Deadliest Catch: Bloodline: What You Should Know About The New Spin-Off
In 2005, TV audiences were introduced to the dangerous and F-bomb-filled world of Alaskan commercial fishing vessels with the premiere of the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. For 15 years, viewers have been tuning in to observe the life-and-death stakes of the professionals who are responsible for bringing crab legs to your plates as they battle freezing waters and the fiery personalities of their fellow crew members. The show has been a consistent ratings hit, even all these years later, which makes it all the less surprising that Discovery has announced that the series is getting an all-new spin-off.
Deadliest Catch: Bloodline is set to premiere on the Discovery Channel on April 14. After a more traditional spin-off, Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove, failed to catch on with viewers, it appears that this latest offering is planning to give fans the same high-stakes action they've become accustomed to, along with a little something new. In anticipation of the premiere, let's take a look at what you can expect in this latest deep sea adventure.
Deadliest Catch: Bloodline stars Captain Phil Harris' son
If the name wasn't enough of a giveaway, the first thing to know about Deadliest Catch: Bloodline is that it's a family affair. The show stars Captain Josh Harris, the son of one of the original Deadliest Catch stars, Captain Phil Harris. Captain Harris was a gruff-but-lovable, lifelong fisherman in Alaska's Bering Sea that helped cement the show as something to watch.
Fans of the show were shocked and saddened when, in 2010, Captain Phil Harris suffered a stroke during crabbing season. The crew of Deadliest Catch were filming at the time, and according to the show's executive producer Tom Beers, Harris insisted that the camera's continue rolling. This resulted in one of the show's most dramatic episodes as viewers watched as Captain Harris was airlifted off his vessel and transported to a hospital where he later died.
Captain Josh Harris originally appeared on Deadliest Catch as a crew member on his father's boat the Cornelia Marie. Early information about the show indicates that Josh's relationship with his deceased father and his legacy will play a large role in the narrative of the new unscripted show.
This Deadliest Catch spin-off is set in Hawaii
If you could feel your teeth chatter just watching the crew members getting splashed with nearly frozen waves in the harsh Alaskan seas, then this spin-off will be a welcome change of pace. For Deadliest Catch: Bloodline, the crew is headed to the big island of Hawaii, specifically the Kona coast. This will not only mean a switch of scenery (and wardrobe) for the show, but also a difference in the types of fish Josh's crew will be going after.
While Deadliest Catch saw the crews of various ships dredging the frigid ocean depths during two specific crabbing seasons (red king crab and opilio crab), this spin-off is likely to feature a larger variety of catches. In a trailer for the new series, its star lays out the variety of fish on offer in Hawaii: "Ahi, bonefish, barracuda, swordfish." For fans of the franchise who love the technical side of things, this should provide some thrilling new elements to the familiar formula.
But, of course, Deadliest Catch has never just been about the fishing, and fans of the complicated human drama the show is known for can expect a full net when they tune in to Deadliest Catch: Bloodline.
Deadliest Catch: Bloodline is more than just a fishing show
While Deadliest Catch: Bloodline looks like it will give fans who tune in for the fishing parts of its parent show plenty to enjoy, don't expect it to just be Deadliest Catch but in Hawaii. As it turns out, Captain Josh Harris didn't just up and run off to the South Pacific to work on his tan. He was drawn to the island by a cache of fishing charts written up in Captain Phil Harris' handwriting for the waters off the big island.
This will set Josh off on a treasure hunt of sorts to try and discover what knowledge his late father might have had about the lucrative Kona coast fishing trade. While it might not be gold at the end of his father's treasure map, a giant haul of ahi tuna could be worth just as much. Josh will be joined by his business partner and fellow Deadly Catch co-star Casey McManus on his hunt for his father's secret Hawaiian knowledge. They'll also team up with a local commercial fisherman, Jeff Silva, who knows the waters off the Kona coast as well as Josh and Casey know the Bering Sea.
With a more focused direction and intriguing new familial mystery elements, Deadliest Catch: Bloodlines seems like it could get fans of the original series hook, line, and sinker.