Here's an update on the Gas Monkey scandal. For those of you who aren't up-to-date, please read this section of our site: Gas Monkey Scandal.

Yesterday, I spoke with Kristin Brown of Discovery Communications, the corporation that owns the Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Animal Planet, the Travel Channel, and many others. Kristin is a Vice-President of Communications for Discovery.

Richard Rawlings and Gas Monkey Garage were filmed in episodes of the show Overhaulin', to be aired this television season.

Anyway, after reading our Monkey Boys Media Center, Kristin said that Discovery has agreed to discontinue their relationship with Richard Rawlings.

All episodes of Overhaulin' which feature Richard Rawlings or Gas Monkey Garage have been pulled from the air!

Also, Kristin said that Discovery won't be working with Rawlings or Gas Monkey Garage in the future. She said that the Discovery Channel logo, which now appears on GasMonkeyGarage.com, will be disappearing shortly.

Kristin has also given me a direct phone number to reach her whenever necessary. And, she said that Discovery may want our input on future hotrodding shows. This may possibly include a Discovery representative sent to our forums, to gather our feedback before scripting new seasons of Overhaulin'.

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So, now SEMA has dropped Richard Rawlings and Gas Monkey Garage (discussed in this thread), and so has Discovery .

It's interesting to note that we still haven't received that apology from Richard Rawlings. Next, I'll be calling SpikeTV. Apparently, Gas Monkey Garage is scheduled to appear on episodes of their show MuscleCar.

Wow Jon,

It is amazing what you have accomplished, and to think if they had only apologized in the first place.

I was at SEMA last year (Barry K bought me lunch there). I saw gas monkey's car ( I do not care for the rat rod deal but the car was nicely done) and also got to see a part of the Overhaulin show they filmed there. Rawlins was part of the show. They even had a little drawing contest between Foose and Rawlins. I cant remember who won (my money would be on Foose though). I didnt know who Richard was then, I do now. I will keep and eye out at the SEMA show this year for him.

Keep after em

John

Way to go Jon!

Most of these TV car shows are bad enough without Rawlings and his "product". Glad to see this great outcome.

Dave

So where do I send the money to buy you a beer Jon



Brad

No way, discovery channel actually want imput from hotrodders on what they would like to see. Does this mean they will show much more tech and how various things are done and lose the drama? I haven't had cable tv for quite a while now, but think I may get it again soon. It would be nice to have a good show to watch that didn't involve putting spinners or a theater inside a car or had some big crisis every week with everyone screaming at one another and instead focused on showing the actual work evolving and ingenious ideas.

probablym to a point. they;ll have to dumb it down enough that less knowlagble people can understand.

This is good news. These guys don't belong on tv they just give the hobby a bad name. Let them go back into the hole from whence they emerged. kenseth17 is right about the added drama and big stereo systems on these shows. Lets see some choppin tops, some channelin, dropped axles, real stichin' interiors, custom paint, pinstripes, metal forming, flatheads, nailheads, hemi's and how about a guest appearance every once and a while from a legendary builder or a manufacturer actually participating in the build. Inspire, Educate and Entertain. Is it that difficult to do?

Keep the shows real, thats all we want anyway. If we would buy into hype, we would all rather drive a new plastic car. "If it aint steel, in aint real" at least for me.
Soggy...

john has his mail routed through me. so you need to send it to me and i will be sure that he gets it.

jon, i love you, lol

i bet GMG loves this news

Now...I find it hard to believe that Discovery "scripts" their shows...LOL!
Later,
WEIMER

Jon - That is good news!



As far as Discovery Channel dumbing down the shows the general public has watched the shows enough now that they will be ready for the step up to see more tech being done on the show. If they picked one aspect of the build and explained it in much greater detail each show they would bring up the knowledge of the general viewers and make the more educated return to watching the show.

If you notice this has been happening to a small extent on American Hot Rod.

I wouldn't mind seeing a program where someone actually built the parts they are bolting on these mail-order cars. If i could afford to call up a vendor for a frame, body, engine and trans, I could get it done in a timely fasion without all of the yellin'. It's all a big commercial to me.

Way to go, Jon. Maybe we can get a Hotrooders.com version of Monster Garage, you can be the host. Dan