What is “Deadliest Catch”?

“Deadliest Catch” is a Discovery Channel production that premiered in April 2005, and shows viewers the perils faced by crab fisherman working in the Bering Sea during the snow crab and Alaskan king crab fishing seasons which take place in January and October every year. The gripping reality series is filmed in Alaska’s Aleutian Island and airs worldwide, with the 18^th season premiering in April 2022.

As is the case with almost all Discovery offerings, human relationships and the rapport between cast members play an important role in the show’s success. Often faced with unfavorable weather conditions including high waves and gale-force winds, it’s little surprise that viewers feel sympathy for the camera crews and fishermen as they battle a stressful and often life-endangering work environment.

The comings-and-goings on the boats are the focus of each episode, with the fleet’s captains getting plenty of screentime, although the rookie crew members – known as “greenhorns” – are considered by some to be the show’s unsung heroes. Some of the fleet members are related, such as the Hansen and Colburn brothers, which adds an extra dimension to their friendly rivalries and occasional spats.

Alaskan crab fishing is known to be one of the most dangerous jobs there is, so there are always US Coast Guard (USCG) rescue squads on standby. The rescue squads have saved the day plenty of times, especially during the losses of F/V Ocean Challenger, F/V Big Valley and F/V Katmai, which occurred between 2005 and 2008, and can often be seen helping out crew members in tricky situations caused by the Bering Sea’s harsh conditions.

Although there’s no on-camera host on “Deadliest Catch”, there are narrators – Mike Rowe for North America and Bill Petrie for UK – who explain and connect each storyline, while a mock-up radar screen showing the position of each ship takes viewers from one boat to another. Originally, Mike was intended to be the on-camera host, and had appeared in many episodes of season one. When he was forced to choose between being an on-camera host for “Dirty Jobs” or “Deadliest Catch”, the narrator picked the former, and most of the taped footage he shot for the first season was turned into a “Behind the Scenes” episode.

From season three onwards, Mike also began hosting “After the Catch”, a post-season miniseries that takes place entirely behind the scenes, and in which the captains have a roundtable discussion, and look back on their best and worst moments of the season.

Blurring or pixelization is often used to keep the show – which is rated TV-14 in the US – age-appropriate. Bloody injuries, finger gestures, and profanities are commonplace due to the stressful nature of the cast member’s jobs.

Fishing Vessels and Crew Members

The Wizard and Northwestern crews are the stars of “Deadliest Catch” and have appeared in pretty much every season since 2005, while other fishing vessels have come and gone over the years.

Keith Colburn, captain of the F/V Wizard, is something of a celebrity in the crab fishing industry, with hundreds of thousands of fans across his social media platforms. The mustached Californian, who is famous for his no-nonsense attitude, works alongside his brother Monte, Tyler and Todd Gateman, his first mate Gary Soper, and a few deckhands.

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Born in March 1963, Keith has been married to his wife Florence – with whom he shares two children – for decades. His fishing adventure began in late 1985, when he and his best friend Kurt Frankenberg caught a flight to Kodiak, Alaska, with just $50 and a tent between them. Allured by the moneymaking potential, and determined to try something new, Keith started out at the bottom, and joined the crew of F/V Alaska Trader as a greenhorn with no experience.

Soon falling in love with the lifestyle, Keith joined the Wizard as a full share deckhand just three years later. Between 1990 and 1992, he earned his USCG 1600-ton Mates license and 1600 ton inspected Masters, transitioning from deckhand to pilot. Mentored by John Jorgensen, who came from a long line of pioneer commercial fishermen, Keith learned to trust his instincts instead of following the crowd – which has often paid off enormously.

In 2002, the Wizard found itself all alone out at sea after venturing 200 miles further North than the rest of the boats. A risky decision that could’ve ended in tragedy ended up being a record-breaking year, as Keith and his crew caught 540,000lbs of snow crab compared to the average catch of 130,000 lbs. Two years later, the captain repeated his strategy – and caught a total of 400,000lbs of crab compared to the second-best catch of 250,000lbs and the average catch of 125,000 lbs.

