Deadliest Catch No More?

Unsettling news came out yesterday for fans of the hit Discovery reality series "Deadliest Catch" when it was announced that Captain's Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand of the F/V Time Bandit and Captain Sig Hansen of the F/V Northwestern will not participate in the upcoming seventh season of the series. There is currently ongoing litigation between the Hillstrand's and Discovery Channel that appears to have created tension between the two parties. Both captains and the crew of the Time Bandit have yet to be signed for the seventh season of "Deadliest Catch." As a show of solidarity, Sig Hansen would also not be participating it the new season, and Discovery has yet to sign on the F/V Northwestern. So if there is in fact a new season of the "Deadliest Catch," it will involve a whole slew of new boats. And I honestly doubt the show will have the same feel as it has the past few seasons.

The crew of the Northwestern has been part of the show since the very first season. As for the Time Bandit, they've been featured on the show since season two. So you can imagine their absence will leave a big hole in the series. They are two of the more popular boats along with the Cornelia Marie whom have loyal fanbases. This will provide a devastating blow to the series if Discovery cannot come to an agreement between the Hillstrands and Sig Hansen. The show will have a completely different look, especially if all we'll have left is the F/V Wizard. It seems likely that the Cornelia Marie will be back, but as we all know, Captain Phil won't be there. So we will have to get used to the fact of someone else captaining that boat.

The litigation between Discovery and the Hillstrands' involve a spin-off series that Discovery created of the brothers away from the crab fishing grounds. They are suing the Hillstrands for $3 million because they feel the brothers did not properly finish filming the series - thus causing a breech in contract. I honestly had no idea there was a spin-off series in the works and do not feel it was absolutely necessary. I mean, don't get me wrong, the Hillstrands are very entertaining people and have a tremendous fan following. But just the popularity of "Deadliest Catch" alone was enough to carry the show through the downtime when the crabbing seasons shut down and thus, no "Deadliest Catch." Now, Discovery is facing the loss of three of its biggest stars on the show and I am sure are scrambling to find replacements, otherwise the show may be done.

I remain hopeful that Discovery can come to some sort of agreement with the Hillstrands and Sig Hansen to allow them to keep participating in the series, although it appears they have a very short window in which to reach an agreement. The boats head out from port on October 15, to start the first crab season. It's been a difficult year as it is with Phil Harris passing. Now, possibly being without the Hillstrands and Sig Hanson on the show would deal a very devastating blow to the series, one that it may not recover from. I just do not find Keith Colburn and the Wizard crew all that intriguing, although this could give Captain Wild Bill and the F/V Kodiak more exposure if they agree to return this season. As for the F/V Cornelia Marie, it remains to be seen just how well things will go without Captain Phil. How will the new captain mesh with the existing crew? A lot of questions exist the film crews begin preparing to shoot a new season of "Deadliest Catch", if there will even be a new season after all.

UPDATE: On October 8, it was announced that Discovery has reached a settlement with the Hillstrand brothers regarding their spin-off series, which will allow them and Sig Hansen to return to "Deadliest Catch." The are currently filming the latest season of the series out in the Bearing Sea.

Deadliest Catch : Season Finale

So last night brought the final episode of the season for Discovery's number one show, Deadliest Catch. To sum it up, it was basically an episode reflecting on the season as a whole for all five of the boats featured. Obviously the big story of the season was about Captain Phil and his untimely death. It's going to be very difficult for many people close to Captain Phil and the Cornelia Marie to be without his presence. Sure, he was only a crab boat captain, but he was such a huge individual in that industry. He knew the tricks of the trade which was no surprise considering he got started in crab fishing at the age of 17 (even earlier if you count the trips he had with his dad). I'm sure if Deadliest Catch didn't pan out as a show earlier on, Captain Phil's death wouldn't have an affect on the everyday man like it does today. But the show is huge, drawing record numbers. Captain Phil became a celebrity, whether he liked it or not. And when the headlines came out last winter about his initial stroke and eventual death, entertainment news websites picked that story up. Phil Harris was a special individual; not only was he blunt and often said what he thought, but he also had a softer side and really did care about people. He was a larger-than-life individual and his presence will truly be missed on that show. I know I certainly will miss him; after all, he was my favorite captain.

