“American Chopper: The Series” is a reality/documentary TV show produced by Pilgrim Films & Television, which aired from 2003 to 2019. The series followed the crew of Orange County Choppers (OCC), a custom motorcycle fabrication company located in Montgomery, New York State, led by Paul Teutul Sr. and his son Paul Teutul Jr. Originally focusing on the creative differences between the two and their complex father-and-son relationship, the show took a big hit in 2008, when Paul Jr. left Orange County Choppers to pursue his own business. Since then, “American Chopper” has been on and off air for years, but is still considered to be one of the best automotive reality shows out there. Jason Pohl joined the cast in 2006, and remained on the show until its cancellation. An industrial designer by trade, Jason quickly became one of the series’ most prominent stars, but it appears that a lot has changed in his life since we last saw him on “American Chopper”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK1T53sJA6k/

Orange County Choppers

The staff of Orange County Choppers were the heart of the show for more than 16 years. The company was founded by Paul Teutul Sr. back in 1999, debuting their first bike, nicknamed ‘True Blue’ at the 1999 Daytona Biketoberfest. Initially, Paul Sr. was busy with his other company, Orange County Ironworks, and only wanted to build five to ten motorcycles per year, but the demand for their builds quickly increased, prompting him to expand his business and commit to it full-time. As a result, Paul Sr., left his old company in hands of his son Daniel, while his other two sons, Michael and Paul Jr., helped him run his new motorcycle business. In 2002, they were contacted by Discovery Channel, who wanted them to star in their upcoming reality show.

Along with building custom motorbikes for “American Chopper”, Orange County Choppers have launched their own limited edition production line of motorcycles in 2007, with a starting price of $31,000.

One of their most well-known custom builds is one specifically created to commemorate the New York firefighters who lost their life in 9/11 attacks. Nicknamed ‘The Fire Bike’, motorcycle was modeled after a fire truck, featuring a steel rivet that came from the collapsed World Trade Center building. Due to the popularity of their show, the US Air Force commissioned Orange County Choppers to make them a custom bike, valued at $150,000, which was modeled after the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, complete with Air Force symbols.

 “American Chopper” run and cancellation

“American Chopper” premiered on Discovery Channel on 31 March 2003, initially starring Paul Teutul Sr., Paul Teutul Jr., Nick Hansford, Rick Petko and Christian Walter, along with now former employees of OCC, Vincent DiMartino and Cody Connelly. Michael Teutul also frequently appeared as the shop’s custodian and webmaster, also providing comic relief for the viewers.

Image source

Interestingly enough, OCC were not Discovery Channel’s first choice for the show; in fact, the decision to focus the series on them was a last-minute call, as the series’ producer, Craig Pilligan revealed in his interview with the financial magazine “Forbes”. ‘I switched the motorcycle shop the night before shooting. It was a Tuesday night and in my last conversation with the shop that I was going to do in New Hampshire, I didn’t feel that they had the right mindset.’, Pilligan said. The shooting for the pilot episode started next morning.

Aside from documenting the process of building custom motorcycles, “American Chopper” also covered personal relationship between the cast members, which were often quite tumultuous and full of drama. OCC proved to be a high-pressure environment; tight deadlines combined with high expectations from customers often increased tensions between cast members . In many ways, “American Chopper” served as a blueprint for other family-driven reality shows which are widely popular today.

In 2008, one of the show’s biggest stars, Paul Jr., was fired from OOC and the show, following numerous disagreements with his father. Around the same time, the show moved from Discovery Channel to TLC. In April the following year, Junior launched his own business, Paul Jr. Designs. In response, Paul Sr. filed a lawsuit against him, in order to force him to sell his 20% share in OCC, which was eventually ruled in Junior’s favor. The tensions culminated in 2010, when Paul Teutul Sr. refused to attend his son’s wedding.

However, later in the same year, Junior returned in the first series spin-off, entitled “American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior”, which mainly chronicled the after math of Junior’s departure from OCC, and aired for two seasons before it was cancelled in 2012.

Paul Sr., returned to the TV screens in 2013, in the second spin-off from “American Chopper”, entitled “Orange County Choppers: American Made”, which featured him and his team as they built some of the most complex projects of their careers.

In the following year, Discovery Channel aired a special – “American Chopper: Shaq Bike” – featuring the building of a custom chopper for the former National Basketball Association (NBA) star, Shaquille O’Neal.

