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.

It’s hard to believe we are at the end of an era. Amidst American Pickers cancellation rumors (and ones that were perpetuated by co-star Danielle Colby), Mike Wolfe is set to premiere History’s Greatest Picks on the 2026 TV schedule. It’s a new chapter for the star, but it also has him looking back at his early days with Frank Fritz and all of the big moments that have led him to this new chapter.

History’s Greatest Picks is a new series for Mike Wolfe, and one where he’ll have to go it alone. He told People the timing of the change for his career has been notable, and says Fritz has been at the forefront of his mind a lot in recent weeks now that it’s been a bit over a year since he died at 60.

So why is Wolfe spending a lot of time thinking about Frank Fritz, now? He feels he owes a debt of gratitude for his longtime pal and onscreen co-host.

This isn’t the first time Wolfe nodded back at his early work on American Pickers in recent weeks. A short while back, he also shared a post about how they had “no idea” what they “were doing” during those early days on the road. He also shared how, despite Frank Fritz’s firing and rumors of a feud between him and Wolfe, they were able to make up in his final days.

Wolfe’s had a tough go of it after a car accident led to his girlfriend Leticia Cline being hospitalized for an extended period of time. He was driving at the time, and stayed by her side throughout. It’s been a year of change for the longtime picker, but he’s landing on his feet.

History’s Greatest Picks will allow him to remain with the network that gave him a home, and will feature the reality star looking at some of history’s greatest finds. It will be less personal to Wolfe than Pickers could sometimes be, but should be a good one for history buffs in general.

For example, an early episode will look at the Mustang from Bullitt, a 1968 beaut driven by Steve McQueen that also recently came up up as a topic of discussion in the new Chris Hemsworth thriller Crime 101. Is that enough to get people to tune in? We’ll soon find out.

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.

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.

It was startling when news came down the pipeline that Mike Wolfe and his girlfriend of several years Leticia Cline had gotten into an accident in Columbia, Tennessee earlier in September. It’s been about 10 days since the news broke, and both are on the mend. However, Cline’s injuries have seemingly not been for the faint of heart, and she’s been hospitalized in the days since.

The good news? Cline and Wolfe are trying to keep “things positive” as she faces surgical intervention and more. The former reality star wrote things have slowly gotten better as she’s spent time in the hospital. She seemingly indicates it’s been tough to remain upbeat, but that a room with a view has helped.

It’s nice to see Mike Wolfe at her side through her recent trials. After the accident, reports indicated he got off with some lacerations, bruises, a knee injury, and a broken nose, and was released from the hospital relatively quickly. However, at the time of the accident, she was facing several big surgeries. Reports at the time said Cline had extensive injuries, including a lacerated lung and broken ribs, jaw and sternum. The accident was described as “serious,” and she’d been airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in order to gain extensive medical help.

In addition, the coffee shop Leticia Cline works at said she’d remain in the hospital until sometime this week, but that timeline may have been extended, if Cline’s recent post is any indication. It sounds like it will be a long road to recovery, but as Wolfe himself noted, the two of them are in it together, and it’s nice to seem him by her side.

His pal Robby Klein seemingly indicated Wolfe had been driving one of his vintage Chevy Impalas when the accident happened, writing, “And that was the last time [Mike Wolfe] saw his Impala.” Of course, the man behind American Pickers would be a real collector himself, and we know he is a car and motorcycle junkie. (He and Jason Momoa even bonded over vintage bikes.) In fact, we’ve seen him drive several vintage models and share looks at the cars’ dashboards on social media prior to the accident this month.

The accident itself sounded gnarly, but it seems like they are taking things day by day for now.

Here’s hoping to a speedy recovery and getting back to some evening vintage car rides down the line. And of course, to getting back to picking, soon. Despite previous drama, I think fans would all be happy for the American Pickers hiatus to be over in a hurry...

When Mike Wolfe announced his vintage car had been crumpled (but his spirits had not been tampered) after a serious car wreck over the weekend, the first feeling I had as a frequent American Pickers viewer was relief. Vintage cars aren’t always the safest, and hearing he and his girlfriend Leticia Cline would be OK was good news. But it wasn’t exactly the whole story.

In fact, as more details have come to light in the days after the accident in Columbia, Tennessee, Ms. Cline actually seems to have suffered some very serious injuries. A post from her employer, Ace Coffee Shop, mentioned she was airlifted to the hospital after the accident, where she will remain for some time.

The good news? She is expected to make a full recovery. The bad news? TMZ reports she suffered a slew of injuries, including a lacerated lung and broken ribs, jaw and sternum. She’ll be facing a long road to recovery that includes surgeries coming up. Right now, she’s expected to remain at Vanderbilt Hospital until next week. The professionals are allegedly waiting for her swelling to go down before surgeries can be undertaken.

