Premiering in late 2010, the original “Storage Wars” hit it big by following five modern day treasure hunters in sunny California. As it turns out searching for fortune in abandoned storage lockers was a winning combination for A&E, which last year spun off the series and launched a version set in Texas. Tonight, producers are at it again as they set their sights on the Big Apple and the even bigger egos of its inhabitants.
In a city where space comes at a premium it was really only a matter of time for A&E’s hit reality series “Storage Wars” to come calling! After all one of the city’s most profitable sectors is that of personal storage so as the latest spinoff of the cable hit prepares to debut tonight it really is only fitting that the city that never sleeps was so ready to answer the call.
Embracing the “unique flavors and rhythms” of the tri-state area, “Storage Wars: New York” will follow a new group of explorers who will do everything they can to outbid and outwit their fellow man (or woman). The new group includes Joe “P” Pauletich, a self-proclaimed “legend” in his field, best friends Candy Olsen and Courtney Wagner, “storage room” day trader Mike Braiotta, business partners Chris Morelli and Tad Eaton as well as “the New Yorkers’ New Yorker” John Luke who runs the proceedings.
However as Braiotta told David Hinckley in a recent New York Daily News interview, while these colorful characters may be strangers to viewers, they are definitely not strangers to each other.
“We see each other all the time. We sell stuff to each other. But once the auction starts, no one’s your friend. It’s like a giant poker game. You hide your cards.”
The fact that Braiotta and the rest of the cast know each one another is a major plus for the series as a lot fun of the classic “Storage Wars” episodes revolve around gamesmanship. The premise is very simple as bidders have a limited amount of time to look at the storage unit from the outside before the auction begins. Once the proceedings start cash is king and the unit (or “room” as this cast refers to them) is sold to the highest bidder. From there it’s a search to uncover the hidden treasures they lay within!
In many cases though the bidders will also consistently try to one up the other while sometimes wanting nothing more than to simply drive up the price for their fellow hunters before dropping out. However that can often times backfire as you really never know what you may find in the storage locker and what it may be worth. It’s actually that mystery that has become a major part of the brand's appeal.
Originally set to premiere in December, the series was pushed back to bow tonight. While the exact reason for the date change hasn’t really been addressed, a few theories have been suggested. The first has to do with the lawsuit filed against A&E last month by a disgruntled former cast member of the original series that alleges the show is staged.
The other actually has more to do with the spin-off itself as cast members Morelli and Eato are still reeling from the destruction of their store “The Frayed Knot,” at the hands of Hurricane Sandy. Some have summarized the network may have wanted to give the pair more time to regroup while also working their situation into future episodes.
Regardless all the speculation has kept the series in the news over the last month and it is entirely possible the lawsuit may not put a dent in the ratings. The characters have really always been the stars here and the typical New Yorker stereotypes (which audiences will be expecting) are alive and well in the show, which The New York Times’ Jon Caramanica said yesterday in his review gives it a “reassuring patina.”
After all would you expect anything less?
So what’s your take New York? Are you excited the for the new spin-off? Hit the comments and let us know. Remember to also subscribe to this column at the top of the page for all of the latest television news coming from the new winter season.
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