Thumbs up for Billy Joel and AMERICAN RESTORATION

In my February post entitled PAWN STARS, PICKERS AND STURGIS, I discussed a cross-promotional strategy employed by the History Channel to garner higher ratings. As an avid viewer of this channel, I've also seen them implement other strategies to increase viewership. It seems that one of their favorite techniques is to have guest appearances on their reality shows.

Of course, guest appearances are nothing new to television programming. Networks and shows have been doing it almost since television first invaded American homes in the 1940s. In fact, I'd venture to say that every successful show...at least within the last 20 years has had at least a few notable celebrities make guest appearances.

But reality shows are another story, right? They're supposed to be based on "real" life and how many of us run into big time celebrities in our real lives? How many pawn shops have A-list actors come into their  store looking to buy something? How many "pickers" are hired by Captain Kirk himself (William Shatner) to decorate their homes? And how many restoration shops are hired by world famous musicians to refurbish old motorcycles?

I'm referring to tonight's episode of American Restoration in which Billy Joel hired Rick Dale and his team to restore a 1967 BSA motorcycle. Now there can be no doubt that this episode was orchestrated in History Channel board rooms and negotiated by entertainment lawyers and/or agents. Billy Joel would not just walk into a shop in Vegas where a reality show is shot without having struck some sort of deal in advance. Clearly, this episode was orchestrated with television ratings in mind. And whatever price "The Piano Man" demanded was worth paying for the bump in viewership.

Despite my cynical tone, I actually have no problem with this little maneuver on the part of the History Channel and the producers of American Restoration. In fact, I actually enjoyed it. Being a fan of Billy Joel, I found the show fun to watch. My only issue is that this is obviously not television based on real life. It is scripted television and, like all scripted television, it is all based on ratings. If Billy Joel can improve the ratings of American Restoration, what's wrong with that? It's just like Leonard Nimoy appearing on The Big Bang Theory, Jimmy Buffet appearing on Hawaii Five-O, and the Harlem Globetrotters appearing on a 1970s episode of Scooby Doo.

So...how successful was Billy Joel's appearance on American Restoration? From an entertainment standpoint, I think it upped the ante a bit. When Billy Joel was on camera, it was obvious that "the man has the power to perform" (to quote a Billy Joel song). He was funny, a bit witty and charismatic. Of course, he also has the celebrity factor going which means that viewers were interested in seeing his motor cycle shop in Oyster Bay, NY which is named "20th Century Cycles". I doubt viewers would be very interested in seeing this shop if it was owned by John Doe, rather than Billy Joel. But that's the power of celebrity.

Fortunately, American Restoration has a lot of other charm going for it besides celebrity guest appearances. The characters are individualistic and play off each other in an entertaining way. There's often enough dramatic tension between them to keep viewers watching even though we know the tension will never become too intense. The characters are also likeable. And, of course, it's always a treat to see them turn a rusted, decrepit piece of junk into a gem that collectors would love to have.

Left to it's own devices, American Restoration is entertaining viewing. Now, a case can certainly be made that it doesn't belong on a network whose very name states that it's all about history. Then again, viewers do receive a bit of a history lesson every time the guys on American Restoration repair something from long ago...like a 1967 BSA motorcycle. So, like the late Siskel and Ebert, I'll give the show two thumbs up...and I expect that I'll be joined by other thumb wavers whenever celebrities grace the show with their presence. Who knows, maybe Henry Winkler, a man famous for flashing his thumbs on Happy Days will make an appearance...he already has on Pawn Stars, at least by way of a picture that not-so-subtly sits by Rick Harrison's desk. And yes, he is giving the show a "thumb up".