Gold Rush: Alaska premieres Friday, December 3 at 10PM ET on the Discovery Channel. The reality series follows the lives of six men who are struggling in the face of economic issues. They're in debt; their businesses are struggling and they're at the end of their ropes. With the price of gold at the highest point ever, they decide to leave for the wilds of Alaska trying to strike it rich mining for gold.
Todd Hoffman of Sandy, Oregon is inspired by his father's stories of mining. He decides to lead a group of men with absolutely no experience into Alaska to try and save their families from dire straits. They spend everything they own on the machines and equipment necessary to mine on a leased claim in south east Alaska. They're not off to a real great start when they hit their own car with a backhoe. It's fairly obvious that they really don't know what they're doing when it comes to operating big equipment, especially when they take chances with things with which they have no experience. At one point their inexperience results in a chain snapping, nearly killing someone.
The six men going to Alaska include Todd Hoffman, age 41 who has a background in aviation and his father Jack Hoffman who has a background in gold mining. Joining them are ex-realtor and snowboard instructor Jimmy Dorsey, mechanic James Harness, construction supervisor Greg Remsburg, and retired sheet metal worker Jim Thurber.
The trip to Alaska itself is loaded with problems, including vehicle problems, flat tires, treacherous roads and crossing questionable bridges with their heavy equipment. They have four days to travel 2,000 miles to meet a barge carrying their heavy equipment. The trip ends at Porcupine Creek where Jack's father mined for three seasons in the 1980s before he nearly went bankrupt.
From what I see of the first two episodes, this is going to be a fantastic series. It sort of reminds me of Deadliest Catch because none of the guys really seem to know what they're doing. Each episode has me more convinced they're all going to kill themselves or get stuck in a river somewhere. I'm looking forward to tuning into more episodes each Friday night!
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Lady04bug09
They are at mile post 63 with one hour to reach the barge in Seattle after fixing a flat tire. Anyone who has ever driven on I-5 North bound knows that you could not even make it to Tacoma.
2 - jjr7997
these guys are retarded
3 - mike
how are we to think this are tuff hard men when in 2nd episode one of this men is crying because a young small black bear came near his camp but thankfully did not eat his son,cmon.potential for an interesting and educational show if they leave hollwood drama crap out
4 - jjr7997
I don't know where to start... Jack- you are old, you know nothing about mining, and it's a good thing there is a man of God in camp to pray for protection over the rest of the people there or you would surely kill at least one of them with your lack of skill and disregard for your surroundings.
Jimmy(Skinny guy with the long beard)- How could you hurt little Toddys feelings by chewing his dumb ass kid out for leaving grahm crackers out in bear country. I saw the preview to the next show and I saw how Todd threatend to punch you in the mouth. I'm sensing a pattern here that probably didn't just start on this show. I hope you grow a set and beat his fat ass.
Preacher man- Good job. No one died.
Todd- Good job picking your crew. Your dad ( He couldn't do it in his prime but maybe now that he's old and senile he'll be better.)and your whipping boy(Long beard).
My guess is that these guys will fail but that wouldn't be a very good show so that probably wont happen. Just like you can't buy and move that kind of equipment to Alaska for $150,000. I disagree with the writer of this review when they compare this show to Deadliest Catch. I think the crews on Deadliest Catch know what they are doing. I would compare it to another Discovery Channel show calle Whale Wars. It reminds me of Whale Wars because the characters on both shows have no real concept of reality.
5 - Jay Zuckerman
This is a good show but the men are the stupidest I have ever seen. They DO NOT belong in Alaska let alone this show. Please fix it.....
6 - Hunter
These guys have no clue. Do any of them, apart from the camera crew, have any wilderness first aid training? With Jack on the loose and not thinking things through somebody is going to die.
Given the haphazard way they are mining they will be lucky to break even.
7 - Philip "Duke" Dukesherer
I am sure they have already "struck Gold" with the money they made from the History Channel. This is like watching NASCAR, you only watch because someone is going to DIE!
8 - Heck
Move all that equipment to Alaska, & build houses to mine for only 3 months? What is up with bully Todd? I wish them all luck, it looks like they put it all on the line.
9 - PatrickS
Amen! This is an atrocity! They move their Hillbilly asses into an area where gizzlies and who knows how many other animals have been living quietly for how many years?! And yet, they have the balls to bitch and complain about the very place they have moved heavy equipment and humans with little or no skills into their living room! Seriously! Are they or the Discovery Channel going to move all of the trailer park crap out of this area when they leave?? What about all the destruction of the land from film crews, humans, refuse, waste and disposal that will likely be left behind when this horrible example of "Reality TV" is gone??? Wake up people! This is a gross example of corporate greed, disrespect for all!! Yes, it is true I flipped channels and saw this ridiculous idea for a show. Yes, I stopped to see what the hell was going on.... will I continue? Absolutely not! This is an abomination! Destroying nature again, the area will never be the same. And hilarious that they (producers) actually want you to believe $150,000 got this whole mess started?? Really? What will be the cost to repair this beautiful area after all the cameras are gone and the trash, human waste, destruction of land and the horrible "make-shift" living quarters are left behind for the future generations to come and enjoy? LOL! And really? They are going to shoot "wild animals"? These hillbillies moved into their territory. Yet, the bears will be the ones to take the loss! This is so ridiculous , honestly I would love to see a bear get some lunch!
