American Pickers ratings continue to fall without Frank Fritz at the helm. Fans think Mike Wolfe “ruined the show.” The History Channel fired Frank in July 2021. At the time, he was recovering from grueling back surgery.
Mike brought on his brother, Robbie, on the show as the new host. Fans think he blew it with his decision. Season 23 of the hit series kicked off on January 1, 2022, with the new host. Frank hasn’t been on the show since March 2020.
Ratings continue to decline without Frank Fritz
The ratings for Season 23 of American Pickers continue to plummet. It plunged to below one million viewers in January. Per The Sun, the Saturday, March 12, episode only amassed 830,000 viewers. A week prior, only 853,000 people watched the Saturday, March 5, episode.
Fans have blamed Mike Wolfe for ruining the show. The new season of American Pickers features Mike, Robbie, and Danielle Colby. Fans don’t think the show is the same and the dynamic isn’t the same. Since Frank Fritz was a fan favorite, it’s unclear why the network dropped him.
He was fired in July 2021, after he appeared on the long-running series in March 2020. In an interview, Frank revealed the COVID-19 pandemic and his surgery was the reason why he had to step down from his hosting duties. However, the show made the decision to move on without him.
![American Pickers Mike Wolfe And Frank Fritz [Credit: YouTube]](https://tvshowsace.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/American-Pickers-Mike-Wolfe-Frank-Fritz.jpg)
Ratings for American Pickers have been on a steady decline all season. The January 1, 2022 premiere had 1,050,000 viewers, while the January 8 episode had 1,011,000 fans tuning in. Ratings started to decline when the January 15 episode brought in 859,000 viewers.
The ratings for Season 22 of American Pickers were much stronger. For example, the January 25, 2021 premiere had 1,273,000 viewers. Meanwhile, the July 5, 2021 episode had 1,336,000 viewers, while the July 19 episode only had 1,322,000 fans watch.
Fans that included Frank Fritz also boasted higher ratings. On his final show on March 2, 2020, 1,282,000 viewers tuned in. The last time the ratings dropped to under one million was days after Mike announced Frank’s firing in July 2021. The July 26 episode had 960,000 viewers.
American Pickers fans hate the new season
American Pickers fans want Frank Fritz back. The reason for the decline in ratings this time around is that most of them have boycotted the show because of his firing. Many have called Robbie “boring.” They don’t feel the show has the same feel to it.
Frank last appeared on American Pickers in March 2020. Not only did he have back surgery, but he also dealt with complications from Crohn’s disease. In an interview with The Sun, Frank explained that he had no plans to step down from his co-hosting duties.
“I didn’t leave the show. I finished shooting, and then I had a little back surgery, and the pandemic came.”
Mike announced on social media that the two would no longer be working together. This comes after Frank opened up about their feud. He told The Sun that American Pickers “tilted towards him 1,000 percent.” Frank refused to bend to Mike’s ways.
What are your thoughts on Season 23 of American Pickers? Do you miss Frank Fritz? Are you still watching the show? Sound off below in the comment section.
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