So it will be interesting to see what becomes of the Cornelia Marie. His two sons, Jake and Josh, want to continue as part of the Cornelia Marie. As of last word, they are looking to buy their dad's share of the boat and continue the Harris legacy - possibly even going so far as to captain the boat. But those ambitions will take time and money, something they're a bit short on as of now. Hopefully we haven't seen the end of the Cornelia Marie on the show because even without Phil, that boat deserves to continue and many more stories need being told from on that deck.

As for the F/V Northwestern, Edgar Hansen is making louder grumblings about taking a break from the boat to devote more time to being with family, and to give his body a break. He is relief captain to his brother Sig, but he's mostly on deck and in charge of everything that goes on there. He's been crab fishing since he was 18 years old - and this past season was his 22nd. His kids are growing up and he's rarely there to be a part of their activities. His body is aching more and more with each passing year so it'll be interesting to see whether or not he ends up taking a break during the upcoming crabbing seasons. Edgar's shoes are very difficult to fill and would leave an incredible hole on the Northwestern's crew. Sig Hansen definitely has his work cut out for him if in fact Edgar takes a break this upcoming season.

On the F/V Time Bandit, the Hillstrand brothers are encountering a dilemma of their own. Retirement is quickly approaching both Johnathan and Andy - who've spent many years as captain and on deck of their own boat. They are looking for a successor to take over their boat; someone with leadership and the knowledge of running a boat. Johnathan's son, Scott was a likely successor, however, he hasn't quite shown the willingness to learn more of the operations involved, such as learning the engine room and knowing what it's like to be in the wheelhouse. Fellow deckmate Mike Fourtner became the leading candidate but then it all seemed to get to his head and his ego really swelled to unimaginable proportions. A minor feud broke out between Scott and Mike on deck, who began jabbing back and forth at each other because by rights, Scott should get first dibs on becoming the successor, yet Mike was handpicked by Johnathan and Andy. So needless to say, don't expect to see both Johnathan or Andy out of the wheelhouse anytime soon.

As for the F/V Wizard, there really weren't a whole lot of surprises on deck this season. They hauled away an incredible amount of crab and came home with big bucks. Don't expect too many changes to the crew on deck heading into the new season this winter. As for the new boat featured on the show this year, the F/V Kodiak was really a fun boat to watch. It was captained by "Wild Bill" Wichrowski - a sharp-tongued man who really got off to a poor start with the King Crab season, but hauled away an incredible amount of Opilio crab that netted big bucks for his crew. There was so much happening on this boat from a dysfunctional crew on deck to a member of the Discovery Channel camera crew getting seriously ill from seasickness. Despite all of the shenanigans that went on, they really had a successful crabbing year. I really enjoyed the dynamic of this boat and hope it gets filmed again in the upcoming new crab seasons.

So there we have it, the end of another Deadliest Catch season. The break in between seasons is a long one; we have to wait until next April for new episodes to return. But what can you expect, the height of the crab season is during the winter. Let's hope the upcoming crab seasons are successful and safe for all of the crews out on the Bering Sea. Because after all, what we've seen on the show, it's no wonder that job is one of the deadliest in all the world.

Deadliest Catch : Phil's Life Ends

The ongoing drama on Deadliest Catch continued last night when Captain of the Cornelia Marie, Phil Harris, passed away. In the last few episodes, we saw the effects of the stroke that Phil endured. And despite the incredible odds that were against him, Phil was making great progress. The doctors were beginning to make plans to move Phil to a rehab center in Seattle where he could continue his progress. He was still paralyzed on one side of his body, yet he was beginning to return to the Phil of old. He even demanded ice chips from his son Jake, despite being told from the nurse that he had enough. He was also craving a cigarette, but thankfully nobody gave into his demands. And then we watched some real emotional and heart-to-heart moments Phil had with his two sons, moments that I'm sure left very few people watching with dry eyes. In one moment, Phil told Josh how sorry he was that he couldn't be a better father to the boys. That's when Josh told him that he was the best father possible and he learned everything he needed to know to be a man. We also saw Josh break down in tears, the first time so far during this ordeal. I just can't imagine what that moment must've been like for Josh and even now, being able to watch it again on TV.

A few days later, however, Phil's condition changed drastically and ultimately, he lost his life. The doctors did all that they could for Phil - even commenting that they've worked on him for an hour and they couldn't do anymore. Josh had to make the decision when it was over. It was then when he had to make the difficult call to his brother, Jake, to tell him that their father had passed away. What makes this so heartbreaking is that Jake flew down to Seattle and entered a rehab facility for his addiction to pain medication (this was revealed 3-4 episodes back). It seemed that Phil was doing so much better, Jake felt it was the right to get better and start a new chapter in his life. I'm sure he never thought his dad would pass away, considering how well he was doing.

