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:
Knowing when to leave is so important. The party. The job. The relationship.
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.
It’s a strain on your life. They’ve done this a long time. When they’re around it’s, ‘Ah we’re on the road again. I ain’t got time to do this, I ain’t got time to do that.’ It’s a love-hate like with any job. Some days you don’t wish you had that job and you could do whatever you wanted. Some days you’re all excited about your job.
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.