Although the energetic Californian shows no signs of slowing down, and has lent his expertise to dozens of “Deadliest Catch” spin-offs such as documentaries and TV movies, Keith is also an aspiring public speaker, who is looking to expand his brand. Cooking is just another of his passions that he’s been able to make money from, as the captain launched his own line of sauces and dry rubs in 2015.

The roaring success of Keith’s “Captain Keith’s Catch” line surprised many people. However, long before becoming a celebrity crab fisherman, Keith began working in French restaurants at the tender age of 14, gradually climbing up the ranks from saucier to sous-chef to executive chef. Unsurprisingly, crab and seafood in general are the staples of Keith’s signature dishes.

Now moving on to the F/V Northwestern, which captained by Sig Hansen. His brother Norman helps keep things running smoothly as the engineer and deckhand, while Sig’s daughter Mandy is the captain-in-training, primed to take over her father’s position when the timing’s right. Mandy’s husband Clark is the boat’s greenhorn, making things a real family affair – which is fitting, keeping in mind that Sig and Norman are descended from a long line of Norwegian fishermen.

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Their grandfather and great-grandfather were opilio crab fishing pioneers who became enormously popular within the industry, after helping crab boats earn money all year round, and not just for a few months a year. Enthralled by the family business, Sig began working on his father Sverre’s boat when 14 years old, and perfected his skills after graduating from high school. Spending roughly 10 months a year in Alaska and on the Bering Sea, Sig became a relief skipper shortly after his 22^nd birthday. His tasks consisted of relieving the Northwestern’s other captains, and doing short-haul stints on the fleet’s other boats.

The Northwestern, which Sig has been running full-time since he was 24 years old, has been hailed for its safety record, with a much lower serious injury rate than average, and no deaths at sea to date. In 2005 and 2006, the fishing vessel caught the highest poundage of king crab and opilio crab respectively, and won the final derby seasons in “Deadliest Catch”.

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Much like Keith, Sig has spent years laying the foundations for a comfortable retirement. In 2010, he co-wrote his first book “North By Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters”, which became a Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestseller. Months later, he would appear on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, when he spoke of his desire to be a contestant in the following season of the hit reality show “Dancing with the Stars”.

It’s rumored that the Seattle native negotiated a much higher salary to return to “Deadliest Catch” for season seven, as he announced his departure from the program in September 2010, but backtracked just a month later. Although his transition from fisherman to A-lister didn’t quite work out, Sig also competed in season 14 of “The Celebrity Apprentice”, and did voiceover work on “Cars 2”.

Deaths

The cast of “Deadliest Catch” has been plagued by several deaths since 2005, with one of the saddest being Captain Phil Harris in 2010 at the age of 53, due to a massive stroke. Tony Lara, the former captain of F/V Cornelia Marie, would die just five years later at the age of 50, after suffering a massive heart attack while asleep.

Blake Painter and Justin Tennison, who were aged 38 and 33 at the times of their deaths, both passed away under what some fans call mysterious circumstances. Blake, who had a brief stint on “Deadliest Catch” in 2006 as the Maverick’s captain, was found dead at home – no official cause of death was given, despite rumors of an accidental overdose. Meanwhile, Justin died in a hotel room in Alaska mere days after returning from sea; the cause of death was later announced as complications from sleep apnea.

Nick McGlashan, who starred on the hit reality series "Deadliest Catch," has died in Nashville, the Davidson County Medical Examiner confirms. He was 33. https://t.co/LQZoyoe3TR

— CNN (@CNN) December 28, 2020

Tragedy struck once again with the death of Nick McGlashan in December 2020. Two days after Christmas, the Tennessee native – who had two children – was found dead of a drug overdose at just 33 years of age. One of the first persons to receive the bad news was his close friend and captain Bill Wichrowski.

Although Sig and other cast members offered their support and condolences, Bill took Nick’s death the hardest. In a heartbreaking tribute episode, which was attended by the deck boss’s family and every current cast member, Bill threw Nick’s hook into the ocean, and fired off expired flare guns in his friend’s memory. He also said over the radio: “We’re gonna say goodbye to Nick McGlashan, but he’ll always be with us… I love you guys [the other cast members] for coming in for this. I’m really blown away. Thank you.”

