Summer TV: Storage Wars

So I decided that yesterday's post would be the first in a mini-series about summer television.  We're all waiting patiently for the Fall lineup, but in the meantime there are still some pretty good offerings to hold us over during these summer months.  As I mentioned in my last post, The Glee Project is a great upbeat summer show.  My dark horse pick for summer TV is Storage Wars.  The concept is simple.  People bid on abandoned storage units and then we get to watch as they pick through them to see what they got and then visit pawn shops and experts to see how much money they can make off of it.  Below is a pretty good preview of the show. 

Part of what makes the show great is the ability to play along.  You can say, "oh yea I think that's the money unit," or "I wouldn't pay more than $20 for that pile of garbage" and then once they unearth the trash or treasures inside you get to find out if you were right.  There's a gambling element to the show that is exciting - who will win the bid, is it worth the money, will they hit it big or bust out?  There's also an Antiques Roadshow aspect where you get to ogle all sorts of cool finds and find out what they're worth. 

But what sets this show apart from copycats, such as Spike TV's Auction Hunters, is the fabulous cast of "characters."  Dave is the villain.  He comes with lots of money and a big attitude and likes to push around newcomers with his cash and bravado.  Brandi and Jarrod are a couple who constantly bicker over which units to bid on, but have a sweet and realistic romance about them.  One time Brandi bid $200 on a junky unit just to win Jarrod a mobster poster he wanted.  Darrell sometimes brings his son to add a familial dynamic, but the best of all is Barry.  He's the older guy with the slicked back hair who flirts with younger women and drives a Jaguar.  Oh yea, and he looks and talks just like Jack Nicholson.  Just check out these clips and try to deny it.

Catch new episodes of Storage Wars on A&E Wednesdays at 10pm