Product Description

Welcome to Rock Tavern, New York, home of the AMERICAN CHOPPERS, the legendary custom motorcycle shop of the feisty father-and son team of Paul & Paul, Jr. Teutul. The highest rated show on the Discovery Channel, AMERICAN CHOPPER captures the excitement , setbacks and triumphs of Team Teutul, as they race against the clock to fabricate and build a mind-blasting battalion of motorbikes and choppers especially designed to kick some serious butt in the nation's hottest trade shows and races. Contains all thirteen episodes from the hit series' first outrageous season.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37765 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2005-05-10
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 580 minutes

Amazon.com
Let's just say Dr. Phil wouldn't last 10 minutes with the squabbling Teutels of Orange County Choppers in Rock Tavern, New York. American Choppers, the wildly entertaining reality series from cable's Discovery Channel, is a hybrid television show blending serious family dysfunction with gearhead razzmatazz and deadline tensions in a motor shop (as with that other Discovery series, Monster Garage, where nonconformist engineers work frantically to build unique vehicles). Choppers concerns generational feuding between two highly talented designers and builders of one-of-a-kind, sometimes beautiful choppers (no, no--don't call them motorcycles), a father-and-son team who happen to share the same name. Fiftysomething Paul Teutel Sr. is the walrus-mustachioed owner of OCC, a boulder of a man with a sharp tongue, ironic sense of humor (he's the first to laugh hysterically when he and his son, simultaneously backing out of OCC's icy driveway in a macho display of speed, collide their trucks) and passive-aggressive tendencies. Even to a casual viewer, Paul Jr., OCC's Chief Fabricator and Designer, is clearly the target of his dad's mid-life anxiety over creeping irrelevancy. But the younger Teutel has a nasty streak, too, especially a working knowledge of how to make his father feel isolated, marginalized, even unloved.

Most of the 13 episodes in this boxed set find Paul Jr. immersed in some kind of expensive project, building a spidery display chopper for a big trade show in New York City, a NASCAR-themed bike for a special event, or a Firebike to honor the fallen firefighters of 9/11. In each case, Paul Sr. hovers over his son's shoulder, observing skeptically, criticizing one or another detail, barking about the schedule. Junior fights back, attacking what he perceives as the old man's cluelessness, mocking his unwanted efforts to collaborate. It's ugly, but it's also compelling and somehow even fun--perhaps because both men are so transparent in their complementary issues. Not every episode is full of friction; there are lighter moments and times of emotional release and bonding. Late in the season, when Junior's brother Mikey gets involved in the family business, an added layer of sibling rivalry brings a whole new dimension to this unusual psychodrama. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

NOT the complete 1st season
As another reviewer pointed out, there are missing episodes & some footage. The episodes "Jet Bike" & "Biketober" are not included. If you want these, prepare to shell out more $$$ + s/h from discoverychannel. com to get them.

Great for Fast Forward Feature!
I bought the first season DVD set and have been thoroughly enjoying the show. The final bikes look fantastic and really give you the urge to get a custom chopper of your own. When you watch the 9/11 Fire Fighters tribute bike being put together, and see how everyone gets so personally involved, you can't help but feel a bit moved by the unveiling.

Disc One:
Black Widow Bike
Black Widow Bike 2
Race Car
Race Car 2
Special features (commercial outakes, Paul Sr Interview, Photo Gallery)

Disc 2:
Fire Bike (my favourite)
Daytona Bike Week
Fire Bike 2
Old School Chopper
Old School Chopper 2
Comanche Bike

Disc 3:
Comanche Bike 2
Comanche Bike 3
Mikey's Bike
Mikey's Bike 2

Two minor gripes with the series.

The first is that all you really see of bike building is Paul Jr fabricating bits and pieces from sheet metal and bolting them to the bike. Don't get me wrong, the guy's vision is amazing, but they send out for most things including painting and custom framework. You get to see snapshots of an engine being lifted into the frame, or a wheel having the axle put through it, but if you are expecting pointers on how to really put a custom chopper together (installing engine, electricals, etc) then you will need to look elsewhere.

The other thing is the famous/infamous Paul Sr V's Paul Jr shouting matches that take up a good 1/4 of each episode. You have to real feel for the other guys in the shop as it must be embarrassing as hell. If you enjoy watching people screaming at each other in a dysfunctional fashion then you will enjoy it. For me when they start going at it I just hit fast forward on the remote, once the arms stop waving around I resume playback and enjoy see the bike taking shape.

All in all for a "reality show" it is a very enjoyable series and I will be buying Series 2 very soon.

My students love American Chopper DVD's
I have used the American Chopper series in my Management 101 class for a couple of years. Rather than have students role play various scenarios, I pull out sections of the escapes of the guy's at OCC to discuss issues and concepts of management and supervision. Both entertaining and informative.