Nick had been open regarding his past addictions to alcohol, meth, and heroin, and had checked into rehab in 2017, causing him to miss out on the show’s 13^th season.

Commercial Fishing

As mentioned, commercial fishing is one of America’s most perilous jobs. With a 141.7 per 100,000 fatality rate according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the occupation was 75% more dangerous than being a flight engineer, logger, or pilot. With that said, Alaskan king crab fishing is a whole different story due to the Bering Sea’s weather conditions, which is what makes the show even more interesting.

The pilot episode of “Deadliest Catch” claimed that the injury rate for crew members on most boats is nearly 100%, and the death rate averages almost one fisherman per week during the main crab seasons. Ice formations and frigid gales aside, crab fishermen must wrangle complicated and heavy machinery on the boat’s deck, which is constantly moving. As of 2005, 80% of the deaths in the Alaskan king crab fishing industry had been caused by drowning or hypothermia – there were reportedly over 300 fatalities per 100,000.

The derby vs. quota fishing systems has also been a topic of controversy. Until 2006, crews of king crab fishermen would compete during a small time window. With the implementation of the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) system, owners of crab boats were given quotas to fill at a more leisurely pace.

Although the IFQ system claims to be safer, and was expected to increase crabs’ market value, many crews were put out of work, as the owners of small boats failed to meet operating expenses with their assigned quotas. After the first crab fishing season under the IFQ system, just 89 boats remained, with over 160 being left unemployed.

“Deadliest Catch” is clearly not for the faint-hearted, but some viewers have also criticized the on-screen bullying of greenhorn fishermen by veteran deckhands. In earlier seasons, a fisherman berated his captain and was fired almost instantly, which is somewhat understandable. However, a more memorable incident that took place on the fishing vessel Wizard, saw a greenhorn sailor punch a more senior fisherman who had subjected him to constant bullying and harassment. Outraged fans of the show took to social media to express their disappointment at the decision, with others claiming that the greenhorn took things too far by resorting to physical violence.

Such is the stress of the industry in which these fishermen work!

Who is Drake Milligan?

Born in Mansfield, Texas, in June 1998, Drake Milligan took the US by storm with his audition on “America’s Got Talent” (AGT), and his subsequent performances, due to his talent and resemblance to Elvis Presley.

Inspired by his father’s love for country music, and an Elvis impersonator he saw perform in a local restaurant, Drake impersonated the “King of Rock & Roll” himself before answering a casting call to play the deceased music legend in the CMT series “Sun Records”. At the time, Drake was a senior in high school, and had to move from Texas to Nashville after landing the role.

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A year later, Drake auditioned for “American Idol”, but then surprised viewers with his decision to drop out. The level-headed Texan was unprepared to cope with such a big platform, and chose to move to Nashville to focus on perfecting his musical skills first. Drake’s perseverance paid off, as he signed a deal with BBR Music Group after months of hard work and dedication.

In summer 2021, Drake released his debut self-titled EP, with each song racking up thousands of views on YouTube since. He also released the non-album single “Cowgirl for Christmas” in October 2021, and began working on his debut album.

When Drake and his band auditioned for AGT in 2022, performing a riveting original song “Sounds Like Something I’d Do”, the judges were blown away, and instantly said ‘yes’. Drake’s good looks and appealing personality made him a fan favorite, and thousands of viewers were heartbroken when he lost out to The Mayyas and Kristy Sellars in the season finale.

However, a day later, BBR Music Group struck while the iron was hot, and released Drake’s debut album “Dallas/Fort Worth”, although it’s possible that the artist wasn’t allowed to release music while appearing in the talent show. With over 70,000 Instagram followers as of September 2022, the charismatic musician has made clear that he’s ready to take his career to the next level, and has several concerts lined up around the states.

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Keeping up with the tradition of old-school celebrities who rarely divulge details of their private lives, fans know virtually nothing about Drake, and must rely on internet sleuths for information on their tight-lipped idol. Drake’s parents, Jim and Angela Milligan, are humble folk who work in the scrap metal recycling and veterinarian industries respectively. It’s known that one of Drake’s grandfathers was an ensign in the US Navy, and who was rewarded with the prestigious Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal in the early 1960s.

