The only reason I watched Hardcore Pawn was because the TV show happened to be filmed in Detroit and my roommate at the time hated how it portrayed people from Michigan. Seriously, 162 episodes were produced and each one makes the city and state look like a bunch of morons. No wonder he despised the series.
If you are unfamiliar with Hardcore Pawn, here’s the basic premise. Do exactly what Pawn Stars does but swap out the Harrison family with the cast of Dog the Bounty Hunter. That’s it. That was the show. You have Les Gold and his trashy kids running a pawn shop where Detroit scumbags come in and sell stuff so they can go buy drugs or other frivolous things.
Sitting through 22 minutes of this was rough. At least with Pawn Stars and Dog the Bounty Hunter, the format was done in such a way that every episode had a satisfying conclusion. For whatever reason, this never happened on Hardcore Pawn. They tried to copy the format, mind you. But it couldn’t work with the people involved.
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The unbearable Gold family
Folks who came into the shop to sell their belongings on Hardcore Pawn were sad. But that is the essence of every pawn shop in America. They all have a depressing vibe from the moment you walk in. That also doesn’t factor in just how much of a mess Detroit was in the early 2010s.
However, it was Les Gold and his two children that made the show unbearable. They were clearly looking to screw these people over in hopes of gaining daddy’s affection. The only thing worse than their staged fights was the pair’s awful acting.
Then you had Papa Les, a person who screamed untrustworthy. There is nothing more annoying than a balding old man with a ponytail and leather jacket trying to hand out life lessons. Come on; you’re a pawn shop owner in Detroit, Michigan. Dress like an adult and find work in a respectable industry. Maybe then I’ll start listening to what you have to say. But probably not since your words of wisdom couldn’t save your terrible kids.
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Hardcore Pawn and TruTV’s attempt to make a hit TV show
When Court TV rebranded to TruTV in 2008, it didn’t really have a clear format. There was still a bunch of courtroom stuff broadcast during the day while primetime was reserved for other random programming. Essentially the goal was to put the reality back in reality television.
TruTV went about this aim by giving a reality TV show to any yokel or idiot with a non-traditional profession. Lizard Lick Towing, anyone? In fairness, most of the channel’s concepts were unique at the time. But for whatever reason, they also picked up the blatant Pawn Stars knockoff.
Hardcore Pawn ran for an astonishing nine seasons on TruTV. The ratings for the first few seasons were good. It was, for all intents and purposes, a hit. But I have no clue who watched the show apart from me and my roommate. I’ve never met another person who knew what it was.
Given how awful Hardcore Pawn was, I suppose that is for the best.
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