LOSING HOPE? American Pickers’ network History Channel abandons trademark for show as ratings drop to lowest of the season
LOSING HOPE? American Pickers’ network History Channel abandons trademark for show as ratings drop to lowest of the season
HISTORY Channel has abandoned an American Pickers trademark for the show as ratings have dropped to the lowest of the season.
American Pickers is currently on its 26th season, featuring stars Mike and Robbie Wolfe, Danielle Colby, and Jon “Jersey Jon” Szalay.
A&E Television Networks, which owns the History Channel, has a series of trademarks for American Pickers from merchandise to multimedia.
The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal A&E Television Networks has abandoned a trademark as ratings have been struggling.
According to the United States Trademark and Patent Office, History Channel abandoned a trademark on September 16, 2024.
The reason for the terminated trademark read, “Abandoned because no Statement of Use or Extension Request timely filed after Notice of Allowance was issued.”
The trademark was filed in September 2022.
The trademark covered, “Paper, namely, envelope paper, envelopes, gift bags, gift boxes, paper gift cards, note pads, occasion cards, social note cards, table napkins of paper, paper table cloths; printed matter, namely, books, magazines, pamphlets, and brochures in the fields of historical items and based on a television series; stationery.
As well as, “Printed materials, namely, series of non-fiction books based on a television series, activity books, novels, graphic novels, picture books, coloring books; writing instruments, pens, pencils, erasers, markers, crayons, highlighter pens, folders, notebooks; paper clips; pencil sharpeners; glue for stationery and household use and bookmarks; calendars; stickers; posters; stencils.”
The trademark also covered, “Bags, namely, hobo bags, sports bags, handbags, clutches, purses, overnight bags, tote bags, gym bags, beach bags, backpacks, carry-on bags, cosmetic bags sold empty; umbrellas; belts, namely, leather shoulder belts.”
Three trademarks for American Pickers are currently active.
One of the trademarks covers games, including puzzles, amusement game machines, video games, toys, model cars and trucks, board games, and more.
The second trademark covers merchandise from mugs to T-shirts.
The final active trademark covers multimedia goods, including DVDs, downloadable webcasts, entertainment services, and more.
RATINGS CRISIS
The abandoned trademark comes as Season 26 has brought in poor ratings.
The premiere episode on October 9 brought in 565,000 fans as Mike picked through Evel Knievel memorabilia.
The second episode of the season, which aired on October 16, brought in just 463,000 viewers.
The third episode of Season 26, The Great Razooly, saw a slight surge, with 566,000 viewers tuning in.
The DIY Delorean, which saw Mike and Jersey Jon “go hog wild for a four-generation carny collection complete with carousel horses, toy tanks, and bumper cars,” brought in the lowest ratings of the season with just 442,000 viewers.
PAST RATINGS
The ratings for the current season are low compared to Season 25.
Season 25 brought in 723,000 viewers for part one of the premiere and 676,000 for part two.
Episode three had 880,000 viewers tune in.
By the January 24 episode, ratings surged to 948,000 viewers.
The numbers dropped back down through most of February, with the lowest on February 14 having 774,000 viewers, and the highest on February 28, with 966,000.
The season finale on March 27 brought in 832,000 viewers.
MORE PICKERS
While the show appears to be coming to an end, The U.S. Sun reported in May 2024 that the series has more seasons left in its contract.
“They’re filming for Season 26, and they have signed on for three more years,” the show insider claimed.
Mike revealed earlier this week that he will start filming for the new season soon.
MISSING FRANK
When Frank was on the show, ratings were over a million viewers.
Frank last appeared on American Pickers in March 2020.
He left the series to undergo back surgery.
But in 2021, Mike revealed he was not returning to the series.
Frank told The U.S. Sun during a 2021 interview that he was feuding with his co-star Mike.
Frank said at the time, “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years. He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is.
“The show is tilted towards him 1,000 percent. I can’t even bend that far down to show you how much.
“That’s fine. It’s like you’ve got Aerosmith, and there’s Steven Tyler, and he’s the front man. I found my spot, I’m second and he’s number one on the show. That’s no problem with me, maybe he does have a problem.”
Frank added, “I’m just trying to get through life like everybody else and be as happy as I possibly can. Life is what you put into it. If you don’t put much into it you don’t get a lot out of it.”
FRANK’S BATTLE
In an interview with People, Mike revealed the reason Frank did not return to the History Channel series.
He explained how during the pandemic, Frank injured his back while moving items around his Iowa home and underwent surgery.
“With that time off and him having surgery, it was like the perfect storm. He became addicted to opioids, and that’s when everything changed,” Mike said.
Mike said he staged an intervention with Frank’s loved ones.
“I remember running into him like a month later,” Mike said. “He said he was just going to handle everything on his own, and I asked him how he was doing. He said, ‘I’m fine. I’m fine. No, I’m really fine.’ And then like a month later, he was gone.
“And so watching Frank doing some of the things that he was doing, it was really hard.”
But Mike claimed Frank continued to struggle with addiction when filming started, as they “fought really hard to get him into rehab” and he “never, ever gave up” on his friend.
Mike claimed production asked Frank for negative drug tests, but he didn’t provide them.
Mike said the network “just finally made the decision.”
A source claimed to The U.S. Sun about how Frank’s substance abuse battle began.
“Because of Frank’s battle with Crohn’s, he was on medication that left his bones weak. When he broke his back, he needed to undergo surgery.
“That’s when he got addicted to pain medication,” the insider claimed.
Crohn’s is a bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract.
The source alleged that Frank “went to rehab twice” to combat his addiction issues.
He got out, and then he suffered the stroke,” the insider alleged.
In the July 2021 interview with The U.S. Sun, Frank revealed he entered treatment for alcohol abuse at The Abbey Center in Bettendorf, Iowa for 77 days.
He was sober for 11 months at the time of the interview.
HEALTH CRISIS
A year later in July 2022, Frank suffered a stroke at his Iowa farmhouse.
Frank’s friends filed a guardianship and conservatorship for him soon after because his “decision-making capacity” was “so impaired.”
He passed away in hospice on September 30, 2024, at age 60.
Despite the firing and feud, Mike and Frank ultimately made up.
Mike was one of the loved ones by Frank’s side when he passed away in hospice.
