‘American Chopper’ Starts Filming Next Week, Paul Teutul Jr. Excited To Work With Paul Sr. Again

After five long years of taking a break from reality television, Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr. are coming back for a brand-new season of American Chopper this year. The bike-building father and son, both known for their headstrong and contrasting personalities, now have their separate business ventures of their own but are reuniting for the much-awaited new season.

Paul Jr. Forgives Paul Sr. For Firing Him

Paul Teutul Jr. recently sat down with CBN’s 700 Club to talk about his rocky relationship with his father and how they have found a way to reconcile. He revealed that none of their fights featured on American Chopper was scripted–they were all real, and they were all that extreme. The son even went on to describe his relationship with Paul Sr. as “oppressive.”

The father and son’s rift became so intense that Paul Teutul Sr. ended up firing his own son from the family-owned Orange County Choppers business. Despite this, Paul Jr. said that everything is now forgiven. He even credited his father for firing him, which paved the way for him starting his own bike design and fabrication company.

“In all the years I did work with my father, even though our relationship was a tough one, I learned a lot from that. And I love my father,” the 43-year-old motorcycle builder said in the interview.

“But ultimately, it was not a great dynamic. So when I was able to get out of that oppressive type of relationship, I started to flourish. I grew creatively, spiritually.”

Paul Jr. is now a father himself to a three-year-old boy. He stated that having a son has also helped heal his relationship with Paul Sr.

“You become a father, you relate more to your father. You understand the struggles a little bit more, and then you want more so for your son to have a relationship with his grandfather.”

American Chopper’s New Season Will Be About Reconciliation

American Chopper will begin filming on Jan. 15. According to Paul Jr., the new season will have a totally different dynamic. While he and his dad now have their own separate bike shops, Paul Jr. is hoping to be able to work with Paul Sr. again.

“He has his shop, I have mine. We want to keep our identities and our brands separate, but we want to come together,” he said.

“I want to start working with my father again in some capacity…We did have a lot of fun, and I want to bring that fun back.”

As the Inquisitr previously reported, Discovery Channel announced that the new season of American Chopper will feature “a new chapter” in the Teutuls’ lives. The past seasons also featured Paul Teutul Sr.’s other children, Danny and Mikey and other OCC employees. As of now, it is unclear whether the whole team will be back for the new season. Discovery’s official synopsis reads as follows:

“The father-son duo vow to begin a new chapter – again and put the past behind them, but now that Paul Jr. has a son, there are more parties involved. Will the Teutuls chopper businesses continue to survive – and even grow or will their complicated father-son relationship pose a threat to their shops?”

American Chopper will premiere on Discovery in late 2018. Paul Teutul Jr. has recently released his autobiography, The Build: Designing My Life Of Choppers, Family, and Faith, which is out in bookstores now.