Considering the delicate situation that this was, Discovery really presented the last few episodes in a classy way. I am sure they could have shown more than what really aired in these episodes. But the story was already being told in a perfect way. These episodes really were a tribute to Phil and showed what a great individual he really was. The cameras were still rolling throughout this whole adventure and ultimately, it was Phil who wanted his ordeal with the stroke to be captured. And when it truly was the end of his life, it represented the end of his story. The 2009-10 crab season was already a tough one as it was for many of the boats featured on the show. But the death of Captain Phil made it that much tougher.

In next week's episode, we get to see the reaction across the fleet to the passing of Phil Harris. And this is while they are all trying to capture Opilio crab during a major winter storm. I am sure it'll add that much more stress to an already difficult season. The season is quickly coming to a close and many of the boats will be grinding it out to capture as much crab as they can before the end of the season. That means the crew on deck as well as the captain will be working without very little sleep, sometimes as little as a few hours out of 48. That's the life of a crab fisherman which really gives us all a little bit of insight as to why it's the most dangerous job in the world. Who knew a show about crab fishing could be so darn captivating.

RIP Phil.

Deadliest Catch - Phil's Stroke

I don't know if there's a reality show that has captivated me as much as "Deadliest Catch" has as of late. The entire drama surrounding Phil Harris' stroke while onboard the Cornelia Marie is an event unlike any other seen on television. I mean sure, sadly, it happens all of the time in real life. But it's very rare for a camera crew to capture an individual suffering from a stroke on television. If it were me in Phil's shoes, I don't know if I'd be comfortable having the cameras rolling while I was in such grave condition. But he allowed the cameras to keep filming - it's what he wanted. Even while he was at the hospital, the camera crews were still there. Even though he couldn't speak at the time, he wrote down on a piece of paper that he wanted his story to play out on TV, no matter what might end up happening to him. And sadly, he would succumb to the stroke. But he believed that his story needed to have a beginning, middle, and an end. And in the week's to come, we'll all get to witness Phil Harris' story come to a closure.

Not only do we have the emotional story involving Phil and the rest of the fleet's reaction to his condition, but there's also Jake Anderson's story while onboard the Northwestern. While out in the Bering Sea fishing, Jake learns that his father is still missing, yet his family and the related search parties have found his truck. Still, there's no sign of his father (and as of today, Jake's father still hasn't been found). It's just another blow to Jake's family life. For those who may have watched the show last year, his youngest sister passed away while he was out at sea. You just have to feel for the guy because he's having to deal with such terrible incidents being thousands of miles away from home. So far, he's dealt with the circumstances quite well considering.

While watching the show, you absolutely have to enjoy the camaraderie shown between all of the captains and the crew. Each boat is very competitive with one another in the fleet - they're all out to capture the most crab in a season. Yet, when something negative happens, whether it's a skipper dealing with a serious medical condition or a man going overboard, they all huddle together and are as supportive as can be. You know, there aren't many that are able to handle the immense pressure that exists with that particular job. It's one of the most dangerous professions in the world. So it's easy to see why they are all like family out there. When a ship is in distress, each boat is praying for a successful outcome. And when there's a call for a man overboard, if there is a vessel close enough, they're searching like mad to find that individual - because they don't last very long in the cold Bering Sea.

Next week we'll find out about Phil's progress in the hospital as he gets treatment for the stroke he suffered. For those unaware of the events surrounding Phil's stroke, he made incredible progress while in the hospital before losing the battle. Ultimately it was a blood clot that ended up killing him. It's likely we'll see his progress and more interaction between his two sons. I'm not sure if it'll be next week's episode or the following episode where he passes away. Whenever it happens, I know it'll be a very emotional event. Captain Phil was a favorite captain of many who watched the show, including me. And even though he's been gone since March, watching him during these episodes certainly made it seem like he was still with us. In the next few episodes, the reality on TV will truly hit home for us all.

Deadliest Catch

With American Idol out of the way, I've finally been able to start watching one of my other favorite reality shows on television. It's the Deadliest Catch on Discovery, and who knew a show about crab fishing could be so intriguing? I didn't start watching the show until a couple of years ago but then I just so happened to turn to Discovery and watched an episode. Then I watched another and another and soon I was hooked. I think it was during a Deadliest Catch marathon and what a great way to get caught up on the show. Crab fishing is one of the deadliest jobs in the world, if not THE deadliest. And I can understand why when they deal with some unbelievable conditions. They certainly deserve the money they get when cashing in their crab deliveries.

