car is in really puts the accident into perspective.

Wolfe’s longtime pal Robby Klein also wrote about the accident, joking “And that was the last time [Mike Wolfe] saw his Impala.” (To note: Wolfe is into cool Hollywood cars and has shared nighttime driving views from varying Impalas, including 1960 and 1958 versions of the car on social media in the past.) If his pal is cracking jokes about the state of the car, that’s actually probably a positive, as it should mean the two individuals are truly on the mend.

Older cars often have a bit of a bad reputation. Despite being large, heavy and made of steel, they lack the safety features most modern cars have, including things like airbags. (Depending on the age, also sometimes seatbelts.) While beautiful and fun to ride, I’m super grateful they made it through OK and were able to update the fans.

After spending "20 years" on television, Wolfe has more recently taken a step back from American Pickers to focus on other projects, including a new TV show and a movie with Leticia Cline. Though Season 27 still hit the 2025 TV schedule this summer, the break has mostly seemed to be nice for the longtime reality star, at least until this week's social media post.

I'm glad the couple is fine, but my heart definitely goes out to Mike Wolfe for losing one of his vintage babies, as the blue car he posted about sure does look like it was a beaut.

Despite the fact much was made about a feud between American Pickers’ team and Frank Fritz, Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby spent time with the former reality star before his death at 60. The History star passed away nearly two years after a stroke had left him under the care of a guardianship, but he’d left behind a slew of fans within the television community, and he'd reportedly reconnected with his co-stars before his death.

Pickers' organizer and office manager Danielle Colby was recently asked about missing Fritz in an interview, and mostly harped on his “sharp” sense of humor, calling it the “important piece of his personality” throughout his life. It was clear they miss their former co-star.

He wasn’t just funny, either. From the sounds of things, Fritz could be very personable and could be very honest and open with the people he loved most in a way Colby calls “vulnerable.” He loved picking more than most other things, and before his death fans wondered if he would get back into the game again.

Unfortunately, after a stroke in 2022, that was no longer possible. But it's worth mentioning the reality star left behind some strong memories and impressions. Colby told Newsweek more about what the hardest part about no longer having Frank around has been, noting,

Fritz passed away in October of 2024, which means we are approaching the one-year anniversary of his passing. It's a "huge loss" for those he made an impact on.

The Similar Comment Mike Wolfe Made Earlier This Year

Earlier this year, Mike Wolfe also reflected on his longtime co-star’s death, noting it had been a rough few months for himself and his work family, and writing that he was trying to keep up the good vibes.

Time passes quickly. It's hard to believe it's already been nearly a year since Frank Fritz left us. It's been four years since the reality star was fired from American Pickers (though not by his own choice), and a new amalgamation of the show on History was born. Life is complicated, but it's clear from Colby and co.'s comments that the former reality star left an indelible mark on them, both from a personal and professional standpoint.

Since it began in 2010, American Pickers has become one of the most dependable reality TV shows on the air, and the artifact-seeking series will reach and top 400 episodes when Season 27 arrives. Host Mike Wolfe has been at the forefront the entire time, with Frank Fritz co-hosting for the bulk of those years until his firing in 2021 and eventual death in December 2024. The show’s consistent production cycle will soon come to an end, at least temporarily.

American Pickers’ cast and crew are set to enjoy their first big filming hiatus since the show kicked off all those years ago, and it sounds like something that was well-earned. Speaking with People, Wolfe addressed the upcoming break, which is set to kick off in the summer after Pickers wraps filming its twenty-seventh season (which will likely arrive later during the 2025 TV schedule). Here’s how the host put it:

If anyone can tell me the quickest way to guarantee a four- or five-month break from work without any permanent damage or loss of income, please reach out. Just don't tell my bosses first.

While it doesn't sound like American Pickers is going on break because its on-screen talent is too exhausted to go on, Mike Wolfe did acknowledge that he's not a spring chicken. But while some might have expected him to slow down at this point in his career, he addressed that getting older has made him open up to taking on projects outside of his comfort zone. In his words:

That's right. Wolfe, who previously cameoed in an episode of NCIS, took a few acting lessons from Billy Zane for the new action-western Day of Reckoning, which was released on March 28, co-starring Zach Roerig and Wolfe's own girlfriend Letitia Cline. And it was just earlier in that same month when History Channel announced its newest unscripted series to be headed up by the Pickers. mainstay.

Mike Wolfe Talks New Show History's Greatest Picks

While it's not clear when fans can expect to see Mike Wolfe in another show with the base word "Pick" in the title, it seems like he was more eager to say yes to this project now than he would have been had the offer come up earlier in his career. In fact, he says that he's been asked about plenty of other projects that he inevitably turned down, with the justification that he was "overwhelmed" with American Pickers.

Of course, the new show does have somewhat similar DNA to Wolfe's core series, with segments that focus on specific artifacts from the recent and distant past, which does help to keep things centered. Wolfe talked about agreeing to the new project, and why fans can expect, saying:

We can assume that at least some of the producers behind the scenes of American Pickers are hard at work setting up the next wave of finds, even if some of the show's segments aren't planned out far in advance.

In the meantime, while waiting for Season 27 to arrive, past episodes of American Pickers can be streamed with a Hulu subscription (5 seasons), a Netflix subscription (1 season), an Amazon Prime subscription (2 seasons), on Pluto TV (3 seasons) or the Roku Channel (8 seasons).

Movies and TV shows have been making drama out of historical events since the dawn of the business. Some of the best movies and TV shows of all time have focused on events that literally changed the world, like D-Day in Saving Private Ryan or the fall of the Roman Republic in Rome. This list is all about those projects and those important events. Take a read, you could even learn something like we did!

Braveheart

While Braveheart isn't the most historically accurate movie of all time, it does try to tell the true story of the Battle of Stirling Bridge. It was a huge turning point in the Scottish/English war. Ever since, many in Scotland have used it as a rallying point for independence.

Chernobyl

The 1986 nuclear meltdown of the power plant in Chernobyl, USSR (now Ukraine), was one of the most important and scariest events of the 1980s. There was already a fear of nuclear power, and the meltdown not only helped show just how technologically messed up the USSR was, but it was also used as a rallying cry by anti-nuke protestors in the West. The HBO miniseries from 2019 tells the amazing story in all its terrifying details and was pretty historically accurate.

Selma

It's hard to put into context just how important the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s in the US was historically, all over the world, not just in America. It's a movement that is impossible to tell the complete story of in one movie or TV show, but Selma does a great job in focusing on one of the most significant events of the movement.

The Passion of the Christ

Setting aside the politics of Mel Gibson's controversial The Passion of the Christ, there really isn't a more earth-shattering event than the crucifixion of Jesus. Even if you are a nonbeliever, there isn't a story ever told that has had such a profound effect on human history.

Oppenheimer

The winner of the 2024 Oscar for Best Picture (and a bunch more), Oppenheimer, tells the story of the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb and not only did it's terrifying effects help end World War II, but it cast a pall over the rest of the 20th Century as the USA and the USSR locked horns in the Cold War and an arms race that threatened to end the world.

Thirteen Days

During the Cold War, the closest it ever came to becoming a hot war was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a harrowing time, and had cooler heads not prevailed, things on this planet might be very different. Thirteen Days tells the story from inside the White House during that history-changing event.

Zero Dark Thirty

The hunt for Osama Bin Laden after 9/11 affected every corner of the globe, and for almost a decade, it was front-page news. Zero Dark Thirty takes audiences behind the scenes in that hunt, leading to his death in 2011. It's a fantastic movie and one that tells the story in a pretty accurate way, though, like many of these movies, it shouldn't all be taken as fact.

Waterloo

The Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th Century reshaped politics all over the globe. Obviously, the most acute effects were felt in Europe, but without them, the US wouldn't have made the Louisiana Purchase, so the long-ranging effects were all over. It all ended with the Battle of Waterloo, where the English and other European powers finally ended Napoleon's campaign to rule the world. The movie Waterloo is one of the best war movies ever made and is a must-see for history buffs.

The Right Stuff

In the mid-20th Century, as a biproduct of the Cold War, the US and the USSR found themselves racing each other to space. The Soviets won the race, but it wasn't because the US didn't make a valiant effort. The story of the Mercury Seven, the first Americans in space, is told wonderfully in The Right Stuff, with an all-star cast and based on a book by Tom Wolfe.

The Big Short

The 2008 financial meltdown had ripple effects all over the world. The largest economies in the world were brought to their knees due to the wild speculation and lawlessness of the US housing and stock markets. It's a completed series of events that led to the meltdown, and The Big Short does an incredible job of uncomplicating it.

Saving Private Ryan

The main story of Saving Private Ryan, the rescue of one soldier among millions, isn't what changed the world, but let's be honest, what most people remember first about the movie, the storming of Normandy Beach on D-Day, did certainly change it. World War II was essentially won in those days, though it would take almost another year for the war to finally come to a close.

Schindler's List

Like other movies here, Schindler's List takes on one of the most complicated and enormous stories in the history of humankind. It is impossible to tell the whole story, but Steven Spielberg's masterpiece doesn't have to tell the whole story to find the emotion and horror of the holocaust in his story about Oskar Schindler. It's a movie many can't watch more than once, but it's a movie everyone should see.

World Trade Center

For anyone alive in the late '90s and early 2000s, there was before 9/11, and there was after. Everything changed on that day, everywhere. It started wars that lasted decades and forever changed the way countries, especially the United States, handled security. So much changed that day that it's hard to put it into words, and Oliver Stone's focus on the events of the day in World Trade Center reminds us all of the horrors and the aftermath.

Dunkirk

World War II had a profound effect on everything that has come since. From the Cold War to the decolonization of Africa and Asia, it upended the whole world order. It's important to remember that it might have ended much differently had the evacuation of the British Army at Dunkirk not been as successful as it was, and Christopher Nolan's brilliant and engaging Dunkirk does an incredible job telling the story.

Band Of Brothers

HBO's iconic miniseries Band Of Brothers is a little bit of a cheat on this list, as it tells the events of a few important moments in World War II, including D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of The Bulge, but it belongs on this list as it does one of the best jobs of any movie or TV show telling the whole story of the last year of World War II.

Darkest Hour

Like Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, Darkest Hour tells the same story, or at least the same time, as the British evacuation from France at the beginning of World War II. Darkest Hour sees Churchill, played wonderfully by Gary Oldman, rallying the British public (and the politicians) to stay in the fight when the evacuation could've ended everything.

The Insider

This one might not seem so obvious, but the story told in The Insider changed a lot. Anyone who grew up in the 20th Century can tell you just how prevalent smoking cigarettes was. It was allowed everywhere and hardly discouraged by anyone. Jeffrey Wigand, played by Russell Crowe in the movie, blew the whistle on the whole tobacco industry and forever changed the public's perception of the habit, and that has changed everyday life for everyone.

Bridge Of Spies

Though it is just one story of many from the Cold War, Bridge of Spies, which is essentially about a prisoner exchange between East and West, does have a few moments in it that profoundly affected life in the world. Especially the scene when Tom Hanks' character travels from West Berlin to East and audiences see the early days of the Berlin Wall, and, in effect, the Iron Curtain in its most physical form.

All The President's Men

The Watergate Scandal might seem like a moment that only affected United States politics, but the ripple effects go much further. All The President's Men tells the story of the two reporters who broke the story and their work forever changed how politics are covered by the media not just in the US, but everywhere. It's one of the best movies about politics, covering a moment that changed the world.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Elizabeth: The Golden Age, the follow-up to Elizabeth, both starring Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth, is, honestly, a mess, historically. It's not a very good movie, either. However, it is one of the rare movies that depicts the Battle of Gravelines, when the English Navy defeated the Spanish Armada and the balance of power in Europe, and worldwide, changed forever.

From The Earth To The Moon

The exploration of space in the mid and late 20th Century affects everyone on earth. Where would we be without satellites, jet propulsion, or any of the other things we take for granted that are a result of the space race? The HBO miniseries From The Earth To The Moon is a great starting place to learn more about it.

JFK

Oliver Stone's conspiratorial JFK might not be the most historically accurate telling of the assassination of John F. Kennedy - or maybe it is, depending on your point of view - but it is the most in-depth discussion of one of the most consequential moments of the 20th Century.

Charlie Wilson's War

Like others on this list, Charlie Wilson's War doesn't seem like a movie portraying a moment that changed everything, but, of course, it did. The Tom Hanks movie shows the beginning of the USA's involvement with the Afghan mujahideen in their fight against the Soviets. There is a direct through-line from the collapse of the USSR, 9/11, and the USA's War on Terror that all began there.

The Death of Stalin

Sure, The Death of Stalin is a comedy, and a brilliant one at that, but the event it depicts, from the actual death of the brutal dictator Stalin to the internal battle for power it created, completely changed the direction of the Cold War, which would continue for another four decades after his death.

The Ten Commandments

It may be controversial to put Biblical movies on this list, depending on your belief system, but whether fable or true story, the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments has been something that changed the world more than maybe any other single story. Charlton Heston's starring role as Moses in The Ten Commandments is still one of the most beloved performances of all time in Hollywood.

The King's Speech

It's fair to say that this movie is a little heavy on World War II moments, but it's a war that has had a profound effect on everything that has come after it. The King's Speech isn't a war movie in a traditional sense, but it does tell a story that until it, was somewhat untold and that's how important King George VI's speech was for moral for the British and indeed, all the Allies in the war.

A Bridge Too Far

It's rare that a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster with a giant cast of legends like A Bridge Too Far tells the story of an infamous battle disaster like Operation Market Garden. Had the battle gone differently, as the British General Bernard Montgomery had intended with his plan, the war might have ended earlier, and who knows how that might have affected the rest of history.

Rome

The transition of Rome from a Republic led by its senate to an Empire led by a series of all-powerful emperors was a major turning point in Western culture and had profound effects on the historical development of Europe and, in effect, the world. That story, the rise of Caesar and the fall of the Republic, is told brilliantly in HBO's ill-fated, but still great, Rome.

Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi and his belief in non-violent opposition and protest brought the British Empire to its knees in India, just as is shown in the amazing movie simply Gandhi. Gandhi's approach has changed the way the world has tried to change the world and had a major influence on the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., and many others.

Midway

The War in the Pacific in World War II is not told as often as the War in Europe, but Midway, while not the greatest movie of all time, accurately (mostly) depicts the most important battle of that theater. It's a battle that reversed the Japanese aggression and, ultimately, led to the Allied victory.

Downfall

In a war full of consequential moments, maybe the most important moment came in that bunker in Berlin when Hitler did what no one else had been able to do: kill Hitler. Downfall is simply an incredible look inside the bunker and the last days of the war.

300

The profound effects of Greek culture on the Western world are well understood by anyone who has ever taken even the most basic history class in junior high. While 300 is more fantasy than reality, it does (kind of) tell the story of how the Greek culture survived when under literal attack from the East.

2024 was a huge year across the board for the entertainment industry, among many other facets of daily living, and many celebs have shared reflective thoughts about the past while keeping a hopeful outlook for the future. One such famed familiar is Mike Wolfe of American Pickers fame, who’d even started the year off by throwing back to the show’s early days alongside co-star Danielle Colby. To bring in 2025, however, Wolfe shared a more personal and heartfelt message with his fans and followers.

As many American Pickers fanatics are well aware, former co-host Frank Fritz died on September 30, 2024, three years after he left the show, but after he and Wolfe allegedly mended the fences from their reported feud that was partially sparked by Wolfe going public with news about Fritz’s stroke in 2022. And while that wasn’t the main point of the creator’s heartfelt post on Instagram, it was no doubt in the mix. Here's what he had to say alongside a photo of himself sitting back on a busted couch with a huge smile on his face:

It can be seen as inspiring that Mike Wolfe is taking the loss and heartbreak that played out in 2024, as well as hitting the benchmark of turning 60, and using that as an impetus to get closer than ever with his loved ones. As it's been said time and again, "You don't know what you've got until it's gone," and that's rarely more applicable than when talking about other people.

Obviously Mike Wolfe wasn't only impacted by grief-related moments in the past year, even if Fritz's death loomed large. American Pickers is currently in its 26th seasons on History, with new episodes hitting the 2025 TV schedule on Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET, which is a feat that Wolfe likely wouldn't have believed had he been told that right when the show kicked off back in 2010. And it's allowed him the chance to put his efforts into other projects that mean a lot to him, which will hopefully remain the case in years to come.

He continued his Instagram message by reflecting on Pickers' run and why it's continuted to make him embrace traveling across the country and setting up the show's big buys, saying:

Here's hoping 2025 is just as good to Mike Wolfe & Co. as 2024 was, just without any former or current colleagues passing away in the meantime. And it'd probably be good to avoid death hoaxes like the one Danielle Colby dealt with last year.

