Overhaulin'
 |
| Overhaulin' | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Bud W. Brutsman |
| Starring | Host: Adrienne Janic Chris Jacobs Automobile Designer: Chip Foose |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 77 [1] |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Bud W. Brutsman Susan B. Flanagan |
| Running time | 45 min |
| Original release | |
| Network | TLC |
| Release | 2004 – 2009 |
Overhaulin' is an American automotive reality TV show that ran for five seasons on TLC between 2004–2009. The show remains available via re-runs and syndication.
Hosts
The show's hosts were automobile designer Chip Foose and co-host Chris Jacobs; the creator and producer was Bud Brutsman. Courtney Hansen was the co-host of the show until 2005, when she left the show to pursue other interests. She eventually landed hosting duties on Spike TV's Powerblock (which includes rival shows Horsepower TV and MuscleCar). She was replaced by Executive Producer Brutsman's wife Adrienne Janic (AJ on the show). However, AJ typically does not take as active a role in the "dirty work" as Courtney did. Courtney frequently participated in the initial deconstruction of the featured automobile. In one episode, she removed the car's rear windshield with a sledgehammer.
Concept
The show's premise was that an unknowing "victim" (the mark, in the show's language) is nominated to be "Overhauled" by their family or friends (the Insiders). Their car, usually an old and tired antique car was obtained through some ruse. Some common examples included the car being "stolen" by Chris and Chip, a car being misplaced or lost at a mechanic's shop, or the car being towed away by "police".
An integral part of the show was when the two co-hosts play tricks on the unsuspecting mark (sometimes acting in roles of insurance adjusters or law enforcement agents, other times helping the Insider) while Chip Foose and a team of mechanics (dubbed "The A-Team") have a week to remake the car into a custom masterpiece. Each show ended with the surprise reuniting of owner and newly made-over car.
The show has primarily worked on cars from California, only venturing out of state a few times. One episode occurred at Wyotech, one was to overhaul a Pontiac GTO owned by Lance Armstrong in Texas, and three times in one show to find a candidate for "The Worst Beater in the US." One car was also rebuilt in front of a live audience at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The application form for Overhaulin' has stated that they will accept an application from any of the fifty states. On 30 August 2006 in a live interview at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, the show's hosts announced that they would overhaul the Humvee used by CNN's war correspondents during the Iraq War.
Recently, the show has overhauled more modern models, expanding beyond the trend of the initial season of overhauling only classic cars. In addition to a late-model Ford F150, the recently-redesigned Ford Mustang and Dodge Magnum were chosen to be overhauled. Some fans have criticised this move, asserting that Foose works best with older cars. However, the shift to the inclusion of more modern vehicles may have served as a tie-in to one of Foose's other projects — the design of a production-model "custom" Ford Mustang, the Ford Stallion.
See also
References
- ^ "Overhaulin': Episode Guide". TV.com. CNET Networks, Inc.
External links
- Episode Guide at Discovery.com
- Overhaulin' at IMDb
- Template:Tv.com
- Foose Design Official Website
