After six somewhat tumultuous seasons on-air, the Teutul family has come to the end of the reality TV road – at least on TLC.
Popular series American Chopper, which follows a father-and-son team as they run a business creating custom motorcycles in their New York workshop called Orange County Choppers, has been cancelled, reports TMZ.com.
A network rep says, “The Teutuls will always be a part of the Discovery family and we congratulate them on a tremendously successful series run.”
Fans of the show won’t find this move all that surprising, considering Paul Sr. and Paul. Jr.’s controversial past.
Not only did the pair’s constant disagreements result in Junior leaving the series last spring to start his own design firm, Paul Jr. Designs, but as TVGuide.ca reported back in December, Paul Sr. is currently suing his son over the family business.
Not exactly a display of fatherly love, now is it?
And, the Teutuls weren’t the only ones butting heads. Last summer, former OCC employee Cody Connelly, who appeared in almost 100 episodes of Chopper, sued the show, claiming he was owed a quarter million for appearances.
Chopper originally debuted on Discovery Channel in 2003 before moving to sister station TLC in late 2007.
As of last year, Chopper was still faring well for the network – the series even saw double-digit increases in key male demographics versus TLC’s prime première average, according to a Discovery Communications press release dated June 3.
American Chopper’s series finale airs this Thursday, Feb. 11, at 9 p.m. ET on TLC.
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