How Real Is Discovery Channel’s ‘Deadliest Catch’?
Like any reality television show that’s ever aired, there have always been questions surrounding the unscripted nature of the genre. In fact, when Julie Chen Moonves had to step away from the live episode of Big Brother 26 recently, Jerry O’Connell took to social media to announce the excitement of his substitute role, showing a script in hand. Social media went into an immediate tizzy with many commenting about why there be a script for an unscripted show. It sadly showcased just how literal people think of the term in relation to the genre. For Jerry O’Connell, he received a script, as would Julie Chen Moonves, to narrate the episode at hand. Additionally, with the words “alt” on the top of the script, social media posters wondered why there would be multiple drafts. Well, on a show like Big Brother on eviction night, the result could go one of two ways, thus alternative versions of questions and commentary for the host. Now, for a documentary-style reality program, surely there’s no script there. Right?
Many would argue that Deadliest Catch is one of the many reality television programs that revolutionized the genre. Now in its twentieth landmark season, the series has been showcasing the world of deep-sea crabbing in the Bering Sea since 2005. As a docu-follow reality show, the series strays away from being “scripted,” offering viewers a glimpse into the reality of the industry. But, as beloved as the show is, many viewers have questioned the authenticity of the show. How real is Deadliest Catch? Are the scenes faked? Is the drama authentic?
How Authentic Is ‘Deadliest Catch?’
When Deadliest Catch started its adventure in 2005, viewers were eager to see what the high-stakes life on board the various fishing vessels were like. At that time, there was no reason to doubt the action on screen was 100% authentic. But as the genre busted open, the reality of reality television began to emerge. It cast a shadow of doubt over the entire genre. So when it comes to Deadliest Catch, it caught it’s own set of questions. But as Mandy Hansen put it in a Facebook post from 2020, “People ask if Deadliest Catch is fake…yo you really think we’re in Hollywood in front of a green screen? There’s a job to be done it just happens to be filmed.”
In an interview with Captain Sig Hansen, when asked about the crew moderating their language during filming, Hansen revealed, “There is editing, and you will hear a lot of ‘bleeps’ on the screen. But I think that is one reason the film crew wanted to stay with our boat – we are pretty natural.” Sure, he was referring to the language, but he does admit through the editing, that the crew is natural. They’re not out there crafting a narrative for the sake of story. But is what is specifically shown the reality? Are there captains who pound their boats into the seas as crew member Jack Bunnell alleged in a feature from The Seattle Times. “You got to make it exciting, somehow,” Bunnell said. “What we do, hauling pots 24 hours a day, is boring.”
When Mother Nature Calls
No crew member or anyone on the production team can tell a massive storm in the middle of the ocean to stop so they can capture the perfect moment. The frigid temperatures might interact negatively with the cameras. So what happens if an integral moment of storytelling is interrupted by Mother Nature? Back in 2008, some truth was revealed that, while they don’t engage in re-enactments, they do however film pick-up shots. It’s a common practice on reality television, so fans shouldn’t be shocked that everything is real, just not necessarily depicting everything accurately. In a scene from an early season of Deadliest Catch, F/V Wizard was said to combine a leak onboard with a scene where the Wizard was hit by a big wave.
At the time, Discover president and general manager John Ford admitted “The thing we didn’t have on camera was the actual wave that struck the Wizard. That was shot at a separate time on the same journey and was an insert edit from the show. We did that for story continuity because we didn’t have a boat-to-boat shot.” He continued, “Everything that you see in the show happened. Nothing is made up and nothing needs to be made up. The Wizard was struck by a big wave, and that wave caused the leak you see in the show. The show is 100% authentic.” He finished, “For certain things, we do pickup shots for continuity,” Ford said. “If the camera didn’t run properly when the captain was boarding the boat, they have the captain back up and board the boat again.”