My favorite crab boat out of the five featured on the show is the Cornelia Marie. Part of the crew is comprised of three family members, one of whom is Phil Harris, the captain of the boat. His two sons, Jake and Josh, are deckhands on the boat. They, along with a few others make for an intriguing group trying to capture as much crab as they can. Sadly, Phil Harris died earlier in the year after complications from a stroke. He initially suffered the stroke while off-loading crab at Dutch Harbor. He was medevaced to an Anchorage hospital where he was treated. Initially it appeared he would survive the stroke. But about a week later, he succumbed to the disease and died. He left behind an incredible legacy and his loss was felt across the Alaskan crab industry.

Last night's episode began to feature the initial stages of what leads up to Phil's stroke. Phil was incredible back pain and went down into the living quarters of the boat to retrieve some pain medication. Upon arriving to his sleeping quarters, he found his son, Jake, stealing his pills. That lead Phil to become unglued, calling Jake a thief and a liar, and disowning him in the process. He told Jake that once the boat arrives in the harbor, he doesn't want him to step back onto the boat ever again. Soon afterwords, Jake confesses to be an addict, and you could see the pain and shock on Phil's face at the revelation. And that's when the episode ended.

Next week's episode and those to follow before the season finale will prove to be pretty emotional. Phil's stroke will be documented on the show and I'm sure there'll be plenty of tears shed between those participating on the show and for viewers at home. Phil had a dynamic personality and wasn't afraid to speak his mind. However, he did have a soft spot inside of him and you could definitely tell his sons were a big part of his life. How special for him that he was able to spend a huge amount of time with them while crab fishing. And they were with him when he ultimately suffered the stroke and eventually died. I know it must've been very difficult for them to see him in that condition. However, I'm sure they are proud of the legacy Phil leaves behind and I bet they're pretty motivated to continue that legacy in his honor. I know I'm going to be glued to the TV set the next several Tuesdays at 9:00 PM.

TV Worth Watching this Summer

Are you finding yourself bored this summer not being able to watch some of your favorite programs because they are in re-runs and won't return until the fall? First of all, I recommend you spend part of your day outside and take advantage of the nice weather (especially if you live in a northern, typically cold climate) - then, you can succumb to the couch and flip through the channels on your remote control. I know, a lot of us have to work and then who feels like doing anything after you get home? Half the time I feel like taking a nap first before doing anything else. Well anyways, here are some television shows that I recommend everyone try checking out. At least watch an episode and see what you think. Lately I have become a big fan of the Discovery Channel and the plethora of reality-based programming on there. They certainly aren't scripted shows and whatever they film actually happened. So most of the shows you see on this list are from the Discovery Channel, but there may be one or two other exceptions.

America's Got Talent (NBC) - This is not a program from the Discovery Channel, but it's a show shown exclusively in the summertime on the Peacock Network (NBC for short). America's Got Talent is in its third season and it has proven to be a popular program for all reality junkies. It's produced by media mogul Simon Cowell and it's similar to American Idol - except anyone with a talent can audition, which includes singing. But, it's not exclusive to soloists, as many times you will see groups perform together as well. Also, people of any age can try out on this show. I've seen kids as young as four years old sing and an old lady attempt to tap dance while in her 80's. So the age range is pretty far but some of the people/groups that try out are quite talented. It seems to me they tend to focus more on the groups that move on than the people who absolutely stink at what they're attempting to do. And the judging panel, I'd say it's more tame than what you see on American Idol, although Piers Morgan does his best to be the Simon Cowell of his show. Sharon Osbourne is typically the nicest of the panel and does compare to Paula Abdul in some ways - but in no way is she as ditzy as Paula can be. And David Hasselhoff does a respectable job as a judge; gives a positive or a negative critique when warranted. America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 9:00 PM (EDT) - but we are only in the audition rounds so far. The future schedule of this show is subject to change.