Gladiator II was a major highlight of the 2024 movie schedule, and had plenty of great interviews and content surrounding the sequel. The movie and its stars, including Denzel Washington, are rightfully getting acclaim for the epic blockbuster. One of the lighter, and incredibly wholesome, highlights for the actor-director is meeting none other than Snoop Dogg on the red carpet, and the footage says it all.

The video comes from ParamountUK’s Instagram account, and the exchange is enthusiastic, a great time that is long overdue. Amongst paparazzi, their respective loved ones in attendance and other stars the two seem like kids eagerly catching up after a long school break. There are quick compliments exchanged between the two legends and the video ends with a photo op. Check out their initial meeting down below:

It’s hard to believe these two entertainment veterans and overall icons have never met, although, it makes sense with their respective places within Hollywood. All the same, I’m glad their meeting took place at a public event and was recorded for all their fans to relish the moment. And with Washington’s thoughts about how he probably won’t be in the threequel, I’m all the happier to have the small and earnest moment on the premiere carpet. I don’t think this match could be topped with how fun it was for them to be meeting each other.

The Tragedy of Macbeth actor was recently ranked as one of 60 of the best performers of the 21st century (and fans have a lot to say about the rankings, of course). His latest Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Macrinus marks an important milestone for his career as well as Black performers. And the official announcement of Washington’s involvement with the latest Black Panther movie has him excited (and fans like me) for what’s ahead. This reaction he has when greeting the beloved rapper makes me appreciate him beyond his body of work.

The Old School actor’s reaction, big grin and all, when meeting the Gladiator II actor confirms my continued love for him. He’s had a year, between being a USA correspondent, torch bearer, and all-around hypeman for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics to his mini-summer tour and being a coach on The Voice, to name just a few. The two men meeting each other, in my opinion, is probably a great cap to end their respective years.

Whoever shot the footage should be awarded something special for capturing the enthusiastic hellos. Hopefully, down the road, we’ll catch some more sweet content and footage of Washington and Snoop Dogg together, maybe even at another red carpet event.

Gladiator II is now showing in theaters and available on VOD streaming services.

Ahead of American Pickers returning on the 2025 TV schedule, fan-favorite Danielly Colby turned 49 earlier this month, and her longtime partner in crime (or at least in picking) was there to celebrate the momentous occasion. Mike Wolfe took to social media to share a fun throwback with his longtime pal and co-worker, and their exchange did not disappoint.

In fact, when Colby hit her birthday milestone this month, Wolfe shared a sweet post and exchange with his co-star, and she’s even wearing what looks to be a vintage Antique Archaeology t-shirt. (Nice way to slide in some brand awareness dude.) You can check out the cool nod at their shared past, below, though it's worth noting this isn't the first time Mike Wolfe has shared a throwback post recently.

Danielle Colby responded in the comments, writing, ‘I love you brother, here’s to raising hell together 🔥🔥’ Her snarky pal quipped right back, ‘Is Hell a Boy or a Girl?’

It might seem like a goofy exchange, but as the picture evidence indicates, the two have known one another long before American Pickers ever hit the airwaves. (It’s now aired 26 seasons.) They have pretty much always had this sort of sassy relationship, as Colby has confirmed.

How Long Danielle Colby And Mike Wolfe Have Known One Another

Fascinatingly enough, Danielle Colby and Mike Wolfe actually met at a yard sale in Iowa and had an interaction in which she’s admitted she “liked his sass.” It’s something Mike confirmed in the comments on the birthday post, but this isn’t the first time either of them have spoken out about how they met. In fact, in the past we’ve learned the two were mulling over grabbing the same lamp and Wolfe got there first. She told Freshly Inked:

The longtime reality duo has been in the news lately after their third arm, Frank Fritz was fired from the History Channel series and subsequently suffered health issues that led to his death in 2024. The Pickers stars reportedly reconciled with Fritz before his passing.

Colby has said it’s complicated working with your friends on television, calling her own relationship with Mike Wolfe ‘happily dysfunctional.’ Her comments sort of tie in with the BTS drama that played out somewhat publicly over the past few years.

Working and being friends in real life can be a tough thing, but the show has endurance thanks to the attitudes of its cast. And hopefully that will continue as Colby inches toward the big 5-0 milestone.

It’s hard to believe Mike Wolfe began picking with his buddy Frank Fritz 20 years ago. At the time, all the filming was done by Wolfe rather than the crew that we’ve seen in BTS footage from American Pickers in recent years. Over time, those videos got traction and landed Wolfe and his road tripping buddy a series on the History Channel, which has been airing new episodes since 2010.

As one of the longer-running reality shows on television, American Pickers has made its way into the hearts of many, and Mike Wolfe isn’t taking that responsibility lightly. In a post for the 20th anniversary of his picking on camera, he spoke about the 500 episodes the show has produced so far, as well as getting back into the grind of things.

In the post, Wolfe also reflected on the “beauty and sadness” of this particular journey, which makes sense given the events of the past several months and the impact they’ve had on himself, the team at Pickers, and the fans.

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz weren’t on the best of terms in the years before his death at 60, though they’d reportedly reconciled during the summer of 2023. This was after Fritz was asked to leave American Pickers, and had a stroke which Wolfe was responsible for leaking to the press. During his last months, he’d been under a conservatorship, and his legal matters were frequently reported on before he passed away just shy of his 61st birthday.

Fritz and Wolf had grown up together. They were childhood friends and they grew the show together on television. But Wolfe recently shared with People that a battle with opioids after a back injury led Fritz into a bad state. He said he’d “fought really hard to get [him] into rehab,” and while Fritz said he went, ultimately his friend had chosen a different path. It was eventually the network who said the show needed to go on without their beloved co-star.

All of this doubtless makes Pickers' milestone a bit more complex to process, but it is a big deal for the long-running show and its fanbase, who have stuck with the History series through thick and thin. The fans really came out in support of the series in the comments, noting things they’ve loved about the series getting airtime over the years

• "This show has given all of us an incredible look into a way of life that few people knew existed."
• "Been watching since the first episode in 2010 me and my grandpa loved your guys show, he passed but I watch and think of him."
• "I hope everyone feels the same way I did growing up watching you all and I hope tons of people have a passion in getting out and exploring and chasing down things we think are cool, pieces of history hidden from existence and bringing back the memories and emotions with them. Always keep that fire burning chasing that dream!"
• "Thank you for bringing attention to all the cool things from our past. It has helped my business and help save lots of history."

It’s honestly a big week for milestones for Wolfe, who also turned 60 this week. His team celebrated with a post on one of his beloved bikes and his team called him the “bossman” in that post.

A new season of American Pickers is about to start filming. It’s unclear what episodes milestone the reality series will ultimately get to, but it certainly seems as if there are many roads left to explore.

Celebrity death hoaxes are weirdly a pretty common occurrence in Hollywood. However, they often impact people who are a little bit older. For example, I’ve been on the Internet myriad times when Chuck Norris has allegedly died, and the rumors have eventually been proven to be false, but he’s 84, so it’s easy to see how people sometimes get duped by these claims. On the other hand, American Pickers star Danielle Colby was recently on the brunt end of one of these death hoaxes at only 48 years of age, and she had a pretty sassy response.

Despite the fact new episodes of Pickers are expected to hit the 2024 TV schedule in October, apparently, one of the viral trends on social media right now is people thinking the longtime reality TV organizer and famous burlesque dancer has kicked the bucket. It’s because of several misleading posts claiming “huge tragedy” and “heavy heart” announcements--if you click.

Colby replied to several of these posts, confirming she is not, in fact, dead. She also had a pretty sassy take on the whole thing.

While the first bit is a pretty famous Mark Twain quote, I totally get where she’s coming from with hoping when she does die that people find winning and charming photos of her rather than screenshots of her mid-conversation on American Pickers. Is it too much to ask for a "better f*cking photo?"

Having said that, a lot of the available shots of Danielle Colby that are around happen to be from footage of her talking on the phone on the History Channel series. I’m certainly not defending making up a death hoax, as that’s poor form, but the footage available is the footage available. Still a hilarious response from the TV personality.

In the realm of all of the stuff being a reality star entails, I’d assume having to deal with death hoaxes is one of the more annoying things that happens on the Internet. At least she’s in reasonably good company. Henry Cavill also had a funny take when he learned of his death hoax. Tim Allen was “dying” to know how he died, in his own good-natured response to a similar situation. And famously, Ryan Reynolds took Twain's “greatly exaggerated” quote and flipped it on its head when he dealt with his own alleged demise.

At the end of the day, the Internet is a place of smoke and mirrors, and it’s not just death hoaxes the cast has dealt with. There have been rumors floating around about American Pickers ending and more as well. And that’s not getting into any of the reported BTS drama between Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz. A rumor about one's exit from this earth, I suppose, is just the icing on the cake, but at least Ms. Colby addressed the situation with a little humor.

For years, History has made a nice living putting together a series of reality TV shows like American Pickers and Pawn Stars that tell stories about objects that people have owned for years and years and have value either from a monetary or historical standpoint. When Pickers hits the TV schedule, Mike, Robbie and the gang are often directed by Danielle to remote locations where they comb through homes, garages and barns to find pieces of Americana. But how random are these finds?

It may shock you to hear this, but not every moment on reality TV is 100% realistic.

What Goes On With American Pickers Before The Cameras Roll?

In fact, while it often seems that randomly journeying down one-lane highways and getting a little help from Danielle is what leads to the show’s unique finds, that may be one piece of American Pickers that’s fudging things a little bit. We know from interviews that a lot of the sites the guys come across happen because scouting was done in advance to find the best options for filming.

In an interview with Go San Angelo, one shop owner who appeared on the long-running History Channel series admitted they knew the cast would be coming in for a few weeks before the big day. They were even given enough advance notice that friends and family hung around the shop that day. Per Ken Young, the owner of Ken’s Toys (an unofficial museum in Brady, Texas):

This is fairly typical for the series. American Pickers goes through different regions in the United States one at a time and often sends out casting calls before they reach a general state or region. When they headed to Ohio in 2020 for example, casting associate Sarah Perkins did an interview with the Columbus Dispatch as part of the announcement and noted:

While there have been some rumors Pickers could be ending coming up, it’s not happening anytime soon. Danielle Colby and Wolfe celebrate after the show was renewed for a huge number of episodes, and a recent casting call revealed the cast will be in Minnesota in September of 2024. In fact, that announcement featured an email (americanpickers@cineflix.com) and a phone number to call (646) 493-2184 if you think you may have a unique collection on your hands. Other residents find out the show will be in the area via Facebook announcements and more.

A few weeks after the behind-the-scenes exchange, Mr. Young said Mike Wolfe and then-host Frank Fritz (who later was fired from Pickers following health issues) showed up at his doorstep.

Which brings us to what is real about the longtime History series.

Mike, Robbie And More Pickers Have Knowledge That Can’t Be Faked

While the setup is very much set up, most of the people who have actually appeared on American Pickers says the guys really do know their stuff. They’re looking to pick homes and collections that aren’t available in stores and they spend actual time with the people who are parting with beloved items.

Ken Young's son Rod, who was on hand the day the reality team showed up to look over his dad's place, admitted the guys knew what they were talking about.

Another time when Pickers came to Owega, NY, a resident who appeared on the show told 12 News they knew a lot and spent all day filming at her home. According to Chris Knickerbocker,

She said Wolfe joked around with her and even had inside jokes sort of flowing by the end of the filming shift. So there really is a lot that is genuine about American Pickers. Just when it comes to the setup – not so much.

Joaquin Phoenix is generally well regarded as one of our finest actors. His starring roles in fare like Her and Walk The Line blew critics away, and his performance in Joker won the movie star an Oscar. However, his most recent performance in Ridley Scott’s Napoleon didn’t resonate with everyone. In general, Napoleon received mixed critical reviews and, recently, Succession’s Brian Cox chastised Phoenix's work, calling the portrayal “truly terrible.” Now, the historical advisor who worked on the movie is responding to the criticism, discussing the team's intent behind how they approached the historical figure. 

Lorris Chevalier was the historian that advised Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in the 2023 epic and was quick to defend the lead actor. He told TMZ that while the actors all kept historical records in their mind as they played their characters, they all sought to approach the subject with a unique tone and style. Chevalier said that Phoenix, in particular, did the best he could with the material given. He also said that the Master actor had a lot of ideas that were shot down during production. Nevertheless, he apparently threw himself into the role, doing intense Napoleonic research that included character research and even visiting certain historical sites. 

Based on this account from the historian, it sounds like the leading man did what he could in his role as an actor to be true to the historical figure at the center of the story. And did so while also balancing Ridley Scott’s unique creative vision. Joker is what convinced Scott to cast the Oscar winner. Keeping that in mind, you may get the idea that Scott wanted to bring a more eccentric energy to the famous French leader. 

On the whole, Joaquin Phoenix was clearly not the sole creative voice for Napoleon, and his performance wasn’t just a reflection on his acting decisions but also the director’s tonal goals for the film. Admittedly, it's easy for an actor to say what they would do differently when they aren’t the actual one on set. 

Brian Cox has been pretty critical of other actors in the past, as the Succession cast member has rarely held his tongue. For instance, Cox threw shade at Johnny Depp when giving his thoughts on the iconic Jack Sparrow performance in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He also scathingly critiqued Quentin Tarantino's movies, calling them “style without substance.” These are very pointed takes though, ultimately, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Also, it seems like the Signs alum is now in good company of creatives who've been on the receiving end of Cox's feedback.

Maybe the way the actor approached Napoleon was not the way Brian Cox would’ve handled the character, but Ridley Scott was clearly drawn to the way he could portray the Frenchman. The Beau is Afraid actor has a very specific quirkiness that fits within Scott’s intended vision for the project.

Over the years, the politician has been played by a number of actors like Ian Holm and James Mason, who all brought their own take on the character, and Joaquin Phoenix did the same. Whether the vision was successful is up for debate but at least he brought something different to the role. And, as historical adviser Lorris Chevalier indicated, that star put in the work behind the scenes.

You can find out for yourself if you agree with Brian Cox or not by seeing Joaquin Phoenix in Napoleon, which is streaming now for Apple TV+ subscribers. You can also see the actor alongside Lady Gaga in Joker: Folie à Deux, which is set to hit theaters on October 4th. The film is one of the most anticipated titles on the 2024 movie schedule, and will likely include yet another much-discussed performance by Phoenix. 

For this list of the best portrayals of Presidents in movies and TV shows, we’re talking about actual historical presidents, not fictional ones. So while you won’t find awesome performances like Martin Sheen as Jeb Bartlett on The West Wing or Terry Crews as Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho in Idiocracy, there are some absolutely astounding performances on this list. From George Washington to Joe Biden, almost every president has appeared on film, and this is a list of some of our favorites. 

Daniel Day-Lewis As Abraham Lincoln In Lincoln

On the one hand, it’s surprising that an Englishman is responsible for one of the best, if not the best portrayal of a U.S. president. On the other hand, it’s hardly surprising that it was Daniel Day-Lewis playing the part of Lincoln. One of the greatest actors of all time playing one of the greatest presidents is a recipe for greatness, and that is what is achieved in Stephen Speilberg’s Lincoln. For the role, Day-Lewis won his very deserved third Oscar, becoming the only actor to do so. 

Robin Williams As Theodore Roosevelt In Night At The Museum

It’s important to remember that even though it takes place in a museum, Night At The Museum is not a documentary, nor is it really trying to be all that historically accurate. That makes Robin Williams’ role as the great Theodore Roosevelt make sense, right? Williams wasn’t going for historical accuracy, he was going for what he does best, comedy. It sure does work too, it’s hilarious and wonderful. 

Alan Rickman As Ronald Reagan In The Butler

Lee Daniels’ The Butler has a slew of great actors playing presidents. The final president that the titular butler serves is Ronald Reagan, played by Alan Rickman. The late, great Rickman doesn’t go for an impression of Reagan, and that was a great decision, it would have come off as cartoonish. Instead, he plays the role in an atypically (for Rickman) understated way, getting the vibe of Reagan, if not the exact voice or mannerisms. 

Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford In Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live has been sending up presidents for almost five decades, from Gerald Ford to Joe Biden. The first SNL player to do his impression of one was, of course, Chevy Chase playing Gerry Ford in the first season. There is really nothing that resembles the actual President Ford, but Chase is brilliant still, grabbing one stereotype of Ford as the bumbling, uncoordinated fool, and maxing it out. Almost every episode included Chase falling over as Ford, or struggling to answer questions in a debate, as in the classic “There would be no math” sketch. 