Meanwhile, Mr. Picker himself, Mike Wolfe, escaped the accident with only a broken noise, a knee injury and a few lacerations. From the post, he's been a regular visitor at his partner's side.

The major injuries will put Ms. Cline out of work for a while, and her coffee shop expressed how much they will be missing her in action, also asking for patience from the community while they are down a major employee during this time. Wolfe then commented on the post, writing, "Best Dam quiche I’ve ever had ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️."

The news comes around a year after longtime host Frank Fritz's death, and as American Pickers is taking a bit of a break a first in decades. Mike Wolfe had been pursuing other opportunities, including events, but also a movie gig with Cline, when the accident occurred.

Wolfe and Cline were first linked romantically in 2021, following the American Pickers star's divorce. Leticia Cline also has a reality background, having appeared in the competition series Beauty and the Geek.

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).

It was just a few months ago that Mike Wolfe celebrated the two-decade anniversary of when he started picking with his buddy and former co-star Frank Fritz. That was even before the two had their incredibly popular show American Pickers, whose 26th season wrapped on the 2025 TV schedule in January. Now it seems Wolfe is shifting away from the reality TV space, and his next project is honestly one I never would have predicted.

Mike Wolfe’s girlfriend Leticia Cline, who began quietly dating the American Pickers star following his divorce in 2021, announced on Instagram that the couple will both appear in the movie Day of Reckoning, which apparently hits the 2025 movie calendar soon! Check out the announcement below:

I’m not sure what part Mike Wolfe’s character — “Mark,” according to IMDb — will play in this action-Western, but this certainly isn’t the project I would have envisioned for the man known best for road-tripping around America in search of rare artifacts. American Pickers, like many History Channel offerings, can be something like comfort food, or background noise to put on while you’re folding laundry. Day of Reckoning? I’d say that’s a whole different ballgame.

The movie is directed by Shaun Silva, who’s worked with several country music artists, and stars Zach Roerig and Billy Zane as a sheriff and U.S. Marshal, respectively. The law enforcement duo team up to detain outlaw Emily Rusk (Cara Jade Myers) as her violent husband (Scott Adkins) tracks them down with his own gang. There are some recognizable names among the cast, including Trace Adkins, the rapper Yelawolf and others.

As for what this means for American Pickers Season 27, it’s unclear if or when the History Channel crew will fire the cameras back up. Mike Wolfe said in November that a new season was coming, after questions circulated about whether he and longtime co-star Danielle Colby would continue the series after Frank Fritz’s death in September 2024. Fritz had left the show three years earlier amid a feud with Wolfe but reportedly was able to bury the hatchet with his old friend before his death.

Mike Wolfe acknowledged that loss, but not the future of their series, in a social media post bidding farewell to 2024. He thanked his fans for their support over the past 15 years and said turning 60 had centered him and given him peace.

Maybe it also gave him the urge to act in an action-Western? I mean, if that’s on your bucket list, 60 seems as good an age as any to get it done. We’ll have to keep our eye on Mike Wolfe to see if there are any other surprises up his sleeve, but in the meantime, mark your calendars for Friday, March 28, when Day of Reckoning will hit the big screen.

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.

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.

Around two months after American Pickers fave Danielle Colby had to deal with convincing fans that reports about her death were just a hoax, the reality TV fanbase is now dealing with a legitimate loss. Longtime former co-host Frank Fritz, who's dealt with a host of health issues in recent years, has passed away at the age of 60.

American Pickers' head honcho Mike Wolfe took to Instagram to share the sad news with his friends, fans and followers, many of whom have also been supportive of Fritz over the years. Here's how his touching post started:

Indeed, Fritz's everyman qualities, combined with his keen interests during the show's hopeful treasure hunts, made him a beloved part of the show since its earliest days back in 2010. It's hard to imagine anyone at the time could have foreseen just how popular they would both become as Pickers conquered much of its cable competition.

Mike Wolfe spoke to that sense of unknowing early on as he continued to honor Frank Fritz's memory. In his words:

Wolfe and Fritz previously had a falling out, with the latter being reportedly ousted from the series after having taken a leave of absence for health issues. Fritz later addressed having entered rehab for alcoholism, and suffered a stroke in July 2022. It appeared as if he was on the mend over time, and the two former co-stars reportedly mended fences by mid-2023, and there were rumors that attempts were made to get him back on the show.

Fellow picker Danielle Colby shared her own tribute to her late friend on Instagram:

American Pickers airs new episodes on A&E on Wednesday nights, along with blocks of reruns airing on the network. It's assumed that one or more upcoming episodes will feature a tribute to Frank Fritz in some form.

We at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Frank Fritz during this time of mourning.

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.

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. 