10 - becky flamand
i have a gold mine in beaver utah if intersted.becky
11 - Gold Rush Fan
Todd is a douce bag bully. Jimmy needs to grow some balls and stop letting him pick on him. I would never let anyone talk to me that way. Here's a question...Who bring there kids to a dangerous place like this? You cant leave them alone so someone has to baby sit the whole time. Also did you notice that most of the time theres only 2-3 people kind of helping out and everyone else is missing. What a train wreck.
They stalked that poor bear and shot him. How could they call that a menacing bear for coming into camp when Todd the douche bags son left food out? Then the kid smiles like his retarded dad when Jimmy tells him not to leave food out. They just shot the first bear they saw. How do they know that was the bear that come into camp?
Somebody needs to smack that bully and give him a wake up call.
12 - randy
show is a total joke dumbasses kill all the bears then u wont have to worry godddddd anyone that would put there kids in harms way like that needs ass kicked then cry about it on tv i agree with these other folks on here they will destroy the area around them take it off tv now please
13 - Mary
Not to mention on the first episode that if your heavy equipment is too heavy for a failing bridge that you just get to drive your heavy equipment accross the river! 2 funny, I can't believe someone didn't mention this yet. Speak up tree huggers!
14 - Joe
I've seen both episodes and l liked them both. I hope they find something.
15 - Hoz
I'm watching and recording every week if for nothing else than to see what new flub ups these guys make. The last minute rush to the dock, uhh huh. Backing into your own vehicles with heavy equipment, Doh! Fording a trout stream with the loader, lifting and carrying a man in the ATV, nice move. Pops digging random holes all over camp, wowsa! Watching the look of envy on your faces when the neighbor Schnablel shows his pan of nuggets, great! Seeing you both deflate when said it took him 2 years of digging to find it, fantastic.
The friction between Todd and Dorsey looks a bit over the top. Surely Todd isn't that big of a douchebag, maybe he is. If so I hope Dorsey kicks his rear good,long and hard.
16 - Ferzad
PatrickS, you tree hugging freak. What do you think mining is? Look all around you, and especially in your home. Everything you have, virtually comes from mining. How do you think the first miners did it? The main difference between then and now, is the modern way of machinery to do it. I am a prospector, and at least I do have a clue of what I am doing. Some people dont have that luxury when they are at there wits end of taking care of their families. So before you go blasting this show, take a step back and look. This was a previous mining claim, and your lack of attention wouldn't have led you to make those statements.
Becky, I would be interested in that claim. How can we chat about it>?
17 - Joe
I hope that Todd is a better pilot and fighter
than he is a leader, no wonder he lost his flying business
18 - will
It seems like an alright show, and seeing that gold really made me want some haha. But those guys are seriously pussies. "My kid saw a bear because I brought him to Alaska and now I'm guna cry!!" what a loser. YOUR KID SAW A BEAR IN AK. WOW. didn't see that coming. That bear definatly didn't deserve a bullet through the heart. They need to cope with the animals, not the other way around. It was a beautiful bear too. shot it out in the woods without it posing any imminent threat of attack. pussies. i still want gold tho.
19 - L
OMG! I can't believe they shot that bear - they said they were allowed to kill menacing bears, but that bear was not a menacing bear - it was killed because of human error. I've been around bears and they don't want to be around us as much as we don't want to be around them. You have to keep your camp clean. If they had been in a National Park and a Ranger saw that food they would have been ticketed for "Major Food Violation". They are a visitor in the bears home. Those bears have been in hybernation and are looking for food and stupid humans leave it out, the bears are only doing what's natural. There's no way of knowing if that was the same bear. Where's PETA and the Humane Society - I do not like it!!!
20 - L
They had to chase down that bear - it appears the humans are menacing!!!!
21 - L
The parent of the kid needs to step up and teach that kid instead of shrugging it off. It was the kids fault!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
22 - TJB
I dont think this series will last long if they keep blasting every bear they feed. There's going to be a lot of people complaining about that...and rightfully so.
23 - Dave
What a bunch of dumb asses! The old man is a danger to everyone around him. What the hell are 10 and 12 year old kids doing there?
24 - Jeannel
Tearing up pristine wilderness and shooting innocent wildlife in Haines is an abomination. I live in Alaska with many grizzlies passing just 15 feet from my door, and have never had to shoot one. The people participating in this so called reality show have no business in Alaska. I hope they all go back to Oregon flat broke. Alaska does not need this kind of attention.
25 - becky flamand
Ferzad i'm not quit sure what happened but i put my email on and when i got back on to check it was gone [Personal contact info deleted] if your interested in my claim .Becky Flamand