Gold Rush is a Discovery show that started up because of the Great Recession. For those who are unfamiliar, the Great Recession caused a lot of people to lose their jobs, which included the six initial cast members from a small town called Sandy, OR. Said individuals made a choice to head out to Porcupine Creek, AK for the purpose of prospecting for gold in spite of their lack of the relevant expertise and experience, thus providing Discovery with a perfect premise for a so-called unscripted show. Discovery’s choice to pick up Gold Rush has more than paid off, as shown by how it continues to run in the present time. There are some shows that would be tapped out by this point in their existence. However, Gold Rush isn’t one of them. Instead, there are excellent reasons to suspect that the show can continue on for the foreseeable future:
It Isn’t Reliant On a Single Cast Member
Gold Rush isn’t one of those shows that are reliant on a single cast member. For that matter, it isn’t even one of those shows that are reliant on a number of core cast members. For proof, look no further than the fact that the cast of Gold Rush has seen a fair amount of turnover throughout its nine seasons and counting. This is important because it means that the loss of a single cast member can’t stop the show because while that means the loss of said individual as well as the story opportunities offered by said individual, it is possible for the show to find new cast members with whom to replace them. As such, so long as Gold Rush remains popular, there is no reason to believe that cast member issues can cause it to come to a conclusion barring something very improbable such as, say, the loss of its entire cast for whatever reason.
It Isn’t Limited to a Single Location
On a related note, Gold Rush isn’t limited to a single location. Certainly, it has strong incentive to remain in the same location because that makes it much easier for the viewers to build a sense of connection with what is presented to them on the screen. However, if it proves necessary, it is perfectly possible for Gold Rush to relocate to one of the other numerous places where gold is mined. Such a move would be drastic to say the least, meaning that it would never be taken without something serious to prompt it. However, it could nonetheless provide Gold Rush with a chance to renew itself should its premise ever become stale for its viewers.
No Lack of Drama
Speaking of which, Gold Rush will never run out of the drama that keeps interested individuals tuning in again and again. After all, the people behind Gold Rush are perfectly willing to set up situations that will make for more drama than otherwise possible. As a result, even if nothing exciting is happening for them to film, they can always just stir up some excitement for that precise purpose. On top of that, said individuals have been known to engage in the same kind of shenanigans that are routine throughout the world of so-called unscripted TV, which is to say, they are perfectly willing to use editing to create a seeming reality that is much more entertaining to watch than its source material. With that said, the people behind Gold Rush don’t even necessarily need to make much of an effort to get the excitement that they need, seeing as how the cast members share their understanding of what can and cannot appeal to interested individuals. Due to this, they have very strong incentive in their own right to act in a more dramatic manner, thus increasing their time on the screen and thus their influence as well as their earning power.
Gold Retains Its Allure
Having said that, there is the fact that gold and thus gold mining retains its allure for the general population. In the present as in the past, there are a lot of people out there with a fondness for the precious metal, whether because of its perceived value or because of its beauty in their perception. Whatever the cause, the lasting allure of gold means that something of its mystique has rubbed off on the activity of gold mining as well, which in turn, translates into people who are interested in said subject. This isn’t necessarily enough to sustain a show on its own, but it is nonetheless a real boost for the shows that can benefit from it. Of course, there is one other consideration as well, which is that the interest in gold mining continues to push people to take up the pursuit. So long as there continues to be people engaged in the search for gold, there is potential material for Gold Rush. As a result, the show can continue on so long as there are enough viewers interested in seeing it continue on.
Further Thoughts
On a final note, while Gold Rush possesses the potential to continue on for the foreseeable future, that isn’t the same as saying that it will be capable of fulfilling said potential. For example, even though the show has these factors bolstering its existence, it isn’t impossible to imagine a future in which its popularity bleeds out bit by bit, thus removing the momentum that has enabled it to continue for so long. With that said, there is no real point to predicting whether this will happen or not. Never mind when such an occurrence might happen. After all, no one can predict the fate of reality TV with such precision, not least because there are so many factors that can influence the prevailing interests of the consumers who serve as the ultimate deciders of everything. Still, such guessing games can be pretty entertaining in their own right, meaning that interested individuals shouldn’t hesitate to indulge in it if that is their particular preference.
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