Rick Dale was not on American Restoration’s final season, as he was replaced after his shop closed down just when five other stores with different specialties emerged.
American Restoration is one of the most memorable reality shows to have been hosted on the History Channel.
For the first few seasons of the reality show, the face of the show was antique maverick Rick Dale, who started with the show back in 2010.
However, following the fifth season of the show with no explanation, Rick Dale, his wife Kelly, their family and crew were replaced.
Moreover, his store, Rick’s Restoration in Las Vegas was closed and replaced with five other antique and artefact restoration stores, each with a different speciality.
What was American Restoration about?
When American Restoration first premiered on the History Channel, it focussed on Rick Dale, his wife Kelly Dale, and their store, American Restoration and the artefacts that they would fix to make brand new.
As the show garnered popularity with viewers, the scope of the show grew to encompass Rick’s growing business and newly found employees, and even his extended family.
However, after Rick was removed from the show, the premise was aptly amended to, “American Restoration follows the best restoration shops in the United States as they restore pieces of America’s history and create awe-inspiring works from vintage items including classic cars, rare antiques and one-of-a-kind bikes.”
Why isn’t Rick Dale on American Restoration?
For the first six seasons of American Restoration, fans fell in love with antique restorer Rick Dale, as they watched him along with his wife and team restore antiques. However, season six ended abruptly with only three episodes in the season.
When American Restoration returned for the seventh season in 2016, it introduced a new cast of five different restoration stores, each with a different specialty.
The new stores were located where Rick’s Restoration in Las Vegas was located. Therefore, essentially, Rick Dale did not appear on season seven due to his store being closed.
However, during this time, Rick would also share a heart-felt video on social media asking for his fans to canvas for him to return to the show.
Instead of listening to the demands of the viewers, the producers forged ahead with the season, which would mark the last season of the show.
Was Rick Dale fired from American Restoration?
Neither Rick Dale nor the History Channel have released a statement confirming whether the American Restoration frontman was fired from the show.
However, the events following the abrupt conclusion of Rick’s last season only having three episodes would suggest just that.
Moreover, the video he released on social media pleading with his fans to canvas for his return also suggests that Rick was fired.
It is alleged that his dismissal on the show was due to him and the producers not seeing eye-to-eye, with their disagreements escalating, resulting in the decision to remove Rick from the show. However, the matter has never been confirmed.
Why was American Restoration cancelled?
Sometimes shows are popular due to the personality that fronts the show, more than the content or premise of the show. Like the History Channel’s American Restoration.
While the premise was based on the final result of the restoration process of old and battered antiques, fans fell in love with Rick Dale, his wife, family and extended team.
Therefore, when the producers decided to replace Rick, his family and his team, it can be argued that the show lost its magic.
In losing its magic, the ratings dropped and the channel decided not to bring back the show for season eight, just after one season without Rick.
What is Rick Dale doing now?
While Rick Dale’s physical store in Las Vegas closed down after his last season on American Restoration, the website is still very much active.
Moreover, Rick is a recluse on social media, but his wife, Kelly, has a joint Instagram account, which shares her growing real estate business in Las Vegas.
Additionally, every now and then, Kelly will share images of her and husband living and working in Las Vegas. As a matter of fact, the elderly couple recently revealed that they are downsizing, seemingly as they grow into empty nesters.
Final thoughts
American Restoration is still one of the most memorable and popular shows on the History Channel, despite having ended after its least popular season, season seven. The reason being that the show had lost its magic and draw card, Rick Dale.
Rick, who was the owner of an antique restoration store and heart of the show, Rick’s Restoration, last appeared one the show during the three-episode season six.
He was allegedly let go, along with his family and team that made up the cast of the show due to conflicts with the producers. The result being the subsequent demise of American Restoration.