As there is little to no information regarding Drake’s personal life, fans have assumed that the handsome Texan is single. However, it’s possible that he’s shielding his relationship status from the public eye, so as not to distract from what he wants to be known for: his musical talents and flowering career.

“American Idol”

As mentioned, “American Idol” wasn’t the right fit for Drake at the time – but the talent show has spawned several household names, including Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks, and the legendary country artist Carrie Underwood. The singing competition series, which first aired in 2002 and returned in 2018 after a two-year hiatus, has seen unparalleled success, and boasts spin-offs such as “American Juniors”, “An American Idol Christmas”, and “The Next Great American Band”.

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At first, the show intended to have four judges, but only three – Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson – had been found by the time filming for season one began. Interestingly, the radio DJ Stryker was originally picked out to be the fourth judge, but dropped out due to concerns for his image, while Angie Martinez also turned down the lucrative job.

From seasons one to eight, the show did well enough with its three-judge format. Over the years, new faces such as Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres have come and gone, eventually replacing the three original judges. Although the contestants are the focus of the show, executives soon found that the possibly scripted on-screen spats between judges – see Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj – made for entertaining viewing. The current judging panel consists of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Ryan Seacrest.

The show has, of course, seen its fair share of scandal in two decades – and the internet never forgets, even if the general public does. In February 2009, Joanna Pacitti was disqualified from the competition when news of her music industry connections broke. The brunette singer had broken the show’s number-one rule with her record deal, as “American Idol” wanted to find unsigned talent. Joanna’s disqualification was especially controversial because there was evidence that she had been an opening act for Nick Lachey on his tour. Cynics wondered how the show’s producers, who are meant to meticulously comb through the history of their contestants, overlooked Joanna’s history. Whatever the case, Joanna made it to semifinals before being unceremoniously given the boot.

Caleb Pike, a Season 19 contestant who made it to the top 5, also made headlines for all the wrong reasons, after a video of him sat next to someone in a Ku Klux Klan outfit began circulating online. Despite releasing a half-hearted apology via his Instagram account, the damage was done, as the aspiring musician’s career seems to have gone nowhere since.

Phillip Phillips, the guitar-playing and ruggedly handsome winner of Season 12, saw himself entrenched in a nasty legal battle with Idol’s production team. Lodging a petition with the California Labor Commissioner in early 2015, the musician claimed to have been manipulated by 19 Entertainment and its affiliate companies. After accusing 19 Entertainment of violating California’s Talent Agency Act and breaching fiduciary duties, Phillip was hit with a $6 million lawsuit from the production company after it filed for bankruptcy sometime in 2016, when Idol was cancelled.

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After signing a deal with FremantleMedia Limited to reboot Idol on ABC, 19 Entertainment and Phillips reached a settlement and announced an amicable resolution, but declined to share any details. Money talks, and it’s believed but not confirmed that Phillip was paid seven figures to drop the lawsuit. which was negatively impacting the show’s publicity.

Last but not least, Frenchie Davis was disqualified from season two, due to topless photos that she’d had taken at the age of 19. Despite telling the producers about the photos beforehand, they ultimately decided that the musician would tarnish the show’s family image if news outlets caught wind of the racy images during the competition. These days, Frenchie has carved out her own lane as a professor and Broadway star, with critically acclaimed performances in “The Color Purple” and other musicals.

On a more positive note, the talent show has raised over $185 million over the years with its Idol Gives Back charity event, which began in season six. With celebrity performances and fundraising activities, the purpose of the star-studded event was to help underprivileged children around the world. The show’s creator, Simon Fuller, teamed up with British writer Richard Curtis to create the event, which was a roaring success in 2007, 2008 and 2010, the only three years it was held. To avoid backlash, the event wasn’t held in 2009 due to the crippling economic crisis, but it’s unknown why Idol Gives Back was quietly shelved after 2010.