Paul Giamatti As John Adams In John Adams

The second president of the United States, John Adams, is so often overlooked in history, overshadowed by his predecessor George Washington, and his successor, Thomas Jefferson. Adams, however, played a huge role in the founding of the nation, so it’s wonderful that HBO made the miniseries John Adams and even better that Paul Giamatti was cast to play Adams. Giamatti is as good an actor as anyone of his generation and he nails how Adams must have felt to contribute so much, yet still live in the shadow of giants. 

Bruce Greenwood As John F. Kennedy.In Thirteen Days

Thirteen Days is really about Kenneth O'Donnell, a White House advisor played by Kevin Costner during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but Bruce Greenwood is great as John F. Kennedy. Like others on this list, he doesn’t play up an impression too much, with good results. 

Gary Oldman As Harry S. Truman In Oppenheimer

Gary Oldman’s turn as Harry S. Truman in the wildly successful Oppenheimer doesn’t last long, but boy is it fantastic. He plays the part perfectly, hidden behind great makeup, but distinctly Oldman. Truman famously wrestled with the decision to drop the bomb on Japan before and after he made it, living with it for the rest of his life, so his reaction to Oppenheimer’s (Cillian Murphy) regret is spot on.

Frank Langella As Richard Nixon In Frost/Nixon

There is a good reason that Frank Langella was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon. He’s fantastic. Nixon is a president that would be so easy to fall into a cartoonish impression of, as many people do. Not Langella though. Instead, he captures the essence of Nixon’s cynicism and petulance, with just enough of a straight impression that you never forget who he is playing. It’s perfect. 

Alec Baldwin As Donald Trump On Saturday Night Live

Sure to be the most controversial on this list is Alec Baldwin’s impression of Donald Trump on SNL. Baldwin delighted Trump’s critics and angered his fans, but in the end, it’s actually a really good comedic impression, and not what you would expect from the actor. 

Bryan Cranston As Lyndon B. Johnson In All The Way

HBO’s All The Way is a movie that kind of flew under the radar for a lot of people, and for those who missed it, they should definitely seek it out. Especially if they are fans of Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston who plays President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Cranston clearly studied the mannerisms and voice of the controversial president, because he nails the role, alongside Anthony Mackie, who plays Dr. Martin Luther King. 

Phil Hartman As Bill Clinton In Saturday Night Live

A few different players on SNL took a shot at a Bill Clinton impression, but the best has to be the late, great Phil Hartman. If there is one skit to check out, it has to be the one with Hartman talking to people in a McDonald's, and eating their food, while supposedly in the middle of a jog with his Secret Service agents. It’s comedic gold. 

Sam Rockwell As George W. Bush In Vice

There are a lot of over-the-top impressions of George W. Bush out there. It’s easy to go too far with it. That’s what makes Sam Rockwell’s version of the 43rd president so great, it’s restrained but still comedic. It’s the perfect foil for Christian Bale’s Dick Cheney in Vice.

Stephen Dillane As Thomas Jefferson In John Adams

HBO’s miniseries John Adams gave us a few great portrayals of U.S. Presidents, including Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson. In this case, it’s mostly Jefferson before he was president and his fundamental squabbles with Adams in the early days of the republic. Dillane is masterful as Jefferson in an understated, smoldering performance. 

Michael C. Hall As John F. Kennedy In The Crown

The Crown not only gave fans excellent portrayals of royalty but prime ministers and presidents as well. Michael C. Hall plays John Kennedy in Season 2 of the Netflix series, as the young president makes a number of protocol mistakes when meeting Queen Elizabeth for the first time. It’s not a straight impression, but it perfectly evokes the grandeur of Kennedy and his wife Jackie everyone felt that they met at the time, even the queen and Prince Philip.  

John Travolta As “Bill Clinton” In Primary Colors

The book that the movie Primary Colors is based on was written by a then-anonymous author (who turned out to be writer Joe Klein), and it technically wasn’t about Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign. Of course, it was pretty thinly disguised as fiction, and in the movie, Gov. Jack Stanton is obviously supposed to be Bill Clinton. John Travolta, who played the Clinton analog, is brilliant. It’s one of his best roles, giving off just enough of Clinton to remind audiences what the movie is really about.

Christopher Jackson As George Washington In Hamilton

When the music Hamilton finally got a screen version in 2020 on Disney+, it was of the stage show by the original Broadway cast edited together from three performances in 2016. This cast included the great Christopher Jackson as George Washington. While you certainly can’t compare this portrayal to what Washington was in real life (though we want to believe Washington was a great rapper), it’s still a show-stopping performance and more than worthy to be included on this list. 

Anthony Hopkins As John Quincy Adams In Amistad

Steven Spielberg’s underrated Amistad has two great performances from actors as presidents, including Game of Thrones cast member Nigel Hawthorne as the rarely portrayed Martin Van Buren. The star though, is Sir Anthony Hopkins playing John Quincy Adams in his later years, post-presidency, arguing the case in favor of the enslaved men in front of the Supreme Court. 

Dana Carvey As George H.W. Bush On Saturday Night Live

Of all the presidential impressions on Saturday Night Live maybe the greatest of all time is Dana Carvey’s take on George H.W. Bush. He created so many viral moments, even in a time before the internet. Who doesn’t hear “A thousand points of life” and not crack up? 

Tom Selleck As Dwight Eisenhower In Ike: Countdown to D-Day

Tom Selleck’s mustache has become the stuff of legends but in one of his best roles, as President Dwight Eisenhower in Ike: Countdown to D-Day. Without the hair on his face (and the hair on his head), the Magnum P.I. star looks completely different, and it pays off playing the former president in the years before his presidency when he was the Supreme Allied Commander in World War II. 

Anthony Hopkins As Richard Nixon In Nixon

Director Oliver Stone’s Nixon is a dark movie about a dark time in US history. At the center of that darkness is Richard Nixon, played here brilliantly by Sir Anthony Hopkins. While some have criticized the movie for its historical accuracy, no one can complain about Hopkins’ take on the disgraced former president, as he plays it all doom and gloom that the president and the country felt. 

Edward Herrmann as Franklin D. Roosevelt In Annie

It's not the biggest role, and it's not a historically accurate portrayal, of course, but Edward Herrmann singing "Tomorrow" with Annie (Aileen Quinn) is worthy of mention on this list. It is truly iconic. 

Gary Sinise as Harry S. Truman In Truman

HBO's Truman from 1995, starring Gary Sinise as the titular president is woefully underappreciated, much like Harry S. Truman's presidency was for years. The decision to drop the bomb defines his legacy, and this movie, though it follows him through his whole career. 

Will Ferrell As George W. Bush On Saturday Night Live

Will Ferrell's impression of George W. Bush was so iconic, it invented a word: Strategery. There really isn't much more you can say to compliment the comedian. He was so good as "Dubya" that it turned the impression into a great one-man show, You're Welcome America.

David Strathairn As Franklin D. Roosevelt In The Darkest Hour

You know you're smashing a role when audiences know who you are without ever seeing your character. Such is the case with David Strathairn as FDR in The Darkest Hour. Though he's only heard over the telephone in a conversation with Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman), everyone knew who it was. 

Nigel Hawthorne As Martin Van Buren In Amistad

Martin Van Buren is probably best known in pop culture for being the namesake of the “Van Buren Boys” in Seinfeld, but he has been played on the big screen before, most notably by Nigel Hawthorne in Amistad. It’s a tricky part to play, but the scene in which he goes toe-to-toe in an argument over slavery with John C. Calhoun (Arliss Howard) at dinner is such a great scene and gives audiences a real sense of who Van Buren was as president, indeed what being president was like in those early years of the country. 

Josh Brolin As George W. Bush - W.

Oliver Stone has three movies on his resume with a president’s name (or part of a name) in the title, the last being W. from 2008, starring Josh Brolin as George W. Bush. The movie is far from perfect, but Brolin does a great job as “Dubya” and completely disappears into the role. 

Woody Harrelson As Lyndon Johnson In LBJ

Lyndon Johnson was a complicated man, and in LBJ Woody Harrelson nails all sides of him. Lustful for power, mean, and crass, but also compassionate for his constituents. It's a performance that is over-the-top, yet somehow realistic, much like the president himself. 

Jared Harris As Ulysses S. Grant In Lincoln

Ulysses S. Grant is generally regarded by historians as a better general than a president, so it makes sense that the best portrayal of the 18th President of the United States would be of him as a general during the Civil War. Jared Harris’ performance as Grant in Lincoln isn’t a huge role, but in a film filled with great actors, Harris is right there at the top in his brooding, contemplative depiction of the general of the Union Army. 

David Morse As George Washington In John Adams

The nation’s first president, George Washington, must be a pretty intimidating role to play. It’s hard to know what he sounded like, for example, or what his accent was. Still, David Morse nails the essence of both the historical and the mythical natures of Washington. He even looks just like him. It’s a fantastic performance. 

Dan Aykroyd As Jimmy Carter On Saturday Night Live

For much of the prime years for the original cast of Not-Ready-Prime-Players on SNL in the late ‘70s, Jimmy Carter was president. Dan Aykroyd took up the task of playing the reserved, humble Carter and he did it well. Maybe the most famous sketch is of Carter taking calls from the public, only to get one from a man in need of a lot of help and telling him to play some Allman Brothers. 

James Cromwell As George H. W. Bush in W.

Of all everyone on this list, James Cromwell may be the best casting of all when he played George H.W. Bush in W. Cromwell has the physically of the 41st president, and the gravitas to play the role. While not an exact analog of Bush’s look, it is perfect casting and acting, as you know immediately who is playing, before he even speaks. 

Bill Murray As Franklin D. Roosevelt In Hyde Park On The Hudson

Hyde Park On The Hudson is not the strongest movie on this list, but Bill Murray is still very good as Franklin D. Roosevelt. Murray often doesn’t get enough credit for his dramatic roles, given how legendary he is as a comedian, but he should get more. Here, he plays the role subtly, with only a hint of FDR’s famous mid-Atlantic accent, and that’s a smart choice. It would be easy to see Murray as a cartoonish version of the president, but you don’t, and it makes for a powerful portrayal.

American Pickers has been filming new episodes for fifteen years at this point, and has been incredibly popular with History Channel fans during that time period. While it’s hard to imagine the cabler without its show devoted to rust, the open road and all kinds of Americana, as it turns out it took years of Mike Wolfe pitching before he was actually able to get the network to say, "yes." 

The reason? Before Wolfe introduced the concept on television, not a whole lot of people really knew what a picker was. Of course there were antique shops and other venues across the country selling all kinds of this cool, old stuff, but Wolfe noted that most individuals, including those minds in charge at the History Channel, had no idea how those items found their way into stores. Even when he explained, people had trouble figuring out what to make of his pitch idea. They thought it would be too niche for the cable audience. That is, until he changed their minds. 

Speaking to CBS Sunday Morning, Mike Wolfe said he doggedly pitched American Pickers to History for five full years, yes five, before the network decided to give the idea a go. Given the show’s popularity as both a mainstay program on the network and as a reality show that brings in solid ratings (even amidst his reported feud with Frank Fritz), this is pretty shocking. It make sense in context though. No one knew what a Picker was at the time. It’s not as easy to sell as a concept even when compared to something that seems similar like Pawn Stars. 

But Wolfe was a collector, too. He understood the time, love and labor that went into the process. He knew if he could just share what he saw in the objects he and others had collected over a lifetime that the world would see the beauty in picking, too, also telling the outlet: 

It finally worked. American Pickers has stood the test of time on History. Wolfe had traveled about 70,000 miles a year at the time the interview was conducted, and has produced 25 seasons and nearly 400 episodes of the show to date. The reality concept has withstood Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe breaking the band up, and it’s added new hosts, including Mike’s brother Robbie over time. It took the right person to bring the reality show to life, and keep it together all these years, and I'm not sure the show would have been the same if someone else who wasn't Wolfe had pitched it.

Though rumors have indicated Pickers could be ending sometime over the next few years, if it does, it will have left behind a legacy that’s pretty monumental: Introducing the saving and restoration of much-loved and historic items to many, many people around the country, and maybe the world.  

There’s no question there have been a lot of shake-ups in the American Pickers universe over the last few years. The alleged feud between Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz led to his exit and bringing in some new faces, including Mike’s brother Robbie Wolfe and Jon “Jersey Jon” Szalay as full time cast members. While Pickers got a huge 40-episode renewal recently, and returned to the schedule just before the holidays, there has been some indication the reality show may be nearing the end of its shelf life. 

We've seen a lot of 2024 shows canceled already, but could Pickers really be ending anytime soon? Let’s talk it out. 

What’s Going On With American Pickers? 

In general, ratings went down after Frank Fritz’s exit from the series, though its worth noting there’s been a shift in linear cable viewership overall. Season 25 hit the TV schedule late last year to actually kind of low numbers for a two-episode premiere. However that was right around the holidays when families are busy, so perhaps  723,000 and 676,000 for the first two episodes was to be expected. 

Since January hit, the numbers have increased some, with viewership over 800,000 for most episodes. Just a few weeks ago, the January 24th episode hit a season high with 948,000 eyeballs tuning in. That episode, “The Five-Generation Pick” had Mike Wolfe visiting small town Indiana while Robbie was in West Virginia. 

So, I guess it’s safe to say there have been some viewership ups and downs. However, with ratings leveling out, if Pickers were to end, it might have more to do with the cast than the ratings. 

Evidence Mike Wolfe And Danielle Colby Could Be Readying To Say Goodbye To The Show

Listen, before I dive into this information, I want to make it clear that neither longtime American Pickers fixture has commented publicly on wanting to end the show. However, a few things have happened recently that may be hinting change is potentially going to come. 

First and foremost, Colby is certainly going through a major period of life change. Not only has Danielle Colby’s burlesque career taken off in a big way, her home life is changing too. The TV star is getting married in February of 2024 and has been updating fans about the life change in a big way. 

Of course, neither of these things might impact her Pickers gig, but eagle-eyed fans spotted a few weeks ago when she also reposted a meme about “knowing" the moment when it's best to leave a situation. The post read:

Sure, there have been rumors that Danielle Colby might leave the show for years. Regardless, whatever she was alluding to mightn't have had to do with "the job" at all, but it does feed into the question fans have been asking: Will Pickers end? 

Meanwhile, Mike Wolfe is frequently on his social media and showing off cool road trips (not to mention his road trip buddies), as well as picking finds. Though he’s nearing retirement age, at 60, he’s still living the same lifestyle he’s lived for years. Regardless, a few months ago, an insider who knows Wolfe reportedly told The Sun he is thinking about when the series will end, particularly now that it's gone on for a dozen or so years. He called filming the show a "love-hate" situation.  

The insider also mentioned it's not just Mike but Robbie who may have set their sights on retirement from TV as well. 

Will Season 26 Happen? 

Though retirement may very well be on the way for the main cast, a casting call did go out about filming new episodes this February in Louisiana, so if changes are going to come, they may not be immediately. Typically, the History series films episodes in the fall and the spring and takes the summers off. A source also confirmed to The Sun in the same article that the show was already prepping for Season 26, and this casting information would support that. 

There's also a world where American Pickers could live on and introduce a new cast. Again, I don't think any of this is happening tomorrow, but it might be time to start thinking about what a different iteration of this show could look like longterm. 

It’s been over a year since Frank Fritz’s stroke and more than two since he was let go from the famous History series, marking the start of an alleged feud between Fritz and Mike Wolfe. The former reality star is on the mend these days, but there’s still a faction of fans who haven’t forgotten what happened behind-the-scenes of the long-running TV series. Now, semi-newcomer Robbie Wolfe has spoken out about the “haters” and the advice his brother Mike gave him when he joined the show. 

While Robbie Wolfe had popped up on American Pickers over the years, it was only after Fritz’s exit that he became a regular fixture on the show, even appearing in official promotional posters for the History series. He officially joined in the capacity of “lead host” at the start of 2023, and it was around that time his brother gave him a piece of advice about dealing with criticism online. 

In an interview with the Des Moines Register he went into detail about what his brother told him. 

It’s advice that has seemingly served him well. It's also a message many people on the Internet could likely stand to hear. The majority of people are not going to comment on posts and of those who do comment, most are nice. It’s just that the negative comments tend to stand out a bit more, but per Wolfe, keeping the focus on the positive is the key to maintaining a good attitude about the job… and its fans.

To his point, it would be weird to be a normal, anonymous dude and then to suddenly draw the attention of the Internet’s ire. Entire books have been written on what it’s like to be canceled by the internet, and in Robbie Wolfe’s case, all of that vitriol happened simply because he signed on to help with American Pickers after its former sidekick left and was not asked to return back. 

