Right off the bat, it's important to note that History Channel currently has no public
plans to replace Frank Fritz, the longtime co-host of the hit reality series "American
Pickers."
Representatives from the network said as much in a recent statement to Us Weekly.
That said, the departure of Fritz, confirmed by the History Channel in late July of 2021,
will leave a substantial hole in the program when it returns for its 23rd season.
"American Pickers" has benefited from its stars' unique interpersonal dynamic for more
than a decade, and it's hard to imagine anyone stepping up to the plate that could match
Fritz's contributions to the show.
It's equally hard to imagine, however, that the production team won't be making some phone
calls in the near future, hoping to find a new on-screen partner for Mike Wolfe.
Fans have already started speculating about who might take over for Fritz — so has Fritz,
in point of fact, who went so far as to voice his opinions publicly.
The recently ousted Picker told the Sun in a recent interview,
"I think Mike wants to get his brother Robbie in there to replace me.
I don't know why he's behaving like that towards me.
You couldn't just stick two people in a van and get the chemistry you get from me and
Mike."
Harsh?
Certainly, but that doesn't mean that History won't tempt fate by seeing if they can catch
lightning in an antique bottle a second time.
Frank Fritz isn't alone in his belief that Robbie Wolfe might be "Pickering" up where
he left off.
The second Wolfe brother has made more than a few appearances on "American Pickers" already,
garnering a substantial social media following along the way.
He's leveraged his popularity on the show to establish himself as a successful antiquer
in his own right, running his shop and website for buying and selling vintage goods.
There's no shame in keeping it in the family, and the self-described "historian and lifelong
picker of antiques" would be a natural fit for the show moving forward, should the people
in charge decide that a new co-host is in order.
"Nice to see you.
Robbie."
"Robbie.
You talk to Danielle on the phone?'
Of course, Robbie isn't the only "American Pickers" alum with skin in the game.
History has already confirmed that Danielle Colby, who has been with the show since its
debut episode in 2010, will continue to work on the series during its upcoming season.
The potential for Colby to get out from behind the counter more often seems very much in
play.
Bringing her one-of-a-kind perspective to "American Pickers" on a regular basis could
mark a dramatic change of pace for the show — her website bio describes her as a person
constantly, quote, "searching for answers and back stories that will help nurture the
human spirit and at times allow us to sit in quiet reflection with the more macabre
side of history."
Additionally, playing a larger role on the series could potentially afford Colby a platform
for bringing attention to causes that she feels passionate about.
According to her social media, Colby has been in Puerto Rico recently, dedicating her time
to orphanages, animal shelters, and raising awareness about the human trafficking crisis.
Meanwhile, "Jersey" Jon Szalay, Frank's interim replacement from the season 22 premiere "Pumps,
Prints, and Picks," earned himself a few new fans thanks to his motorcycle expertise and
obvious enthusiasm for the work over the course of a few guest appearances this year.
He's described Mike Wolfe as his "soul brother" on social media following their on-camera
cross-country adventures, and his expertise in the field of car and motorcycle restoration
would be a welcome addition to the program.
Then again, and we're just throwing this out there, Mike Wolfe did make a cameo appearance
on "NCIS" a couple of seasons back, lending his expertise to Gibbs when a murder involving
an antique bludgeon had the constabulary flummoxed.
"Please tell me that you didn't kill somebody."
Mark Harmon hasn't been shy about discussing his intention to leave the hit CBS series
since around the time that it was old enough to get a driver's license, and there are worse
retirement plans than travelling the country looking at cool stuff for money.
Most importantly, the man behind Jethro Gibbs would have a lot to contribute to the "American
Pickers" family — for example, if the team ever needed to move a boat out of a basement,
Harmon would basically be the guy to call.
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