“America’s Got Talent”

AGT is part of Simon Cowell’s worldwide “Got Talent” franchise. Produced by Fremantle USA and Syco Entertainment, and distributed by the latter, the show broadcasts on NBC, and premiered in June 2006 after initial plans to air a British edition in 2005 were quietly scrapped. Former and current judges include Sofia Vergara, David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne and other household names who each add their unique twist to the program.

A show so extreme it took 10 years to get on TV! NBC’s AGT: Extreme premieres Monday 8/7c. pic.twitter.com/7MXcRk2VWX

— America’s Got Talent (@AGT) February 16, 2022

Common acts on the show include dancing, singing, magic performances, and comedy skits, although some truly weird novelty acts have graced the AGT stage, such as a mime act who wore duct tape over his mouth, and a professional regurgitator who made it to the semifinals against all odds. Since season three, winners have been offered the chance to headline a show on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as an attractive cash prize.

With an average of 10 million viewers per season, AGT has spawned the spin-off competitions “AGT: Extreme” and “America’s Got Talent: The Champions”. The 2013 book “Inside AGT: The Untold Stories of America’s Got Talent” was also mildly successful thanks to its interviews with contestants and insider knowledge, despite being ignored by the general public.

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A program of AGT’s caliber and popularity is bound to attract both positive and negative attention, if lawsuits and controversy are anything to go by. A-list actress Gabrielle Union took the show to court amidst turbulent allegations of racism and sexism on set, including threats from a former NBC executive. Fired after just one season as a judge, the “Bring It On” star also filed a discrimination complaint with California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing, claiming that she was let go of after mentioning her concerns over the show’s toxic work environment.

Just four months after filing the lawsuit, Gabrielle and NBC settled out of court in September 2020. Gabrielle’s hairstyles were allegedly criticized for being “too black”, and she was called “difficult” when she complained about Simon smoking indoors. Despite an outside investigation not yielding any tangible results, it’s believed that NBC paid handsomely for Gabrielle’s silence due to her status. At the time, the tragic death of police brutality victim George Floyd was still fresh in the public’s memory, and NBC clearly preferred to avoid a backlash and negative publicity in a racially charged environment.

Three years prior, Tyra Banks of “America’s Next Top Model” fame landed herself in hot water, when she was accused of physically manipulating and verbally abusing the young daughter of a female contestant. The woman who filed the 18-page lawsuit against AGT’s production company in the Los Angeles Superior Court preferred not to be identified by name, and was referred to in court documents as Jane Doe.

Jane claimed that she and her husband were made to feel humiliated by the AGT judges and members of the public, but especially by Tyra, who reportedly ridiculed their performance of an original song written about their daughter, identified in the lawsuit as Mary Doe. The lawsuit continued: “As a result of her negative experience from AGT and Defendants’ abusive treatment, Mary was traumatized and became deeply depressed.”

As Jane and her husband’s performance never made it to TV screens, the lawsuit was largely forgotten about, and it’s unclear if AGT’s production team reached a settlement with the unhappy contestants. With that said, Tyra has a well-documented history of being less than kind with her remarks, and has gone viral several times for unflattering clips of her conduct while judging and hosting on ANTM. The former supermodel was replaced as host in 2019.

In March 2018, AGT was sued once again in a 20-page complaint by the family of Maureen Allen, who sustained grave injuries after falling from her wheelchair outside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where the show was being taped. According to Maureen’s family, the fall led to “multiple hospitalizations and operations” and, eventually to her untimely passing.

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Maureen and her husband, who were at the auditorium as volunteers for a sponsored science and engineering fair, found that there were no available disabled access points when they tried entering the venue. All the handicap access points were blocked by the show’s trailers and filming equipment except for one, but according to the lawsuit, “in order to gain access to [that ramp], individuals with disabilities were forced to navigate and maneuver over a large power cord protector that obstructed the only available path of travel.”

In an unfortunate incident, Maureen suffered a broken hip as well as head and arm injuries when she tried to move her wheelchair over the power cord protector. Her health rapidly declined following blood clots, a stroke, and eight procedures, until she was put on life support days before her death in June 2017. Once again, there is little to no news regarding the outcome of the lawsuit, although some news outlets have their eyes on their case for any further developments.