This led to members of the Pickers fanbase pushing back and feeling like the show had lost some of its charisma after it changed course. While this attitude has died down a bit over time, it was coming to a head as Robbie became a more permanent fixture on the series and as news broke about Fritz's stroke and subsequent recovery. 

The thing is when last we heard about Frank Fritz’s condition, we learned he was still “picking signs” and doing the work he loves on the regular. He and Mike Wolfe allegedly reunited in the summer of 2023 and the new season hit the TV schedule to more positivity at the tail end of last year. While it's been a lot of ups and downs for the show and its cast, it seems like Robbie Wolfe has a pretty good perspective on the gig, and it sounds like he can chalk at least a little bit of that up to the note from his famous brother. 

Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is an absolute tour de force, a movie with an intimidating runtime that will be nominated in most if not all of the major categories at the 96th Academy Awards. The book-to-screen adaptation of David Grann’s enthralling non-fiction work that detailing the Osage Murders and the birth of the FBI left no stone unturned in its retelling of the cruel and vicious killings. The same is also true in regard to its exploration of the Native American tribe at the heart of its story.

While you wait for Killers of the Flower Moon to eventually join Apple TV+'s best movies on the streaming platform, now is as good time as any to watch a handful of documentaries that shed light on both the Osage Murders as well as other aspects of Native American history and culture. These seven films shed light on the rich cultures of the various tribes and their respective places in American history. So let's talk these out.

Osage Murders (2022)

Though rather short (it’s barely 13 minutes long), the documentary titled Osage Murders, provides an incredibly detailed and thorough dive into the systematic killings of wealthy members of the Native American tribe in the early 20th century. Directed by Dan Bigbee Jr., it focuses on the real-life events that would later appear in Killers of the Flower Moon, including the harrowing explosion at the Smith home in Fairfax. 

There's a keen focus on the prominent families who made up the Osage population in the Oklahoma town as well as their history, culture and tragic deaths, which were the basis for Martin Scorsese’s crime epic. This insightful and well-made short film is a tremendous watch for those captivated by Scorsese's latest and want to learn more about the stories that inspired it.

Stream Osage Murders on PBS.

Native America (2018 - 2023)

While Osage Murders mostly focuses on a single topic, the PBS docuseries Native America has a much larger scope and spends a considerably larger amount of time detailing practically every aspect of the American Indian experience dating back centuries. With episodes exploring the vast kingdoms and empires spread across the Americas to more modern times, it's next to impossible to come out of this experience not knowing more than you did going in. 

If you're in search of a better understanding of Native American tribes and want greater context for the events depicted in Flower Moon, there are few better documentary series worth checking out.

Stream Native America on PBS.
Buy Native America on Amazon.

American Experience: We Shall Remain (2009)

Since its debut in 1988, PBS’ American Experience series has spent countless hours telling all kinds of stories about important and interesting events and people from the nation’s storied history That's included everything from the Civil Rights Movement to various military conflicts to pop culture. In 2009, the producers of the program turned their attention to Native American history with the multi-part series subtitled We Shall Remain.

Throughout five episodes ranging from 60 to 90 minutes in length each, this outstanding exploration of the Native American experience dives into the history and culture of various tribes that have all called the North American continent home. Starting in the 17 century and going to the American Indian Movement’s last stand at Wounded Knee in 1973, the series focuses on the triumphs and tragedies of America’s first inhabitants and what they’ve faced over the years.

Stream American Experience: We Shall Remain on Hoopla.
Stream American Experience: We Shall Remain on PBS.
Buy American Experience: We Shall Remain on Amazon.

The American Buffalo (2023)

If you are a fan of Ken Burns’ various documentaries like The Ninth Inning, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, The War and The Civil War, then the decorated documentarian’s 2023 effort, The American Buffalo, is worthy of a watch (if you haven’t already). Though its primary focus is on the buffalo throughout this three-part film, it also spends a large portion of its runtime discussing the interconnectedness of the animal and various Native American tribes.

The project details the symbiotic relationship of animal and man and the way in which American Indians honored the beast that sustained them for years. There's also focus placed on how the arrival of American business interests put both man and animal in jeopardy. All in all, the film provides greater context for Martin Scorsese’s sprawling epic of greed and evil.

Stream The American Buffalo on PBS.
Buy The American Buffalo on Amazon.

Reel Injun (2010)

Directed by Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge, and Jeremiah Hayes, the 2009 documentary, Reel Injun, chronicles the portrayal of Native people in various Hollywood movies. Through extensive interviews with filmmakers and actors like Graham Greene, Clint Eastwood, and several others, the documentary pieces together how depictions of Native tribes, have changed over the years. Films like Flower Moon flipping the narrative, allowing for more realistic portrayals that are representative of the people as opposed to having White men in makeup using terrible accents.

This is a particularly interesting documentary to check out after the 2023 new movie release for several reasons. First, it’s fascinating to see how depictions of Native people have evolved to what we saw in Martin Scorsese’s movie and, secondly, this production features interviews with the late Robbie Robertson, the former member of The Band and Scorsese’s longtime collaborator, who scored the new film.

Stream Reel Injun on Prime Video.
Stream Reel Injun on Tubi.

America's Hidden Stories (2019 - 2023)

The Smithsonian Channel’s America’s Hidden Stories series has spent three seasons diving into historical events and people who don’t seem to get enough attention as those with more well-known stories. The show’s third season opens with “The Osage Murders,” a documentary directed by late filmmaker David Bishop that detailed the reign of terror depicted in Killers.

David Bishop, a member of the Osage tribe who passed away a few weeks before the documentary aired, uses his time to explore the dark period in the reservation’s history. He also dives into his own family’s journey through extensive interviews and a visit to the land. This is a historical and personal account worth watching.

Buy America’s Hidden Stories on Amazon.

What Was Ours (2016)

Mat Hames’ 2017 documentary film, What Was Ours, follows a group of Native Americans as they travel to the Field Museum in Chicago in hopes of finding artifacts taken from Shoshone and Arapaho tribes in Wyoming years earlier. These ancestral items, like the journey to find them, teach the documentary’s subjects about their history and themselves along the way.

Far more personal and introspective than other documentaries on this list, What Was Ours still focuses on the big picture of Native history and culture, as well as the steps taken to preserve it for future generations.

Stream What Was Ours on Prime Video.

Just like Killers of the Flower Moon and its great depictions of Native American characters, these seven documentaries do a fantastic job of telling the story of Native people, their history and their culture. And while we don’t yet know when Martin Scorsese’s movies will be streaming for those with Apple TV+ subscriptions, these non-fiction series and films are more than enough to hold viewers over.

Ridley Scott reunited with Joaquin Phoenix decades after Gladiator to bring the story of French leader Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power to the big screen. Amid that, a real-life battle is surrounding the movie. Since the 2023 new movie release hit theaters, historians have been taking shots at major historical inaccuracies -- and they can't seem to stop. On the other hand, one defender stated that not every historical event in Napoleon is untrue. 

It’s not easy to portray historical events on the big screen that one wasn't even alive to experience (and that can even be true with stories that a filmmaker lived through). Critics weighed in on Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott's latest  with a variety of thoughts. Some felt the film didn’t effectively dive into who the titular character was and focused too much on his romance with Josephine, as one example.

While Napoleon delivered epic battle scenes that caught critics' and general audiences’ attention -- just look at the Thanksgiving box office -- history experts were more concerned with the inaccuracies Scott’s latest movie laid out in regard to the military events surrounding the French emperor. These academics spoke about historical insights you could learn from the movie and others they believed to have been added only to make the production more entertaining.

Historians Weigh In On Napoleon’s Creative Liberties With The Facts

Napoleonic historian Zach White told The Guardian he felt the Alien director wrongly painted the ruler as a “Corsican ruffian,” giving into British propaganda in the process. Biographer Andrew Roberts also opined that the meeting between Bonaparte and Wellington at Plymouth was pure fiction. He also thought the Blade Runner helmer was wrong to represent the historic leader as “a dictator who goes mad with hubris.” Additionally, Roberts wasn't happy with the false representation that Bonaparte’s defeat in Russia was due to the cold weather and took issue with how there was no mention of typhus. 

Military historian Dan Snow pointed out issues of his own, saying that Napoleon didn’t fire at the pyramids in Egypt and wasn't present when Marie Antoinette was guillotined. While Snow has nothing against the British filmmaker, he warned audiences that no history lesson will come from this epic historical film:

When it comes to movies that are based on true stories, chances are you’re never truly going to get a fact-by-fact historical account of what really happened. It’s all about the director’s vision of what they think will appeal best to audiences and what would work with the narrative. Still, that doesn't mean there aren't still some truths to be found in the version we got on the big screen.

What Napoleon Got Right From A Historical Perspective

Paul Biddiss, a military tech advisor for Napoleon, defended the $200 million budget movie. He made a great point: It’s hard to know what’s real and not real from the man's conquests, as the French emperor was known for exaggerating his own victories. Those he told his hyperbolic accounts to were quick to believe him, which was apparently how he was able to make his way up the success ladder. Biddiss also defended the film’s realism in its military strategies. He declared his own theory of why historians felt the events told on screen were far from the truth:

He’s referring to the well-known Jacques-Louis David painting of the general’s uniform bulging out as his horse Marengo rears to the sky in a dramatic fashion. Paul Biddiss argued the renowned strategist was actually riding a mule and wearing a thick coat during that particular event in history. 

One thing that historians like Dan Snow gave Napoleon praise for was the military tactics shown in the movie. Using manuals from Napoleonic generals and running a boot camp in a former Napoleonic barracks for 500 extras, Paul Biddiss was able to plan troop movements similar to military commanders of that time. Extras were taught about how to hold a musket, different types of cannons and munitions and other tactics used by the English of that era. Most importantly, extras had to learn not to laugh or smile when the cameras rolled by pretending the other side was threatening their lives for deserting. Even if the soldiers’ formations were created using CGI, the cavalry ran and cannon fusillades were all real. 

So, while it appears Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is not perfect when it comes to how it aligns with history, that doesn’t mean every historical fact about the movie was false. To note also, Scott's blunt response about his film’s inaccuracies was simply, “Get a life.” Clearly, he's not bothered by what the historians have to say. You can check the movie for yourself by visiting a theater now or, if you have an Apple TV+ subscription, you can wait to stream it at a later date.

Frank Fritz has been in the news a lot lately. There’s the feud he allegedly had with Mike Wolfe, and then the American Pickers star suffered a stroke that has had him on the fanbase’s mind over the past year or so. While insiders and court documents have shared some tidbits about the former reality star’s recovery, a full update came down the pipeline recently, and it’s good news. 

Around the one-year anniversary of his stroke, an insider spoke out about the TV personality continuing “to improve daily.” At the time, the insider noted Fritz’s health seemed to be on the mend, though they mentioned the fact no one is ever “100%” after a stroke. But it seems as if the former star is at a point now where he can get back to the business of living and not just recovering – and that includes getting down to some work.

Does Frank Fritz Still Work As A Picker?

Frank Fritz has long had a store called Frank Fritz Finds, and while complaints about the Iowa location have been rampant as the star has dealt with health issues, it does seem as if there is a concerted effort from the former reality start to stay in the picking game. Per a report over at The Sun, he’s been hanging around with friends who enjoy picking and has found a new way to feed his hobby:

Fritz had not stopped picking after his exit from Pickers, but given reports indicating he has been wheelchair bound since his health incident, it’s great to hear he’s found new ways of doing what he loves.

Frank Fritz Is Reportedly Watching American Pickers On History (Or Peacock)

While Frank was seemingly unhappy about being let go from American Pickers, in more recent months he’s allegedly come closer to being at peace with what happened. For example, he and Mike Wolfe allegedly reunited at the beginning of the summer and buried the hatchet. Things have gotten to the point where Fritz is apparently even cool with and enjoying watching new episodes of Pickers on the History Channel (or possibly with his Peacock subscription, we're not sure).

So, in general it sounds like bygones have been bygones. 

Now, of course the fanbase is a different matter, as there is certainly still a small (but vocal) American Pickers fanbase out there that would prefer seeing Wolfe pick with his childhood pal rather than people like his brother Robbie. But given Frank Fritz doesn’t seem to be getting out as much these days, a full-on TV reunion may not be a possibility. Per the insider:

So, if you were hoping Fritz might make a comeback on the series, it’s both a bit of good and bad news. On the one hand, he seems to be on the mend, both physically and in regards to his relationships. On the other hand, though he may be in better shape to make a return to the reality series, if what the insider says is true, the interest simply may never be there. We’ll have to wait and see what happens as Pickers continues filming in the years to come – if it continues filming.

In recent weeks, celebrities have been sharing posts while hanging out in bathtubs. And while the silhouette makes for a pretty picture no matter the celebrity or the circumstances, but I’ve been especially intrigued because a few of these recent posts have not been set in traditional indoor bathrooms. In fact, recently M:I Dead Reckoning star Hayley Atwell took an outdoor bath whilst on vacation and now American Pickers star Danielle Colby is following suit. 

Sometime in between working on new episodes of American Pickers, currently airing on History or streaming with a Peacock subscription, Colby  took to Instagram to share photos of the relaxing bath she took outside. She seemed to be on some sort of concrete covered porch with privacy screens around it – an ideal situation I’d assume if you are in a fairly crowded area and still trying to relax outdoors sans clothing.

This isn’t the first time Danielle Colby has enjoyed time in the tub, though it might be the first time she’s done so whilst out in nature. Meanwhile, she’s joining a large swathe of celebrities who have really seemed to enjoy a good bathtub photo in recent months. 

For example, the aforementioned Atwell also took a bath outside during a recent trip to Devon. She was in a seemingly isolated area at the time, and her relaxing day included a slew of bubbles and Haruki Murakami’s book What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Previously, Kylie Jenner enjoyed an outdoor bath during a Turks and Caicos trip. (And that’s not even counting the stunning time Jenner took a bath in a tub of rose petals.) Her half-sister Kim also went viral  after she got skittish attempting to hop into an ice bath at an event that was also held outside, but ultimately The Kardashians star made it six minutes in the tub. 

Speaking of ice baths, celebrities in baths in general seems to be a trend. Nicole Scherzinger, Drake, and others love a good ice bath, and most recently Ludacris shared his own at-home bathtub routine. 

Heck, Karen Gillan went viral earlier this year for hopping into a tub for a fashion shoot fully clothed. I think part of the reason that bathtub pics have gotten more popular is that bathtub design has gotten more interesting. Over the past ten years, standing tubs have grown popular over their previously sunken counterparts, and their shapes, sizes, curves and colors have all gotten more interesting.

To me, the king of the bathtub pic still has to be those brave enough to venture out into the open sky and relax in a tub with nature surround them. As the NY Times pointed out earlier this year, the outdoor bath trend might be growing at a rapid rate simply because it’s more economical than a pool, hot tub or spa, and you still get the relaxation factor (and the Insta opportunites, obviously). So, I think it’s high time we go ahead and officially declare this a trend.

It’s been a little over a year since Frank Fritz had a stroke that reportedly left him in a wheelchair and under the care of a guardianship. The health incident had occurred after a highly publicized fallout between Fritz and his American Pickers co-star Mike Wolfe, and fans had rallied around the former TV star in the aftermath. Now, a year later, we’re finally getting an update on his condition. 

The last we’d heard about the TV personality happened earlier in the summer and only came because court documents had been filed related to his conservatorship. At the time, we learned the bank keeping tabs on the conservatorship was asking that the “inventory and related documents” be sealed so Fritz could maintain some privacy. Prior to that, the most recent update about the American Pickers star’s health we’d gotten had to do with multiple 911 calls being placed to his house after his stroke.  

An Update On The American Pickers Star's Condition

Now, however, an insider has spoken out about what’s going on with the former reality star, and it generally sounds like it is good news. Per the friend of the star who spoke anonymously with The Sun, Frank is still in "outpatient therapy" but continues to be on the mend:

And while the comment makes it sound like Fritz is still dealing with some difficulties in the aftermath of what was a major health incident, it mostly sounds like positive news.

Frank Fritz Is Not As 'Debilitated' As Some Reports Have Indicated

In the past, people close to Fritz had reported he’d vacated a rehab center and returned home but that a long road to recovery was ahead for the Pickers star. Eventually, a guardian even got involved with Fritz’s care, but the insider also mentioned that reports of the TV name being “debilitated” have been blown out of proportion. 

At the end of the day, it sounds as if the reality star is moving forward and trying to make the best of a situation that was seemingly pretty rough.

