Alterna-TV

WHAT IS IT? The cabler’s most watched series follows the action at Orange County Choppers in Rock Tavern, N.Y. — a custom bike shop owned by pumped-up mechanic Paul Teutul, 54, and his talented slacker of a son, 27-year-old Paul Jr. (above left with his father).

WHY WE WATCH Each episode ostensibly follows the assembly of a wild two-wheeler like Junior’s famous Spider-Man-inspired hog, but it’s the expletive-spewing, chop-busting dynamic between father and son that revs up viewers who aren’t grease monkeys. What’s with the tough love, Pops? ”Creatively, he’s next to none,” explains Paul Sr. of his son. ”But he’s a lazy son of a bitch. And he’s real sloppy. He’ll just drop s — – and leave it there. When the bike’s done, I look around and say, ‘What the hell happened here?!”’