After a four-year-long TV hiatus, the cast finally returned for a new season of “American Chopper” in 2018. The revival season showed brand new motorcycle builds, and a surprising twist – Junior’s return after ten years of having a poor relationship with his father. The series came to a definitive conclusion in 2020, with the airing of a special episode entitled “The Last Ride”, which showed Junior and Senior working on a custom chopper together, for the first time in years.

During its 17 years long run, “American Chopper” left a significant mark on pop culture. It inspired two video game titles, a pinball arcade game, and a Comedy Central parody series “American Body Shop”. Furthermore, the infamous scene of Paul Sr. firing Paul Jr. was turned into an exploitable meme comic, which went viral in 2011, and has since spawned innumerable iterations.

https://www.facebook.com/AmericanChopper/photos/10160374303735032

What is Jason doing now?

Jason Pohl was featured on “American Chopper” from season four. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Media Arts and Animation from Illinois Institute of Art in 2004, and started his career at Incredible Technologies later in the same year. One of the first projects he worked on was a digital pinball prototype licensed by OCC, while he was responsible for digitally modeling all the choppers featured in the game. Paul Teutul Sr. liked his work so much that he invited him to join his company. Two years later, he became a regular on “American Chopper”, and was featured as their Lead Designer.

During his time with OCC, he designed more than 300 motorcycles, but nowadays, Jason works for Dassault Systemès, along with serving as an ambassador for the software brand SOLIDWORKS. He has also started his own company called Jason Pohl Designs, through which he offers a large variety of services, including product design, 3D printing and strategic brand development.

Image source

According to his LinkedIn profile, Pohl parted ways with OCC in March 2020, following their move to Florida. In an interview he gave in 2021, Jason opened up about his time there. ‘I’ll never forget the day I met Paul, and he introduced me to his son, Paulie. (…) I was 21 years old, and looked into these guys and thought ‘wow, these guys are passion-driven. This is awesome’’, he said. Jason also revealed that he stayed on good terms with his former boss, despite having several clashes with him in the past, and still considers him to be one of his biggest inspirations.

As for his private life, Jason is a married man and a proud father of four. He often posts about his children and wife on his Instagram account ‘@pohlie’, along with sharing his latest designs. Although his children are still very young, Jason has revealed that he tries to introduce them to his work as much as he can, and let them explore their creative side.

As of April 2022, Jason’s net worth has been estimated at more than $500,000.

Where is the rest of “American Chopper” cast today?

As for the rest of the “American Chopper” cast, some haven’t been as fortunate in thire post-show life. Paul Teutul Sr., in particular, has had a series of legal issues. In 2018, he was sued by his former business partner, Thomas Derbyshire, who argued that Paul used the money Thomas invested into “Orange County Choppers: American Made” for personal use. Teutul Sr. furthermore attempted to change his ownership deal with Derbyshire from 51/49 to 50/50 behind his back. Derbyshire also accused his former business partner of obstructing the series production, by habitually showing up late to the set or not showing up at all, while making product placement deals without his knowledge.

In July the same year, Teutul Sr. was invited to a mediation hearing in another lawsuit involving JTM Motorsports Inc., who sued him for failing to promote the company in exchange for free work on his Corvette.

As the online magazine “Page Six” reported, Senior was becoming agitated during the process, and started screaming at JTM representatives to give him his car back. Security had to intervene to prevent a physical altercation, and removed Teutul from the courtroom.

In March 2018, only one day before the premiere of the “American Chopper” revival season, Teutul Sr. filed for bankruptcy, but his plea was apparently dismissed due to the fact that Paul didn’t supply sufficient documentation. He eventually managed to get back on his feet by selling his old house, and was later able to expand his business.

While Orange County Choppers operated in Orange County, New York for more than 20 years, in 2020 they relocated to Florida, specifically to St. Petersburg. The city on the western coast of the state is known to be a Mecca for motorcyclists, with some of it main attractions being a Harley-Davidson dealership and the Roadhouse museum.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CapH2vUrogp/

Nowadays, Orange County Choppers has expanded its operation to include a bar and restaurant, along with a gift store which sells “American Chopper” merchandise.

Aside from expanding the business, the year 2020, brought more legal issues for Paul Sr. Namely, he was sued by a professional photographer named Scott Gunnells, who alleged that Paul’s company illegally used his work on two pieces of “American Chopper” merchandise. The court ruled in Gunnell’s favor, requiring Paul to pay more than $280,000 in damages.

