American Restoration

I used to love this show as the restoration of antiques is a phenomenal thing to do. However, in the more recent shows, it seems the focus is on the 2 dumb kids that seem to be absolute fools.

Please say it is not so. Could these two boys really be that dumb?

I am a long term electronic service engineer specialized to professional video tape recorders. I do also much restoration work with old radios etc. It is just awful to see how they destroy those nice old things removing every single nuance and original paint they have. Even if the paintwork is really good for its age. They repaint using their own colors which usually are too bright and do not fit to these old beauties. Also they ruin labels and texts when they can't do them right. They use wrong fonts and wrong colors etc. Also they change old, beautiful gears and buttons and other things which made the apparatus look so fine. Why? Did they sell those to real restorers or museums? Also the prices are something ridiculous. I wonder if anybody really has paid those huge sums for that bad job. One of the worst was the Nasa helmet they totally ruined.

I was very pleased when American Restoration spun off of Pawn Stars The concept was thoroughly engaging and became a personal favorite. Its decline in quality was subtle until the dramatic and unessisary introduction of the character Leonard. This was a grave and incredible stumble and prompted me to simply stop watching the show. So strong was my reaction and disappointment it compelled me to write this comment while seeing a re-run. As it evolved the show became less technical and more incredible. Obviously staged scenes attempted to keep the audience engaged. It has instead transitioned to being sad with sarcastic characters and plot lines that are insulting. Simply not true to the original concept. The premise was good, the current execution is unacceptable. You have silenced a positive voice for American Restoration and you've lost at least one more viewer.

Let's get the negatives out of the way first. Yes, I do agree with the critic who noted that, as the series progresses, they are spending less time on the actual restorations and more time on the lives of the characters, who invariably get into dramas that may be real, or may the result of the writer's over-active imaginations. Were I more cynical (and I can be, on demand) I might start to question this magical world where every restoration turns out perfectly, every customer loves the result, and nothing ever goes wrong, except when Tyler (Rick's son) does something that you'd except to see on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER or DENNIS THE MENACE. OK, so much for the negatives. This show could be, bar none, the most upbeat production on the air. Rick Dale should run for office. He genuinely seems to find the good in every situation, every job, every client and he generates a palpable longing for the days when Americans made things by hand, by themselves, and they lasted. 30 minutes hanging out with Rick is the rough equivalent of listening to the STAR SPANGLED BANNER 78 times, give or take. As a warned you, this is a guilty pleasure. Ultimately, the real joke will be that Tyler does not actually have to learn his dad's tricks of the trade, he will likely be able to retire on the residuals.

I like seeing the items that are brought to Rick Dale go from old and rusty to new. Its fun learning about things that I never knew existed. Rick Dale seems to know a lot about the things he restores.