Anyone watching? I have been watching American Chopper since it debuted several years ago. I'm totally fascinated by the whole family dynamic, because it reminds me a lot of my family. Which side are you on, Senior or Juniors?
American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior
- Thread starter Tom Hendricks
- Start date
I liked the show a lot better when it was about them building bikes with only the occasional bout of entertaining mayhem. No real interest in this.
All of these shows start with a great premise. American Chopper, Miami Ink, etc. Then some producer decides people aren't tuning in to see the work, they're tuning in to see the "characters" that inhabit the business and then they start to focus on them more, to the point I think the producers encourage and even script confrontational behaviour, and it all goes down hill.
I like Cake Boss right now, I'm hoping they don't do the same thing to that show.
All of these shows start with a great premise. American Chopper, Miami Ink, etc. Then some producer decides people aren't tuning in to see the work, they're tuning in to see the "characters" that inhabit the business and then they start to focus on them more, to the point I think the producers encourage and even script confrontational behaviour, and it all goes down hill.
I like Cake Boss right now, I'm hoping they don't do the same thing to that show.
Very early on in the series, back when it was running originally on the Discovery Channel, there was a behind-the-scenes episode in which one of the producers said frankly what separated American Chopper from the other "built it" shows was the often fiery relationship between the Teutuls and that the series was more about them as they built bikes more than the bikes themselves.
But as the series progressed, OCC got bigger and bigger and the stakes got bigger and bigger. It kinda stopped being a custom bike shop and more of a corporation, IMO. Something had to give, and it was unfortunately the relationship between Senior and his sons. When Senior finally fired Junior and cut Mikey loose from OCC, he saw it as making good business decisions but his sons saw it as something else.
To be honest, I hated how the original American Chopper series ended, but I wasn't too sure that I wanted to see Senior vs. Junior, since it implied that things hadn't improved between the Teutels since we last saw them. Hopefully, we'll see something positive come out of this now that Senior and Junior are focusing on outdoing each other with bikes. Maybe something will break the ice between them...
Love Senior, but I gotta go with Junior as the underdog...
But as the series progressed, OCC got bigger and bigger and the stakes got bigger and bigger. It kinda stopped being a custom bike shop and more of a corporation, IMO. Something had to give, and it was unfortunately the relationship between Senior and his sons. When Senior finally fired Junior and cut Mikey loose from OCC, he saw it as making good business decisions but his sons saw it as something else.
To be honest, I hated how the original American Chopper series ended, but I wasn't too sure that I wanted to see Senior vs. Junior, since it implied that things hadn't improved between the Teutels since we last saw them. Hopefully, we'll see something positive come out of this now that Senior and Junior are focusing on outdoing each other with bikes. Maybe something will break the ice between them...
Love Senior, but I gotta go with Junior as the underdog...
I haven't seen it, but I'm guessing the concept is of competing businesses since Jr got fired?
Whoa, I thought it was cancelled... they revived the show with the two of them fighting each other?
Just starting the first episode. Yikes, I can't believe the vitriol.
Just starting the first episode. Yikes, I can't believe the vitriol.
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Now taking into consideration that much of the happenings on the show are exaggerated as in the producer telling Sr. to harp on Jr. because the shop is not squeaky clean while they work i guess the basics are there.
Those two are something similar to me and my dad.. him being too tight on some things and me being a bit chaotic during work but still getting work done (although could have been done with less stress if being a bit more organized).
Both of them share blame for how things developed and they are at a point in their lives where things crashed similar to me and my dad. In the end though i guess they'll reconcile and change (both of them) or they'll end up separated forever.
I'm not taking any side because both can be assholes at times.. Jr. not realizing that you can run a company that's gotten this big as it is your hobby and Sr. needs to come down a bit and not look for every small detail that displeases him and then explode like a volcano.
Those two are something similar to me and my dad.. him being too tight on some things and me being a bit chaotic during work but still getting work done (although could have been done with less stress if being a bit more organized).
Both of them share blame for how things developed and they are at a point in their lives where things crashed similar to me and my dad. In the end though i guess they'll reconcile and change (both of them) or they'll end up separated forever.
I'm not taking any side because both can be assholes at times.. Jr. not realizing that you can run a company that's gotten this big as it is your hobby and Sr. needs to come down a bit and not look for every small detail that displeases him and then explode like a volcano.
Just to note, it is the same show, it is a continuation of American Chopper and considered Season 7. Obviously the focus will be now split between the two, just want to make the clarification that it is indeed a new season of American Chopper, so the series continues.
BTW, I'm siding with Junior, I find it appalling the kind of things Senior has been saying about his own kids, very sad to hear a father say such things, and to sue his own son. Apparently there is a history of him having trouble with his children, he has another son who also doesn't speak to him. Senior is losing good people left and right there at the shop, first Vinnie, then Cody, now his own son. The bikes OCC has been putting out lately are crap, and the gigs they are getting, seriously, Window World?!? Yeah.
I've seen, on another forum, two new bikes that Junior has built now that he is on his own, one is a bike for Geico and the other is a new web bike, and the Geico one is incredible, reminds me of what they use to do at OCC.
