How Many Spinoffs Of Gold Rush Are There?
Thanks to its unique premise for a reality television show, the Discovery Channel's "Gold Rush" had a lot going for it when it premiered in 2010. The series follows different mining crews aiming to find some buried gold. Now in its 12th season, the series has endured for so long because it turns out that searching for gold isn't just a chance to make some serious dough. It's also an avenue for engaging television.
"Gold Rush" gives insight into the massive mining undertaking truly involved when it comes to searching for underground riches in a modern age. The archaic images of a prospector with a pan and pickaxe are replaced with humungous construction vehicles and digging equipment. Also, as "Gold Rush" clarifies in nearly every episode, gold mining is a risky business. The mining crews could take a huge hit financially or have their lives placed in jeopardy. All of this combines to produce the Discovery Channel's consistently top-rated show (via The Hollywood Reporter). So with such a ratings winner, it's little wonder that Discovery has allowed "Gold Rush" to spawn a surprising amount of spinoff shows.
There are a total of eight spinoff shows
In total, the "Gold Rush" franchise has already produced seven spinoff shows (via TV Insider), with the eighth one (via Discovery) currently on the way. The first official spinoff, "Gold Rush: The Jungle," premiered between Seasons 2 and 3 of "Gold Rush" and was more of a special episode than a proper series. "Gold Rush: The Jungle" involves Todd Hoffman and his crew traveling in search of gold in Guyana. The second follow-up, "Gold Rush: South America," which aired between Season 3 and 4 of "Gold Rush," felt more like a series as it had seven episodes and centered on a return to Guyana while also expanding into Peru and Chile.
Some of the other spinoff series followed a formula of specifically centering on a member of the main cast, such as "Gold Rush: White Water," "Gold Rush: Parker's Trail," "Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine," and "Gold Rush: Freddy Dodge's Mine Rescue." The last spinoff that premiered in the summer of 2021, "Gold Rush: Winter's Fortune," focused back on the main cast but instead had them searching for gold during the Arctic off-season. The latest addition to the ever-expanding spinoff list is the upcoming "Hoffman Family Gold." Per the Oregon Live, the series is slated to premiere in early 2022 and sees the return of fan-favorite Todd Hoffman after his exit from "Gold Rush" in 2018. If "Hoffman Family Gold" proves to be another gold strike for Discovery, then there's no telling what new spinoffs we may see next.