by Aislinn Martin

It is no secret that the Quad City area is not particularly an exciting one, and it isn’t exactly a mecca for entertainment, either.  History Channel’s new series “American Pickers,” however, may change that.

The show (which is based in Le Claire) follows two “pickers,” Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz. Mike and Frank travel around the back roads of the rural Midwest scrounging through piles of forgotten junk in hopes of finding something of value to restore and resell for a profit.

I started watching the series when it first premiered in January after hearing that it was based so close to home, but continue to watch for its high entertainment value. Wolfe and Fritz lead the cameras to unbelievable properties with unforgettable owners, including but not limited to: an elderly couple from Ohio with an old White Castle restaurant in their front yard, a woman who has filled an entire factory with antiques, and a man who dug a vast network of tunnels under his rural property in order to allow more space to fit his collected items.

The show is not only unique and fun to watch, but it is educational, offering viewers tons of interesting facts about the history of the objects they collect (where, when, how they were manufactured, etc.).

History Channel made a great choice in airing “American Pickers,” not only due to the show’s sky-high ratings and critically acclaimed reviews, but also for drawing positive attention to the great things about the Midwest. The program will undoubtedly be a great thing for the Quad City area.