PICKERS PLUMMETS American Pickers ratings drop back down after reaching highest numbers of season

AMERICAN Pickers ratings have dropped back down after the show reached the highest numbers of the season last week.

Mike Wolfe, 60, stars on American Pickers with his brother Robbie Wolfe, Danielle Colby, and new full-time cast member Jon “Jersey Jon” Szalay.

Ratings for the premiere episode were historically low, as numbers have been up and down all season long.

The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal the Wednesday, January 31 episode, The Mile-Long Yard Sale, brought in 813,000 viewers.

This is a drop from the Wednesday, January 24 episode, The Five Generation Pick, which brought in the highest ratings for Season 25 with 948,000 viewers.

The January 17 episode, Kiddie Car Heaven, brought in 894,000 viewers.

The January 10 episode, Picking Against Time, brought in 809,000 watchers.

Episode three’s Mike and Homer on January 3 had 880,000 viewers.

The first half of Season 25 kicked off on December 27 with two episodes.

Classic Car Cemetery had just 723,000 viewers, while the second episode of the premiere, Hidden Cash Stash, dropped down to 676,000.

RATINGS HISTORY
The Season 24 premiere kicked off strong with 943,000 fans watching on January 4, 2023.

The premiere for the second half of Season 24 on July 5 had 918,000 viewers.

The Season 23 premiere on January 1, 2022, reached 1,050,000 fans tuning in.

The second half of Season 23 premiered on July 22, 2022, with 833,000 viewers.

CAST SHAKEUP
Robbie replaced fan-favorite Frank Fritz as permanent host in 2021.

Longtime guest Jersey Jon was promoted to a full-time cast member this season.

Frank, 60, last appeared on American Pickers in 2020 when he took a break from the show to undergo back surgery.

He reportedly had a falling out with Mike and did not return to the show.

He then suffered a stroke in July 2022 and is currently under conservatorship and guardianship.

STILL RECOVERING
Though viewers have been calling for Frank’s return, The U.S. Sun previously reported he is unable to return to the show over one year after suffering the stroke.

“The stroke affected his speech, so he really can’t return to the show,” a source close to Frank told The U.S. Sun. “But you never know, there is always hope one day.”

A second insider told The U.S. Sun, “He can’t come back and film, but the cast and show want him to.”

KEEP ON PICKING
Despite the ratings drop, The U.S. Sun previously reported fans could expect more seasons in the future.

“American Pickers wrapped up filming the first half of Season 26 in the fall,” a source close to Mike previously told The U.S. Sun.

“They start filming for the second half of Season 26 from January to June. It’s long, but he has the whole summer off. He just keeps filming!”

SPINOFF SHOW
Mike has even pitched a spinoff show to History.

A source previously told The U.S. Sun that the show would follow Mike bringing new life to the sleepy town of Columbia, Tennessee, about 47 miles from Nashville, by purchasing and renovating commercial properties.

“He pitched a spin-off show to the network about what he’s doing in Columbia. He’s restoring the town by opening up businesses,” the insider said.

The U.S. Sun has previously reported the project will cost $93 million.

SHOW DRAMA
Despite continuing to film for History, Mike and his brother, Robbie, have been at odds with the network over the way episodes are rolled out.

A source close to Mike previously told The U.S. Sun, “They’re pushing episodes back far. Why? I don’t know. They’re trying to keep up with the streaming.

“Instead of having a full season with a new episode every week, they do 10 episodes and stop.

“It pisses them off. Robbie has complained about how ‘stupid’ it was to see episodes filmed a year prior.”

The insider continued, “They are trying to play with all these things and see what happens. Like, ‘Oh okay we can do this, we can do that.’”

Season 24 of American Pickers premiered on January 4 and ran weekly until March 8.

The remainder of Season 24 returned on July 5 and ran until August 23.

Season 25 will run from December 27 until January 31, giving viewers just 10 episodes.

American Pickers airs Wednesdays at 9 pm on History.