Why Isn’t ‘Gold Rush’ New This Week?

Fans of Gold Rush may be in for a surprise when they tune in to the Discovery Channel show on March 21 and 28 as they won’t be seeing regular Season 15 episodes. Instead the show is taking something of a Spring Break and for the last two Fridays in March will be broadcasting special episodes. But, fear not, the show will be back soon with regular episodes. 

It has certainly been a rollercoaster ride for the miners of Gold Rush during Season 15 thus far. You could say more of an uphill battle for Parker Schnabel as he faced setback after setback trying to figure out Dominion Creek. The 30-year-old even reduced his goal of 10,000 to 8,000 ounces, acquired more land and pivoted his plans in order to turn a corner.

Rick Ness kicked off the year strong with a big finish at Rally Valley and even paid off his Duncan Creek claim. However, that feeling of accomplishment turned into shock when he received unexpected news that his water license may not be renewed next season. With the future in doubt, Ness gambled on a strip of land dubbed Vegas Valley with the hope it would pay off to the tune of more than $2 million. 

Mitch Blaschke looking stressed. (Discovery Channel)

Then there was Tony Beets, who really came out strong at Indian River and Paradise Hill. He leaned more on his son Mike and nephew, also named Mike, to lead efforts at the sites. Things started to slow down due to equipment failures and other obstacles. Despite the obstacles, the “King of the Klondike” remained in relatively good shape, inching closer to the finish line. 

Meanwhile, his eldest son Kevin decided to venture out on his own, leasing Scribner Creek from Tony. The first-year mine boss had a series of growing pains including drama amongst his crew. He is slowly finding footing and just began to get some of that gold goodness. 

As we head into the final episodes of the season, the show will return from its break on April 4. Over the next two weeks there are specials that will air in its place. On March 21 it  will be a one hour special while March 28 is set to have back-to-back specials over two hours. 

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The network has done this in the past during holiday breaks. These specials show never-before-seen footage of the show and focus on things aspects that don’t necessarily go along with the overarching story. The March 21 special is titled “Mine Boss for the Day,” centered on Foreman Mitch Blaschke. He steps in to lead the team, which comes with a slew of problems including issues to water pumps, rock trucks and the excavator.

The March 28 block is titled “Big Man Tiny Excavator” and follows Ness, who prospects a new area in Keno that could be richer than anything he’d mined. Then the second hour delves into the biggest and toughest machines the miners use and explores which one is the “best of the best.” 

From there, it’s back to business with the final official weeks of the season beginning April 4 with back-to-back episodes, one on April 11 and a two-hour finale on April 18. Can Schnabel get out of the financial hole he dug himself into? Will the Beets family reach their respective goals? Will it be boom or bust for Ness? We’ll see how things shake out for the miners when the show officially returns from a spring break. 

When it comes to the future of the series beyond that, things look good for a renewal as it remains one of Discovery’s most popular shows.  The network hasn’t made a formal announcement just yet, but in the past, details for a future season tend to happen around summer with the series premiere typically airing in the fall.

Gold Rush, Fridays, 8/7c, Discovery Channel