Reality fare on NBC might get a bit grittier next season: the Peacock just signed a three-series deal with Original Productions, the company behind the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch (pictured) and The History Channel’s Ice Road Truckers. Both shows — about the the crab fishermen who ply the treacherous waters of the Bering Sea, and the drivers who haul big loads over the frozen lakes of Canada’s Northwest Territories — have earned big ratings and favorable reviews with their compelling mix of blue-collar heroes and white-knuckle thrills. (We can only hope that one of these new shows isn’t called Deadliest Truckers.)
I’m a fan of both series, but if I had to choose between them, I’d have to go with Catch — there’s something so fascinating about a ship rolling in 20-foot seas as the crew scrambles about the deck, tying lines, emptying crab pots, and trying not to get swept overboard. You just don’t get that sense of drama as the truckers go about their own very dangerous business — and, since, most of them drive solo, you miss out on all the tensions and group dynamics you get on the fishing boats.
But, hey, that’s me. Which of these brawny-man shows do you prefer? And what kind of rugged, danger-filled occupations would you like to see coming to NBC?
I’d watch a show about lumber crews. That can be very dangerous work.
These two are okay, I like Survivor Man and Man Vrs Wild.
I think one of the more dangerous jobs is working in a slaughterhouse – I’d love to have NBC show that!
I prefer Deadliest Catch. There is something about the danger of the job coupled with lack of sleep and crew/captain tensions that makes for great, compelling television. Plus my husband is as crazy as those Norwegian Hansen boys. I think it’s genetic (he’s Norwegian himself).
As for a new show, I don’t know. I like the suggestion about loggers. No slaughterhouse would let cameras in to show its very shady and questionable practices or its immigrant workers (it would get ICE more involved in raids).
Whatever they do, they need to get Mike Rowe to narrate it. Anyone who’s seen Lobster Wars (lame Deadliest Catch knockoff with different accents and lower stakes) knows how important his pitch-perfect voice over work is.
I like the logging idea too. My uncle owns a lumber mill and there is definitely plenty of danger to go around there. (Like, for example, the time he was scouting timber out in the middle of nowhere in a small plane, hit a power line and took part of the wing off. I understand that was fairly exciting.)
Deadliest Catch is addicting! I love watching it. I think the lumbermill idea is great or maybe a show about working on a fire crew during wildfire season. I would watch either one of those.
I can’t get enough of the Deadliest Catch! The voiceover work is top notch, and the ships crews are the sort of guys who’d be fun to have a beer at a bar with.
As for other show ideas, how about one where they follow the exploits of a nuclear sub crew? Or how about underwater construction? If not that, how about a show that follows the training of someone who’s paid to go to space with the russians? There’d been discussions to make a show like that with Lance Bass until the money well ran dry…
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