Good ole boys cook on 'Hairy Bikers'

THE SHOW "Hairy Bikers"

WHEN | WHERE Premieres Friday at 10 and 10:30 p.m. on History

REASON TO WATCH Who needs "Hillbilly Handfishin' "? "Let's gig some frogs!"

WHAT IT'S ABOUT Git yourself into this good-ol'-boy history/travel/food mashup. Classically trained chef Paul Patranella -- he's "sharp as a bowling ball" and about as round -- joins longtime Texas mechanic pal Paul Allen to hit the road on hogs to explore catchin' and cookin' local specialties.

Arkansas welcomed our bearded bikers in Monday night's "sneak peek," and "finger-lickin' frogs" made the first meal. They're speared in the swamp with a stick, much like a trident, that's called a gig. (Buy 'em on Amazon!) Warning: Not for the squeamish.

Next it was into the kitchen at a Hot Springs barbecue joint -- Bill Clinton's favorite -- that serves 3,000 pounds of ribs a day. Paul proves fast with a knife. "Bill?" says the owner. "He's good on harmonica," playing for patrons.

And, finally, they judged a "redneck gourmets" outdoor cook-off using cast-iron Dutch ovens.

MY SAY And how is this History? Producers do put historical factoids in the on-screen graphics. And the guys say things like "Dutch ovens were once America's primary cooking vessels." Did you know barbecue dates back to Thomas Jefferson? No? Well, there's your history.

Not much, granted. But the guys are having fun, and so's everybody else, and it's infectious, and dang, I'd love to have me some of them ribs right heah. You start talkin' lahk that after hearin' all them drawls and y'alls.

They're likely to continue on Friday's regular time-period premieres, as our hirsute heroes roll into southern Louisiana swamplands in search of river rats to make Andouille sausage (10 p.m.), then into central Oklahoma's winter wheat harvest (10:30 p.m.). Who wouldn't want to drive combines, drink the beer thus produced and get tricked into eating lamb testicles?

I'd like to see some of this fall's fretting sitcom dudes try to man up in "Hairy Bikers" fashion.

BOTTOM LINE Tasty and gross from coast to coast.

GRADE B