For almost 14 years, fans have been watching Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby travel the U.S. in search of rare artifacts and national treasures to either add to their own personal collections or sell in their antique shops. They were also joined by Frank Fritz, who suffered a stroke over a year ago, but seems to be on the mend and occasionally still picks. With 24 seasons under its belt, the show doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon, and it has still been doing well in the ratings. After it was announced that the History Channel had handed out 40 more episodes to the show, the stars celebrated. 

Ahead of the Season 25 premiere on the 2023 TV schedule (which happened on December 27), Wolfe took to Instagram to share the big news with fans. Looking as calm, cool, and collected as ever, he told fans that that was what filming 40 more episodes of American Pickers looks like. If it’s like drinking a beverage on a deck in the middle of the woods, then sign me up:

Of course, doing all of that cross-country traveling can be exhausting, so it’s not so surprising that Wolfe is celebrating on the down low. Since the show is currently on its 25th season, fans have probably been concerned that American Pickers might come to an end, especially following news that Wolfe and Frank Fritz had a fallout. Not to mention the fact that 25 seasons is a lot, and in only 14 years, as well.

Luckily, that doesn’t seem to be the case. With a new season and a guaranteed 40 more episodes, American Pickers is doing incredibly well. Danielle Colby also took to Instagram to celebrate the good news and promote the new season:

Even though American Pickers will be getting 40 more episodes, it’s unknown how the episodes will be split up. It’s unlikely all 40 will be part of Season 25. There also isn’t a set number of episodes for the previous seasons, as it’s been anywhere between nine and 24 episodes. This means that American Pickers could very well be going through Season 27 at most, meaning that it’s going to be here for a long time. 

The Season 25 premiere saw the Pickers heading to South Carolina, where the Wolfe brothers went to a main street grocery and a classic car place. They also went to a honey hole in West Virginia while Danielle Colby uncovered cash in a hidden compartment. Already it seems like Season 25 will be a lot to handle, and pretty entertaining. Fans will have to tune in to see where else in the country they will go and hope that they will keep people updated as American Pickers continues filming.

Going into the new year, new episodes of American Pickers air on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on the History Channel as part of the 2024 TV schedule. Even despite going across the country, it seems like Mike and Robbie Wolfe, Jersey Jon, and Danielle Colby, along with the rest of the crew, are still having an exciting time and don’t plan on slowing down.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

“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. 

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. 

Though everything seems to be trucking along smoothly for American Pickers on History, it’s safe to say the past couple of years have been hectic for longtime host Mike Wolfe. But while things may still be on awkward, merch-hocking terms with former co-host Frank Fritz, Wolfe is keeping things rolling along on the reality series, which hit its 23rd season this year, with steady ratings to boot. Now, he can really put his feet up and know he’s hit the big time, as American Pickers was name-checked on Sylvester Stallone’s streaming crime drama Tulsa King. 

I kid, of course, since Pickers’ success is more than enough reason for Wolfe to hold his head high. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t get a kick out of hearing the show’s name during a recent episode of the Taylor Sheridan-created series. Here’s how the former NCIS guest star reacted on Instagram:

Understandably, Mike Wolfe was pumped to have his show namechecked in such a prestigious new series, with Tulsa King serving as Stallone’s first gig as a TV lead. It’s also the latest scripted effort from Taylor Sheridan that currently sits outside of the ever-growing Yellowstone franchise (though the star told CinemaBlend there’s a hypothetical possibility those worlds could collide), and thus has already become go-to programming for those with Paramount+ subscriptions.

For those who couldn’t watch the clip, it features Sly Stallone’s Dwight Manfredi talking to Max Casella’s Armand Truisi about a stolen piece of equine decoration in the back of his vehicle. After Dwight questioned being roused out of bed for such a bizarre sight, Armand followed with:

I can only assume how Mike Wolfe’s caption sounded to anyone who didn’t watch the clip for context. I guess he is the kind of guy who regularly gets inundated with messages and emails with pics of all kinds. Close-ups of a rusty horse head probably aren’t that weird. 

Considering Mike Wolfe had some facetime on CBS’ NCIS in the past, it wouldn’t be a huge leap to think he could possibly show up on Tulsa King at some point in the future. Both dramas are under the same corporate umbrella, after all. What if he cameos on both that show AND Yellowstone, and is himself the connective tissue that brings all of Taylor Sheridan’s fictional universes together? 

American Pickers is currently on hiatus as fans await new episodes airing on History, but you won’t have to look very hard to find repeats on the linear channel, as well as on its website. Meanwhile, Tulsa King drops new episodes on Paramount+ every Sunday morning. Head to our 2022 TV schedule and our 2023 premiere guide to plan out your small-screen obsessions for the coming months.

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 is currently airing new episodes on Saturdays, though a recent rerun featuring Frank Fritz had some fans reminiscing online. The History show has gone in a new direction after the brouhaha surrounding Fritz’s exit became public news more than a year ago now; unfortunately, American Pickers’ ratings have gone in a new direction too: south. Regardless, Mike, Robbie and their loyal crew are still out there doing their thing on the road and producing new episodes.

