What started as a parody of Pawn Stars will become an extended creation myth of the popular History TV series.
Beginning July 14, the old Pawn Shop Live! at the Riviera is no more. In its place is Pawn Shop Live!—The Lost Episode, a comedic stage show that follows the taping of a fictionalized pilot episode of Pawn Stars.
The new-look show bears the influence of a new writer, actor-comedian Howie Gold, and executive producer Rick Harrison, co-owner of Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.
“In the reality show business, you could say one out of every 500 sizzle reels goes to pilot. For every 50 pilots, one goes to episode and only 20 percent of those episodes make it past season one,” Harrison said. “We figured with those odds, we might as well give this show another shot with a complete overhaul. Since it’s no longer a parody, it’s more authentic to our personalities now—and funnier, too!”
Whereas the first iteration of Pawn Shop Live! was styled as a parody of Pawn Stars, complete with Las Vegas showgirls and a puppet named Old Fart, the updated version includes original video clips of Rick, son Corey Harrison, father Richard “The Old Man” Harrison and family friend Austin “Chumlee” Russell.
Considering the success of the brand—a spin-off game show, Pawnography, where contestants compete against Pawn Stars regulars to answer trivia questions, premieres July 10 on History—a little more reality is never too much.
