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 : 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.