The latest season of American Pickers had been running new episodes Since July 9. Most of those have fallen well below the 1 million viewer mark, a threshold that host Mike Wolfe nearly always hit with Frank. Still, the team is already back on the road and putting together new episodes to air at a future date, and Robbie Wolfe recently shouted out the team and all their hard work in a nice BTS Instagram post. 

This isn’t the first time recently that someone related to Pickers has shared a look behind the scenes on Instagram. Just a few weeks ago, Mike also shouted out to the crew working hard at Third Man Pressing in Detroit. This one wasn’t black and white, so it’s a little less artsy, but it does also show off the dedicated team. 

The news comes as American Pickers continues to air new episodes on Saturdays and while the numbers are down, hundreds of thousands of people are still showing up to see what the crew is up too. Many more may be catching reruns or episodes on DVR weeks or months after the fact, which would not be included in traditional Live+7 ratings. 

Look, it’s true the show has dipped in the ratings since Frank Fritz left and Mike Wolfe subsequently had to make a statement about his exit. It’s also worth noting though that ratings are down across the board on every network and every TV show as linear viewing becomes less important. It’s also true that though American Pickers is down overall in the ratings, the show did see a recent ray of light with an August 2022 episode when it nabbed the show more than a million total viewers for the first time since the BTS drama. 

Clearly the crew is still working hard to put out new episodes of a program that’s had a long shelf life on the cabler and it seems like there’s more in the future. Both Mike Wolfe and Robbie have pretty diversified lives, also running popular social media accounts and businesses outside of American Pickers. Mike even recently has been showing off a renovation he’s been working on; he, of course, also went viral earlier this year for filming for an upcoming TV project with Jason Momoa as well. 

I don’t know how long American Pickers will ultimately run on cable, but it’s nice to see the show’s leads supporting the crew that keeps things running smoothly, despite the naysayers who are continually making their feelings known online. If you do want to support the series, new episodes run on Saturday nights. Be sure to check out what else is coming this fall with our TV schedule. 

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. 

When news broke earlier this week that Frank Fritz had been hospitalized after a stroke, it was his former TV partner Mike Wolfe who shared the news with the fans. At the time, Wolfe had asked people to give them some space in regards to the “opinions” about he and “Frank’s friendship” that have been touted online in the months following Fritz's firing from American Pickers. Unfortunately, fans had the exact opposite reaction. 

American Pickers fans have been disgruntled about Frank and Mike breaking up for months now. In a series of comments on the Instagram post, fans still shared their feelings about the two stars’ former TV friendship. Some even openly shared their thoughts about how the two need to make amends, noting things like, “Make amends Mike, now's the time.” On Facebook, another wrote "Why the concern now, Mike? You weren’t worried before."

Comments like these go along with what some “fans” have been more aggressively saying on Twitter after Mike Wolfe broke the news. One regular post about American Pickers even features a slew of comments from people trolling Mike over Frank’s exit, with comments like this being very apparent:

There are several more comments like this one on the Twitter post, and other comments across social media. However, I do think it is worth noting this isn’t the majority of people. Lots of people have liked Wolfe’s post in support, including Jason Momoa – who will appear opposite Mike Wolfe in an upcoming episode of his own road tripping series. A large swathe of fans sent prayer emojis and more comments on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, including hopeful messages like “Prayers for all of you” and positive messages like “appreciate this on so many levels.”

Yet, because some fans did not react so positively to the post, it’s pretty easy to see why Mike Wolfe probably felt the need to add the caveat about now not being the “time to set the record straight” on what happened on American Pickers. A lot of people are still really not letting Frank Fritz’s exit go and the current History channel star is still hearing about it seemingly consistently.

In support of his client, Mike Wolfe’s rep also spoke out after some of these negative fan comments were made. He said, “The most important thing is that we allow him time to heal and giving [sic] him the space to do so.” Hopefully, that will happen in the days moving forward. 

We’ll absolutely keep you updated if more information breaks about Frank’s condition. Neither Frank Fritz nor his reps have spoken publicly about his stroke at this time. 

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.  

There’s been no love lost between American Pickers’ Frank Fritz and his former partner-in-crime Mike Wolfe in recent months. But life is short, and following recent news on the Frank Fritz front, his longtime TV co-star has reached out in a post to update fans as well as share that “now is the time to pray.” The post is coming down the pipeline after Frank Fritz suffered a stroke and is currently in the hospital. 

Over the last several months, Frank Fritz had been candid about trying to get his life together despite health troubles and setback. The actor had previously opened up about a back injury and also needing to go to rehab for alcohol use, though Fritz was candid about his journey in July of last year, noting he’d been sober at that point for 11 months. 

Unfortunately, now it seems that Frank is in the hospital after suffering a stroke. His former TV partner Mike Wolfe was the first to break the news in a long and candid post, which also touched on past drama.

