You're not watching enough.

It's literally 4 minutes of restoration and 18 minutes of pranks/bitching/whining.

The "commercials" are fucking brutal. The idiots chatting about Skype now? Ugh. I really need to delete my pass for this show.

Yeah that was pretty bad product placement

You're right about it not being much of a tourist destination. I was amazed at how few people (tourists) were there when my wife and I paid a visit a month back. I was already aware that no one from the show would be there so no disappointment there. Still, you'd think they try to have one of the regulars around (Olivia would have been just fine ) to keep fans happy and hype the show a bit. I'm sure they've raked in the dough and don't care anymore. If it was me, I'd be milking it for as long as i could.

American Restoration is pretty bad now I agree. It's kind of sad because the show was really good and pretty interesting before it got re-tooled. I hate the addition of Kelly. Plus the fact that the show basically only focuses on Rick, Ron, Tyler, and Brettly just being idiots now.

Pawn Stars really doesn't bother me as badly with the things they do. Some of the product placement and their antics like making bets with each other or whatever other drama for the episodes does come off as forced but the show is still overall entertaining to me.

I think Pawn Stars is better because at it's core even though they throw stuff like that into the show it doesn't take up the bulk of the episode whereas with American Restoration it feels like the show is pretty much all stupid shit and just barely any restoration work shown.

If they're trying to make Corey the most annoying douchebag on television, they're doing a fantastic job.

He's lost over 100 lbs now (thanks to weight loss surgery). I'd say he's probably a bit hungry and cranky...

I loved how he was bragging amongst the others that he had lost the most weight, in trying to get Chum to slim down that one time, but of course he makes no mention of it being the easy way by surgery... I can't stand him, and it really annoys me the way he cocks his arm up horizontally when he shakes a customers hand... he's just a douche

And please, I hate when the Pawn Shop guys bitch over paying $50 too much for an item or whatever, us viewers know this show has made you so rich that small losses like that wont effect you at all...

American Restoration, still watch when I need something on in the background when falling asleep, but hate all the retooling, the "bits" are so staged its pathetic...

Has anyone been watching Lords of War on National Geographic Channel? It stars Sean of Antique Arms & Armor, the old antique weapons expert on Pawn Stars.

He was easily one of the best "experts" during Pawn Stars glory days before it got too much on staged plot. The show is actually interesting and probably one of the better "reality" shows currently airing.

I always notice that too. He looks like a moron. I'd bet Chum is a bigger douche in real life than Fat Hoss.

When it comes to these types of shows I would just be watching for what they are doing not some pointless added drama. Was just thinking, if some networks had a show like Antiques Roadshow (only seen a few here and there over the years, so I believe the format is the same) they would likely turn it into a drama fest instead of getting to the point.

Did anyone catch the season premiere this past Thursday? They re-did the intro and dropped the theme song for Rick narrating how "family comes first", and are playing up that angle to the show now. Kind of the same concept when they kind of reboot American Restoration this past year.

It felt more like an episode of Rick's everyday life than it did of anyone pawning anything. Doesn't History believe in the "If it's not broke, don't fix it" mentality?

They've done a rare segment like that now and then where they show the guy's doing something that's unrelated to working in the pawn shop. They usually aren't very long parts of the show though. I hope they don't start taking the American Restoration route and make stuff like that take up good bulks of the show. The new opening doesn't really feel like anything special especially after they hyped it up like it was going to be a big deal.

Was there any Subway sandwiches? I won't watch unless they sneak one in.

The new opening did finally add Chumlee, which was a long time coming.

The second episode played far more like a typical Pawn Stars episode, though the whole thing with Chum and his phone was just silly scripted crap (not that there is much unscripted here, but there's usually a little more effort).

Chumlee was never supposed to be a part of the show to begin with. The show was supposed to focus on the Harrisons, so he's not in the old opening credits. He had a one-off appearance that proved memorable and they added him into the mix. This happens a lot. Si wasn't supposed to be as prominent in Duck Dynasty, Phil wasn't part of the original Deadliest Catch, etc. Stars come out of these shows where people weren't looking.

I see it focusing more on them and becoming a more scripted reality show than focusing on the items brought in and the experts evaluating them. The first episode felt more like it was focusing on Rick's singing and Roger Daltrey. It just felt off. I know the show has always had that cornball banter among them but it seems that may be more of a focal point ala American Restoration.

Counting Cars is easily the best show on History that takes place in Vegas.

I think the show is broke and stale, then you factor in how it is staged and it's just hard to watch. I have 12-15 episodes on my DVR that I have no real desire to watch. They need to switch it up, but it doesn't sound like they improved it. The Harrisons plus Chumlee are all pretty boring people. I was a fan and even have read Rick's book more to try to get insight on how he got his business going, but just no real desire to watch anymore. I still get a kick out of the Jerry Springer version, Hardcore Pawn.

What if Pawn Stars hired Dave Hester to run the graveyard shift with the goth girl?

needs more Rebecca

Counting Cars is just as bad. The real champIon of the custom car tv shows is Discovery's Fast Cars.

Out of all of the shows History has based in Las Vegas, CC is far and away the most entertaining and least phony. At least they show the restoration process at times and Danny seems pretty down to Earth.

I wouldn't put it in the same class as Fast Cars or any other custom car show, but then again that's not what I said to begin with.

I like the new addition they've put into Season 2 of Counting Cars where they have a little 30 second history/fact cut in about the cars that Danny narrates. It's a nice easy touch that adds a lot to the show.

Is that the one with the idiot from Texas? um no. Their work on cars is nowhere near the craftsmanship from Counting Cars. I saw an episode where they patch welded an old rusted Ford Bronco and claimed they got $50 K for it. that kind of shoddy work never lasts.