Why Deadliest Catch Sounds Completely Different For UK Fans
"Deadliest Catch" has been a staple of the Discovery Channel for well over 17 years, and longtime fans of the series will know that the show has changed drastically throughout the years. The extreme risk of death and high turnover rate of commercial fishing means that the crews and captains within "Deadliest Catch" can change dramatically between each season. And on top of that, some fans have claimed that the series has lost the documentary feel that made its earlier seasons so engrossing.
Yet, there is one aspect of the series which has remained consistent all throughout its numerous years on air has been the show's narrator, Mike Rowe. The "Dirty Jobs” star has narrated "Deadliest Catch" since its very first episode, and at this point, it's clear that he is nearly as important to the series as the crew members themselves. Considering just how essential Mike Rowe is to "Deadliest Catch" as a whole, it's somewhat ironic that fans watching the series from the U.K. may never have heard his voice at all, as the British version of "Deadliest Catch" doesn't exactly sound like its U.S. counterpart.
Deadliest Catch has a different narrator in the UK
The reason that "Deadliest Catch" sounds so different across the pond is that the U.K. version of the series actually has an entirely different narrator. Aside from his work on the show, Scottish-born Bill Petrie also records voiceovers for various advertisements and shows such as "World's Biggest Ship" and "UFO Encounter." To clarify, the events that play out in each episode are almost entirely the same between both the U.S. and U.K. versions, and as such, you might only realize you're watching the latter version of "Deadliest Catch" when you hear who's narrating the episode. It's unclear exactly why Discovery opted to go with a different narrator for the British version of the series, though it's clear that U.K. fans have embraced this decision wholeheartedly.
Indeed, U.K.-based viewers have stated that they find Mike Rowe's voice to be similarly jarring whenever they watch the U.S. version of the series, as Petrie's narration is an iconic and beloved part of the series for them. "His voice is synonymous with the show for me," wrote u/The_0ne_Free_Man on Reddit. "It's so weird seeing American clips and I'm thinking 'WTF who is this narrator.'" "Love the Scottish narrator," echoed u/Miserable_Mouse_2546.
As jarring as Petrie's narration may be for longtime American fans of "Deadliest Catch," U.K. fans have made it clear that his voice is just as essential to the series as that of Mike Rowe to American viewers, and gives the British version of the show its own distinctive feel.