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Gold Rush (TV series)

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ericg33 (talk | contribs) at 10:28, 9 December 2011 (Pov label was not needed. Jim Dorsey is a credible source who spilled the beans on a fake operation. A pure scripted drama just like every other reality show that isn't live.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Gold Rush Alaska" redirects here. For other uses, see Alaska Gold Rush (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with the TV-tiein webshow Gold Rush (virtual contest)
Gold Rush
Narrated byPaul Christie
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes21
Production
Running timeapprox. 43 minutes
Production companyRaw Television
Original release
NetworkDiscovery Channel
ReleaseDecember 3, 2010 (2010-12-03) –
present
Related
Flying Wild Alaska

Gold Rush (formerly Gold Rush Alaska) is a directed and scripted[1][2][3] reality television series[4] that airs on Discovery Channel, with reruns also airing on TLC.

Seasons

Season 1

The show's storyline: Six men from Sandy, Oregon (a small town 30 miles southeast of Portland) who, due to the economic downturn, have lost their jobs. They decided on an all-stakes gamble – travel to Porcupine Creek, Alaska (59°24′35″N 136°14′23″W / 59.40972°N 136.23972°W / 59.40972; -136.23972) and prospect for gold.

Season 2

For season 2, Todd missed a lease payment, and "Dakota" Fred Hurt buys the claim out from owner Earl Foster, not needing to break the lease due to the missed payment.[5] The season will explore the Hoffman crew's new mine at Quartz Creek, in the Klondike region of the Yukon Territory Canada as well as "Dakota" Fred's operation at the site of the original Hoffman mine, the Jim Nail Placer Mine, and Parker Schnabel's attempts to mine his grandfather's property at Big Nugget Mine.

Controversy

Jimmy Dorsey, a miner on Todd Hoffman's crew who left in the middle of season 1 due to personal conflicts, has stated in interviews that the show was indeed scripted.[6] But Todd Hoffman has stated that Dorsey's statements are false, and that his story was both "not true and uncool".[7]

The Cast

Seasons Name Details
1- Todd Hoffman (age 41) Remembering his father's gold mining adventures in the 1980s, Todd manages to secure a mining claim (from a friend of his father), then assembles the equipment and rest of the crew to move to Alaska.[8]
1- Jack Hoffman (age 65) Father of Todd, he previously mined for gold in Alaska 25 years ago, and joins the crew for a second chance to live his dream.[9]
1 Jimmy Dorsey (age 34) A Realtor and self-confessed adrenaline junkie. He left the mining crew in season one.[10]
1- James Harness (age 54) The crew mechanic, he prides himself on being able to repair nearly anything. However, a car wreck has left him with metal pins in his ankle and a severe spinal injury which, due to lack of finances, he cannot afford to have surgically repaired.[11] A Baltimore medical center donated a medical procedure to correct his back problem, which resulted in the need for yearly injections.[12]
1- Greg Remsburg (age 41) Lifelong friend of Todd, he is an experienced construction supervisor. However, he has not had steady work and has been forced to take handouts to feed his family.[13]
1- Jim Thurber (age 54) An expert sheet metal worker with more than 30 years experience, he serves as the crew's safety officer. The economic downturn cost him his business, and one more late mortgage payment will result in foreclosure.[14]
1- Chris Doumitt (age 59) Originally he was only meant to come to Alaska for ten days — to help build a cabin for Greg Remsburg and his family. But gold mining quickly got under his skin and he ended up staying for five months and becoming a key member of the team. He calls himself a "pumpologist".[15]
2- Dave Turin (age 52) A guest star for several episodes of season 1, he comes on full time for season 2. He is an experienced quarry foreman. Todd convinces him to chase his gold mining dream and join the group and leave his job.[16]
2- "Dakota" Fred Hurt (age 68) After making appearances in several episodes in season 1, Dakota Fred returns for season 2 to purchase the Jim Nail Placer mine to mine himself with his own crew.
2- Parker Schnabel (age 17) A high school senior, he has worked on his grandfather's Big Nugget Mine for several years. In season 2, he takes over running the mine.