He was only 56 at the time of his stroke, but had mentioned dealing with health issues in the years previous. In fact, he’d initially taken leave from American Pickers to deal with a back issue, and was ultimately not asked back by History and Mike Wolfe. The two allegedly reunited this summer. 

Danielle Colby is a woman who knows what she likes. According to the American Pickers star that seemingly includes bikini weather and floating in the pool, but most definitely does not include pineapple on her pizza. In her latest bikini post, the History personality was relaxing in the pool and sharing some  ideas about America’s favorite food I just cannot agree with. 

As the American Pickers star herself noted, “Danielle and pineapple go together swimmingly…” However, they seemingly only go together well as long as the pineapple is in the pool and not on a slice she's trying to ingest. You can see her full post, below.  

This isn’t the first time the star mixed a food item with a side of thirst, as Colby also hopped into a tub with a bunch of fruit loops for another photoshoot earlier this year. I’m sensing a trend, though this time she didn’t cover herself in tiny pineapple bits.  

Instead, the pineapple and pizza thing came up because she was using a pineapple-shaped pool float, and while I can agree with her thoughts on enjoying a day in the sun and water, I’m not so hot on this shot she took at my favorite flavor of pizza. Yes, I unabashedly love pineapple on pizza, and I’m not even just talking Hawaiian pizza (which I do believe is the more typical flavor profile people enjoy when they are thinking of pineapple and pizza together). I actually straight up love just pineapple, cheese and tomato sauce as my toppings of choice. Normally I wouldn’t admit this in mixed company, either, as lots of people love to tell me it’s disgusting, but someone here has to defend the excellent pizza topping choice. 

For whatever reason, some of y’all think it’s OK to take shots at people who like pineapple on their pizza. I don’t say “eww gross” when y’all let pepperoni grease pool on your pizza. I don’t cringe when there are artichokes in the general vicinity of my red sauce. But for whatever reason, pineapple on pizza really sparks debate in a way most other toppings don’t, even some of the weird ones. 

To my point Ms. Colby’s taking a random shot at the pineapple/tomato combination on her Instagram and the post really has nothing to do with pizza. She's not the only one to voice this thought, either, as once Gordon Ramsay dropped an f-bomb when sharing his thoughts about the fruit topping on pizza. I supposed I should just be happy Hallmark's Lacey Chabert was nice about it when she hated on pineapple pizza. 

When will pineapple and tomato get its due? I say it's high time, and I hope you're with me.  Still, I'm not planning to feud with the American Pickers star over her taste in pizza, and in fact, I won’t hold it against her. At least, as long as she’s not going after olives next. 

Over the last couple of years, interest in the personal lives of some of the American Pickers stars has exploded, thanks in part to an alleged feud between Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe and to other series lead Danielle Colby has taken us behind the scenes and even into her bathtub as well. Wolfe, too, has made headlines after his divorce, and in recent months he’s been more open about his new girlfriend Leticia Cline, but the two have historically kept a fairly low profile. 

So, who is she? And how long have they been together? 

Who Is Leticia Cline? 

In a nutshell, Cline is a self-described “Writer, Motorcycle Racer, Heritage Tourism Preservationist, Cancer Survivor, Retired Politician & Proud Kentuckian.” Her personal website mentions that she lost her mother as a young adult woman at aged 29. At 37 she beat cancer. She, like Mike Wolfe, also has one child, a son named Caleb.

She and Wolfe have a love of motorcycles in common. He notably collects vintage bikes and she’s also interested in them, writing on Instagram last year that’s she’s been involved in an eight state motorbike race for motorcyclists on bikes from pre-1930. 

Earlier in 2023, the couple attended an antique motorcycle auction together in Las Vegas. The two were captured in a few public displays of affection before Wolfe put some of his antique motorcycle collection up for sale. This passion has helped her to nail down a career writing about motorcycles. It also gives her the ability – as she’s put it – to be a “forever tourist” going on adventures from place to place. 

In the past, Leticia Cline also appeared on reality TV shows including Beauty and the Geek. She’s also appeared in Playboy Magazine and had another career as a reporter for TNA Wrestling amidst her other writing and event work. 

How Long Have Mike Wolfe And Leticia Cline Been Dating? 

Mike and Leticia Cline reportedly began dating in August of 2021, though rumors circulated that they were dating a month or so before that. Outside of reports of the two attending events together, they have more recently been popping up in each others’ social media posts a bit more often.

A recent post from the motorcycle enthusiast mentioned a day trip zipling and having fun at Mammoth Cave, and attraction that is popular in her home state of Kentucky. 

In general, the couple maintains a low profile online, but in more recent months, she's become one of his road trippin' partners (which in the past have included his dog Francie and his mother). 

Was Mike Wolfe Married? Did He Get A Divorce? 

Yes, The American Pickers star was previously married to Jodi Catherine Wolfe. She filed for divorce in 2020, citing irreconcilable differences. The then-couple at the time had been married since September of 2012. While not one of the longest divorces in Hollywood history, the court case was ongoing into 2021, around which time reports indicated the History Channel star had been seen with Cline. The reality series star was reportedly ordered to pay his ex over $5 million in royalties and alimony following their major split (along with some property), but it seems that these days he's moved on and is quite happy with his new partner.  

The reported fallout between Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz of American Pickers fame has resulted in some twists and turns over the past several years. In 2021, Fritz departed their highly popular antique show amid rumors of strife between him and others involved with the show, as well as health problems on his own part. The two have apparently been estranged since then and, during that stretch of time, the History star has had his fair share of personal setbacks, including having a stroke last summer. Despite all of that and even more tough stuff, it’s been reported the two have reunited. 

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz allegedly reunited over Memorial Day weekend, thanks to a longtime friend of the latter. This was reportedly the first time that the two had seen each other in three years. Said friend, who preferred not to be named, claims that it was the reality star who had “been wanting to see Frank for quite some time.” They went on to say that it was “Frank’s request to see Mike,” as the former History star was finally feeling up to it. And if this person is to be believed, the reunion was emotional: 

While this report from The Quad-City Times was second-hand, fans are sure to get somewhat emotional hearing this account. The person further alleged to the publication that they “talked about old times” and that Mike Wolfe would “like Frank back on the show.” Not only that, but the friend made a bold claim about the reported feud between the two: 

Those who’ve been following the drama between the former co-stars may not be so quick to believe that assertion. The two previously engaged in a back-and-forth, during which some blunt sentiments were shared. Frank Fritz called out Mike Wolfe back in 2021 over the statement he made regarding his exit from the show. Fritz, who was unwell at the time, called it “bullshit” and claimed that his colleague hadn’t said “five nice things” in a decade. The Antique Archaeology owner later tried to clear the air with another statement, in which he said that he’d love to have Fritz back on the long-running show and was disappointed that “he's made decisions that have him the way he is.”

Even if things are all good between the two now though, the chances of seeing the former star back on the show may be slim. Fritz’s health is reportedly still in decline and, on top of that, he’s said to be dealing with financial issues. And since last year, he’s been subject to a guardianship. So, while it appears that he still has some hurdles to clear, this latest report could, at the very least, be a silver lining in regard to his friendship with his former co-star. Only time will tell whether the stars themselves confirm that they’re back on good terms.

Danielle Colby may be known for her reality TV work, but in her day-to-day life her big passion is actually burlesque. Which is why the last few months have been pretty hard for the American Pickers star as she navigated an injury and had to avoid the limelight for a time. Now, however, she’s thrown on some feathers – and nothing but some feathers – as she sent some wisdom to fans. They, in turn, had some ideas. 

In a new post, Danielle Colby commented with some sage advice, “Never look back unless you are planning on going that way.” Of course, the comment was a bit cheeky, because it was a post about not looking back while she was sharing a literal look at her backside, but it’s also a bit of sage advice for anyone, particularly someone who, like the reality star, has dealt with setbacks in recent months. It’s always best to push forward, and I think a reminder every now and again is helpful, even if it comes in unexpected moments. 

Of course, this post went up shortly after Colby admitted she’d undergone a hysterectomy she’d called “terrifying." Myriad health setbacks followed, and it’s only been recently that she was able to get back to activities she loves again, including practicing burlesque. It really has been a long journey, as she’s said previously she underwent a hysterectomy back in October. That’s more than half a year devoted to recuperation, well, and the occasional "midnight snack" bathtub post.

Fans had a lot of thoughts after she posted her advice about never looking back. Many took heart in her words and others thought she looked “beautiful,”  but one fan mentioned they’d love to see more of the History Channel stars’ passion on the small screen with her own show.

It’s not a bad idea really. Danielle Colby is a big advocate for the burlesque community and already has a mention about “Stripping History” in her Instagram bio, which feels like the perfect title for a history of burlesque sort of History Channel series. She’s already a known name on the network’s popular show too, and with American Pickers’ ratings dominate the headlines and with the full cast iteration looking a bit different after the fallout between Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, I wouldn’t mind seeing the star on the network in a different capacity, and one she is clearly more passionate about. 

It seems a lot of people would follow the star on her journey, no matter what her next steps are. A few more fans seemed here for Colby’s advice on her road to recovery post. Others commented directly in response to the sage advice the star sent: 

• "There’s a joke in there somewhere about a comeback."
• "It's a start...a healthy start, too."
• "I’m goin whichever way you are 😍"

As Danielle Colby continues pushing back into a life of performing onstage, we’ll doubtless be getting more posts like these, and I hope they come with more snackable tidbits of advice in the future. Our thoughts go out to the reality star as she continues pushing forward (not backward!) and back into the activity she loves. 

As an American Pickers fan I’ve been jonesing for some good news. The fandom has been fragmented ever since Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz started feuding over his exit from the show. Fans campaigned to bring him back, and the History series responded by bringing in Robbie Wolfe. In the meantime, Fritz’s health has seemingly been declining, mirroring the show’s ratings. But I’m heartened by the fan  responses on the recent announcement the reality series made about getting back on the road. 

Robbie’s not exactly a newcomer at this point on the show, and he’s been involved with filming a few seasons now. This summer, reports indicate the team is headed places like Wisconsin and Michigan, and a few days ago, the Pickers star himself posted a video of himself, Jersey Jon and the crew getting filming off the ground once more. 

In the video, Wolfe explained “we’re starting up a new season,” giving fans a bit of a tour of the large van members of the crew travel in. They goofed around as the camera panned backward, but what I’m most interested about with the post is the fan responses that followed. 

For months, we heard Pickers watchers hashtagging posts with comments like “bring Fritz back” and commenting “I miss Frank” or dissing the show’s “loyalty” and more. The ratings declined during this period, though the cast and crew kept filming through it all. Now, it seems things have taken a turn for the positive, as commenter’s on Wolfe’s post are seemingly pumped to see Jersey Jon’s involvement.

• WE LOVE YOU GUYS❤️ and Thanks for adding Jersey Jon he’s so informative on the metal works I’ll be watching and picking from La.
• Mike and Jersey are my favorites. They’re always kind when dealing with sellers. Some of the others are rather rude/ act like experts.

In case you are only casually up on the show, Jersey Jon Szalay is a recurring cast member whose expertise is antique motorcycles, a subject also near and dear to Mike Wolfe’s heart. He joined the American Pickers cast for a 2021 episode and has continued to appear after Fritz’s exit. To note, the positive comments weren’t just about Jersey Jon love, however. Others commented on how much they enjoy the newer version of the cast in general.

• Oh how I miss you when there are no new episodes. Not fond of the repack of old episode contents into episodes. I get why. I just like the current cast so much.
• Good to hear new American Pickers is on the way!!! Be safe!

It seems like fan sentiment may be taking a turn (or at least that the disgruntled fans are just avoiding following Robbie altogether).  Meanwhile, if you are still one of those fans who is hoping that Fritz will eventually return, his current health issues may preclude that, as a recent report indicated he is currently under the care of a guardianship and multiple 911 calls have reportedly been made to Fritz’s  home in recent months. 

American Pickers is already back to work and has plans to hit up Wisconsin in June and Michigan in July. A pastor also recently told local news outlet 12WBOY that the crew was seen filming in West Virginia, so there seem to be a fairly wide swathe of states being covered for the new season. Let's see if the positive momentum continues as the summer wears on.

We were well into the pandemic when news came down the pipeline: longtime duo Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz were breaking up the band. The news was somewhat of a surprise when it first broke, but those who followed American Pickers and its stars on social media knew that Wolfe’s longtime driving partner had already been off the air for some time when his exit from the History Channel series became a certain reality. 

What followed was a lot of brouhaha. Back and forth comments between Wolfe and Fritz were spoken through the media and, in some cases, social media as the show continued airing on the TV schedule. Fingers were pointed. Health issues were documented and feelings were explored. A fan movement (“Bring Frank Back”) was spawned. Then tragedy struck. The feud between the two American Pickers stars is a long and storied one, and while the air is starting to be cleared, I'd still suggest buckling up. It’s going to be a bumpy read. 

Early 2020: Frank Fritz Took A Voluntary Leave Of Absence

Most of us think of March of 2020 as the month the world shut down and many of us remained at home. For the History Channel star, it was the month his final Pickers episode aired. At the time, we’d learned Frank had voluntarily taken a leave of absence from the show to deal with what he says was a back issues. From information we got later, it was reportedly so much more. 

July 2021: Rumors Swirled Fritz Was Not Returning To The Show

In the summer of 2021, there were whispers things were not well with the cast of the reality show. Frank Fritz had been open about leaving the series for a time to deal with a bad back (and surgery), as well as Crohn’s Disease issues and alcohol problems. He lost weight and got healthy. By the summer of 2021, the longtime star realized it might not be that easy to return, noting at the time, “I was doing it for 11 years, but there is a lot of controversy going on right now.”

July 2021: Mike Wolfe Confirmed The Rumors

When Frank said there was “controversy” going on with his potential return to the show, he also noted his co-host pal had not reached out in two years. So while rumors were swirling, there was a lot of evidence of trouble in paradise. Just a few days later, Wolfe confirmed Frank Fritz’s exit, writing to fans on social media:

If only it all had ended there. 

August 2021: Danielle Colby Broke Her Silence On American Pickers BTS Drama

After Mike Wolfe confirmed his former road tripping buddy would not be back, Frank Fritz started talking to the press about “regrets,” namely that he wished he had stopped drinking five years earlier than he did. He continued talking to the press in the days that followed and eventually his other co-star felt the need to speak out. From her side of things, there was a lot of “pain” Frank had caused while still on the show and she wanted to set the misinformation straight, writing in August of 2021:

Clearly, there was a lot that had gone on behind the scenes during the creation of the History Channel show. Colby seemingly gave fans a look at the bigger picture without spilling all the tea, but she made it clear there was a strong fissure between the cast and Fritz, here.

August 2021: Frank Stopped Playing Nice

While early on, Frank’s narrative was one of change and growth, after his former co-stars said their piece, he stopped playing so nicely. In the month of August, the former reality star’s commentary changed. He said the statement Wolfe had made was “bullshit” and also said no one had even called to check on him, ending a mini rant with an angry “fuck you.” 

Things were getting tenser, not less tense. 

Mid-August 2021: The Back And Forth Between The Two Stars Continued

While originally the remaining History channel stars had been a little cagey about Frank Fritz’s personal struggles, eventually the back and forth kept going in the press to the point where Wolfe made an attempt to be clear about why his former pal was not being asked back. In Mid-August, Wolfe straight up wrote: 

The reality star had been candid about previously being sober from alcohol for 11 months, and there seemed to be more to the tale, but Fritz also reiterated his sobriety after Mike's comments came down the pipeline in August. He said: 

When Frank first left Pickers, and even when there was hope he might be able to return to the show, he'd had a better attitude about it. But his emotions seemingly changed over time. 

January 2022: American Pickers Returned To The Schedule

Normally a new season of picking is a reason to rejoice, but 2022 was a weird year for the fanbase. The show came back in January, but it was without the normal cast. A very vocal portion of the fanbase started hashtags in places like Twitter and Facebook to express their disapproval. The ratings suffered on American Pickers. A slew of comments rolled around with fans asking about “loyalty” and asking the series to #BringFrankBack. 

Meanwhile, the series brought on Mike Wolfe’s brother, Robbie, for the January premiere, and he’s remained a fixture on the series in the time since. Though Robbie had dropped by in the past, he was seen as a replacement for Frank, and some people weren’t happy about it. 

The show was back, but it had seemingly lost some of its magic.

March 2022: Frank Fritz Dealt With More Troubles

After getting kicked off of reality TV, and having been out of a lucrative gig for two years by last spring, news had broken the star was behind on his taxes, and had been for a while. In March of 2022, it was reported Fritz owed back taxes in the amount of $5,038 that had accrued from two properties he’d purchased in Iowa. He’d also previously mentioned things had not gone well with a former partner, a woman who he’d spent lavish amounts of money on and who left him after allegedly costing him “six figures.”  

