TLC has announced the premiere of Hard Shine, a new reality competition series that will follow hot rod craftsman Jimmy Shine as he gives five trainees five months to prove they deserve a full-time position building hot rods at his SO-CAL Speed Shop.

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The 10-episode series is scheduled to premiere Thursday, July 12 at 10PM ET/PT as part of "Turbo on TLC," a block of programming that offers viewers the best "motorized" content on television that will also include new episodes of other reality series American Hot Rod at 8PM ET/PT and American Chopper at 9PM ET/PT.

Each one-hour episode of Hard Shine will follows Shine as he serves as a "mentor, manager and sometimes social worker" for the five trainees who will be studying underneath him at SO-CAL Speed Shop, which is where he has honed his skills as a hot rod craftsman over the last decade.

"Look inside a hot rod... you'll find yourself," said Shine.  "When you build a car, you build your life."

The five trainees competing on Hard Shine are Richie Nogueira, a 27-year-old self-described gang-banger who has been in and out of jail for half his life and now wants to go straight; Sarah Allen, 24-year-old hot rod fanatic who lost her inspiration when her dad died in a tragic accident; David Lohr, a 37-year-old who struggles with walking away from a 16-year job and a secure family life to gamble on pursuing his Southern California hot rod dream; Mark Lightner, a 26-year-old loner who spent much of his teens in juvenile detention and strives to leave his drinking and drug problems behind to make a better life for his wife and two kids; and 24-year-old Jezebelle, whose time working with Shine was brief when she left the shop soon after the competition began.

The trainees will compete in various hot rod-themed challenges that will test their ability on everything from dealing with tight time constraints to demanding clients who leave their expensive vehicles in Shine's hands.  While Shine does his best to pass on his knowledge and experience in the hot rod industry, he's also a perfectionist who drives the trainees to overcome their rocky pasts and prove their potential and passion for the business.  At Hard Shine's conclusion, only one of the trainees will be given a permanent position at SO-CAL Speed Shop.

Hard Shine is produced by Beyond Productions with Geoff Fitzpatrick serving as executive producer. For TLC, Mark Poertner is the executive producer.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
Christopher Rocchio is an entertainment reporter for Reality TV World and has covered the reality TV genre for several years.