close
close

This “American Pickers” star should do a “Schitt’s Creek” reality series

This “American Pickers” star should do a “Schitt’s Creek” reality series

The big picture

  • Mike Wolfe invests in Columbia, Tennessee, revitalizing the city through real estate and business development.
  • Opportunity for a reality series showcasing his efforts and the transformation of the city. Potential drama with local opposition, but opportunity for growth and community cohesion.
  • Wolfe’s historical focus and experience in
    American Pickers
    could make for exciting television.



Mike Wolfe is no stranger to reality TV, after spent almost fifteen years on his History Channel Series, American Pickers. Wolfe and his companions search for classic American antiques and collectibles, usually following specific leads but also making new discoveries along the way. In this search, Wolfe meets people from all walks of life, from farmers to antique collectors and hoarders to rock legends. Jack White. American Pickers takes him across the country in search of American collectibles and historical artifacts to be featured in the series.

Recently, Wolfe Spend time in a small town, invest in real estate in Columbia, TennesseeThe city, known as the mule capital of the world, is located 46 miles from Nashville, where Wolfe’s business, Ancient Archaeologyhas its second business location. Wolfe owns buildings in the city, including a vacation home, a cafe, a bike shop, a boutique music equipment company and a theater. He also restored a home just outside of town, a journey he shared on Instagram.


The reality star wants to revitalize the quiet town’s business and arts sector and restore buildings whose history is important to him. A source told the US Sun that “the town is happy” with Wolfe’s $93 million project. And that’s the point… Wolfe has a unique opportunity. With his significant investment in the development of this small town, his years of experience in reality TV and his ease in talking to people from all walks of life, It would be exciting to follow all this in a brand new reality series.

American Pickers (2010)

American Pickers (2010)

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz travel across America, scouring junkyards, basements and barns for valuable antiques and collectibles. During their adventures, they discover rare finds, negotiate with quirky characters and restore forgotten treasures to their former glory, shining a spotlight on the country’s hidden treasures and rich history.



A feel-good reality series with a fictional twist

Schitt’s Creek is a fictional series about a wealthy family who lose their fortune and are forced to live in a small town that the father once bought as a private joke within the family. Over time, the Rose family learns to shed their high-minded big-city snobbery while humbled before the town and integrated into the community. The charm of the series lies in the fact that it creates space for this sense of community between the newcomers and the city. While this is of course a fictional television series, the premise of city dwellers coming into a small-town community and learning what it takes to not only fit in but also succeed in their community is an interesting inspiration for a reality series.


The opportunity before Wolfe seems too good to pass up. With his commitment to revitalizing the business community in Columbia, Tennessee, his access to potential actors through the businesses on his properties and his wide availability of locations, combined with his work on American Pickers, Wolfe could easily build a reality series around his small town project. Wolfe’s development plan was also credited with attracting new businesses to the town, including a butcher shop and tavern, as well as a doughnut bakery. The lives of the new business owners who were lured to the town, with the Schitt’s Creek The twist of focusing on positive success stories within the community while allowing out-of-towners to get to know the locals would be the stuff of a heartwarming reality series.


Related

History Channel records documentaries with Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman and others

The films and documentaries are just the beginning of A+E Networks’ latest product line.

Not all locals will love Mike Wolfe’s arrival in town

Mike Wolfe - American Pickers
Image via A&E

Of course, it wouldn’t be reality TV without some drama, and Not all locals will be happy about the sudden appearance of a horde of newcomers who are bringing about change in their city. In any story about out-of-towners coming to rebuild a small community, it would be irresponsible not to also include a range of local opinions. If the project of reality TV is to show the world the reality of a particular group, it should show that reality from multiple angles. Filming requires the cooperation of locals in all aspects, from applying for permits for the project, to renting land for parking, to including locals in the background of the shots and, hopefully, as customers of the new businesses and volunteer participants in the series.


A city source told the US Sun that while some people in the city are happy with the rapid changes Wolfe’s projects have brought to the city, many others are not. They noted that the city is therefore undergoing an “interesting” transition. Trying to win over local opposition could be a risky move if the newcomers face insurmountable resistance. But The path from irritation to acceptance could also be an incredibly worthwhile risk.

Wolfe has a track record of restoring American history

Mike Wolfe - American Pickers
Image via A&E


If there’s anyone qualified to reach out to a small-town community and reassure them that the changes being made respect the town’s history, it’s Wolfe. He values ​​American history and even originally chose the town as the new location for his cultural tourism project because of its historic ties to the transportation industry. At American PickersMike often praises the people in their community who act out of this sense of pride in their place.recognizing that every small town community needs these anchors who know the town’s history. In an episode from season 25 of American PickersOf a man who spent his entire life in his small town, all the while working to preserve its history, Wolfe fondly remarked, “One man’s work and voice can inspire an entire community.”


A reality series about Wolfe and his growing community in Columbia, Tennessee, showing his efforts to win over the people who have so far opposed the changes in the town would make fascinating television. Wolfe could continue his role of educating viewers about the historical significance in and around the town when he isn’t busy with his other reality series. A rotating group of new and local businesses could report on events, the lives of their employees and families, and their strategies for dealing with growth in the small town. Those who support the changes Wolfe’s development project has brought to the town could work to persuade those who opposed it. This could lead to conflict, but would also provide a narrative arc to establish the series.

Wolfe is certainly a busy man, but a new reality series about his growing development project in Columbia, Tennessee, seems like too good an opportunity to missThe reality star has a historic place with American Pickers on the History Channel, A&E and HuluHowever, recently almost all streaming services and networks have shifted to producing reality TV content, and the project could fit in Netflix, Prime Videoor lifespan as good as.


American Pickers is available to stream on Hulu.

Watch on Hulu