TLC is reviving “American Chopper” with the estranged Teutuls going head-to-head in competing bike shops.
The new show, “American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior,” begins filming next week and will premiere in August.
It focuses both on the original Orange County Choppers business run by Paul Sr., and Paul Jr.’s startup bike shop.
The new shop, Paul Jr. Designs, is located across from the original OCC shop in Rock Tavern, NY, near OCC’s Newburgh site.
The hook? Father and son haven’t spoken in over a year, ever since Senior fired Junior from the family business.
BIKE BATTLE: Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Jr. haven’t spoken in a year, but will both appear on a new version of “Chopper.”
The split effectively ended their long-running reality show. TLC axed “American Chopper” last February and, in an ugly legal battle, Senior is demanding the return of Junior’s 20 percent stake in OCC. After a brief reconciliation, Junior rode out his one-year non-compete clause and moved into his new shop last week. Father and son remain at odds, with no resolution in sight.
“I’m always hopeful for a reconciliation, but sometimes these things happen for a reason,” Junior told The Post yesterday.
“Even though you never want dissension in any family, especially with your father, this has allowed me to break out and do things on my own.”
Senior also says he’s moved on to a point.
“Junior seems to say all the time he’d like to reconcile, but the thing of it is, he’s never come to me with that,” Senior told The Post. “I’m happy he’s making an attempt to go out on his own, but I don’t feel he’s ever really followed through with anything in his life.”
“But this way, if he fails, he can’t say, ‘My dad made me fail.’ ”
The resurrection of “Chopper” will be good news for fans of the show, including “Late Show” host David Letterman.
“Letterman e-mailed me when he heard the show was going off the air and said, ‘What am I gonna do now, Paul?,’ ”
Senior says. “He was devastated.”
It remains to be seen how “Senior vs. Junior” will play out, but series executive producer Christo Doyle says there’s no formula on how much air time the two competing shops will get per episode.
“This is a very bitter situation that runs really deep at times I feel I’m a family therapist and not a producer.”
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This ought to be interesting. I am pulling Sr. I do not care much for the disrespect jr. shows his Dad.
if Jr want his shop to do well then he needs to swing to baggers ,choppers are dieing a slammed ass bagger is the way even the chics are riding them.
It’s about time that Paul Jr. is going to have his oun shop. Paul Sr. is a asshole to all of his kids. F-Him
brandon i agree.occ would not be what it is today had it not been for jr.his designs put them on the map.sr has no creative concept.take a look at the bikes after jr left.they are just plain bikes.to him it was always hurry up.creative art like jrs took time and something sr never had…IMAGINATION!!
I’ve always thought that the old man was a total jerk and the kid spoiled and arrogant. Sr. will never get “father of the year.” I guess none of his kids talk to him. That would bother the hell out of me and I would never let it get that far. You just don’t treat family this way. I will give Junior this: without him, the father would still be welding iron work.
Beleave it or not I have never owned a motorcycle I am more of a car guy, but I watched American Chopper from the start. I think that the show would have never survived if the Tuetuls had not been at odds with other. I am glad to see the show is coming back and I hope the new format survives for many seasons. I also hope that Vinnie DiMartino shows up on the new show even though he has his own shop.
arr i want them back together, i was absolutely hooked on that programme,i loved mikey. really looking forward to the new series. lifes too short they should all kiss and make up.
I agree Gary. Right now Baggers are the in thing probably due to the aging demographic of riders themselves including me.
More than anything, I think Jr. is going to need to learn how to be a business man. If he is not in the shop to manage the thing he will not succeed.
When I watched the original show, Jr. was always late to work, or taking off in the middle of the day. He was not good with deadlines either.
To be frank, I think this new show is about OCC staying in business for a bit longer. I don’t see how Sr. Let’s Junior who is a share holder in OCC compete in a competing bike show in the same town, unless OCC gets to profit from it. Anyway……..
Norm
Interesting that TLC loses 2 shows about same time. Jon & Kate + 8 (due to divorce) and OCC due to family feud. Have to give TLC credit as they are trying 2 new shows and who knows how successful these new take off shows will be. I did not feel SR & JR could survive without the show but now they both stand a fighting chance with the money they will get from the new show if they keep their egos in check and concentrate of good basic business practices.
Just so you all know the breakdown of “American Chopper” goes as follows:
Paul Sr. did not want to share the wealth with either of his two sons. He got much bigger pay day for and as a result of show than either Paul Jr. or Michael. They wanted to renegotiate and his people told their people to go to hell. Paul Sr. in his foolishness thought the show could continue without them. Well that lasted for zero seasons, and now in an effort to compensate his losses, he has agreed to this version. Paul Sr. learn your lesson you idiot. Their your kids, not your minions. And, no Paul Sr., you got rid of Vinney by not allowing him to drink just a little from the pot, and then you did the same thing to Paul Jr. and Mikey, and see where it got you. Into a lot of debt and cancellation of your show. I mean you without your sons does not make for good tv.
I have to agree with some of you. Paul Sr. wouldn’t be anything with out his son’s. It isn’t fair that Paul Sr. is acting like an butthead. if he wants to get back on Junior’s and Mikey’s good side, Sr. should be the one to apologize. The only thing that his son’s wanted was Sr. to be supportive. Now they are not speaking that there is tension in the family. Sr. is a grumpy old b**terd and he needs to get over him self. he let his agronance run over what was important, which is his family. he should have not done that.
I find it disgusting that Paul, Sr. weeps about his dog’s cancer and leg amputation, but is gleeful that Jr. missed the unveiling of the quad. Incredibly callous!! He cares more about his damn dog than the success of his own son. What a jerk of a parent!
They wanted to renegotiate and his people told their people to go to hell. Paul Sr. in his foolishness thought the show could continue without them. Well that lasted for zero seasons, and now in an effort to compensate his losses, he has agreed to this version. Paul Sr. learn your lesson you idiot.
T.V. watching is not a proper biker activity. That is an activity for Sheeple. I knew guys who in the sixties and seventies built beautiful machines that worked and did ALL the work on those bikes. They all went broke but one, who did well with an industrial machine shop. Fast-forward to present-day and flourishing in wealth and popularity we find a dysfunctional family ordering parts and beating them into position. I don’t see any of them building or tuning any high-performance engines properly. If that trips your trigger, stay away from me, please!