Locations

Alaskan Panhandle
Alaska, USA
  • Porcupine Creek (closest airport being Haines, Alaska)
    • Big Nugget Mine
      Season 2-
    • Jim Nail Placer Mine (the "gloryhole")
      Season 1-
The Klondike
The Yukon, Canada
  • Quartz Creek (outside of Dawson City, Yukon, near the confluence with Toronto Creek)
    • Quartz Creek Mine
      Season 2-

Episodes

Season 1 (2010-2011)

During season 1, the series was named Gold Rush: Alaska, and the mining occurred at Porcupine Creek, on the Alaskan panhandle.

Episode # Episode title Original airdate
1 (1)"No Guts, No Glory"December 3, 2010
In the face of the economic meltdown, six men will risk everything to strike it rich mining for gold in the wilds of Alaska. Todd Hoffman of Sandy, Oregon, along with his father, are leading a group of greenhorn miners in search of the American dream and a new frontier. Gold fever is back, and the rush is on.[17]
2 (2)"Gold, Guns and Bears"December 10, 2010
The stakes get higher at the Porcupine Creek prospect as reality sets in about just how little time they have to get to their gold. The miners start to rebuild the mining ghost town but the bears aren't so keen on their new neighbors — and they let them know it.[18]
3 (3)"Running Dirt"December 17, 2010
The crew races to set up the mining plant and start running dirt. When the families arrive from Oregon and question the lack of gold and the men's only mechanic becomes dangerously ill, the tension builds so high that Dorsey and Todd almost come to blows.[18]
4 (4)"The Ultimate Price"January 7, 2011
The team attempts to finally run potential pay dirt through the wash plant. But a visit from the Department of Fish and Game reveals a violation, jeopardizing their vital water supply to the mine. Then disaster strikes as Todd's daughter fights for her life.[18]
5 (5)"The Pain Barrier"January 14, 2011
The miners continue to run dirt but an equipment malfunction brings the operation to a halt. Meanwhile, James Harness collapses and Jimmy Dorsey drives a wedge between himself and the crew when he takes on an extra job to earn cash. But hard work late into the night finally hits a pay streak.[18]
6 (6)"Gold Fever"January 21, 2011
The miners' futures are on the line at Porcupine Creek. After 80 days, the miners are behind schedule, and the Hoffmans have run out of money and deliver the crew an ultimatum: find $10,000 worth of gold in the next two days, or the families have to head home to Oregon. Meanwhile, after Dorsey struggles with the wave table, tensions flare and fists fly.[18]
7 (7)"Going for Broke"January 28, 2011
With winter weather closing in, a gold recovery expert comes to help the rookies. Todd discovers a major design flaw in the equipment and is forced to make huge modifications. With the credit cards maxed out, he is forced to take desperate measures.[18]
8 (8)"Bad Blood"February 4, 2011[19]
The crew remains in a deep financial hole. Veteran miner "Dakota" Fred thinks he can turn things around and he cranks up production faster than ever before. But when things start falling apart, tensions mount and Harness can't keep his frustration in.[18]
9 (9)"Bedrock or Bust"February 11, 2011[19]
Desperate to get to bedrock and large quantities of gold, Todd and Jack throw caution to the wind and dig deeper than ever before. With the brutal Alaskan winter threatening, they battle floods, cave-ins and equipment breakdowns.[18]
10 (10)"Never Say Die"February 18, 2011[19]
With the arctic winter looming, the crew races against the clock. Rain and thawing snow flood the mine and Jack puts his life on the line as the glory hole caves in around the massive 100,000 pound excavator.[18]

Season 2 (2011-2012)

For season 2, the series was renamed to Gold Rush. The mining action moved from Porcupine Creek in the Panhandle of Alaska, USA, to the Klondike of the Yukon, Canada. No longer occurring in Alaska, necessitating a name change for the series.

