Discovery’s ‘Reclaimed’ Follows Longtime Friends as They Rehab Old Mines and Get off the Grid in ‘Freedom’-Filled Premiere (Exclusive)

Discovery Channel is getting off the grid and into the wild world of mines as longtime friends Alex Charvat and Kevin Gilman take on the challenge of turning around old mining claims into something profitable for ambitious homesteaders in Reclaimed. Ahead of the show’s premiere Thursday, Charvat and Gilman talked to PopCulture.com about the “60 minutes of freedom” they hope the show provides for people looking for a little taste of wide open spaces themselves.

With unique backgrounds in engineering, mountaineering, mining and forestry, the two friends and business partners are just the people to call when homesteaders who have purchased old mining claims on the cheap realize they need more than a little help to turn things around on the land, all for a cut of the mine’s profit.

Working in the world of gold and silver mining is “unbelievable,” Gilman gushed. “It’s a classification in and of it’s own — it’s just special. If you’re able to go out there and find gold in a gold pan, it’s unreal.”

Rehabbing these old mining claims draws on every bit of expertise the pair have, but Gilman explained, “I really enjoy the concept of being able to help people. … To hear, ‘I couldn’t have done it without you,’ that is really really satisfying to hear.”

It’s a challenging job to be sure, but one that is made all the more enjoyable when working alongside one of your best friends. “It’s awesome, Alex and I have a blast together” Gilman added of filming the series. “This has been an extension of our friendship. We never get bent at each other, and we never butt heads.”

Charvat hopes that even if people who aren’t amateur gold miners will take away from the show a sense of escape and freedom, especially if they long to get off the grid and out into the woods with their best friend during their day-to-day lives.

“I want to share [our lifestyle] with people,” he explained. “That’s what I think is interesting. I want to give people 60 minutes of freedom in their life. That’s ultimately the goal.”

Reclaimed premieres Thursday, Jan. 9 at 9 p.m. ET as part of Discovery’s new Off the Grid Thursdays, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET with Homestead Rescue and wraps up with Building Off the Grid at 10 p.m. ET.

Photo credit: Discovery