"Deadliest Catch: Crab Fishing in Alaska" (2005) TV series

Writer:

Larry Law (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | unknown

Release Date:

15 March 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A documentary series chronicling the real-life high-sea adventures of the Alaskan crab fishermen. This is the most deadly profession in the world.

Plot Keywords:

Crab | Animal In Title | Fishing | Territory Name In Title | State In Title

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 3 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Mike Rowe	...	Narrator / ... (67 episodes, 2005-2009)
Phil Harris	...	Himself - Captain: Cornelia Marie / ... (52 episodes, 2006-2009)
Sig Hansen	...	Himself - Captain: Northwestern / ... (52 episodes, 2005-2009)
Edgar Hansen	...	Himself - Deck Boss & Engineer: Northwestern / ... (50 episodes, 2005-2009)
Jonathan Hillstrand	...	Himself - Captain: Time Bandit / ... (44 episodes, 2006-2009)
Matt Bradley	...	Himself - Deckhand: Northwestern / ... (44 episodes, 2005-2009)
Keith Colburn	...	Himself - Captain: Wizard / ... (43 episodes, 2007-2009)
Andy Hillstrand	...	Himself - Captain: Time Bandit / ... (39 episodes, 2006-2009)
Josh Harris	...	Himself - Deckhand: Cornelia Marie / ... (34 episodes, 2007-2009)
Jake Harris	...	Himself - Deckhand: Cornelia Marie / ... (33 episodes, 2006-2009)
Russell Newberry	...	Himself - Deckhand: Time Bandit / ... (33 episodes, 2007-2009)
Monty Colburn	...	Himself - Relief Captain: Wizard / ... (29 episodes, 2007-2009)
Jake Anderson	...	Himself - Deckhand: Northwestern / ... (28 episodes, 2007-2009)

Also Known As:

Alaskan Crab Fishing (USA) (working title)
Deadliest Catch (Australia)

Runtime:

Norway:55 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

New Zealand:PG (season 1) | Norway:A (TV rating) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Alaska, USA

Company:

Discovery Network

Trivia:

The show is narrated (from the same script) by Bill Petrie for the English speaking regions of Europe.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The locations given for boats on the "radar" screen do not match what the narrator says. For example, one boat was said to be 225 miles Northwest of Dutch Harbor was marked further away than a boat said to be 290 miles Northwest of Dutch Harbor. Another time this occurred when it was said that one boat was a certain shorter distance away from a boat in a southerly direction appeared further away than another boat that was said to be further away, yet appeared closer on the map.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: Coming to Homerica (#20.21)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Wanted Dead or Alive

Highly addictive.

This 10-part series came out about a year after "America's Deadliest Season." It is interesting how the profession is presented in so many different perspectives - from the captains, the crews, and the greenhorns (rookies). Of particular interest are the traditions and superstitions of the various crews. You will be drawn in and will find yourself so concerned about a ship that has gone down or about an injured deckhand, that you almost have to keep watching just to find out how things turn out. You will find yourself rooting for your favorite boat as the crab counts come in.

Once again, we get to follow the dangerous lives of fishermen hunting for Alaskan Crab. You get to see a first-hand account of several boats journeying hundreds of miles from the beautiful Aleutian Islands into the unpredictably treacherous waters of the Bering Sea. These brave men demonstrate unbelievable endurance as they fish non-stop (day and night). They fish "derby style," which means every boat is competing to catch as much as possible in a fixed amount of time. They hope to earn up to a year's worth of salary in one week in what some call America's last great Gold Rush.

This series has the potential to appeal to a broad audience - whether the taste is for action, adventure, sport, drama, documentary, or reality. My friends and family (or even myself) could not understand why a series about crab fishing would be so intriguing, yet anyone who has ever been around while an episode was on always ended up planted on the couch until it ended.