The news has seemed to be a shock for many who know Frank, as his other former co-star Danielle Colby also shared her own post stating she really didn't have any information about the situation. She did also share kind words about Frank, noting on Instagram:

Previously, Mike Wolfe had confirmed Frank Fritz’s exit from American Pickers in July of last year. That led to public tension between the two reality stars, with Fritz calling out his former pal’s statement as “bullshit” and more. Later on, other show star Danielle Colby had touched on Frank Fritz causing “so much pain for himself and others.” While Fritz initially seemingly wanted his History gig back, he's moved on from that idea and even stated he may be looking for his own TV show. 

Meanwhile, the show has gone on without Fritz, first with Wolfe on his own, and then with his brother Robbie in the second chair. A new season of the longtime reality show is currently running, with new episodes hitting the summer TV schedule on Saturday nights. But Pickers fans continue to still be seemingly disgruntled about the change, which could be why Wolfe chose to include the comment, “There has been lots of opinions in regards to mine and Frank’s friendship and the show but now is not the time to set the record straight,” as part of the latest post. 

At this point, Wolfe seems to just be hoping Frank Fritz pulls through OK. Our thoughts are with the former reality star and those who are or have been close to him in the past. We'll be sure to keep you updated as further details break. 

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. 

By now, you are likely familiar with what happened publicly between American Pickers’ Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz. The latter wasn’t asked back after personal and physical troubles led to him taking a leave of absence from the series. He’d opened up about his feelings related to being let go from the show, and his former co-stars then were put in a situation where they needed to make statements about where they stood and what had happened. Now, months after the band broke up and Pickers moved on from its earliest iteration, a source has spoken out about the status of that relationship, and it looks like fences haven’t been mended yet. 

The two reality TV stars go way back, having grown up together in Davenport, Iowa. For more than a decade Fritz was Wolfe’s foil on TV, but according to what this source told The Sun, things changed over time. Or rather, the source alleges money changed them both in different ways. 

I can’t say it really shocks me that Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz haven’t privately made up in the time since Fritz was forced off of the History series. Fritz is out a major source of income after losing his TV gig, and both parties have been vocal about what they feel happened and why, with Wolfe and co-star Danielle Colby noting Fritz’s personal problems exacerbated to the point he was a liability to work with. Per Fritz, though, he got help and was allegedly blindsided by the news the show moved on without him, later calling out Mike Wolfe for his public comments. 

When the show moved on, it moved on hard, however. First there were promo photos for the first Fritz-less season of American Pickers solely featuring Wolfe and Colby. But Pickers is a better show when there’s someone for Mike Wolfe to banter with, so it brought his brother Robbie in to fill the gap in Season 23. 

To note, American Pickers has also seen a drop in viewership since all this behind-the-scenes drama began to make headlines. The show bring in fewer than a million viewers per episode now, down from the 1.2 million eyeballs that tuned in for Frank Fritz’s final episode in 2020. Fans have also been vocal about American Pickers losing Fritz online.

But Mike Wolfe himself seems to be in a positive place, traveling around with his brother and sharing road trippin’ posts with his pup as well. That's not even counting other business ventures he has in the works. 

Wolfe even recently met up with Jason Momoa to film an episode of that star’s upcoming reality show. So, he’s got irons in many fires.

American Pickers star Mike Wolfe has been back on the air this TV season, albeit sans his former road-tripping partner Frank Fritz. In that time, however, Wolfe has landed himself a new partner to take to the roads with–and no I’m not talking about his brother Robbie. Instead, I’m talking about his cute pupper Francie. 

In a new post, the History personality recalled bringing Francie into his life two years ago. That was a time of change for many people, as Covid caused disruptions on many fronts. That was true for TV personalities as well, as the entertainment ground to a half for a time. Mike Wolfe also went through a divorce during this period, and  Wolfe landed a canine pal in this period.

Mike Wolfe actually got Francie the same year that his TV partner's final episode aired. Frank Fritz had stepped back from American Pickers, initially of his own accord. The reality TV personality was dealing with some personal troubles, including getting sober, working through a break-up, and having back surgery. Ultimately though, after Fritz says he went to rehab and recovered, the History series did not invite him back.

That may have been the end of the story; however, Frank Fritz fired back with claims about why he was let go, eventually leading other American Pickers star Danielle Colby and Mike Wolfe to explain their sides of the firing story. Ultimately, the show returned to the TV schedule with Wolfe’s brother Robbie and new episodes have been airing on History in the time since, and it's been great to see Francie joining him on the road. 

