Rob & Big

Rob & Big is an American reality television series following the lives of professional skateboarder, actor, and producer Rob Dyrdek and his best friend and bodyguard Christopher "Big Black" Boykin.[1][2] It premiered on November 4, 2006,[3][4] and concluded on April 15, 2008, after three seasons. Reruns air on the Pluto TV channel FunnyAF, and on MTV's sister network, MTV2. The series was followed by Fantasy Factory.

Rob & Big
GenreReality
Created by
Starring
  • Rob Dyrdek
  • Christopher Boykin
Theme music composerHarry Nilsson
Opening theme"Best Friend"
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes31 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Jeff Tremaine
  • Rob Dyrdek
  • Ruben Fleischer
Camera setupMultiple
Running time22 to 24 minutes
Production companyDickhouse Productions
Release
Original networkMTV
Picture formatNTSC
Original releaseNovember 4, 2006 (2006-11-04) –
April 15, 2008 (2008-04-15)
Rob & Big aboard the USS New Orleans (LPD-18) while filming an episode in 2007

Synopsis

Most episodes follow a central task or event in the daily life of Rob and Big, such as attempting to break Guinness world records, having their home exorcised, skateboarding, buying 12 remote-control helicopters, and Rob's obsession with a net gun. They purchased two animals, a mini horse named Mini Horse and a bulldog named Meaty.[5]

Boykin broke two Guinness world records on the show for eating the most powdered-sugar doughnuts in less than three minutes, and for peeling and eating the most bananas in one minute.[6]

Cast

Main
  • Rob Dyrdek - professional skateboarder
  • Christopher "Big Black" Boykin - bodyguard and best friend
  • Christopher "Drama" Pfaff - Rob's cousin and assistant
  • Rashawn "Bam Bam" Davis - second bodyguard
  • Meaty - Rob's Bulldog
  • Mini Horse - Rob's Melanesian short haired horse

Supporting
  • Patricia Dyrdek - Rob's mother
  • Gene Dyrdek - Rob's father
  • Otis "Big Zeus" Walton - a member of Big and Bam Bam's rap group, The Chunky Boyz
  • Steve Berra - Rob's friend and fellow skateboarder

Fantasy Factory

A one-hour series finale situated around Rob learning that Big's longtime girlfriend is pregnant, and Big moving out of the house to become a father. Rob's cousin, Christopher "Drama" Pfaff[7] was featured in this season. However, two years later in an interview with friend and fellow MTV star Johnny Knoxville, Dyrdek gave more reasons for having ended the show.

I think I quit real early, midway through the third season. They taxed us, you can't film reality TV for nine months, it's psycho. I think towards the end it was such was just such a grind that, really, I was ready to move on. It's like, I live on the set. You know what I mean? [The crew] had one room for a control room, [Big Black] had his room, only he didn't live there, so really it was like I lived in a one bedroom with the lights in everywhere, and just dirty from people, and it was like Pee-wee's Playhouse, and I just slowly lost it, you know, was just so sick of it.[8]

The duo returned to MTV with the reality show, Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, which ended in 2015. Boykin died of heart failure on May 9, 2017 at age 45.[9]

Episodes
Main article: List of Rob & Big episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
18November 2, 2006 (2006-11-02)December 21, 2006 (2006-12-21)
28May 22, 2007 (2007-05-22)July 10, 2007 (2007-07-10)
315January 8, 2008 (2008-01-08)April 15, 2008 (2008-04-15)

References
  1. Finley, Adam (October 9, 2006). "Rob & Big coming to MTV". The Huffington Post.
  2. Acosta, Belinda (October 27, 2006). "Say hello to my big (and black) friend". Austin Chronicle.
  3. "From the Creator of "Jackass" Meet MTV's Modern-Day Odd Couple --"Rob & Big" Premiering Thursday, November 2nd at 10:30 PM (ET/PT)". The Futon Critic (Press release). October 6, 2006. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  4. "MTV's 'Rob & Big' Debuts Tonight". Star Pulse. November 2, 2006.
  5. Lucchesi, Nick (April 28, 2008). "Big Black of MTV's 'Rob and Big' Gets Frank in Q&A". Riverfront Times.
  6. Salam, Maya (10 May 2017). "Christopher Boykin, Half of the MTV Odd Couple 'Rob & Big,' Dies at 45". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  7. Adams, Susan. "How A Millennial With No Business Experience Or College Education Created Streetwear For The Masses". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  8. "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer, with Rob Dyrdek" on YouTube
  9. Salam, Maya (11 May 2017). "Christopher Boykin, Half of the MTV Odd Couple 'Rob & Big,' Dies at 45". The New York Times.
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