Since the popular Discovery Channel series Gold Rush premiered in 2010, fans of the show have been drawn to the exciting premise of the series.
Certainly, Gold Rush viewers are continuously intrigued by the idea that anyone can strike it big. Particularly while searching for gold in any of the gorgeous regions in which the popular show films.
And, notes the popular Discovery Channel show’s executive producer, Christo Doyle, it is this intriguing idea that draws fans to the series.
The idea that anyone can strike out searching for the valuable treasure if they truly want to do it.
“A lot of people would kill to be doing what he’s doing,” Christo Doyle tells Men’s Journal about Gold Rush’s lead prospector, Thomas Hoffman’s gold-finding skills.
Christo Doyle adds that while Gold Rush’s premise is certainly exciting, there is something reasonable that suggests it may be within the reach of its viewers.
This, the showrunner notes, is what sets Gold Rush apart from some of the other popular Discovery Channel shows.
“There are shows people watch where they’d drop everything and do it,” the executive producer explains. “And there are shows where people would like to think they’d do that.”
One Discovery Channel series that is a good example of this difference, Christo Doyle says, is the long-running extreme fishing reality series, The Deadliest Catch.
“The Deadliest Catch is a good example,” the Gold Rush showrunner notes.
“Probably 98 percent of the population would never actually want to do that,” Doyle adds. “Gold Rush, on the other hand, a much larger segment of the population thinks it could actually do.”
‘Gold Rush’ Inspires People To Seek The American Dream
So, what is that Doyle believes sits at the heart of the popular series, drawing fans in each season?
It’s the challenges the gold prospectors face that make the show so interesting to viewers. Primarily, the producer says as those searching for the gold continue with their unending, and dedicated search for the valuable element.
According to Doyle, the deeper meaning of the series centers around a group of people willing to face extreme obstacles as they literally search for the American dream.
“Can a guy make it in America anymore? That’s the crux of the show,” Doyle explains of Gold Rush’s basic premise.
“They’re three very relatable groups of people who have thrown caution to the wind,” the showrunner adds.
“They’re fighting the elements to try and make it,” Doyle continues. “It’s not even really about gold – it’s about the American dream.”