His son Paul Teutul Jr. still runs his own company in New York, which has expanded into apparel and personal branding. In recent years, Junior has had renowned clients such as Paramount and Blizzard Entertainment, so it’s safe to assume that his business is doing more than well. Despite all the drama than happened between him and his father, Paul Jr. now looks back at the whole ordeal as a ‘blessing in disguise’.

In his interview with the website “Inquistr”, Paul said ‘On Sept. 28, 2008, in a scene that millions of viewers of the “American Chopper” reality TV show watched on Discovery Channel, my father booted me from the Orange County Choppers custom motorcycle-building company, of which I was part-owner. And that turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened to me at the time. It just took a while to realize that’.

His brother Michael also left the show, and has been working on his struggles with alcohol addiction, which were documented in “American Chopper”. He took time off to go to rehab, and explore his creativity through painting and cooking. Michael has since returned to his father’s business as assistant general manager, and on the side has partnered with the chef known as Angry Mike, with whom he co-runs a sauce-making company.

One of the early fan-favorites, Vincent DiMartino, left the show back in 2007, to start his own business called V-Force Customs.

https://www.facebook.com/AmericanChopper/photos/10154119465465032

However, the company didn’t last in the market for very long, and Vincent briefly rejoined the show, but now works for Paul Jr. The failure of his first solo business endeavor led Vincent to start another company, DiMartino Motorsports Automotive and Truck Repair, which is still operating in Walden, New York.

During his time on the show, the youngest cast member Cody Connelly, was considered a real prodigy; he was fresh out of high school, but showed incredible craftsmanship for his age. He left the show in 2007 to join Vincent’s V-Force Customs. Cody eventually abandoned working with motorcycles altogether, and now works for a utility company.

Rick Petko, who did all kinds of metalwork on “American Chopper” has also left OCC. He now works at Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson, tackling their custom fabrication contracts, while making and selling metalware on the side. Some of his best-selling products are custom chef knives.

Who is Bob Vila?

Robert Joseph “Bob” Vila was born on 20^th June 1946, in Miami, Florida, USA, and is known for being the host of “This Old House” and “Bob Vila’s Home Again”. With an impressive TV career spanning decades, it’s little surprise that Bob, also a prolific director and actor, is worth tens of millions of dollars in his golden years.

Despite a lack of information about Bob’s parents, we do know that his father built the family home from the ground up when the future celebrity was just a child. After matriculating from Miami Jackson Senior High School, Bob studied journalism at the University of Florida, and volunteered in Panama for the Peace Corps between 1971 and 1973.

“This Old House”

Home restoration clearly runs in Bob’s family, as in 1978 he received that year’s “Heritage House” award by Better Homes and Gardens for his impeccable work on a Victorian Italianate house in Massachusetts.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbAxb-hOYTS/

Just a year later, he was hired as the host of “This Old House” and worked renovating homes with Norm Abram and others.

Originally, the show renovated older, more modest properties, with the homeowners pitching in and doing some of the hard work. One of the show’s most legendary projects was the renovation of Weatherbee Farm thanks to Bob and his colleague Norm’s disputes with the homeowners, with Bob remarking at the end that they could’ve done more sweat equity. Later on, the show evolved and began working on higher-end homes, with more help from tradespeople and expert contractors.

Why exactly did Bob leave “This Old House” after a decade of hard work? Commercial endorsements played a big part in his departure: Rickel, a New Jersey-based chain of home-improvement centers, was sponsoring the TV personality, which led to their competitors Home Depot and Weyerhaeuser refusing to provide further underwriting services for the show.

A disagreement with the production team led to Bob being replaced by Steve Thomas shortly afterwards, perhaps an understandable decision given that by 1989, Weyerhauser had donated well over a million dollars to the program.

Steve, who hosted the program until 2003, was considered a breath of fresh air. After Bob’s departure, cast members commented that the former host took up too much screen time and said that the show became “more of an ensemble production” after he was replaced.

