American Pickers returned for a new season on History Channel Saturday night. New episodes will continue airing Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET. The show now features original stars Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby, alongside Wolfe’s brother Robbie Wolfe. The show is now in its 23rd season, and it has been a year since History confirmed Frank Fritz left.
The trailer for the new batch of episodes features the cast finding more bizarre objects on their trips through the U.S. Once scene includes Colby and Robbie standing by a “beautiful” pink tractor. There’s also an odd shot of Wolfe crouched inside a tiny yellow boat. “All the moments and the miles… They add up to a life well-lived,” Wolfe said in the trailer.
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Although the American Pickers team is trying to move on from Fritz leaving the show, some fans are still not interested in the Fritz-less era. A few of the responses to the trailer are complaints about Fritz missing. “Not the same without Frank,” one person wrote. “Bring back the bearded charmer,” another wrote.
Fritz was last seen on American Pickers in March 2020. However, it was not until July 2021 that Fritz explained what happened in an interview with The Sun. At that time, he claimed he hadn’t spoken with Wolfe in two years and said his co-star never called him after he had back surgery. On July 21, 2021, Wolfe and History confirmed Fritz would no longer appear on the show.
“The support that you all have given us has been a constant reminder of what the show’s message has always been; thru these places, people, and things we all have a common thread. We’re here to not only take care of the past but also each other,” Wolfe said last year. “I will miss Frank, just like all of you, and I pray for the very best and all good things for him on the next part of his journey.”
In May, a source told The Sun Fritz was in touch with a television producer in Las Vegas and was interested in developing a new show. Although there haven’t been any updates on that idea since Fritz previously told the outlet he was interested in getting back to television. “I’d still like to get back to my job, I miss my friends and my people and being on the road and meeting all those different characters,” he said.
American Pickers launched in 2010 and originally focused on Fritz and Wolfe’s travels throughout the country to pick up antiques to sell at Antique Archaeology. Wolfe still runs the company, which has stores in LeClaire, Iowa, and Nashville. Fritz has his own store, Frank Fritz Finds, in Savannah, Illinois.
Wolfe hasn’t commented on Fritz leaving the show since last year. In May, he shared a photo of the behind-the-scenes Pickers team and reflected on making the series. “This shot is what I see when I’m filming. Encouragement, love, understanding, and a true passion for this project,” Wolfe wrote. “I’ve been very blessed to have people in my life at this time that love what they do as much as I do.”