Inspections by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration Aug. 4 to 8 (2011) resulted in a total of 13 citations and two compliance orders against John Schnabel's Big Nugget Mine and the Jim Nail Placer Mine operated by "Dakota" Fred Hurt, according to a website maintained by the agency. [10][11]
Episode # Episode title Original airdate
1 (13)"Twist of Fate"October 28, 2011
The crew arrives once again at Porcupine creek, where the miners began and ended their journey last season without much success. New materials, machinery, experience and blood are at hand, but will it be enough?
2 (14)"Virgin Ground"November 4, 2011
After Fred Hurt bought the Porcupine claim, the Hoffmans and the crew move 600 miles up north, into the Canadian Klondike, where they originally looked for a second claim to mine this year. They make repairs to a wash plant that they bought, after Hurt bought most of the Porcupine Creek equipment. Todd and Jack secure a new claim, with ground that hasn't yet been mined. Fred does some work on the Porcupine claim, building a new road for his bulldozers. Parker Schnabel takes over the Big Nugget Mine and sets about his first day as boss.
3 (15)"Family Feud"November 11, 2011
Jack and Todd go head to head over how to set up their new claim. At Porcupine Creek, Dakota Fred rips out the wash plant and finds gold that he forced the Hoffmans to leave behind. At Big Nugget mine, Parker continues to hit pay dirt.
4 (16)"Slippery Slope"November 18, 2011
The Hoffman crew confronts the permafrost that lies between them and the gold. As the Dakota Boys set up their new wash plant, Fred pushes his son too hard and Dustin storms off. Parker faces a breakdown that leaves his mining season at a stand still.
5 (17)"Drill or Die"November 25, 2011
A crew rebellion forces Todd Hoffman to dig test holes on the claim. The tension mounts as they wait to see if they're sitting on a gold-rich paystreak or about to go bust. Then, Fred is forced to abandon mining as floods in North Dakota destroy his home.
6 (18)"Lovestruck"December 2, 2011
Parker bulldozes a road up the side of a mountain; Dakota Fred returns to the Porcupine Creek claim; the Hoffmans find gold but a mechanic's new love may impact the operation.
7 (19)"Gold At Last"December 9, 2011
The Hoffmans realize they could be losing thousands of dollars of gold out of the end of their sluices and they are forced to tear apart the washplant and rebuild. At Smith Creek, Parker turns into a lumberjack to get to his gold.
8 (20)"On the Gold"December 16, 2011
9 (21)"Behind the Scenes"December 23, 2011

Specials

Episode # Episode title Original airdate
(11)"Full Disclosure"February 25, 2011[19]
The Hoffman crew spent five months and over quarter of a million dollars in a desperate attempt to find gold in Alaska. With previously un-aired material, this special reveals what went wrong and how the guys plan to hit the mother lode next season.[18] This episode uses the season 1 titlecard.
(12)"The Off-Season"October 28, 2011
Shows viewers all of the hard work that was put in to making sure that they strike it rich this season. This episode uses the season 2 titlecard.

Syndication

Season 1


Season 2

See Also

References

  1. ^ Chilkat Valley News, July 22, 2010 http://chilkatvalleynews.com/story.asp?Story=91&'Reality-miners'-seek-fortune--or-fame
  2. ^ Chilkat Valley News, March 3, 2011 http://www.chilkatvalleynews.com/story.asp?Story=978&TVs-Gold-Rush-miners-head-to-the-Yukon
  3. ^ KHNS Radio Haines, AK News program 12/29/2010 http://www.khns.org/newsarchive
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ "Gold Rush", season 2, episode "Twist of Fate"
  6. ^ http://www.oregongold.net/gold-rush-alaska-jimmy-dorsey-interview/
  7. ^ http://www.oregongold.net/gold-rush-alaska-todd-hoffman-reaction-to-the-jimmy-dorsey-interview/
  8. ^ Discovery Channel: Gold Rush Alaska, Todd Hoffman Bio [2]
  9. ^ Discovery Channel: Gold Rush Alaska, Jack Hoffman Bio [3]
  10. ^ Discovery Channel: Gold Rush Alaska, Jimmy Dorsey Bio [4]
  11. ^ Discovery Channel: Gold Rush Alaska, James Harness Bio [5]
  12. ^ "Gold Rush", episode "The Off-Season", season 2
  13. ^ Discovery Channel: Gold Rush Alaska, Greg Remsburg Bio [6]
  14. ^ Discovery Channel: Gold Rush Alaska, Jim Thurber Bio [7]
  15. ^ Discovery Channel: Gold Rush Alaska, Chris Doumitt Bio [8]
  16. ^ Discover Channel: Gold Rush, Dave Turin bio [9]
  17. ^ "About Page". Gold Rush Alaska. Discovery Channel.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Episode Guide". Gold Rush Alaska. Discovery Channel.
  19. ^ a b c d "Video". Gold Rush Alaska. Discovery Channel.
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