The popular Discovery Channel series, “Gold Rush,” is still drawings viewers who want to watch miners search for gold way up north. But since the 2018 departure of Todd Hoffman and his crew, fans of “Gold Rush” have wondered if Hoffman, who lives in Sandy, Oregon, might return to the series. Now, Discovery announces that Hoffman will indeed be back on the channel, but this time in a new series, with the working title of “Hoffman Family Gold.”
According to Discovery, Hoffman will again be joined by his father, Jack, his son, Hunter, and a crew of gold miners. The show, which is set to premiere on Discovery and Discovery+ in early 2022, will follow Hoffman and the crew as they search for gold in Alaska.
When Hoffman left “Gold Rush,” it was a major development for Discovery’s top-rated program. The series began in 2010, and Hoffman was there from the start, as the show emphasized the concept of Oregon men, suffering financial difficulties during the recession, striking out for themselves and searching for gold.
While “Gold Rush” featured other miners, including Parker Schnabel and Tony Beets, Hoffman was a central figure in the show. Whether doing well or falling flat, in locations as varied as Alaska, Oregon, Colorado and Guyana, South America, Hoffman and his crew drew strong reactions from viewers, some of whom admired Hoffman’s ambition and religious faith, while others mocked Hoffman’s optimistic predictions and lack of mining expertise.
In the teaser for the new show, a singer performs “Amazing Grace,” as Hoffman says, “Three years ago, I walked away from gold mining, a beaten man. Now, I’m going back to Alaska. I know it’s a long shot. It’s our last shot. But you know what? No guts, no glory.”
What else can viewers expect? Here’s what the announcement says about “Hoffman Family Gold”:
“After ending a checkered mining season in Colorado in 2018, Todd is ready to get back in the game. He’s emptying his life savings with the hope to turn around a distressed mine located nearly 100 miles north of Nome, Alaska. An old mining partner has invested in the nearly 2,500 acres of rugged land. However, after years of greenhorn crews, busted equipment and little to no results, they’re about to go belly up. Todd’s taking a big gamble that he can turn around the operation and produce enough gold to get the mine out of the red. If he pulls it off, Todd will secure the mining rights for the next decade and could build a family legacy. But can he do it in just six weeks before the winter season sets in?”
As if that isn’t dramatic enough, imagine music and some characteristically muscular narration, as the announcement continues:
“Over the years, Todd has built a mining career guided by a strong belief in God and the American dream. In order to make his dream a reality, he’s bringing in his closest family and friends. Joining Todd in Alaska will be his father Jack and his son Hunter along with a veteran crew of gold miners. For Todd, it’s more than just finding gold - this could be Todd’s last chance to set up his family for generations to come and share the wealth with his friends who’ve stuck by his side over the years. This is Todd’s time to prove he has what it takes to hit the ultimate motherlode. There is no room for failure.”
Hoffman posted a link to the “Hoffman Family Old” teaser on his Facebook page:
There’s also a post on Hoffman’s Twitter page:
More of our coverage:
Oregon’s Todd Hoffman makes a bombshell ‘Gold Rush’ announcement
What’s Todd Hoffman up to, after ‘Gold Rush’? Plenty, he says (but details are still secret)
Another Northwest miner joins ‘Gold Rush,’ looking for gold in Oregon
‘Gold Rush’ spinoff: Gresham’s Dave Turin is happy to be ‘calling the shots’ in his new show
Report: ‘Gold Rush’ star Todd Hoffman has new gold mining show in the works
-- Kristi Turnquist
kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist
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