Deadliest Catch
| Deadliest Catch | |
|---|---|
| File:728964 lg.jpg Series DVD Cover | |
| Created by | Thom Beers |
| Starring | Mike Rowe (Narrator) |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of episodes | 16 as of May 2, 2006 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 45 Minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Discovery Channel |
| Release | April 12, 2005 – Present |
Deadliest Catch is a documentary-style television series that documents the events onboard six fishing ships in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and Opilio crab fishing seasons. The show is named "Deadliest Catch" because the crew of these ships are at a high risk of death or injury due to the conditions of the sea during the seasons they fish. Deadliest Catch premiered on the Discovery Channel on April 12, 2005. The first season had ten episodes with the last airing on June 14, 2005. Season two was filmed one year later and began airing on March 28, 2006. The opening theme for both seasons is "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. The narrator for the series is Mike Rowe.
Format
The series follows six fishing ships and their crews throughout the dangerous crab fishing seasons. The show emphasizes the danger to the crew on the decks of these ships. Each episode has a focus on a story or situation that occurs on one or more ships, on the background story and particular activities of one or two crew members, in particular the Greenhorns (inexperienced crew members) on several ships. The series is narrated by Mike Rowe, the host of Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs.
Boats
The show is filmed onboard various shipping boats, some of which change between seasons:
- Aleutian Ballad (2 episodes in Season 2)
- Captain: Jerry Tilley
- Billikin (Season 1)
- Captain: Jeff Weeks
- Cornelia Marie (Season 2)
- Captain: Phil Harris
- Fierce Allegiance - The largest ship in the series. (Season 1)
- Captain: Tony LaRussa
- Lady Alaska (Season 1)
- Captain: Pete Liske
- Lucky Lady - The smallest ship in the series. (Season 1)
- Captain: Vince Shavender
- Maverick (Seasons 1 & 2)
- Captain: Rick Quashnick
- Northwestern (Seasons 1 & 2)
- Captain: Sig Hansen
- Retriever (Season 1)
- Captain: Jim Stone
- Rollo (Season 2)
- Captain: Stein Eric Nyhammer
- Saga (Season 1)
- Captain: Roger Strong
- Sea Star (Season 1)
- Captain: Larry Hendricks
- Time Bandit (Season 2)
- Captain: John Hillstrand & Andy Hillstrand
- Western Viking (Season 1)
- Captain: Coleman Anderson
Episodes
Season 1
Greenhorns (Ep. 1)
Air date: April 12, 2005
We are introduced to the crews of the ships and the backgrounds for the greenhorns who will be working for the first time on some of the ships. The audience is told the total value of the crab fished in a season can be up $90 million. The ships depart to sea.
Long Sleepless Nights (Ep. 2)
Air date: April 19, 2005
The crews of the ships set all of their crab pots and await returning to pick them up. Some ships start catching lots of crabs immediately while others get very few. The greenhorns are starting to feel fatigued after only one night.
Lady Luck (Ep. 3)
Air date: April 26, 2005
The crews continue to set their crab pots. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announces the end of the season after only 2 days and the captains start to worry they may not catch enough fish to be profitable.
Beat the Clock (Ep. 4)
Air date: May 3, 2005
The crews finish pulling in the last of the crab pots for the season and head back to Dutch Harbor where the crab will be unloaded at the processing plants. The total value of the crab sold by each ship is revealed.
Dead of Winter (Ep. 5)
Air date: May 10, 2005
The ships leave the Harbor for the deadlier Opilio crab season. The weather is treacherous and a ship in the fishing fleet, The Big Valley, sinks. There is 1 survivor and 4 dead as the search continues
Man Overboard (Ep. 6)
Air date: May 17, 2005
The last man is found from the Big Valley disaster. The fishing for Opilio crab begins. A man falls overboard on the Sultan.
High Hopes (Ep. 7)
Good Fishing (Ep. 8)
The Clock's Ticking (Ep. 9)
The Final Run (Ep. 10)
Season 2
Heading Out to Sea (Ep. 1)
Air Date: March 28, 2006
The sailors return to their boats, the fleet has been cut by over half due to new regulations and quotas. The season has also been lengthened. Many boats decide not to leave port due to weather and superstition for "Unlucky Friday".
Batten Down the Hatches (Ep. 2)
Air Date: April 4, 2006
The boats face a storm and mechanical damage.
On the Crab (Ep. 3)
Air Date: April 11, 2006
The crews make headway in bringing crab on-board and fight even more rough weather. The Maverick has to deal with an angry veteran crewmate.
Finish Line (Ep. 4)
Air Date: April 18, 2006
Many of the crews cash in their catches. A boat is boarded by the United States Coast Guard. A greenhorn quits in the middle of fishing.
Friends and Rivals (Ep. 5)
Air Date: April 25, 2006
Crews jokingly tamper with each others pots and meet their quotas as the King Crab season ends.
A New Hunt Begins (Ep. 6)
Air Date: May 2, 2006
The opilio, or snow, crab season oficially begins, but a forecast for wind and heavy icing, which can make the vessels top heavy, force many captains to wait out the storm in Dutch Harbor. As in King Crab season, the Time Bandit throws caution to the wind and leaves early. The Rollo fishes grounds long abandoned, and after a few pots with only tanner crab, which are out of season, they pull some pots with respectable numbers of "opies." On the Northwestern, Captain Sig Hansen grinds it out fishing for cod, which harbor high prices at the time, instead of fishing for crab.
Smoke on the Water (Ep. 7)
Air Date: May 9, 2006
The Maverick and the Rollo race to offload their pots and seek refuge at St. Paul Island before a storm arrives. Concerns about the quickly expanding polar ice pack grows. Aboard the Time Bandit, bad bait makes for low crab count; freshly caught bait makes for better fishing. The Northwestern continues fishing for cod. The Cornelia Marie leaves Dutch Harbor to go crab fishing.
Man vs. Ice (Ep. 8)
Air Date: May 16, 2006
Long days and freezing temperatures fray nerves aboard the Maverick and the Rollo. The Time Bandit deals with ice forming on the ship. The Northwestern continues to fish for cod.
On the Edge (Ep. 9)
Air Date: May 23, 2006
The Time Bandit fishes along the ice pack. The Maverick is on the crab on a secret sandbar. Bad luck continues on the Cornelia Marie. The Northwestern finally finishes cod fishing and prepares to go crab fishing.