BTW, I'm siding with Junior, I find it appalling the kind of things Senior has been saying about his own kids, very sad to hear a father say such things, and to sue his own son. Apparently there is a history of him having trouble with his children, he has another son who also doesn't speak to him. Senior is losing good people left and right there at the shop, first Vinnie, then Cody, now his own son. The bikes OCC has been putting out lately are crap, and the gigs they are getting, seriously, Window World?!? Yeah.
I've seen, on another forum, two new bikes that Junior has built now that he is on his own, one is a bike for Geico and the other is a new web bike, and the Geico one is incredible, reminds me of what they use to do at OCC.
I want to know who would buy a bike from OCC that Junior did not design? I wouldn't, thats why I hope that Junior can be successful. I don't know if Senior is that stupid and is duped into saying those things about Junior also was manipulated to fire Junior.
What really bothers me the most is, Junior made that company what it is. Yes Seniors 'management' also played a part, but OCC really lost its way as they grew. Then to have everyone mock or make fun of what Junior accomplished, without him they would not have a job. That really irritates me to no end.
What really bothers me the most is, Junior made that company what it is. Yes Seniors 'management' also played a part, but OCC really lost its way as they grew. Then to have everyone mock or make fun of what Junior accomplished, without him they would not have a job. That really irritates me to no end.
Well.. one has to just look at the clients each company is now getting.
Remember the bikes they made for the US Army, for movie premieres (I Robot) and the like and who are they now doing bikes for?
Window World? A company that's producing windows? The way i see it WW is using the show to promote their product instead of OCC getting the cool factor of building a bike for Jay Leno and such.
Jr. and Sr. will never get along.. Sr. is too much alpha male to ever let something go. It has to go exactly like he wants because he started the whole thing dammit! and he'll be damned if someone challenges his leadership.. one's own blood or not.
I haven't followed the show for quite some time but this i gotta see.. i have a very foul taste in my mouth from the way Sr. is badmouthing his son on the show being so sure he'll fail. He's so smug and sure of it and i guess he'd come in his pants if Jr. fails and comes crawling back to him.
What kind of father is that? I had my own problems with my dad but he never in a million years wanted me to fail professionally.
From what i see Jr. is starting to build up his business and is going through the initial pains but he's got an advantage of already being out there and having a name so he's not string from total scratch. I wish him well and now he hasn't the excuse of his father meddling in his work.. i hope he makes it.
Remember the bikes they made for the US Army, for movie premieres (I Robot) and the like and who are they now doing bikes for?
Window World? A company that's producing windows? The way i see it WW is using the show to promote their product instead of OCC getting the cool factor of building a bike for Jay Leno and such.
Jr. and Sr. will never get along.. Sr. is too much alpha male to ever let something go. It has to go exactly like he wants because he started the whole thing dammit! and he'll be damned if someone challenges his leadership.. one's own blood or not.
I haven't followed the show for quite some time but this i gotta see.. i have a very foul taste in my mouth from the way Sr. is badmouthing his son on the show being so sure he'll fail. He's so smug and sure of it and i guess he'd come in his pants if Jr. fails and comes crawling back to him.
What kind of father is that? I had my own problems with my dad but he never in a million years wanted me to fail professionally.
From what i see Jr. is starting to build up his business and is going through the initial pains but he's got an advantage of already being out there and having a name so he's not string from total scratch. I wish him well and now he hasn't the excuse of his father meddling in his work.. i hope he makes it.
Junior. Senior is way too much of an asshole to root for. No wonder his kids have problems with him. He's mean to them. And not just them but everyone else to. I think he's generally just a mean old fart.
I was watching TMZ last night (no idea why) and it seems Senior didn't show up to Junior's wedding.
We haven't watch this show since the season before it moved to TLC. In fact, we just keep watching the first four or five seasons on the Roku and Instant Watch. Some of the stuff just got too over the top-the arguments, the deadlines, the drama-and the bikes weren't as good.
My husband and I were just actually at the big new OCC store and headquarters in NY. It was a neat place where you could see the bikes and look into the shop as they filmed, but it was a little too big considering where they came from. I think they all got too full of themselves. I don't like any of the new idiots working under senior-poor Rick is the only one left. I don't blame Vin and Cody for leaving, but Jr has his issues, too.
Eh, we won't be watching this new desperate cling to fame.
My husband and I were just actually at the big new OCC store and headquarters in NY. It was a neat place where you could see the bikes and look into the shop as they filmed, but it was a little too big considering where they came from. I think they all got too full of themselves. I don't like any of the new idiots working under senior-poor Rick is the only one left. I don't blame Vin and Cody for leaving, but Jr has his issues, too.
Eh, we won't be watching this new desperate cling to fame.
Didn't Junior recruit Vinnie for his new company in the first episode? That's a good start...
Senior has no votes so far...YES!
As far as i know Vinni is just there on a part time basis, i.e. more to help out on certain projects rather than being a full-time employee.
He still has his own shop to run and i don't think he'd want to give up being his own boss but taking the money from the show for a few days work surely helps his bank account too i guess.
Whis is also the reason why he left OCC. Vinnie wanted to get ahead at OCC (probably also for the pay raise) and Sr. just wouldn't allow it so after a time Vinnie made the decision that he was at a dead end with OCC and left.
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