Francie Joe Wolfe is a border collie and she’s popped up occasionally on Mike Wolfe’s Facebook and Instagram feeds in the past. Though we've seen her on the road, there’s certainly something sweet about catching her literally in the car traversing around with her famous pops. In a previous post, Wolfe revealed Francie had come into his life at the right time, noting about his “best friend”:

Plenty of celebrities have cute pups with their own followings, Chris Evans loves spotlighting his best friend Dodger and Henry Cavill’s oft travels with his aptly-named dog Kal. But Francie’s a particularly notable star in her own right, and I hope Mike Wolfe keeps these road trippin’ looks coming. She’s certainly offers a different traveling companion vibe than Frank.

Occasionally, there’s a picture taken on the Internet of two celebrities that is super confusing when when you first see it. Like that time Modern Family’s Ed O’Neill saw Britney Spears in an airport and snapped a quick photo. Or that other time Brie Larson snuck into a MET Gala photo with a whole bunch of Kardashians. It happened again this month when Aquaman 2 star Jason Momoa shared a post after hanging out with none other than American Pickers’ Mike Wolfe. The reality TV star even shared a sweet response after the hangout went down. 

After the See star and his History channel brother hung out, Mike Wolfe did confirm what was suspected from our sleuthing when the original post broke: the two will be working together in some capacity for Jason Momoa’s new show On The Roam. That project is a previously announced travel show that the actor had been out and about working on in recent weeks. Mike Wolfe confirms it will be antique motorcycles that will bring the two men together for the big TV crossover event. Here’s his sweet post:

Jason Momoa has been a man known for carving his own path for a long time. He’s a superhero who doesn’t like to work out like other superheroes, preferring formats like rock climbing to traditional gym environments. When Aquaman 2 wrapped filming, he spent some time out in nature, enjoying the Hawai’ian environment and the communities built there. But it’s still unexpected to see him hanging out with a History Channel star, that is until you have the context, so I’m really glad Wolfe shared more details here, and I’m also just excited about how excited both men seem to have been about getting to hang out. 

Context matters. Seeing Ed O’Neill with Britney Spears is way better when the actor himself admitted to Ellen DeGeneres that he “didn’t know it was her” when she asked for a photo at the airport. Brie Larson told the story about her MET Gala adventure as well, joking on her own Instagram, ‘I needed to go to the bathroom and ended up famous.’  In the Momoa and Wolfe case, one thing both men have in common are old things. Momoa has rebuilt classic cars in the past, including restoring an old school Mustang for  his now-ex Lisa Bonet. 

With that in mind, On The Roam seems like an obvious fit. Without it, is just looks like a DC star hanging out with a reality TV star in Nashville for unclear reasons. Again, nice to get some clarification here.

In another post, Jason Momoa admitted that filming on On The Roam has wrapped and shared more details about a special guitar and more. While there may not be any more random or viral posts about On The Roam coming out of left field anymore, the good news is that this  means we should be able to see this American Pickers-oriented crossover hopefully sooner rather than later. 

Jason Momoa has already gone to “extraordinary” places to meet cool people for On The Roam, and when the docuseries eventually premieres, it will be heading straight to Discovery and its streaming off-shoot discovery+. Though now I’m sort of hoping we’ll get another Momoa/Wolfe collaboration down the line, maybe even on Pickers next time. Particularly given Mike Wolfe has not fully cemented another partner… 

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Nashville before, but it is a spectacular way to spend a weekend. From great live music to all kinds of fun and quirky neighborhoods, there’s so much to do and experience. Let the record show Justice League star Jason Momoa seems to have experienced a lot of it. The movie star recently spent some time in the city and dropped a bunch of fun photos, including some shots with American Pickers star Mike Wolfe. 

Yup, it’s the crossover event you didn’t realize you needed. Check out the photos below…

If you’re wondering how Mike Wolfe and Jason Momoa ended up hanging out together, you’re not alone. As soon as I saw the pictures, I started Googling around to figure out how this happened. Well, it turns out the answer is complicated but also pretty exciting. Based on the caption on the above Insta post, you’d have to assume these shots were mostly taken as part of Momoa’s new show On The Roam. The previously announced travel show will follow the actor as he heads to new cities and experiences new things. It sounds great and the newly single actor has the perfect personality for it.

That being said, the connection to Mike Wolfe seems to be a lot more firmly rooted than just a one-off appearance for On The Roam. The American Pickers lead recently got divorced, and in the divorce filing, rights to an “Untitled Jason Momoa Project” were listed among the divided assets, according to The Sun. I wouldn’t imagine a random one-episode appearance on Momoa’s travel show would be enough to warrant attorneys and formal inclusion in a divorce proceeding. 

Momoa and Wolfe seem to have a friendly relationship. Wolfe dropped a picture of the two on Instagram back in 2020, and that makes sense given Momoa’s interests. The actor, as anyone knows who follows him on Instagram, is a big motorcycle and guitar guy. There are few people in the United States better at tracking down vintage and hard to find collectibles than Wolfe and his shrinking team. Many celebrities have gone to him in the past to help grow their collections or further their hobbies. Some specials about these two working together to track things down would be DVR-worthy.