A Haunting (The Discovery Channel) - Now we're going to start getting into many of the Discovery Channel shows I enjoy. The first one is a show on the supernatural which includes real-life stories of people dealing with ghosts and other supernatural entities. This isn't the show where a group of people actually enter a haunted house and try to find ghosts for themselves. This show features people and their re-created accounts of how ghosts impacted their lives at some point in time. If you don't believe in ghosts now, try watching this show and seeing if you change your mind. It really helps to open your eyes on the paranormal universe. A lot of the stories featured are of families dealing with haunted houses. One such story had a family of five moving into this beautiful farmhouse in the country. Everything about the house was immaculate except for one of the bedrooms which was in rough shape. It appeared teenagers were worshipping some kind of spirit in the room, as candles were aligned in a circle and weird signs were painted near an old firehouse. It turns out these teenagers ended up opening a portal to demons. One demon was terrorizing the entire family when they had some paranormal experts come in and "cleanse" the house. They got rid of the one demon, but a few weeks later, a new one makes havoc of the house again. The only way for the family to get any peace of mind were to move to a new place - which they did. The only question I have about the show is that more often than not, couples or familes end up moving away from the haunted house, but they always put the place up for sale and never tell anyone about their experiences. All they are doing is passing their terror right onto the next person. I guess they want their money back just like the people previous to them did. You can often find "A Haunting" around 2:00 PM (EDT) during weekdays (check local listings).

Dirty Jobs (The Discovery Channel) - I would have to say this is probably the first show I really came to enjoy watching on DC. Mike Rowe, the host of the program, and his crew go to the dirtiest jobs in all of America and gives us viewers a first-hand account on what makes them so dirty. This program has already done 100 episodes on a variety of dirty jobs and have criss-crossed the country finding these places. They've gone to underground mines, sewers, a taxidermy shop, a charcoal plant, farms - you name it, they've probably been there. And Mike makes a great host for this program because he's definitely not shy to tell people his true thoughts about what he's doing. He also displays a true respect for what many of the people who work these dirty jobs have to do for a living. After all, all he does is work in TV - he doesn't have to get dirty if he really didn't want to. But that is what makes this program so great. He's not afraid to get down and dirty and go to some of these faraway places to do so. As long as they are dirty jobs in America, Mike Rowe and the Discovery crew will find them. Dirty Jobs airs frequently throughout most days on the Discovery Channel, but Sundays at 8:00 PM (EDT) is a good time to catch new episodes.

The Deadliest Catch (The Discovery Channel) - This is a show I really started getting hooked on towards the end of last season and whenever I see this program on, I end up watching it until the very end. It's probably something that any regular Joe would never think of watching on television, but the drama aboard these ships is absolutely captivating. The Discovery crew features about four or five fishing vessels off the coast of Alaska as they attempt to catch the most crab out of anyone. You'd be surprised how much a pot (a trap) of crab would be worth but basically what it comes down to is this - the more crabs in a pot, the more money the boat and it's crew earns. And they don't go out into beautiful sunny weather to do their crab fishing either, afterall, this is Alaska. A lot of the times they face terrible conditions out on the open seas. From heavy freezing sprays, waves that frequently crash on the main deck of the ship, winds strong enough to knock anyone over, and horizontal precipitation. Believe me, the guys on these ships earn whatever they make crabbing. And the cast of characters on each of the different ships are one of a kind. You cannot script this program up because no way would it ever be the same. The crab season is relatively short and they need to do everything possible to reach the set quota of crab for their season to be successful. If one season ends up being a disappointment, well, there's always next year. "The Deadliest Catch" airs Tuesdays on the Discovery Channel at 8:00 PM (EDT).

How it's Made (The Discovery Channel) - This is another ingenious program to air on the Discovery Channel. Have you ever thought about how a particular product ends up being produced? Let's say an office chair, a fishing lure, a horse saddle, or even some of your favorite candies and sweets. I bet you never thought twice about how these items get made. Well, it just so happens that there is a program that documents how certain items get produced. They start from the very beginning through to the production line right up to the very finish of the product. Most of the items you see are able to be produced in a very short amount of time with the help of factory machinery and robots. However, other products need to be installed or stitched together very precisely - requiring human involvement all the way. It's another program that really helps educate the viewer on what all is involved in making a variety of these products. And I think a lot of time, people take for granted how many of these products end up being created. Well not anymore - especially not with a program like this. I tell ya, it really opens the eyes of anyone watching. "How it's Made" often airs throughout most weekdays around 4:00 PM (EDT). But you can also catch it in primetime at 8:00 on Wednesdays.

That about wraps it up this time around. But believe me, this isn't all of the programming you'll be able to find this summer. I'll be writing another blog in the future about a few more shows that I find to be quite interesting and ones I think you ought to check out. These listing of shows should tide you over until then. Happy TV watching!