Rob & Big
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| Rob & Big | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Reality |
| Created by | |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Harry Nilsson |
| Opening theme | "Best Friend" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 31 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Camera setup | Multiple |
| Running time | 22 to 24 minutes |
| Production company | Dickhouse Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | MTV |
| Release | November 4, 2006 – April 15, 2008 |
Rob & Big is an American reality television series that follows the lives of professional skateboarder, actor, producer Rob Dyrdek and his best friend and bodyguard Christopher "Big Black" Boykin.[1][2] It premiered on November 4, 2006,[3][4] and concluded on April 15, 2008, after three seasons. Reruns of the series air on the Pluto TV channel FunnyAF, and also aired reruns on MTV's sister network, MTV2. The series was followed-up with Fantasy Factory.
Synopsis
Most episodes of the show follow a central task or event in the daily life of Rob and Big, such as: attempting to break Guinness world records, having their home exorcised, skateboarding, and random things such as buying 12 remote-control helicopters, and Rob's obsession with a net gun. Also, during the show the two of them purchased two animals, a mini horse named "Mini-Horse" and a bulldog named "Meaty."[5]
Boykin broke two Guinness world records on the show: one for eating the most powdered-sugar doughnuts in less than three minutes, and another for peeling and eating the most bananas in one minute.[6]
Cast
Main
- Rob Dyrdek - professional skateboarder
- Christopher "Big Black" Boykin - Bodyguard
- Christopher "Drama" Pfaff - Rob's cousin and assistant
- Rashawn "Bam Bam" Davis - 2nd Bodyguard
- Meaty - Rob's Bulldog
- Mini Horse - Rob's miniature-sized horse is a Melanesian Short Haired Horse.
Supporting
- Patricia Dyrdek - Rob's mother
- Gene Dyrdek - Rob's father
- Otis "Big Zeus" Walton - a member of Big and Bam Bam's rap group - The Chunky Boyz
- Steve Berra - Rob's friend and fellow skateboarder
Fantasy Factory
A one-hour series finale situated around Rob learning that Big's longtime girlfriend is pregnant, and Big moving out of the house to focus on becoming a father. Rob's Cousin, Christopher "Drama" Pfaff [7]-was also featured in this season. However, two years later in an interview with friend and fellow MTV star Johnny Knoxville, Dyrdek gave more reasons as to why the show ended.
I think I quit real early, midway through the third season. They taxed us, you can't film reality TV for nine months, it's psycho. I think towards the end it was such was just such a grind that, really, I was ready to move on. It's like, I live on the set. You know what I mean? [The crew] had one room for a control room, [Big Black] had his room, only he didn't live there, so really it was like I lived in a one bedroom with the lights in everywhere, and just dirty from people, and it was like Pee-wee's Playhouse, and I just slowly lost it, you know, was just so sick of it.[8]
Rob & Big returned to MTV with the reality television show, Fantasy Factory, which ended in 2015. Christopher Boykin died of heart failure on May 9, 2017 at age 45.[9]
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 8 | November 2, 2006 | December 21, 2006 | |
| 2 | 8 | May 22, 2007 | July 10, 2007 | |
| 3 | 15 | January 8, 2008 | April 15, 2008 | |
References
- ^ Finley, Adam (October 9, 2006). "Rob & Big coming to MTV". The Huffington Post.
- ^ Acosta, Belinda (October 27, 2006). "Say hello to my big (and black) friend". Austin Chronicle.
- ^ "From the Creator of "Jackass" Meet MTV's Modern-Day Odd Couple --"Rob & Big" Premiering Thursday, November 2nd at 10:30 PM (ET/PT)". The Futon Critic (Press release). October 6, 2006. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
- ^ "MTV's 'Rob & Big' Debuts Tonight". Star Pulse. November 2, 2006.
- ^ Lucchesi, Nick (April 28, 2008). "Big Black of MTV's 'Rob and Big' Gets Frank in Q&A". Riverfront Times.
- ^ Salam, Maya (10 May 2017). "Christopher Boykin, Half of the MTV Odd Couple 'Rob & Big,' Dies at 45". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ Adams, Susan. "How A Millennial With No Business Experience Or College Education Created Streetwear For The Masses". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
- ^ "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer, with Rob Dyrdek" on YouTube
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/arts/christopher-boykin-big-black-dead-rob-dyrdek.html