But that’s all a big if at this point. Projects in Hollywood come and go. They evolve into different things and people move on. Maybe the untitled project evolved into On The Roam. Maybe it’s still coming and we just haven’t gotten any specific details yet. I have no idea. We’ll just have to wait and see if we get any news.

What is definitely coming, however, is a Nashville episode of On The Roam. In the series of pictures he posted, Momoa can be seen all over Nashville including at the famous Ryman Auditorium, which is a beautiful historic music venue I’ve been to myself. I can’t wait to see him wander around The Music City and get up to shenanigans. It’s going to be amazing, and a teased Mike Wolfe appearance makes it all the better. 

American Pickers kicked off a Frank-less Season 23 at the beginning of 2022, but there still seems to be a subset of fans who are really unhappy with what went down with Frank Fritz in 2021. In fact, reports indicate that ratings are down for the History series after Mike Wolfe’s former co-star was not asked back and a public back-and-forth ensued. Fans are also still commenting about Fritz a lot on American Pickers-related posts. 

While Frank Fritz has not actually appeared on an episode of Pickers since March of 2020, it was more recently that drama between Fritz and Mike Wolfe became apparent online late last summer. A feud of sorts was started after the former said he wanted to come back to the reality series. His co-star Danielle Colby noted Frank “caused so much pain for himself” before Wolfe confirmed that Fritz had not been asked back for Season 23. 

Though the current leads of American Pickers may be aligned, that doesn’t mean the fanbase necessarily is. Ratings on the History show have declined after Frank’s exit became apparent. While live TV ratings in general have shifted across the board given DVR and streaming options, the ratings shift from just over the summer, before the public Pickers drama became known, and the last few episodes is startling.

The gist is: Last summer, episodes of the long-running drama were doing over 1.3 million total viewers. A report over at TV Shows Ace notes a pre-public split drama episode that aired on July 5 of 2021 saw 1,336,000 viewers tune. A July 19 episode subsequently saw 1,322,000 million viewers tune in. Cut to September of 2021, after all the dirty laundry had been aired online, and American Pickers only saw 1,028,000 million viewers tune in to the Season 22 finale. The Season 23 premiere ticked up minorly, but only saw 1,050,000 viewers tune in this January. 

One might be able to blame the changing TV landscape for these numbers, but while the show is still seeing over a million viewers, that's also a significant percentage of the viewership to decline over a short period of time. It’s also worth noting that in this period, a lot of negativity from certain factions of the fanbase has been thrown onto social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. On the most recent FB post about the show at the time of this writing, three of the top five comments seemingly mention or have to do with Frank: 

• "Frank's presence is the only thing that kept Mikes ego tolerable. What a sh** show."
• "I miss Frank!! He was more down-to-earth and personable."
• "Does anyone know the meaning of loyalty anymore?"

To note, a few of the other comments are very polite from fans and are about how those fans still watch the show every weekend and more. And yet, there's a lot of naysaying from a lot of social media accounts. Hop over to Twitter and multiple posts are just a long series of fans being upset about the Frank Fritz ordeal.

Now, American Pickers is back for Season 23. Unlike the solo episodes that aired while Frank Fritz allegedly dealt with surgery and rehab, Mike Wolfe has brought in his brother, Robbie, for picking. (Robbie had been in a handful of eps in the years prior.) He’s also made it clear that Frank’s varying issues with “addictions” are what led the show to drop him, though Fritz has said he’s been sober for months now. So, even with varying parts of the fanbase clamoring, it’s unlikely they former star will be returning to History, though he's also noted he'd be open to his own show. The question now is, will American Pickers viewers get lured back in, or is this ratings change the new normal? We'll keep ya posted. 

Popular antiquing favorite American Pickers might be a fun and breezy little viewing experience, but unfortunately, behind the scenes the reality show has been anything but tranquil. Co-star Frank Fritz went to rehab and was ultimately let go from the series, and other lead Mike Wolfe has been working his way through a time consuming and expensive divorce. Those legal proceedings finally concluded earlier this month after about a year, and if the circulating reports are to be believed, the experience was quite costly.

The Sun posted a pretty extensive breakdown of the divorce judgment, which was handed down December 6th, and according to the outlet, a judge ruled Mike Wolfe needs to pay his now ex-wife $5,228,878.73. In addition, the couple also split up the four houses and eleven commercial properties they own. Mike will also hold on to the Antique Archeology stores and associated businesses and pay Jodi a percentage of the royalties American Pickers generates. They’re also going to divide custody with her having their daughter about sixty percent of the time and him having her about forty percent of the time. 

