Pawn Stars [VODA]

Pawn Stars is an American reality television series, shown on History, and produced by Leftfield Pictures. The series is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop,[2] a 24-hour family business operated by patriarch Richard "Old Man" Harrison, his son Rick Harrison, who opened the shop with his father in 1988, Rick's son Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison, who has worked there since childhood, and Corey's childhood friend, Austin "Chumlee" Russell. The show, which became the network's highest rated show,[3][4] and the No. 2 reality show behind Jersey Shore, debuted on July 26, 2009. Reruns can be seen on History as well as its sister network Lifetime, which added the show in December 2010.[5][6]



The series depicts the staff's interactions with customers, who bring in a variety of artifacts to sell or pawn and who are shown haggling over the price and discussing its historical background, with narration provided by the Harrisons and occasionally Chumlee. The series also follows the interpersonal conflicts among the cast. One reviewer referencing these conflicts described the show as a version of Antiques Roadshow "hijacked by American Chopper's" Teutul family.[7] TV Guide has offered a similar description, calling the show "one part Antiques Roadshow, a pinch of LA Ink and a dash of COPS".[8]



Numerous local experts in a variety of fields also regularly appear to appraise the items being sold or pawned, two of whom having gone on to their own spinoff programs. Antique restorer/metal artist Rick Dale is the star of the series' first spin-off American Restoration, which premiered in October 2010,[9][10][11] and mechanic/auto restoration expert Danny "The Count" Koker stars in the third spinoff, Counting Cars, which debuted August 13, 2012.[12][13] Cameo appearances have been made by Bob Dylan, Jeremy McKinnon, Meredith Vieira, the Oak Ridge Boys, George Stephanopoulos and Matt Kenseth.[14]