For its 30^th anniversary season, “This Old House” teamed up with the charity Nuestra Comunidad to renovate a foreclosed property in Roxbury, Boston. The non-profit development corporation acquired the home from a bank foreclosure, and works to help struggling homeowners in the area. To celebrate the show’s 40^th season, some episodes revisited the most notable projects, with tours provided by the original homeowners.

https://www.facebook.com/ThisOldHouse/photos/10158245313196513

During Bob’s time on the show, “This Old House” won five Emmy awards and averaged 11 million viewers. With time, it would go on to receive 12 more Emmys, spawn spin-offs such as “The New Yankee Workshop”, and launch a magazine and website. To date, the home improvement series is one of the WGBH’s most popular programs, and viewers will be pleased to know that as of 2021, all 1,500 episodes of “This Old House” and “Ask This Old House” are available through Roku streaming products too.

1989 Onward

After cutting ties with the team of “This Old House”, Bob became a spokesman for Sears and appeared in commercials promoting the tools brand Craftsman. Due to a dispute between the host and the company, the partnership ended as of 2006.

The 1990s were the beginning of a new era for the TV personality, as he began hosting “Bob Vila’s Home Again”, which was renamed “Bob Vila” in 2005.

The home-improvement program ran for 16 seasons in syndication, before being cancelled by CBS Television Distribution due to low ratings; however, fans of the now-defunct show can still see it in reruns.

Branching out into acting, Bob was also seen in episodes of the long-running sitcom “Home Improvement”. Working alongside Tim Allen and other industry greats, Bob played himself in a fictional show within the sitcom named “Tool Time”. In 1993, he made a cameo in the comedy “Hot Shots! Part Deux”, and he’s also been spotted on the Home Shopping Network selling tools under his own self-titled brand which was founded in 2016.

Another of Bob’s talents which often goes unnoticed is his ability as an author. Since the 1980s, the host has prolifically churned out books such as “Bob Vila’s Toolbox: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide to Portable Hand and Power Tools”, “Bob Vila’s Lawn Care Guide”, and “Bob Vila’s Guide to Buying Your Dream House”.

A fan favorite is his five-part series of historic homes around the states.

Productions

Bob’s lesser-known production works include “In Search of Palladio”, “Restore America”, and “Guide to Historic Homes of America”.

The first program was produced for A&E, and consisted of a six-hour study split into three episodes, of the 16^th-century architect Andrea Palladio and his lasting influence on home design. The first episode, “Villas of the Veneto”, visited historical buildings such as Villa Pisani in Montagna, Villa Cornaro, Villa Emo, and La Rocca Pisana. A descendant of Villa Pisani’s original owner guided Bob around the impressive property, while the host described Villa Emo as “the most dramatic farmhouse ever built”.

The second episode, “The Palladians in England and Ireland”, captured Andrea’s influence in London, Somerset, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, with some of the featured buildings including Castle Ward, Royal Crescent, Marble Hill House, and Chiswick House. An honorable mention goes to Casino at Marino, which Bob dubbed “the architectural equivalent of a Fabergé egg”.

Finally, the third episode explored Andrea’s impact in America centuries after his death. Filmed in Philadelphia, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Indiana, Bob showed viewers the wonders of properties such as the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and the Boscobel House Museum, which was demolished but many items purchased in 1955 for $35, then painstakingly restored. Finally, Bob wrapped up the program by taking the audience on a tour around the University of Notre Dame’s architectural school.

“Restore America”, which aired on HGTV in 1996, was comprised of 50 one-hour segments exploring building restoration and historic preservation in each of the states. Bob provided viewers with a fascinating and enriching experience, sharing his passion and guiding them through some of his favorite properties.

Perhaps the most popular show of the three, “Guide to Historic Homes of America” was divided into four two-hour segments, with each focusing on one of the US’s major regions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZxCArvKWC3/

The first segment set in the Northeast, touched on the Morris-Jumel Mansion, Dyckman House, Hancock Shaker Village, and Portsmouth’s Strawbery Banke restoration. While visiting the mid-Atlantic states in the second part, Bob showed viewers the wonders of the William Paca House, Baltimore’s Homewood House, and the Decatur House on President’s Park to name a few.

Southern viewers greatly enjoyed the third segment, in which Bob showed off the ten residential pavilions surrounding the University of Virginia, the restoration of a unique octagonal home based in Poplar Forest. Stanton Hall, and an unfinished Samuel Sloan property was also featured, along with a federal architecture mansion with a panoramic view of the Mississippi River.

Last but not least, the Mid-west and West segment showcased prime properties including Ellwood Home, Dana-Thomas House, the Cooper-Molera Adobe owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and some of Willi Polk’s best works.

