Located in the Aleutian Islands port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, brave fishermen risk their lives to bring delicious delicacies – Alaskan king crab and snow crab. In the series Deadliest Catch, viewers watch as these people brave themselves on 40-foot waves, facing some of the hardest perils of nature, in order to bring up 700-pound crab pots. One mistake could equal disaster. While this series is a reality show documenting the day-to-day operations aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea, it is still an intense and suspenseful account of humans vs. nature. And it isn’t the only show bringing that trope toreality TV.
With the high risk of injury and even death in this line of work, series such as Wicked Tuna and Ice Road Truckers also bring viewers into the world of strange, dangerous, and yet necessary jobs, aspects of the world that they might not know much about. From the choppy seas of the North Atlantic to truckers delivering supplies on twisting, icy roads to remote places in Canada and Alaska, these upcoming series are great options for people who love the show Deadliest Catch.
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‘Alaska: Battle on the Bay’ (2015)
Produced by Dave Caplan, Brad Johnson, and Keith Hoffman
Image via Animal Planet
Each season, fishermen load their vessels and get ready to round up sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Alaska: Battle on the Bay follows these boats as they fight to preserve the ecosystem of the bay when millions of these fish migrate, rounding up a solid 70 percent of them in the process. Their goal: round up more than their competitors in order to get one really massive payday. While there are around 1,800 vessels vying for the biggest haul, this series focuses on five captains and their crews as they sail out into Bristol Bay.
With crews cursing like seasoned sailors and aggressive behavior between competitors, the annual Salmon Derby is not for the faint of heart. Entertaining and action-packed, Alaska: Battle of the Bay is exactly what it sounds like. It is a fight to the finish as each crew fends for themselves, joking, playing, and working themselves to the bone in order to get the biggest catch of the season.
Living in the remote areas of the Alaskan wilderness is no easy feat. The people showcased in Life Below Zeroare doing just that, though, living their lives in the Alaskan wilderness. With the closest neighbor hundreds of miles away, animals lurking around each tree, and fish as a form of bartering currency for supplies, these Alaskans are some of the toughest people on television. The series shows the constant battle for basic necessities and how these people are able to survive winter and even the spring after the ice breaks and new animals begin to wake up. Some people live this lifestyle on their own, while others are with families, but each episode shows what they must do in order to survive.
Life Below Zero is hands down one of the biggest series depicting humans vs. nature. One wrong move could mean a dire consequence for those living in the Alaskan wild. It is an interesting representation of how people work together in order to get food and supplies for their respective households, not using a normal currency. Survival is the name of the game, and these people don’t take anything for granted.
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‘Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove’ (2016)
Created by Thom Beers
Image via Discovery Channel
Bringing viewers to Newport, Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest, known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove is one of the most intense series in the Deadliest Catch franchise. Storms and dangerous waters don’t stop fishermen from setting off during Dungeness crab season in Yaquina Bay with the hopes of reeling in some of the coveted crab, no matter the cost. The series shows the perils the fishermen face and the hardships they go through in order to reel in just a handful of crabs.
Viewers watch as the fishermen risk their lives to pull up the crab pots, something that could be full one minute and gone the next, as they experience mega-waves and harsh weather conditions. A dangerous job with a lot of unknown factors, and the show is intense and unpredictable. But with a lot of money up for grabs, fishermen risk their lives in order to bring in the biggest haul of the season.
People are no strangers to the phrase “gold rush.” But in Nome, Alaska, on Norton Sound, the gold rush isn’t on land but on the bottom of the freezing cold Bering Sea. Bering Sea Gold shows both the summer and spring dredging seasons as eccentric crews set sail to find as much gold as possible before winter hits, and it is too dangerous to dive into the depths of the sea. With custom-built rigs that are questionable at best, viewers watch as people risk the chance of getting hypothermia, or worse, in order to dredge as much gold as possible.
An entertaining series, Bering Sea Gold is a real-life treasure hunt people typically only see in movies, taking viewers on a journey to unknown places under the water to see if there is anything of value. A different type of mining, it is interesting to watch people get excited over the prospect of a little gold, even if they are diving into subzero waters. Bering Sea Gold shows the excitement of the job while not glossing over the dangers the people on the series face while dredging.
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‘Ice Road Truckers’ (2007)
Created by Thom Beers
Image via History
Nerves of steel and complete control, the people who drive big rigs on the remote, icy roads of Canada and Alaska have to have both. In Ice Road Truckers, viewers watch as truckers risk their lives delivering supplies and charting out new territory as they drive over frozen rivers, lakes, and swamps in order to get to their destinations. These truckers are the definition of extreme, as they not only have to deal with the roads and weather conditions but also their huge trucks that can tip over if they skid across black ice, freeze, and slide across remote areas without any lights.