Now let’s discuss when the weather is just too perfect that the producers have to explore other options to make action happen. While the photo was not from a scene in the show but rather a promotional photo, The Seattle Times reported on an image where Captain Sig Hansen was walking out of the Dutch Harbor airport as a crew member was spraying a hose over him to make it appear four weather was in play. Producers of the show wrote in a statement that for promotional and marketing shots, on “very rare occasions,” hoses are used to “mirror the real-life conditions.”
A Star Revealed the Truth of the ‘Deadliest Catch’ Script
For Season 19, a legendary veteran of the seas, Linda Greenlaw, joined Captain “Wild” Bill Wichrowski on F/V Summer Bay. Before her appearance on the program, Greenlaw was best known for surviving the 1991 “Perfect Storm,” an event featured in the book “The Perfect Storm” and the 2000 film of the same name. Additionally, she was featured on a show called Swords: Life on the Line, a short-lived Discovery Channel series that focused on swordfishing in New England. Greenlaw revealed in an interview with Spectrum News, “Filming of Deadliest Catch was more scripted than Swords: Life on the Line.” She continued, “Hey 19 seasons in, the show has to be more than catching crabs or not! The popularity of the show speaks for itself.”
While Greenlaw had prior experience in the world of television, her admission might lead to why the accusations are what they are. Does Deadliest Catch need to create artificial scenarios to keep the show enticing? In the same interview mentioned earlier, Captain Sig Hansen revealed that perhaps the calmer moments of crabbing are not shown. Of the thousands of hours of footage, they pick out the danger and drama for the viewers. “They shoot thousands of hours of footage, and I can understand that they are trying to put a storyboard together and make it fit. Everything that they film is accurate, but you will see a lot more foul weather as opposed to the calm days; I suppose that’s what sells, but the bad weather is a reality.” Even with new faces coming and going and new struggles to face, has Deadliest Catch run its course? Perhaps, but it also might be grasping at straws.
Now, when it comes to characters on reality television, there needs to be heroes and villains. Protagonists and antagonists. It shouldn’t come as much of a shock when some crew members allege that there are some manipulative edits. Especially when they’ve been made out to be a supervillain. With allegations that scenes and scenarios are controlled, sometimes a villain like Elliot Neese can become a superhero. It’s a narrative and storytelling device that works for television, not always reality.
‘Deadliest Catch’ Season 20 Had a Questionable Incident
Just recently, there have been questions in regard to the authenticity of a scene on board fishing vessel Northwestern. In a moment from Season 20, viewers watched as Captain Sig Hansen’s son-in-law, Clark Pederson fell overboard. But he wasn’t the only one to fall prey to the frigid waters of the Bering Sea. A camera operator fell in as well. The moment turned into a drastic rescue mission where, ultimately, both individuals were saved. But this didn’t stop fans and skeptics alike to wonder was this a stunt? Was it staged? Did they need an action shot to heighten the drama? Or, maybe with how the scene was shot, could it all have been a re-enactment of an actual high-tension moment?
Those true believers in the program wondered if this was perhaps a safety drill. But if this was a planned event, why not say it? Surely that’s part of what happens when they’re not fishing. You have to be prepared for everything, right? If this wasn’t an actual emergency, the lack of transparency is why those who question the authenticity of Deadliest Catch hit the message boards to push back on the program. For a show like Deadliest Catch, they’ve earned their place in the pantheon of reality television. They deserve to pull back the curtain and expose the safety measures they put the crew through. Even if it goes against the high-stakes title of the program.
After nearly 20 years on television, the same questions about the reality of the reality series continues. The show and its stars can debunk the script accusations all they want, but there will be those eager to catch them in a deadly lie. Regardless if things may be pushed to serve a narrative or staged to create a moment, the fanbase of Deadliest Catch is staying put. Their show has remaied a juggernaut on Discovery Channel because of the content, not because of the reality production.
New episodes of Deadliest Catch air on Discovery Channel every Tuesday at 8:00pm. All episodes of Deadliest Catch are available to stream on Max.