A return to Pickers seemed further and further away. 

May of 2022: An Insider Spoke Out About Ongoing Problems

An insider who knew both Pickers stars said the two were still not talking. He also noted “money” had reportedly changed the friendship between the two men. 

July 2022: Mike Wolfe Jumped Into The Fray Again After Health Scare

It was confirmed in July that Frank Fritz had suffered a stroke. Interestingly, it was his former TV partner Mike Wolfe who alerted the world to the stroke news after months of silence about what had transpired. Mike had asked the world to keep their “opinions” about what was going on with the show and the back-and-forth between the former friends to themselves. Instead, Wolfe leaking the news inspired a bit of vitriol from certain fans. 

August 2022: Frank Fritz Was Reportedly On The Mend

While a stroke is a big deal and the reality star had gone through a big health scare, it was reported just a few weeks later that he was on the mend. While he was out of the hospital at this point, his struggles continued in the months following. 

October 2022: A Guardianship Petition Was Filed 

While it seemed that Fritz was getting better, what had actually transpired was the actor was shifted from a rehab center to at home care. Paperwork was filed on Frank Fritz’s behalf to get a guardianship put into place. That paperwork made the situation a whole lot clearer: 

The former star has struggled with at home care, with myriad 911 calls being placed in recent months. He has also struggled with his finances, as care after a stroke is expensive. 

January 2023: Insider Claimed American Pickers Wanted To Get The Gang Back Together, But The Show Must Go On

An insider claimed History was having second thoughts about his firing. The news came after friends was put under the care of a guardianship and had reportedly been burdened by finances for some time. While returning to TV would likely be a boon for the latter part, given recent reports, it's unclear how Fritz could do the traveling and filming necessary to fulfill a TV obligation. 

In the meantime, American Pickers has moved on. Mike Wolfe has gratefully thanked the crew for their hard work on the new season and the show seems to have successfully navigated the storm of drama that followed Frank Fritz being let go from the show. The latter's new battle is now a battle for his health, and in the summer of 2023 the Midwest Bank responsible for his guardianship worked to seal the inventory of Fritz's financial assets and responsibilities. 

For now, his health will need to take priority, at least in the near future. But time heals a lot of wounds and we'll have to wait and see what's down the road for both men, and the show. 

Summer 2023: An American Pickers Reunion

While not confirmed by Wolfe or Fritz, an insider in Iowa claimed the summer of 2023 was a time to put old issues aside and come back together. In fact, said insider claimed in June the two Pickers stars reunited over Memorial Day weekend, noting it was emotional and there "were tears" involved. Frank had allegedly requested the meet, which reportedly included talks about old times they'd had together and what the future could hold. 

Following the reunion, it was revealed that Frank Fritz landed a legal win tied to his ongoing conservatorship, with the court allowing for his financial records and property details to be sealed away from public viewing.

August 2023: An Insider Clarifies Fritz's Ongoing Recovery

It had been months since we'd heard anything in regards to Frank Fritz's recovery outside of guardianship updates and a reported reunion with his former TV road tripping partner. His friend recently spoke out to note that no one is ever "100 percent" after having a stroke but they called the former reality TV star "aware" and noted reports of Fritz being "debilitated" were not accurate.

The stroke reportedly impacted his right side.

There had been talks over a potential return to the History series, but at this juncture it sounds like Frank Fritz still has a long road ahead, though the news from his friend is mostly positive. Regardless, when it comes to his issues with Wolfe, like The Rock and Vin Diesel's Fast and Furious feud, this may be one feud we can declare over. 

Frank Fritz’s trials  are growing more apparent as the weeks roll on. Following his widely-publicized stroke in 2022, in recent months, we’ve known the American Pickers star has been struggling, as a guardianship was put in place to help with his financial and health decisions. Now, new details are coming out of Iowa indicating multiple 911 calls have been placed to his home in recent months. 

Four times over the last several months, emergency calls have been placed on the TV personality’s behalf. The first of these came on November 17th of last year, and happened because the American Pickers star was having “a seizure.” More calls were obtained by The Sun, and detail a swathe of different issues he has reportedly been facing.. 

A second call on December 7th was made due to high blood pressure. A third call was placed by a caregiver over “possible pneumonia” on December 21, with another call placed for the same issue one day later, just before the holidays. It’s unclear if any 911 calls have been placed since the start of 2023. 

The details also reveal other previously unreleased information, including the fact  Fritz is seemingly wheelchair bound since his July 14th stroke. During the fourth 911 call, the former reality star’s guardian called him “handicapped” and noted he’s in a wheelchair. Audio from one call indicated: 

Fritz's Guardianship Had Been Put Into Place Previously

The aforementioned guardianship was in place before any of these phone calls occurred, which is why a caretaker was on hand to place the calls. Fritz’s friends started the legal process of the guardianship back in late last year after the TV personality had spent time in a rehab facility following his stroke. The last update we had confirmed the former History star had returned home following this stint, and the details of the myriad 911 calls do support this information. 

Back in August of 2022, there had been some indication that Frank Fritz was “on the mend” after his health incident. This was seemingly good news at the time, as Fritz had previously expressed interest in a return to TV – the livelihood that had made him a household name.

There had been bad blood between Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe ahead of his stroke and afterward. He'd clapped back at comments his Pickers co-stars had made about his on-set behavior, behavior which reportedly led to his firing (after he had voluntarily put his History career on pause). It was Wolfe who also told the world Fritz had a stroke, a fact his former Pickers co-star was allegedly unhappy with. In addition to health struggles, Fritz has also reportedly been dealing with money struggles since his exit from television. 

It's been a long haul for the TV personality and it doesn't sound like he's out of the woods yet. Sending positive vibes to the star during this time.

American Pickers is currently in the midst of airing its 24th season on History Channel, and even though it’s been right around three years since former co-host Frank Fritz’s last appearance prior to his unexpected ousting, viewers are still quick to call for his return anytime the show comes up. That turn of events is unlikely to happen anytime soon, however, even if there wasn’t any juice behind the feud between Fritz and Mike Wolfe. The latest update concerning the former reality star indicates the recovery process from the stroke he suffered in 2022 remains a full-time concern amidst his ongoing conservatorship, but he does appear to be back home at last.

Frank Fritz was first hospitalized back in July 2022 after a friend discovered he’d had a stroke in his home that left him on the ground and incapacitated. The debilitating incident was such that he was put under a temporary conservatorship in August, after a friend filed an emergency appointment, with court documents stating that Fritz was too impaired for proper decision-making, and was unable to care for himself in most ways without the help of others, physically and financially. A month later, the American Pickers vet was released from the hospital to spend the next several months recovering within a rehabilitation center.

In order for Fritz to vacate the rehabilitation center and move back home for the remainder of his recovery ordeal, his Iowan residence needed some major adjustments. For one, a wheelchair ramp needed to be built on the exterior of the house to allow him access into and out of his home, while similar additions were needed inside the home, particularly in the bathrooms, where safety bars and rails were also required. And according to the US Sun, the ramp has indeed been built, with the outlet saying it was actually built "after he returned home from rehab."

The ramp was set up around the side and rear of the collector's farmhouse in Le Claire, Iowa, where he's been living since first buying it up in 2010. He'd expanded the property a few years later, and built up an impressive warehouse for storage purposes as American Pickers' popularity exploded. It's unclear how much time he'll be spending out and about in the warehouse or elsewhere, but the ramp will certainly make that kind of undertaking easier to sort out for Fritz and his guardian.

As dictated by the conservatorship agreement, a longtime friend of Fritz's is serving as a personal guardian to assist in the latter's recovery process at the homefront, while MidWestOne Bank is handling all financial-related affairs. The guardian will be helping out with cooking, grocery shopping, medical treatments for Fritz's Crohn's disease, physical therapy and more. He'll also be responsible for bringing the TV vet to and from any outings that Fritz's feels good enough to go on. So while it sounds like there's still a ways to go before he's back to feeling like his former self, being back home will hopefully only make things smoother.

This unexpectedly lengthy medical issue has taken a toll on Fritz’s financial situation, which was already reportedly taking a downward turn post-firing over unpaid back taxes. His conservatorship lawyer even filed paperwork requesting payment from his client, despite being court-appointed legal representation.

A report from November put his expenses north of $28,000 a month, with nearly $23,000 of that coming just from medical care, amounting to around $273K per year if it averages out. Following his firing from American Pickers, which itself occurred after Fritz's back surgery caused further problems that led to a different kind of rehab stint, he's reportedly only earning somewhere around $60K per year.

Only a week or so prior to this update, Mike Wolfe took to social media to reveal that he'd just filmed his final pick of the season, and shared a video highlighting the myriad crew members who brought Season 24 to life. In the comments, he addressed Frank Fritz directly in a rare moment, saying he's been missed:

So fans should be expecting any surprise appearances from Frank Fritz in upcoming episodes of American Pickers, but I think we can all agree that the most important issue here is for him to reach the point of full recovery.

It’s been a tough few months for American Pickers’ Frank Fritz. His former TV partner Mike Wolfe confirmed he’d suffered a stroke last summer, and unfortunately the star has not bounced back in the time since. In fact, in recent months Fritz was dealing with continued health issues and was put under a guardianship. Now, he’s dealing with money issues as well. 

The reality star was reportedly appointed a lawyer by the court when all of this guardianship stuff started happening. Now, his court-appointed lawyer has filed a Motion to Approve Attorney Fees. Per the request: 

The request isn't for a ton of money, but it's one more request in a wave of financial difficulties the star has been facing in recent months. Frank Fritz was reportedly having financial issues even before his lawyer filed this most recent motion. A few months ago, we reported that Frank Fritz’s expenses are tallying up to around $28,292 a month. He needs "in-home healthcare" that costs more than 22K per month by itself. Then he has other varying expenses including health insurance, transportation and food that are piling up. He reportedly is only bringing in around $60K per year following his exit from American Pickers, and if that number is accurate, he obviously can’t afford all of this stuff. 

Fritz has said in the past he’d like another TV show, and there have even been (unconfirmed) rumors American Pickers might want him back one day. Given his current health status -- a report over at The Sun is referring to Frank’s ability to even make small decision as “so impaired” right now --  it doesn’t seem like a possibility at all in the near future. 

Right now, it seems the reality personality may be spending more than is coming in. And his lawyer is asking for his due, now, too. The only positive news is that Fritz’s lawyer is not asking for a large sum. According to the filing, he is asking for $450 in billings for visiting the TV personality in the hospital. He’s also looking for $120 for a court appearance during the guardianship process and an additional $150 for reviews he did of filings that came about in court.

MidWest Bank, the bank that is behind Frank Fritz’s guardianship is handling his affairs, including the money to the lawyer, which has been approved by a judge. The bank has said it has plans for Frank’s assets in order to “start generating income for Mr. Fritz.” Hopefully, a plan will be worked out in the coming months that helps get the former reality stars finances back on track as he continues the process of recovery. 

Few would deny that LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. Expectations were high for him when he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers at 18 years old, but he more than lived up to the hype. He’s made history time and time again but, last night, he accomplished what may be the biggest feat of his career. After months of anticipation, James finally broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387-point scoring record, a stat that stood for nearly 40 years. After hitting the impressive mark, James shed tears and dropped an f-bomb in front of Abdul-Jabbar – and there’s video of the entire address. 

The Los Angeles Laker claimed the hallowed record at the tail end of the team’s matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. King James solidified his place in the history books with a smooth fadeaway over Kenrich Williams. The star’s family and friends were all present to witness the feat alongside NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After the end of the quarter, Silver, Abdul-Jabbar and James took to center court for a ceremony that saw the 75-year-old vet hand a basketball to his successor. James’ tears were flowing before he gave the speech with the aforementioned f-bomb. You can see the moment in the video above.

LeBron James has dropped f-bombs in relatively cheeky ways over the years, but this one was prompted by raw emotion. I can’t even fathom what he must’ve been feeling at that moment. There’s always talk about who the true NBA GOATS are and, while many will continue to have their opinions, there’s no denying that James has only further cemented himself amongst them. As you’d expect, plenty of fans took notice of the major accomplishment, including a few celebrities. With that, Charles Barkley, Stephen Curry, Rihanna and Drake all paid tribute to James in a video shared by Bleacher Report. Take a look:

Such kind responses are truly the icing on the cake for what was an incredible night. And on top of that, the game was attended by Denzel Washington, LL Cool J, Dwyane Wade and more, according to USA Today. A congratulatory message from President Joe was also played during the proceedings. Though the Lakers couldn’t pull out a win against the Thunder, I doubt too many fans were focused on that detail last night.

After that game, LeBron James officially has 38,390 points, per NBA.com, and it’s fair to assume that he’ll add to that number quite a bit before he calls it a career. Though he’s 38, he’s still playing at a high level and could easily remain in the league for at least another few years. During that time, basketball aficionados will likely continue to analyze his game and specifically compare him to the great Michael Jordan. For many, the jury is still out on who’s the most dominant (and who had the most impressive Space Jam victory). They may even discuss whether James’ bald look was as fresh as MJ’s. But it's clear that James has Jordan – who’s No. 5 on the scoring list – beat in this regard.

Of course, this record is still a reminder that LeBron James is reaching the end of his tenure on the court. For those who’ve grown up watching him, it’s hard to imagine a world in which he’s not playing basketball. But the businessman is already jumping into other ventures like film production. Aside from Space Jam: A New Legay, he’s produced other flicks and is even working on a high school biopic centered on his experiences.

It’ll be exciting to see what he does down the road but, right now, let’s just join him in celebrating this moment. There’s no way of telling whether King James’ new record will ever be broken one day but, just like he’s proven to us over the years, anything is possible.

For insight into the future hall of famer’s early days, stream the documentary More than a Game using an Amazon Prime Video subscription. You can also see him and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers, which is available to Hulu subscription holders.

“Queen of Rust,” aka American Pickers star Danielle Colby, has been all about baring herself on social media lately. There was the bathtub photo in which Colby turned herself into a bowl of cereal, not to mention times she’s pushed burlesque fashion or shared other very “cheeky” posts with Pickers fans. This week, she headed for the beach and took a vacation from her swimsuit, if you catch my meaning, in another artsy post. 

Colby certainly knows how to set up for a memorable photoshoot such as this one, though it’s not the first time she’s shared a pic posing nude on the beach. Previously, she also shared a separate beach photo on Instagram taken by Madison Hurley photography. It’s unclear if the new photo is from the same set, but it’s certainly attention-grabbing. 

The result is an photo that encompasses the brand Danielle Colby has been building for herself outside of the realm of American Pickers. Colby is still a part of the History Channel series, of course, but it has increasingly grown long in the tooth over the years and ratings have fallen on the picking-based series since Frank Fritz left. (An event Colby herself commented on.)  Meanwhile, Colby and her daughter  Memphis (aka LolahBear) have started netting healthy sums on the fan-based subscription service, with LolahBear admitting to making six figures a month. 

The new pic seems to be in promotion for her OnlyFans account, though she only hints to it on the post. While the TV personality may mostly be known for being Antique Archaeology’s resident shop manager – and the woman who also helps Mike Wolfe and co. on their journey to new picks while on the road – her real passion is burlesque. 

She’s spoken and posted about burlesque in the past, saying “it’s part of [her] life journey.” She said her upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness inspired her to want to go in a different direction after seeing a burlesque performance in Chicago. What followed became a hobby, and from the post above, seemingly a way to make money outside of being Mike Wolfe’s partner in all things vintage. 

The future of American Pickers is a little unclear, though new episodes are currently airing on History on Wednesday Nights at 9 p.m. ET as part of the 2023 TV schedule, but keeping tabs on Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby’s socials is almost as interesting at this point. We’ll keep you posted if she has any other artsy photos coming out way in the near future. 

Danielle Colby may be most-known for her work on American Pickers, but she’s also a thriving creative and advocate for burlesque and body positivity in general. She’ll often share photoshoot looks with her fans on social media and this week was no exception. This time, however, she went a little more over-the-top than usual and turned herself into a bowl of Fruit Loops for a new bathtub photoshoot.

One thing I really appreciate about the reality star’s posts is how cheeky they are. Colby actually shared a nude photograph to kick off the New Year in 2023 and captioned it “Happy Nude Rear.” This time, she shared a bathtub photo filled with milk and cereal on Instagram and captioned it “Who’s ready for a midnight snack?”