Ice Road Truckers is very intense, bringing viewers into the fatigue, danger, and near-death experiences these people have while traveling to their destinations. Even though the roads are treacherous, the drives can be boring. So, watching the faces of these brave men and women light up in the face of an oncoming storm is something to behold. With cold temperatures, ice, and snow, Ice Road Truckers showcases one of the most dangerous reality TV shows.
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‘River Monsters’ (2009)
Created by Icon Films
Image via Animal Planet
Jeremy Wade isn’t a typical biologist or angler. He travels the world in search of some of the biggest and deadliest freshwater fish on the planet. River Monsters follows Wade to places such as The Cayman Islands, England, The Solomon Islands, and even Texas, all in pursuit of some actual monsters. He has found wels catfish, piranha, alligator gar, and even giant freshwater stingrays on his journeys around the globe.
The show is incredible, watching Wade fish for some of the largest and most dangerous fish in the world. Wildly educational, too, Wade uses his science background to relay information on his catches, giving viewers an inside look at different ecosystems. Not only the fishing grounds on which Wade sets off, but River Monsters is a beautifully shot show that gives viewers a look at different places around the world. It is a great fishing series for anyone who wants to learn some new techniques while also seeing some very cool places and freshwater catches.
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‘The Last Alaskans’ (2015)
Produced by Sean Gallagher, Abby Greensfelder, Et al.
Image via Discovery Channel/Animal Planet
In 1980, the United States banned human occupation in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, all except seven permitted cabins. The Last Alaskans follow those seven families as they live their day-to-day lives in the refuge. Living in isolation with freezing weather and wild animals, these people show what it takes to live on the frontier. Nonconformists who pretty much live by their own rules, this series is all about doing what it takes in order to survive.
It is an astonishing show, allowing viewers to see into the lives of families who hunt, fish, trap, and raise children in the off-grid refuge. A true-life story that has one of the most amazing backdrops, The Last Alaskans is full of people who are knowledgeable about their surroundings, aware of the dangers, and yet are still a community. It is an interesting show about survival in one of the most remote places in the United States.
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‘Wicked Tuna’ (2012)
Created by Craig Piligian
Image via National Geographic
Fishing for bluefin tuna is no easy gig. In the series Wicked Tuna, viewers are brought to the North Atlantic, off the town of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Here, in the place where the film The Perfect Storm is based, the pressure to deliver an abundance of bluefin weighs on fishermen as this specific type of fish is starting to dwindle throughout the oceans. But all it takes is one monumental catch to ensure a huge payday.
The series went on to run for 14 seasons and garnered enough interest for National Geographic to order a spin-off series, Wicked Tuna: North vs South, located in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. It was renamed Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks following its first season. The series discusses how bluefin tuna is overfished, how fisheries work, and the expenses the fishermen have to deal with in order to succeed in this business. Almost a competition show, Nat Geo does a great job showcasing each of the fishing vessels' hauls, making it seem as though they are working against one another in order to earn the most (which they kind of are!). It is an interesting look into a community people don’t often talk about.
Wicked Tuna
Release Date
April 1, 2012
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‘Yukon Men’ (2017)
Produced by French Horwitz
Image via Discovery Channel
With no roads in or out, the 200 or so citizens of Tanana, Alaska, are tough as nails. Located between the Tanana and Yukon rivers, Yukon Men is a survival show at its finest. It shows the daily struggles the residents face each season, especially the winter, as they try to heat their homes, find food to eat, and, maybe most importantly, ward off any wild animals that also want a meal. The series shows their hunting, fishing, and trapping prowess, all while training sled dogs to get around the remote area with ease.
It is one of those “tough-guy” shows that isn’t overstated. It shows hardworking families who will do whatever it takes to survive, teaching their children the inner workings of their small town and how to trap game, fish in ice, and raise dogs. While it is a reality show, it really shows the reality of life in a remote town and how people work together. Even if the cameras were off, these people would still be out in the snow hunting, looking at their traps, and figuring out where they would be getting their next meal for that night’s dinner.
Yukon Men
Release Date
August 24, 2012
Network
Discovery
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‘Ice Cold Catch’ (2022)
Produced by Max Welch
Image via Discovery Channel
Set in the freezing seas of the Arctic waters, Icelandic cod fishermen set off in search of their fortunes. Aborad the vessels in Ice Cold Catch are two men, newbies to the life who have to prove themselves as valuable members of the team in order to be included in the split monetary value of each haul. With frigid temperatures and dangerous waters, these crews will do whatever it takes to ensure they get back to land with a large catch of cod.
The show really revolves around not only the hauls but also the greenhorns, the new and inexperienced crewmembers who must pass a three-week trial in order to earn a permanent place aboard a vessel. Educational and interesting, Ice Cold Catch really doesn’t deal with drama but more so, the lives of both experienced and inexperienced fishermen as they go to live on a vessel during the season and how it affects their lives.
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