Factual
Discovery brings new reality-drama series ‘Hardcore Pawn’
MUMBAI: Pawning is an old practice and pawn shops are a common phenomenon in the USA, where one can get quick and easy cash by pledging (loan) their personal belongings or selling their valuable items. Discovery’s new reality series HARDCORE PAWN takes viewers into the crazy and dynamic world of American Jewelry and Loan – Detroit, USA’s largest pawn store, where a wide assortment of customers bring in everything from gold to old cars, from alligators to prosthetic limbs to exchange for cash.
Viewers get a glimpse of the daily events at the pawn store where each day brings new customers, new rewards — and new drama. Premiering August 29, HARDCORE PAWN will air weekdays (Mon-Fri) at 8 PM on Discovery.
Follow the Gold family as they wheel and deal with colourful customers, manage temperamental employees, and squabble with one another in the name of making money in one of the most troubled cities in America. This isn’t a typical trading job; this is ‘Hardcore Pawn’. The Gold family and their employees never know what to expect when people’s personal items are on the line. As each episode of this fascinating series reveals, haggling over a price can quickly escalate into an all-out conflict.
American Jewelry and Loan (AJL) is owned by Leslie “Les” Gold, the grandson of a pawnbroker who has set up in Michigan’s iconic 8 Mile Road. Accompanied by his son Seth and daughter Ashley, both university graduates and future owners of the business, Les finds managing the sibling rivalry as challenging as running the business. AJL was opened in 1978, and has since become one of the largest and most recognized pawn shops in the world. The store handles anything from family heirlooms to electronics, from diamonds to heavy machinery. Each pawn ticket has a story, and there are over 45,000 stories to tell.
MUMBAI: India’s most famous hot seat is about to welcome an unlikely first-timer. For the first time on Hindi general entertainment television, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla will appear on Kaun Banega Crorepati, the iconic quiz show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.
The special episode marks a rare meeting point of boardroom heft and prime-time television, bringing one of India’s most influential business leaders face to face with the country’s most enduring screen legend. It is a crossover that blends intellect, leadership and popular culture, all under KBC’s familiar spotlight.
Birla’s appearance dovetails neatly with the show’s current theme, Jahaan Akal Hai, Wahan Akad Hai, which celebrates the confidence that comes from clarity of thought and knowledge. His presence lends weight to the idea that sharp thinking and conviction are as vital in life as they are in the quiz chair.
In a thoughtful conversation with Bachchan, Birla shared an upbeat view of India’s economic journey, pointing to the nation’s rapid growth and the scale of opportunity opening up across industries and communities. He spoke of momentum, ambition and a future shaped by enterprise and ideas.
The episode is not all serious talk. In lighter moments, Birla confessed his long-standing admiration for Bachchan, calling him his favourite actor and admitting to a touch of nervousness at answering questions in front of the Shahenshah himself. The candour adds a human touch to a man more often seen in headlines than on television sets.
The special episode airs on Monday, 29 December at 9.00 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.
