This is in fact thread hijacking. You've been reported to the moderator.

But to be friendly and answer your question. I don't care for Shipping Wars. Everyone on the show seems pretty dumb.

It seemed like a terrible move by Dave to bring out one of his huge trucks and his whole crew if he wasn't going to even be aggressive in an attempt to buy anything. Really looks like he's on his way out, since they've already set up his replacement very deliberately. I wonder how much the "stars" get paid to do the show. As popular as it has become, I'd bet it's more than they make from most lockers.

Loved the YMCA/Village People joke. Not that it was so funny, but the exchange was so natural.

And re: Shipping Wars, I don't mind it per say -- I actually think there could be some entertaining episodes in the future. Unlike Storage Wars, here you know you'll never have a total dud episode since if you follow the interesting large objects to their destination, you're guaranteed a "story" even if nothing extraordinary happens -- you don't need luck for a good episode.
But the thing that really bugs me about that show is the commentary from the other drivers : They weren't there, so why are they making petty and snide comments? Are they watching the show along with us? And if they're going to make all these wisecracks, why can't we see their reaction when another driver makes a lot of money at the end of the shipment? We only get schadenfreude, never sour grapes, regret or grudging admiration and that just seems wrong to me.

Why not start a thread about Shipping Wars and find out?

I read in an article somewhere that they get paid $10k per show. I guess that's how they have all that extra money to throw down for those over-bidded lockers...

Yeah, and all the tweets probably from one person.

I don't really get it if Dave is holding out... he gets more exposure from being on the show, and if they move on without him i'm sure people will stop caring about the "yuuup" guy pretty quickly.

Mc Donalds has a new TV add. Is that Barry Weiss's Chix car in the tv ad?

Completely agree. I gave up on it because of the non-stop scripted zingers.

Dave must be in horrible financial shape if he’s willing to walk away from this cash cow. The show doesn’t work because of the storage locks, it works due to the chemistry of the cast. Dave plays the role of the bad guy that everybody is after, he’s arrogant, egotistical and an all around asshole. I don’t see Nabila filling that role. The producers should concede and give everybody a substantial raise, keep the group together. The show cost nothing to make and brings in big ratings, $10,000 per episode is low balling them. At first I thought the show would have a fairly short shelf life but these past two episodes really made me change my mind, this show can go on a couple more years. Expand the road trip idea and have them go all over the country, it’s not about the what’s in the lockers, it’s about these guys buying the lockers.

While I’m making suggestions to the producers, stop with the phony drama. Am I really supposed to believe that everybody thought Dan only told them about this road trip? How they were all shocked when each other showed up.

I totally agree that they deserve more money, but on the other hand KNOWING they're getting more money kinda ruins the "illusion" that they are taking a risk buying the lockers.

So the previous 49 episodes were just....

Cmon. The show will last many more Seasons. It's a huge hit.

I thought it would end up being like Parking Wars or any one of these "Junk Food" TV shows where you sit down and go into a coma for a few hours watching one episode after another but the allure wears off quick. Storage Wars seems to have broken that mold. I see it like Jersey Shore, for years MTV had the Real World model, it didn't matter who the cast was, the format was what people tuned in for. Then Jersey Shore came along and it wasn't the format, it was that specific cast. MTV had to back up the brinks truck.

And it's because he's such an asshole that I'm more than OK with a Storage Wars without him. The whole "yuuup" thing is tired and cringe-inducing and the show will survive (perhaps even thrive) without him. The others are compelling enough and there would still be a fair amount of competition without Dave, so IMO he's entirely expendable.

Dave would have been OK with the "Yuuup" routine if he wasn't a total dick otherwise. That episode where he got all pissed off because Jared drove next to him and busted his balls. Jared was doing it in jest but Dave got all indignant (and almost got his ass kicked). And then when Darrel's minion wore the hat goofing on Dave, he got all indignant again. It seems like everyone tries to have a friendly rivalry except for Dave. He's just a dick.

I was OK with Dave's antics until that show in Las Vegas. The behind the scenes one. He was a complete asshole to everyone, which showed me his isn't shtick. He really is a complete, insufferable fuckhole who doesn't deserve this show or it's exposure.

Thing is, Hester has been to dinner events here in the OC for Storage Wars airings. Twice now he's been at a restaurant not far from my home for shows. I couldn't make either event, unfortunately.

I'm definitley in the minority here as I really like Dave's presence on the show. Hopefully if he does leave they can edit Nabila to be the heel in his place.

I'm saying that the show won't work without Dave, but you have to admit that it does work with him. Why would you mess with a working formula that is raking in cash? Pay the man off, give all the main players $50,000 a episode, sign them for 2 more years, sit back and get rich.

There are actors on hit broadcast TV shows that don't even make $50k an episode.

yes, and that's because those shows have actual production cost. This show cost next to nothing to produce, brings in big ratings and has a limited cast. Don't the first run episodes get something like 5 million viewers? How many people watch it during those marathons they run every weekend? I'm not saying that everybody should get $50k, but each group should. Is $250,000 - $300,000 too much to be paying your cast for a hit show?

just because you think it should work that way, doesn't mean it does.

I don't disagree with you, but being the most watched program on basic cable on Tuesdays is like saying you're the smartest person in Mississippi - yeah, you're pretty smart, but so what? A first run episode of SW doesn't do as well as a rerun of the new Tim Allen show and doesn't do even a third of the business as a repeat of NCIS.

In addition, consider that there were 31 episodes of SW during the second season, 51 total for the first two seasons. Even at $10,000 an episode, that's $510,000. Not too bad. Also consider that an actor on a scripted program who gets paid per episode works an entire week for that check. These guys seem to shoot these in no more than two days - the auction day and the day they go get things appraised. So it's much less work.

Perhaps $10K isn't enough, but $50K would be pretty ridiculous.

It seems hard to guess what each guy should make since it sounds like any guess at production costs for the show and what kind of revenue it takes in are completely blind guesses.

Also have to consider something. This show now requires the four (well, 5) to show up at the same auctions and stay until filming is done, and there is obvious dislike here. There are LOTS of these auctions going on, and maybe Dave just wants to go somewhere else and not have to deal with Bubba Ray Darrell and the Caucasian Cholo.

He'll run across them probably every day whether or not they're filming or not.

They're constantly at auctions no one ever films.