TUNING OUT American Pickers ratings drop to lowest numbers in weeks despite Mike Wolfe’s desperate attempts to attract viewers Fans have called for the long-running series to be canceled

AMERICAN Pickers ratings have dropped to the lowest numbers in weeks even though Mike Wolfe and the series made attempts to attract viewers.

American Pickers stars Mike, 60, his brother Robbie, Jon “Jersey” Szalay and Danielle Colby.

The November 20, 2024 episode Surfs, Signs, Savage brought in 521,000 viewers, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.

On the episode, Mike traveled to Southern California to check out surfboards and rare signs while Robbie and Jersey visited a historic homestead in Vermont for classic cars.

This is a drop from the November 13 episode, Picken’ Wall to Wall, which had 582,000 viewers.

The November 6, 2024 episode Carnival Cashout had 547,000 viewers.

DIY Delorean, which aired on October 30, brought in the lowest ratings of the season with just 442,000 viewers.

The third episode of Season 26, The Great Razooly, saw a slight surge with 566,000 viewers on October 23.

The second episode of the season, Wolfemen vs. The Automations, brought in just 463,000 viewers on October 16.

The premiere episode on October 9 brought in 565,000 fans as Mike picked through Evel Knievel memorabilia.

Mike and the show made efforts to attract viewers for the episode, as the star promoted the series on his social media.

“New episode of @americanpickers TONIGHT on @historytv 9/8c,” Mike captioned a series of show photos. “I’m in SoCal hunting for rare surfboards and signs. Robbie and Jersey are in Vermont checking out a cool homestead with an observatory and a ton of classic cars.”

American Pickers even got a “surfing legend, epic collector and local historian” to join the episode.

SEASON 25 RATINGS
The ratings for Season 26 are drastically low compared to last season.

Season 25 brought in 723,000 viewers for part one of the premiere and 676,000 for part two.

Episode three had 880,000 viewers tune in.

By the January 24 episode, ratings increased to 948,000 viewers.

The February 28 episode brought in 966,000 viewers.

The season finale on March 27 had 832,000 people tune in.

American Pickers has dropped down to the fifth most-watched series on the History Channel, with Curse of Oak Island, Tales from Oak Island, UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd and Mountain Men topping the ratings chart.

FAN REACTION
Fans have been calling for the show’s cancellation during Season 26.

“This show needs to go… cancel this show it’s a husk of what it was,” one fan wrote.

Another said, “It was never good. This show ruined the buying/selling market.”

A third asked, “Will American Pickers continue?”

MORE PICKERS
But despite the ratings crisis and fan backlash, The U.S. Sun reported in May 2024 that the series has more seasons left in its contract.

“They’re filming for Season 26, and they have signed on for three more years,” the show insider claimed.

Mike revealed earlier this month that he will start filming for the new season soon.

MISSING FRANK
When original cast member Frank Fritz was on the show, ratings were over a million viewers.

Frank last appeared on American Pickers in March 2020.

He took time off to undergo back surgery, but in 2021 Mike revealed he was not returning to the series.

Frank told The U.S. Sun during a 2021 interview that he was feuding with his co-star Mike.

In an interview with People from earlier this month, Mike revealed why Frank did not return to the History Channel series.

He explained that during the pandemic, Frank injured his back and underwent surgery.

“With that time off and him having surgery, it was like the perfect storm. He became addicted to opioids, and that’s when everything changed,” Mike said.

Mike said he staged an intervention with Frank’s loved ones.

He claimed Frank continued to struggle with addiction when filming started, as they “fought really hard to get him into rehab” and he “never, ever gave up” on his friend.

Mike claimed production asked Frank for negative drug tests, but he didn’t provide them.

Mike said the network “just finally made the decision.”

In the July 2021 interview with The U.S. Sun, Frank revealed he entered treatment for alcohol abuse at The Abbey Center in Bettendorf, Iowa for 77 days.

He was sober for 11 months at the time of the interview.

HEALTH CRISIS
Frank then suffered a stroke at his Iowa farmhouse in July 2022.

Frank’s friends filed a guardianship and conservatorship for him because his “decision­-making capacity” was “so impaired.”

He passed away in hospice two years later on September 30, 2024, at 60 years old.

Despite the firing and feud, Mike and Frank did make up.

Mike and other loved ones were by Frank’s side when he passed away in hospice.

Frank’s good friend Jerry Gendreau previously told The U.S. Sun how the series hasn’t been the same without the star.

“I think the show is not nearly as good as it was.

“With the ratings, it doesn’t have to be me or somebody thinking that, the nation knows it’s not what it was.

“It needed Frank.”