Architecture fanatics also raved over Tor House, which was built by Robinson Jeffers overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Although viewing figures weren’t high, Bob’s supporters greatly appreciated the documentaries, which were well-received by niche audiences.

Personal Life

Bob and Diana Barrett – a Harvard Business School graduate – married in 1975 and went on to have three children. As of 2022, Diana serves as the founder and president of the philanthropic organization The Fledgling Fund, which previously supported socially impactful documentary films and indie projects.

Diana’s other achievements include being a member of the Peabody Awards board of directors and having taught at the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard University Business School. Cutting a discreet figure, she has never given interviews pertaining to her personal life, keeping things strictly business-focused whenever she speaks in public.

Image source

As for the Vila children – Susannah, Monica, and Christopher – they are just as elusive as their mother, and are believed to be enjoying lowkey lifestyles in Florida.

Philanthropy

In June 2020, Diana announced that The Fledgling Fund would be refocusing its strategy after 15 years in the social issue documentary field, and would not be reopening its application process or accepting proposals for new media projects. Since 2005, the foundation had funded over 400 projects, donated well over $14 million, and supported independent storytellers and likeminded organizations.

It appears that the sudden change was brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, as Diana said, “…over the past year or two we have been carefully thinking about how Fledgling can use its limited resources to improve the lives of vulnerable populations”. Staff cuts were another reason, as according to Diana, the foundation just didn’t have the internal resources to keep running things the old way.

Image source

Having started out first and foremost as a family foundation, The Fledgling Fund spent the last few years secretly increasing its community-based funding to tackle health disparities and homelessness, and improve cultural organizations and youth services. When the first lockdowns and restrictions came about in 2020, Diana and the rest of the team contributed to relief funds to benefit families and individuals who were affected economically.

“Our board felt that it wasn’t appropriate to sit on resources in this crisis, and that we needed to contribute where we could, and do so quickly,” Diana explained. Sheila Leddy, the foundation’s executive director, decided to step down shortly afterwards, having found a position that better aligned with her thoughts and values.

It’s not clear what The Fledgling Fund is doing nowadays, as the website’s blog is no longer active, used only for archive purposes. Its past work includes an outreach and engagement fund to fund social documentaries, an engagement lab to help film teams maximize the impact of their projects, a rapid story deployment fund to provide grants, and an immersive storytelling initiation.

Norm Abrams

Having started off as a master carpenter on “This Old House”, with his affable personality serving as a foil for Bob’s sometimes hot-tempered ways, Norm has since become a successful TV personality, writer, and host. Norm was born on 3^rd October 1949, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and raised in Massachusetts, where he studied business administration and mechanical engineering before dropping out to pursue more hands-on work.

After leaving college, Norm climbed up the ranks at a New England-based construction firm, and was soon promoted to site supervisor. Starting up his own business in 1976, the future star founded Integrated Structures Inc., a general contracting firm which operated until 1989. One of his first major solo projects was building a general store in Nantucket.

Norm’s life changed forever in 1979, when he took on a construction job for the TV producer Russell Morash. Russell was understandably impressed by Norm’s efficient work, and invited him to help renovate a dilapidated Victorian property in Dorchester, Boston which would later become the first project on “This Old House”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAsfc7DguAw

Having proven himself to be a natural in front of the cameras, Norm was asked to appear as a regular on the series.

After almost a decade, Norm became the star of the show “The New Yankee Workshop”, a spin-off launched by Russell. For filming, they used the small building that Norm had built in Russell’s backyard nine years earlier. The show showcased furniture and other DIY projects, with Norm using a combination of avant-garde equipment and simple hand tools to achieve stunning results. The show was a roaring success during its 21 seasons but was suspended indefinitely when Norm wished to focus on other ventures.

Some of Norm’s achievements include being part of the board of trustees of Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. In 2001, he delivered the commencement speech at Boston’s North Bennett Street School, which is known for teaching craftsmanship. He has also participated in the Generation NEXT apprenticeship program, and other initiatives aiming to educate the next generation of tradespeople.

Other endorsements include Norm’s starring role in “House of Hoops”, a series of Foot Locker commercials. He also made a cameo as himself in an episode of “Freakazoid”, appeared in the WGBH programs “Between the Lions” and “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?”, and has been seen on the Food Network’s “Ace of Cake” baking series.