Gold Rush (TV series)

A recent Reality TV series on the Discovery Channel detailing the trials and tribulations of a group of down on their luck family men who turn to gold mining in the hopes of finding large deposits of precious metal in order to get out of debt. Originally titled Gold Rush: Alaska, the Alaska part was dropped for season 2 due to Todd Hoffman's decision to add a mine in the Klondike, reinforced by the Hoffman crew being kicked off the Porcupine Creek site.

Began airing in late 2010. A second season began in late 2011.


 * Alaska: The mining was originally only happening in AK, but the Hoffmans' move to the Klondike widened the scope of the show. Season 2 features 3 different mines, 2 of which are still in AK.
 * Anachronism Stew: In recent episodes, of the short-range variety. The kind of continuity things nitpickers and DVR watchers will notice.
 * In one episode, Parker Schnabel's very large dump truck can be seen in the background. It is only introduced as having been acquired in the next episode.
 * In a different episode, Dakota Fred's 930 loader can be seen in the background, with a wheel and hub removed. It isn't until after the following commercial break that we see the breakdown that necessitates the tear down.
 * Badass Beard: Most of the Hoffman crew sport these.
 * Badass Grandpa: John Schnabel has been mining his claim for over 20 years.
 * Breaking the Fourth Wall: Many examples, particularly in season 2 where the miners have expressed agitation with the camera crews filming them during high-stress situations, such as when Dave Turin threw a track on the D8 bulldozer.
 * Break the Haughty: What Dakota Fred seems to be going through during the second season.
 * Camera Abuse: A few cameras do take a beating/soaking, but mostly it's more along the lines of camera man abuse. Though it's not seen until the behind the scenes episode early on in season 2.
 * Clip Show: Definitely. Especially in the 2nd season behind the scenes episode.
 * Cool Old Guy: John Schnabel is over 90. He still spends time actually working at the mine and survives a heart attack (his third) that happened during filming of the second season.
 * Jack Hoffman is still pretty capable despite his age too.
 * Cool Shades: Jack Hoffman is frequently seen wearing these.
 * Distracted By the Sexy: In season 2, the mechanic, James Harness's girlfriend flies in from the Lower 48.
 * Duct Tape for Everything: Not only is this an Averted Trope, but, the aversion is lampshaded by both Parker and Fred.
 * Everything Trying to Kill You: Bears, bad roads, glacier-fed rivers, also the moving heavy machinery.
 * Everything's Worse With Bears: Played terrifyingly straight. Early on in the first season, it is mentioned by the narrator that the Porcupine Creek area is inhabited by both brown bears and black bears. They outnumber the humans by something like ten to one. They are occasionally caught on camera, and by the end of one episode, one of the marauding bears has been converted to a feast for the humans.
 * During the Behind the scenes episode, we get to see that the Klondike has its own population of brown and black bears.
 * Failure Is the Only Option: The guys frequently lament that they are in danger of going into foreclosure on their houses back home. Failure to find any gold means going home not just broke, but deeper in debt than when they started. Unfortunately, they have yet to find more than a few ounces of gold valued in the tens of thousands of dollars. They need more than 100 ounces worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
 * Family Business: The Big Nugget mine was run by John Schnabel for decades before his grandson Parker took over.
 * It's mentioned that a member of the Hoffman crew works in a family-owned business when he's not mining.
 * Gold Fever: Actually mentioned by name at one point.
 * Gosh Dang It to Heck: Todd and Jack Hoffman have a habit of using 'frick' (and variations thereof) instead of dropping F-bombs.
 * He Who Must Not Be Seen: The faces of the MSHA inspectors are blurred out.
 * Huddle Power: The Hoffman crew frequently do this to pray, usually putting their hard hats together as well.
 * Ill Girl: Early in the first season, one of the Hoffman girls comes down with something bad enough she needs to be airlifted to a real hospital in Anchorage.
 * Jittercam: Any camera attached to the shaker part of the wash plant. The cameras attached to the excavator arm might or might not count.
 * Laser-Guided Karma: Dakota Fred gets served with this; kicking the Hoffmans out of Porcupine Creek, only for his home in Minot to be destroyed by a flood later on.
 * Happens again when his mine is temporarily shut down by the Miner's Safety and Health Association for not only having a few safety violations, but for not having the proper documented miner's training. Parker Schnabel got shut down for the same reason though, and the viewers realize that the Hoffman's are just as vulnerable to the same thing.
 * Let Me At Him: A member of the Hoffman crew wanted to have a 'talk' with Dakota Fred when it was announced that he was kicking them out of Porcupine Creek, and the others had to restrain him to keep him from getting at Fred.
 * in the Clip Show:/behind the scenes episode Dave(the guy holding him back) said had the cameras not been there he might have let him go
 * More Dakka: The very first episode of the series features the guys unloading a multitude of Handguns and rifles from a trailer. The AR15 best exemplifies this trope even if only mildly.
 * Obstructive Bureaucrat: This seems to be Fred's view of the MSHA inspectors.
 * Revolvers Are Just Better: Dakota Fred is shown shooting tin cans with one while waiting for the rest of his crew to show up at Porcupine Creek.
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Happens several times in season 2, with members of the Hoffman team walking off the mine out of frustration. Even one of Dakota Fred's crew pulled this on him. Most cases result in the miners being talked into coming back later on though.
 * Smug Snake: Dakota Fred, without question. He shows nothing but contempt for the Hoffmans in both seasons, and when he takes over the Porcupine Creek operation in the second season he doesn't show much compassion for his own crew either.
 * Spin-Off: Spawned the series Bering Sea Gold, which seems to be Gold Rush meets Deadliest Catch.
 * Team Pet: The Hoffmans have an Australian shepherd named Blue that's often seen wandering around the mining site at least once an episode. Even became part of the opening sequence in the 2nd season.
 * V 8 Engine Noises: The sound of a carbureted V-8 engine that doesn't want to stop can often be heard when various large, diesel engine powered machines are shown being shut down. They could not possibly all make exactly the same noise at shutdown.