From the angle we get a glimpse at some of Danielle Colby’s lesser-seen back tattoos, including what looks to be a nod to Man Ray’s infamous Le Violon d'Ingres photograph -- the one with the f-holes painted on the model’s back. Hers would be a little more permanent, but if my guess is legit it’s a flipping cool tattoo. 

I’ve seen Danielle Colby share some pretty creative photos in the past, but this one takes the cake – or I guess takes the cereal? – in terms of just going all out on a concept. It’s an amusing idea to turn oneself into a bowl of Fruit Loops and it’s definitely an attention-grabbing look, with the brightly-colored cereal popping against the milky tub. She also shared the look on her Instagram story amidst some fun burlesque footage, as well.

Why Burlesque Is A Core Passion For Danielle Colby

Burlesque is what the American Pickers star is seemingly most passionate about. TV fame is well and good, but the reality star has been honest in the past about it being a calling for her. Onstage she’ll go by Danny Diesel, and she’s been candid about her Jehovah’s Witness upbringing making activities like burlesque feel taboo until she opened herself up to new experiences. She’s told Fox News it helped her to “blossom” and “taught” her a lot about the person she wants to be.

She’s tried to send the same messaging to her daughter, Memphis, who has a thriving OnlyFans.

Occasionally, Colby’s openness with her body has Danielle Colby in trouble on social media, though she’s been candid about fighting the perception that burlesque may be unsavory, and noted on the post Instagram pulled that she was wearing a costume “the same size as a bikini.” Despite a few hiccups, she’s managed to plug the two big pieces of her life together fairly well. By day, she’s Danielle Colby, Antique Archaeology Extraordinaire. In her off hours, Dannie Diesel gets up to Fruit Loops shenanigans and more.

If you prefer how she presents on TV, you’re in luck as well. Episodes of American Pickers frequently air on History and, in fact, new episodes just kicked off this month. You can check that out and more coming to TV this winter with our full TV schedule.

A new season of American Pickers recently hit the 2023 TV schedule starring longtime lead Mike Wolfe and his brother Robbie. While fans have been waiting for new episodes for quite a while, the show has continued to struggle in the ratings since the exit of Frank Fritz a couple of years ago. Now, an insider is claiming the veteran reality series wants the show’s former co-star back, but how realistic is that really? 

If a report from an insider who spoke with Radar Online is true, Wolfe allegedly has wanted Frank back for a while, albeit reluctantly. That insider actually told the outlet, “Coming crawling back to Frank is a bitter pill for Mike to swallow,” noting it’s one that might be necessary given the current state of the ratings. With a few bright spots, American Pickers has dropped in the ratings since Fritz left. 

Last week’s premiere episode also brought in well under the 1 million benchmark the series used to frequently hit, rounding out at about 943,000 viewers. While the show could maybe use a little help, there’s a bit of counterevidence out there on this front, however. 

Mike Wolfe Is Still Happy As A Clam Promoting American Pickers Without Frank

It is worth noting that when Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz broke the band up, it wasn’t exactly copacetic. While Frank initially left the show of his own accord to deal with mounting health issues, it was confirmed by Mike Wolfe that he was not asked back to the show. As the story blew up bigger and bigger, Danielle Colby and others involved with the show noted that Frank had struggles the show had accommodated for years but that had reached a breaking point. Rumors of a feud between the Pickers stars have continually cropped up.

Then, there was plenty of back and forth when both Wolfe and Frank Fritz spoke to press, with the former reality star calling out Wolfe’s statement as “bullshit” and straight up direct addressing him with a “fuck you.” Therefore, it’s not as if things ended on a positive note between everyone involved. 

Secondarily, ahead of the most recent batch of episodes, Mike Wolfe shared a post on his Instagram Story noting how “excited” he was about the new batch of episodes airing on History on Wednesday nights. Not exactly the mark of a “bitter” man. 

Frank Fritz’s Health Issues Sound Quite Serious 

The other, and probably even more relevant piece of information to note is that Frank Fritz is dealing with major health issues. Even if the fandom has been vocal about wanting Fritz back, and even if Wolfe did see that to be a potential pathway, I’m not sure it’s possible. When last we heard about the star’s health journey, he was being placed under a temporary guardianship by the court system. 

Why? In October we learned that Fritz had been in a rehabilitation center since August following a stroke he had suffered earlier in 2022. A guardianship was put into place to watch over the former reality star’s “safety” and to help him make decisions about things like food, shelter and medical care. This healthcare is costing him a pretty penny and MidWestOne Bank recently filed paperwork tallying up the cost of Frank Fritz’s needs. While a reality TV paycheck would likely be a boon for him, and Fritz had said he'd like to return to reality TV, it doesn’t sound like he is in much of a position to be able to take on a job requiring long hours and travel, etc at this time. And until we hear otherwise from Frank himself, I doubt this will be changing. 

Our thoughts do go out to the former reality star at this time. On a brighter note, if you do want to influence those ratings, new episodes of American Pickers do air on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET, only on History. 

Seeing that we’ve reached another new year, it’s only natural that some people will find creative ways to mark the occasion. Celebrities are no different, as they typically tend to do so using delightful social media posts. With the arrival of 2023, Danielle Colby – of American Pickers fame – took to the interwebs to join in the festivities. It should come as no surprise to those who watch the hit show that Colby found a clever way to celebrate the holiday. Some might even say that her post was more cheeky than anything. 

Danielle Colby has not been shy about showing off her body amid her time as a public figure. So when she decided to mark 2023, she ushered in the near year by posting a nude photo in which she’s lying across a bed. She also included a clever caption that may elicit a chuckle or two. Check out the Instagram post below and get a better idea as to why this post is just so “cheeky”:

Get the joke? I’m assuming you probably do. Kudos to the TV personality for landing one of the best puns of the year this far. She’s also started off strong when it comes to showing off steamy pics of herself. Funny enough, she’s not the only person to mark the transition between 2022 and 2023 with a steamy (and even cheekier) photo. Kim Kardashian did something similar while she was “looking back at 2022.” Clearly these famous ladies are operating from the same playbook, and their social media followers seem to approve of their methods.

The past year was relatively eventful for the History Channel veteran, as she continued to make appearances on American Pickers, which is now over 20 seasons into its run. The 47-year-old star also made further headway with her burlesque ventures. Though she did run into a bit of a snag last March when one of her videos was removed over “solicitation.” The move prompted her to go on a heated rant in which she lamented how such content is handled by social media entities. She has instilled her values on body positivity in her daughter, Memphis Colby, who has an OnlyFans account and found positive ways to use her wealth last year.

But one would think that American Pickers will remain her biggest professional obligation in the new year. The long-running, antique-centric show is heading towards its 24th season, which should be exciting for fans. However, there are likely some who will miss former cast member Frank Fritz, who was announced to be exiting the show back in 2021. When Danielle Colby broke her silence on the matter, she made note of the personal problems that her colleague had endured over the years. Currently, Fritz is in a tough financial situation due to his ongoing health problems. 

We wish him well in 2023 as we do Danielle Colby. She certainly kicked the year off with a bang, and she’ll likely keep that momentum during the months to come. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be too surprised if she drops another “cheeky” snapshot or two as time goes on.

The new season of American Pickers airs on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on History as part of the 2023 TV schedule, and you can stream past seasons using an Hulu subscription.

Former American Pickers star Frank Fritz has had a tough few years. After Mike Wolfe confirmed Fritz had been let go of the History series, he lost income. He then dealt with a health setback earlier in 2022 that had him hospitalized and then sent to a rehabilitation facility. All of those things cost money, and now the former reality star’s financial trajectory is not looking good at all. In fact, he is paying a lot for medical care. 

In recent weeks, the care of the former Pickers star has been taken over by a conservatorship, which means legal paperwork has been fired on his behalf. A guardian was put into place and a bank had taken over control of his finances. Now, the bank in question, the MidWestOne Bank, has filed paperwork indicating Fritz’s expenses are tallying up to $28,292 a month. Extrapolated out over a period of 12 months and thats over $273K a year.

According to the legal paperwork (via The Sun), Frank Fritz currently needs “in-home healthcare” which is costing the lion’s share of the aforementioned monthly tally. Right now, his care requires $22,832 a month. Then there are other expenses, things like health insurance, transportation, food and $250 a month listed for items like clothing and more.

Those additional expenses account for the additional thousands per month. However, his 2021 tax form indicates Fritz only currently is bringing in $60K per year after getting dropped by American Pickers. He still has a storefront that sells merch and antiques (including American Pickers merch about his firing)  and the legal paperwork mentions additional investments. 

Before his health issues, Fritz had been hoping for another reality show, but given his current troubles, going back to work does not seem like a possibility in the near future. Instead, the conservatorship plans to invest further to recoup some of the $28,292 a month costs. 

Fritz is not currently in debt, though that could change. Meanwhile, MidWestOne Bank is reportedly working to “integrate Mr. Fritz into management decisions as he continues to recover.” The paperwork also states it will work to get him on disability, among other plans.

Frank Fritz’s stroke was a serious moment, to the point where his former co-star Mike Wolfe even took to social media in July to share the news, opening up the door to talk about Fritz for the first time in months. He also took the opportunity to ask fans who had been banging the drum for months about Fritz’s return to not do so while the star dealt with his medical issues. (For his part Fritz was allegedly unhappy Wolfe broke the news online.)

Months have passed since then, and it’s clear the health issues are lingering, though it seems that with these new legal guards in place the Pickers sidekick will get the help he needs. Our thoughts go out to Fritz during this time. 

There hasn’t been much word about Frank Fritz in the days and weeks after Mike Wolfe noted his former American Pickers pal had suffered a stroke. Now, we have an update and unfortunately it’s not good news. In fact, after being found unresponsive back in July, apparently the former reality star has only recovered somewhat and has been living in a rehabilitation facility since August. 

In the latest piece of new to come out regarding Mr. Fritz, paperwork was filed on the star’s behalf indicating he needs a guardian during this time period. That paperwork was filed because it is reportedly “necessary” so the former reality star “avoid[s] immediate harm.” Per the August petition: 

The guardianship was later approved by a judge (via The Des Moines Register) and a temporary guardianship has been created with a “longtime friend” in place to help out the former American Pickers star. A bank has also taken over the star’s finances. Judge Henry Latham was the person to approve the temporary guardianship, noting: 

Prior to Frank Fritz’s stroke, the actor had seemed to be on a path to recovery. He’d initially voluntarily exited American Pickers to deal with back struggles and a subsequent surgery. He said during the period after he initially took a leave of absence, he’d also gone to rehab and had gotten sober. He relayed he’d tried to “get the most out of it” that he “possibly could.”

Meanwhile, however, the show would go on. Once Fritz felt he was in a good place to make a return to American Pickers, the show had decided it was best to part ways. Mike Wolfe and co-star Danielle Colby both shared candid messages about the exit; later the show hired his brother, Robbie, in his place. Fritz expressed some interest in another TV show, but it wasn’t to be. 

This part of the story played out in the summer of 2021. About a year later, in July of 2022, the History star had a stroke and was found unresponsive at his home in Iowa. Despite this latest news, he seems to be started on a path to recovery and our thoughts go out to the star as he moves forward on the journey.

Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe are both reality personalities who also have other business outside of their TV Lives. The former runs Frank Fritz Finds in Savanna, IL while the latter runs Antique Archaeology in Nashville, TN. While the two no longer have the History series in common, both are still selling wares related to the long-running series, made all the more interesting given all the alleged feuding brouhaha between the two American Pickers stars.

A few weeks ago we learned that Fritz is now selling merch nodding back to his exit from American Pickers. This would normally not be a super significant thing to note, as I’m sure TV personalities have side businesses selling shirts and things all the time. However, in this case, the reality star is selling shirt nodding back to the drama that led to his ultimate exit from the History channel series, and now it looks like Wolfe is selling his own wares. 

We previously caught wind of some black t-shirts the fired reality star was selling capturing a the sentiment many fans have expressed about Fritz’s firing. The shirts read “I want Frank back,” a nod to a phrase fans vocalized online in the weeks and months after his exit. The former TV name is also selling pictures with himself and his former partner during their time on the show.

Now, it seems Wolfe also sells his own merch, but he’s not trying to capitalize on the two breaking the band up. Instead, The Sun reports the mainstay on the series is selling American Pickers gear but none of it harkens back to his time with Fritz. Instead, he’s selling shirts and mugs and the like, with one of the mugs reading “keep on picking.” 

To note, Mike Wolfe seems to be keeping the wares evergreen and doesn’t seem to be selling anything related to his brother Robbie, either. This is actually kind of in keeping with what has been going on over the past months. While Frank Fritz has openly shaded his former co-star in comments calling him “bullshit,” the current lead  has generally tried to take the high ground. 

For example, he only really confirmed Franks’ exit after the chatter grew online and then he was the one to speak to the Pickers fanbase and inform them of the Pickers star’s stroke, asking them to avoid online complaints while he heals.

Meanwhile, American Pickers itself has moved on with Robbie Wolfe in the other seat. While ratings have been up and down -- there have been some bright spots for the History series -- it may be time to move on from the exit drama. Though I'm personally curious to know which one of them is selling more shirts...

At this point, fans know Frank Fritz is no longer a star on American Pickers, the History series that made him a household name. After he willingly left the series to deal with personal and health troubles, Mike Wolfe confirmed his former road trippin’ buddy would not be coming back. This spurred a movement online from some of the show’s most ardent fans, and now it looks like the former reality star is leaning into the fans’ feelings on the matter. In fact, he’s selling some merch related to his firing from the show. 

Fritz is still a picker and he’s the owner of an establishment called Frank Fritz Finds. The store had seemingly been receiving some poor reviews after the whole brouhaha of Frank and Mike breaking the band up. In recent months, however, Frank Fritz Finds has been seeing some positive momentum. Among the changes it seems the store has started selling merch nodding at the fallout between himself and Wolfe.

The tees are black with white text on them and they come with a message that has become a frequent refrain online. What do they say? 

The Sun got a look at the t-shirts, as well as other memorabilia Frank seems to be selling from the show. This includes photos of himself and Mike, somewhat surprisingly, given the fact the former reality star has been candid about feeling like he was done a bit dirty by Wolfe. 

Whether you go to American Pickers posts on Twitter, Facebook or other social media outlets, you’ll probably see some variation of this comment. Just looking at the current “pinned tweet” right now, there are a lot of variations of the sentiment on the shirt. One commenter, Gene, noted: 

Another Jet_Set_Bear, said the show should not have gone on after the events that went down during the pandemic. 

The point being, “bring back Frank” has been a common refrain from the fanbase, and while it’s seemingly been dying down somewhat as newcomer Robbie and Mike have aired new episodes in recent months, the fans are very familiar with this sort of comment. Now it looks as if Fritz and co. are trying to capitalize on the sentiment.

For a time, it seemed as if the former reality star might have been angling to come back to Pickers. He made several comments about hoping to come back. When Wolfe made it clear that was not an option on the table, Fritz expressed interest in starring in his own show. Clearly that hasn’t happened. So the next best thing may just be selling snarky t-shirts. I’d be interested to know if the fans coming out online are actually supporting the reality personality’s merch or not. 

Meanwhile, fans already know the series has moved on with Robbie Wolfe. Ratings have been down on the series since all of the online discourse related to the move, but on the bright side, there’s been more good news in recent weeks as American Pickers saw an uptick. True too is the fact that Fritz is reportedly on the mend after his stroke. And while he’s clearly does not seem to be above a bit of petty (t-shirt oriented) revenge, here’s hoping he pulls through and his health improves moving forward. 

American Pickers star Mike Wolfe is known to go on road trips with a pal or two. There’s his brother Robbie, with whom he stars opposite in newer episodes of the History series after previous partner Frank Fritz’s exit was confirmed. Then, there’s his dog, Francie, who makes for an adorable road-tripping partner. This week, the reality added another passenger seat partner: his mother. Yes, it's about as cute as you'd expect.

Sons doing sweet things for or with their mothers usually inspire plenty of awws, and this is no exception. In fact, it seems particularly fitting that Wolfe swung to pick his mother Rita up for their trip in a vintage car. You can see the sweet post he shared to his Instagram Story, below. 

Whilst out on their adventure, the two did hit a bit of a rough weather patch during the drive to Bellevue, Iowa, but that doesn't seem to have deterred their fun. In fact, he said his mom was “calm” even through the storm and shared a look at some of the bad weather they encountered on the road. 

Rita and Mike have been seen doing public activities together in the past. In fact, though Wolfe has been reticent to share a lot of his dating activities after his divorce from Jodi Faeth, there were photos taken of himself, his partner Leticia Cline, and his mother out about around this time last year. Those were taken at a festival near and around Le Claire, Iowa, where Wolfe lives. 