In the aftermath of the couple’s separation, rumors started swirling that Wolfe was dating former reality star Leticia Cline. She was previously on Beauty And The Geek and has made a lot of pop culture related appearances including on Howard Stern and as a model in Playboy and Maxim. The two were spotted in some pictures together, but they’ve largely been quiet about their relationship. It’s unclear what their relationship may or may not be now.

The behind the scenes drama more directly related to American Pickers has been a central topic of conversation for fans over the past few years. After dealing with some back problems, co-star Frank Fritz took a break from the show… and never came back. Questions amongst fans as to what was going on started getting louder, and ultimately, there was a pretty ugly back-and-forth between everyone involved in the show. 

Fritz later accused Mike Wolfe of not reaching out after he had his back problems. He also said some things about the two never really being friends. In response, co-star Danielle Colby released her own statement saying Fritz needed help and she was hoping he would get better. Wolfe also released his own statement that indicated Fritz would not be returning.

No doubt all of this has been a lot for Mike Wolfe. It’s been hard to even keep up with as a fan. I can’t imagine the strain he’s been under. Hopefully everyone involved will be able to put all of this behind and move forward with renewed positivity. And if we get some more awesome American Pickers episodes out of it, that’ll be a nice bonus.    

The back and forth between current American Pickers host Mike Wolfe and his former co-star has continued in recent days after Frank Fritz's exit from the series was confirmed. The basic gist is that Fritz will not be returning to the History series, but the reason why had not been laid bare until now. After Fritz called out his former co-star for a “bullshit” statement last week, Wolfe has opted to be transparent about why there will not be a return for the former reality star.

It should be noted that when Frank Fritz left American Pickers, he did so initially of his own accord. He said he was dealing with debilitating back issues and also used the time to go to rehab and cut alcohol out of his life. Unfortunately, though he says he is ready to get back to work, the show did not ultimately ask him to return.

Mike Wolfe previously crafted a statement that was pretty vague that thanked his former co-star for his time on the show. Other Pickers star Danielle Colby also talked about Frank causing “so much pain for himself” in relation to his ultimate exit from the series. For his part, Fritz has made it seem like his lack of a return was Wolfe wanting him out of the way, but the reality star says that is not the case at all. He told The Sun:

Now Fritz has said repeatedly that he’s 11 months sober and that he’s ready and rearing to get back to work.

However, while he was out the show went on without him. It seemingly was a good fit for the network and will be continuing to produce new episodes with Mike and Danielle at the forefront. In fact, Danielle Colby has said she’s been on the road working on new episodes in recent weeks on her Instagram page. Additionally, the two have been supportive of one another on social media in recent weeks.

So why did Mike Wolfe speak out more clearly on the matter now? It may have to do with Fritz making varying statements calling Wolfe out for not speaking to him for two years and also more recently claiming that the “official statement” his former co-star had crafted after his exit was “bullshit.” For her part, Danielle Colby has said she didn’t want to talk to the press about what happened, but she did share a little bit regarding her feelings on social media. As we’ve said before, the whole thing has played out in a complicated way, with lots of back and forth, but at this point a return to American Pickers does not seem likely.

It’s been a few weeks since longtime fans of American Pickers learned exactly why Frank Fritz had been missing in action when the most recent set of episodes previously hit the History Channel. The reality star said health issues and setbacks had caused him to take a leave of absence, but he was ready and rearing to get those cameras rolling again. Now, weeks later, we know Fritz has not been asked to rejoin Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby on Pickers; however, that hasn’t stopped him from talking about pitching his own show.

Frank Fritz has been pretty vocal about wanting to return to American Pickers in recent weeks. Unfortunately, it seems the History team led by Mike Wolfe did just fine filming without him. Because of this, he wasn’t asked to return to the series after his leave of absence. Still, Fritz says he’s ready for a new TV challenge. He noted to The Sun:

Initially, when Frank Fritz took a leave of absence from the veteran reality series, he says it was because he was dealing with debilitating back issues. His final episode of American Pickers aired in March of 2020, but those episodes seemingly filmed previously, as he’s said he has had no contact with Mike Wolfe in two years. In that time, Fritz rehabbed his bad back and also admitted to going to rehab for an alcohol problem.

After time away, he says he’s sober and ready to get back to work now. In fact, the TV personality says that he has myriad fans who are ready and wanting him back on television.

Mike Wolfe has made it clear the decision was made to move away from Frank Fritz on American Pickers, and there’s no evidence that another series could be happening. I haven’t even seen a petition with thousands of signers (I did see one with more than a dozen signers), though some fans have been vocal on social media about wanting to see Frank back. Regardless, the former star says there are people on the show who are rooting for him, believing it would be beneficial for him to get back to work and that it “would be a total loss” if he didn’t get another TV gig.

Ultimately, at this point it doesn’t seem like a return to the History series is possible and both Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby have made that clear (in fact, both are on the road right now filming Pickers without Fritz). What’s next for the reality star remains unclear, but we’ll keep you posted whenever he does land his next gig.