Of course, as noted prior, Mike’s mom isn’t the only adorable partner he’s brought on the road in recent months. The man spends a lot of time in his car, and he often has another adorable road tripping partner with him. (No, not Robbie...) 

In fact, his social media posts are peppered with Mike Wolfe’s canine pal Francie going along for rides,  as well as rides with other family members. In a separate post at the Davenport Antique Motorcycle Meet, Wolfe brought Francie along over the long holiday weekend as well. So man’s best friend and man’s best mom were both at his side.  

There’s a new season of American Pickers currently airing with Mike and Robbie taking to the road and trying to find the best of finds. Though Robbie is the new guy on the road for the show, Frank Fritz’s exit still looms, particularly giving Fritz’s recent stroke and hospitalization. There’s been some struggles with American Pickers fans, exacerbated by comments from the former Pickers star, who allegedly  wasn’t super happy about Wolfe breaking the news of his stroke.

After seeing a decline in the ratings following Frank Fritz’s exit, there has been an upswing for Pickers’ numbers recently, though it’s worth noting the show was off the air over Labor Day weekend. Probably a sound call, as a lot of people were on the road, Mike Wolfe and his mother included.

It’s been a few weeks since American Pickers star Mike Wolfe confirmed his former road tripping buddy Frank Fritz had a stroke and had been hospitalized. While Fritz was seemingly not happy Wolfe had broken the news about his health event, it has been confirmed that Fritz is on the mend. He’s not the only one improving, either, as recent reports seem to indicate Pickers’ own ratings penance may be waning. 

In fact, American Pickers has recently been improving in the ratings in recent weeks, but particularly during the week of August 20th, when the show finally bumped over the 1 million total viewers mark. The episodes “Knucklehead Blue, Salty & Sweet Pickins Part 1” was set in North Carolina and featured Mike bargaining over a Mountain Dew statue. 

New episodes of American Pickers started on Saturday nights at the beginning of July and early on showed the same slack episodes had seemingly featured since it was confirmed that Frank Fritz had officially been let go from the show. Early in 2022, January episodes of American Pickers numbers had dropped from around 1.3 million an episode to under the 1 million viewer mark. That trajectory continued downward as the show returned to the air in July. 

In fact, earlier episodes this summer only drew over 800,000 total viewers. While some of those episodes were closer to 900,000 viewers, a July 29th ep only saw 821,000 viewers tune in. Thus, it seemed like the trajectory was continuing downward for the show's summer/fall 2022 TV season return. 

Now that Fritz is on the mend and Wolfe has been supportive of his former TV pal, it seems as if more people have decided to give the show a whirl again. The latest episode's 1,007,000 viewers, per The Sun, is hardly a number to scoff at given what we’d seen in previous months. 

Of course, it’s worth noting this is still the new iteration of American Pickers. Mike Wolfe brought in his brother Robbie after he and Frank Fritz broke the band up. (Although Fritz left voluntarily over health issues he was not asked back by the other Pickers star or those involved in the show in other capacities.) Wolfe is still taking some flack online for what happened with the reality series, but it seems like the show is finally seeing some forward momentum with its new cast. 

Meanwhile, Frank Fritz has said he’d like to return to TV again, but that’s unlikely to happen on the show that made him a household name. The good news is he is on the mend after his stroke, recently telling a friend he is "very determined" and "continues to get better every day." 

Of course, here's hoping for more good news soon -- on both recovery fronts. 

Just about any instance involving a TV star exiting a beloved show is going to be a complicated situation, even if all parties are completely open and agreeable about all the details involved. But when things aren't nearly so smooth and planned out, that's when rifts start to form, which is vaguely how things have played out so far in the aftermath of Frank Fritz having to bow out of his co-hosting role on History's American Pickers. In July 2022, around a year after that untimely exit, Mike Wolfe went public with the news that Fritz suffered a stroke, and it sounds like that move may have reopened some figurative wounds for Fritz.

The timeline of Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe's troubles is long and convoluted, but it started when the former reality star took a leave of absence from the treasure-seeking series back in 2020 for a variety of reasons, from dealing with a surgery and other medical issues to going into rehab to quit drinking and lose weight. Before he could make any kind of return, however, reports spread saying Fritz was off the show, which Wolfe then publicly confirmed in a move that went against his former co-star’s wishes. Things only got stickier from there, with the star speaking candidly about Fritz’s behind-the-scenes struggles at the time, which one might have thought would deter him from sharing too much about the stroke situation.

Now, Frank Fritz is still in recovery mode, with his sights on the future. But according to a longtime friend who chose to remain unidentified for privacy reasons — American Pickers fans can sometimes go heavy on the backlashes — the sobered-up TV personality did not expect to have his medical situation once again shared without his consent. Here’s how she put it, according to QCTimes:

By all means, that statement could have been entirely focused on updating everyone with his current condition, while mentioning Frank Fritz’s request for fans to adopt pets from, or donate money to, the local Humane Society of Scott County. But it does seem like a pointed choice for a critical opinion like that to have entered the mix, given Fritz’s ongoing-but-indirect feud with Mike Wolfe. 

Even if every single message Fritz received from fans was kind and good-natured, it still might not be his ideal way to experience his recovery. And while he might have very well decided to share the news of his stroke with fans and followers himself at some point, he didn’t even get to make that decision for himself. 

Nonetheless, Fritz’s longtime friend sounds very assuring about how the recuperation process is going, saying:

That’s all we can hope for at this point, considering we never know what each new day will bring. To that end, it’s not wholly clear at this point when American Pickers will be back on History. Season 23 debuted back in January, with Robbie Wolfe appearing alongside his brother Mike in the ten-episode stretch, but given how much flak the latter Wolfe has faced for all things Frank Fritz, the network may decide to hold off on airing more new episodes.

In the meantime, though, be sure to head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see all the new and returning shows that are on the way!

American Pickers is currently airing new episodes on History as part of the summer TV schedule, but not every former fan is on board with the new episodes. This mostly has to do with the History series previously firing Frank Fritz and replacing him with Mike's brother Robbie Wolfe. The change has led to flack online for months, but has picked up again in the wake of Wolfe announcing Fritz had been hospitalized after having stroke. The longtime History host has stayed above the fray, however, choosing to share posts about picking and, of course, his other road trippin partner, Francie. 

Mike Wolfe's been busy sharing positive posts on Twitter and other social media, often about picking experiences or personal life moments. However, one of these recent posts highlights some examples of the fans still being upset about the lack of Frank and the inclusion of Robbie on the show. While the post itself was about negotiating for an "A.P. Simms Fine Whiskey jug," an example of the type of response the reality star has been getting can be seen below. 

This isn’t the first time fans have been upset over the Frank Fritz stuff on social media and doubtless it isn’t the last. Some fans really do seem to be feeling American Pickers needs Frank and have been vocal about it. These sorts of comments seemingly picked up again in the wake of the recent Frank Fritz hospitalization, but there seems to still be some lingering dissatisfaction around Frank and Mike breaking the band up. The ratings allegedly have been showing a decline in interest as well, though it’s worth noting TV ratings are down across the board as people continue to change their TV viewing habits. 

Granted, there are some positive comments directed at Mike on the post. There are also some more comments that are pro-Frank that are a little more polite than the one above, including one that is positive about Robbie appearing on the show over the past couple of seasons.

For his part, Mike Wolfe has definitely been trying to stay above the fray. He's shared a lot of Pickers-oriented posts recently, and went viral earlier this year after teasing a special project with motorcycle lover Jason Momoa. Possibly the most intriguing social addition he's made is posting about his other new road trippin' partner -- aka not Robbie. 

In fact, his dog Francie made another totally adorable appearance as his pal on the road just the other day, in fact. Look at that face!

Interest has likely been heightened around the series in recent weeks for a couple of reasons. As noted before, it was Mike who dropped the news about Frank's hospitalization, and Wolfe's rep later had to follow-up with a statement about "allow him time to heal" after fans shared their thoughts about how things went down. Secondly, American Pickers happened to start airing new episodes on Saturdays again, reminding people that Frank is gone and Robbie is the replacement once more. 

The good news? History could have cancelled the series following all this brouhaha, but those who enjoy watching the picking can still check out new episodes -- and reruns with Frank to boot -- on the History channel. In the meantime, we'll be sure to let you know if Frank's camp ever comments about any of this stuff. 

News broke last week that Frank Fritz, the former co-lead of the popular History series American Pickers, had had a stroke. The news was even bigger news because it was Mike Wolfe, the man who had confirmed Fritz’s firing from the series, who broke the news that his former TV partner was in the hospital. Now, a rep for Wolfe is speaking out about respecting the former reality TV star’s privacy during this time. 

Mike Wolfe had previously broken the news of Frank Fritz’s hospitalization on social media, though he specifically asked at that time that the opinionated fanbase hold off on queries, noting it was not the time to "set the record straight." Other American Pickers star Danielle Colby had encouraged Frank to “just keep fighting,” though her post has now been deleted on Instagram. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to Fritz and his team, People said they reached out to Frank Fritz’s team but it has been radio silence for now. Instead, in a new statement, Mike Wolfe’s representative asked the fanbase to give the former reality star some space.   

The communication from Mike Wolfe and his representative makes more sense with added context. Fans on social media even before the news broke about his stroke have been very open about being disgruntled about Frank Fritz’s exit. On the latest post announcing the stroke, a lot for Pickers fans did send prayer emojis, but other people who saw the post had specific comments about the two needing to make amends. 

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz had a very public falling out about his exit from television, with Fritz speaking candidly in interviews about not being in contact with Mike Wolfe, as well as going to rehab and sharing more about what he feels happened before he was fired by the History series. Wolfe responded to these interviews by sharing a social media post addressing Fritz’s exit, but in more recent interviews, things had not seemed to thaw, and neither American Pickers star had reportedly reached out to mend fences. Then, of course, Frank landed in the hospital. 

Meanwhile, American Pickers has moved on with Mike’s brother Robbie taking up the other seat on the road tripping show. New episodes of the long-running reality series air on Saturday nights as part of the summer TV schedule; however, reportedly the show has seen a decrease in viewership since Frank Fritz exited. We’ll keep you updated if the reality star or his reps make any official statements.  

Frank Fritz reportedly left American Pickers for a period of his own accord before the longtime History series ultimately decided not to ask Mike Wolfe’s famous sidekick back. In the time since, Wolfe’s brother Robbie has landed the role on the show, and Fritz has been busy pitching himself for a new TV series (as well as talking about what soured in his relationship with Wolfe). Now, however, it seems there has been at least some positive momentum on the former reality star’s part as his store is seeing better days. 

One of the things that went viral when Frank Fritz admitted to health troubles and a rehab stint prior to his American Pickers exit was his store in Illinois. The unusual antiques business is actually connected to a bar that also sells food, so it’s always been stashed away somewhat. However, during the time that Frank Fritz's setbacks were being widely reported, there had also been bad comments running around online about his store, Frank Fritz Finds. 

Now, it seems as if some work has been put into making Frank Fritz Finds a place where antique lovers will want to shop again. Google reviews for the store had previously been going downhill. One even read:

This wasn’t the only negative comment, as others complained the store was “disorganized” and featured “poor lighting,” among other issues. More recently, positive change has been seen in the store, and shoppers are noticing. Reviews have been trending upward in recent months (via The Sun), and it seems Frank Fritz Finds has put some work in to make the store a little more accessible for American Pickers fans. The current Google reviews have the store at a 3.5 rating with more positive reviews over the last several months, some even calling out the improvements: 

It’s unclear how much Frank was involved in the physical process, given previous reports noted he drops items off but is not commonly in the store. Still, it’s nice to see that changes were made after feedback was given and that the former reality star is gaining some positive momentum instead of stories rolling around about losing his former gig or dealing with tax troubles. And with no TV gig, having a successful shop may be a good next step. 

Meanwhile, American Pickers has fully and permanently moved on. The longtime History Channel series announced a while back that new episodes would be coming this summer. Those hit the schedule this July and air on Saturday night as part of the summer TV premiere schedule, only on History. 

This fall will be an incredibly exciting time for Hero Fiennes Tiffin. The actor’s last movie as Hardin in the After movies, After Ever Happy is premiering, and he’s one of the stars of the The Woman King, which features Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch and John Boyega. With this, September will arguably be the biggest month of his career yet. As we wait to learn more about his role in the movie, the 24-year-old burgeoning star gushed about his "amazing" experience filming the historical epic. 

The Woman King is director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s first film since helming 2020’s The Old Guard for Netflix. It's based on true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries. The movie stars Viola Davis as Nanisca, the general of an all-female military unit the comes into conflict with the French army. Hero Fiennes Tiffin spoke about the 2022 movie release, saying:

CinemaBlend interviewed Hero Fiennes Tiffin for his latest movie, First Love, a job that he said he was “reluctant” to take initially because he’s become so well known for romances due to his work on After. But because the new movie featured a completely different character than Hardin and featured an approach to the genre that he thought was fresh, he took on the role. 

The rising star seems to be at a place in his career where he’s been looking to “diversify” his portfolio, and The Woman King not only allowed him to do some work within another genre but also collaborate with some seriously talented A-list stars. The actor went on to discuss his filming experience, providing details about the work schedule he was on:

It’ll be exciting to see Hero Fiennes Tiffin branch out following his stint as a hot-headed college student in four After movies. The After films allowed the actor to become part of a massive fan community alongside co-star Josephine Langford, as they adapted the best-selling romance franchise for the screen. The actor sounds super pumped to show audiences the different acting muscles he can flex when The Woman King, and I can't wait to see what he offers and how manages to play off Viola Davis and the incredibly talented group of actors Gina Prince-Bythewood has assembled.

After Ever Happy hits theaters on September 7th and will conclude the main After franchise. The story will continue via spinoffs original author Anna Todd is not part of, though Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Josephine Langford are confirmed to be done playing their characters. Also, The Woman King, one of many big fall movies heading to theaters this year, is officially set for release on September 16.  

Though Tim Allen has largely been absent from the small screen Last Man Standing bid farewell to Fox viewers, fans can look forward to seeing him return to his most fantastical (and fantastically bearded) role for Disney+’s Santa Clause series. But before that holiday joy comes around, he’ll be getting back in touch with his Home Improvement past in terms of both working with impressive tools and working with former co-star Richard Karn. (Pretty sure Tim Taylor would call Al Borland an impressive tool, amirite?) Get ready for History’s new series More Power, with or without a set of rousing grunts, which will debut at the end of June!

This won’t be Tim Allen and Richard Karn’s first roll in the hay-story with the cable channel, as they first reunited for 2021’s competition series Assembly Required, which celebrated the skills of home builders. More Power will take things to a more elemental level in order to appreciate the tools themselves. And we’re obviously not talking about rinky-dinky versions, or else Allen likely wouldn’t be involved. And the show is set within the celeb's home shop, so that would be awkward.

Rather, More Power will lean into its title quite literally in each episode, which will focus on a tool-centric theme, while offering up a variety of the most impressive and powerful versions of each tool. The fact that Tim Allen is holding a chainsaw for any part of this process can only be promising. I mean, or all-out destructive, but that was a given.

It's right on brand with the idea of More Power that the new show already has a trailer to lure in viewers, even though we didn't even know it existed yesterday. 

To be expected, Tim Allen and Richard Karn commented on the show's announcement in fun ways, saying:

• Tim Allen: Albert Einstein once said, ‘I’m not a genius, I’m just passionately curious.' Having the opportunity to explore my curiosity in depth and really get to know more about the people and things that make us what we are today gets me excited. And what better pal to have at my side than Richard Karn?  We both share a great appreciation of people who can solve a problem not by talking about it, but by ‘doing’ it with creativity and amazing skills.
• Richard Karn: My friendship with Tim has lasted over 30 years… in a row! The chance to do a show like Tool Time was unquestionably exciting.  We may not have Binford but we still will have a world of fun!

With YouTuber and fellow Assembly Required vet April Wilkerson will once again join Tim Allen and Richard Karn for this new series, which will definitely take the hosts outside of the shop and into the world at large as they approach various topics and questions such as "How does a magnet light up an entire city?" (I'm guessing the answer isn't "Santa magic.") 

To be sure, there will also be more of a human element by way of other master-builders from around the country joining the fun to craft some signature innovations for Allen himself. If you're not ready to see the most impressive leaf-vacuum of your life, maybe you're not cut out for this show.

More Power will debut on History on Wednesday, June 29, at 10:00 p.m. ET. While waiting, anyone with a Hulu subscription can check out all nine seasons of Last Man Standing, and be sure to write your local representatives to ask for a revival for Home Improvement, or whoever the most important person you know is.