‘Deadliest Catch’ New Season 17 Comes to discovery+ Ahead of Discovery
Deadliest Catch is back but the premiere will be streamed first on discovery+.
Half the fleet was tied up in Seattle during the production of Deadliest Catch, and the stress of COVID has the entire core cast on high alert as the show is back for an amazing season 17 on discovery+ and Discovery afterward.
The show will air on April 20 on Discovery and is streaming now on discovery+.
This year, it’s a fight for the industry’s survival as the trailer shares Captain Sig Hansen of the F/V Northwestern in deep thought about the do-or-die situation the entire fleet is dealing with on season 17.
About the new season of Deadliest Catch
Old faces are back as Captain Sig Hansen from Deadliest Catch talks about the global pandemic and the fact that half the crab boats of the Bering Sea fleet are tied up in Seattle.
Discovery says:
Now an existential threat faces the fishermen who make the long-haul trip to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, for the 2021 Crab season – a potential closure of the entire fishery. Crabbing isn’t just a way of life for the captains and their crew. This year, it’s a fight for the industry’s survival. If they’re going to make it work, the fleet will need to make sacrifices and band together across lines – even with long-sworn enemies.
Their livelihood is at stake as the show returns with a season like no other before, streaming exclusively first on Friday, March 19 on discovery+, ahead of the season premiere airing Tuesday, April 20 at 8 PM ET/PT on Discovery.
The challenges
It’s been a tough year for everyone, and with the government-imposed lockdowns, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game wasn’t able to conduct their summer crab survey.
That means the captains will be fishing blind with no charts or guidance on where to find crab on the grounds.
This adds to an already challenging season as the captains to realize that they can’t start this season without a new approach.
The Core Cast for Season 17
Captain Sig Hansen of the F/V Northwestern proposes a two-pronged plan to save the fishery. He takes on his good friend and legendary crabber, Johnathan Hillstrand. But will Johnathan agree to come out of retirement?
Sig’s second strategy is teamwork: The captains working together as a pack. It’s a huge risk and requires honesty and cooperation from everyone. But can the captains put the good of the fleet ahead of their own interests? Some of them have their doubts.
F/V Wizard Captain Keith Colburn’s issues are his WW2-era boat is in need of maintenance.
And Captain Scott Campbell Jr. of the F/V Lady Alaska. Scott has a direct line to find crab. Scott hatches a plan to share his intel with longtime rival Keith in exchange for quota. This plan will meet some challenges and provide some interesting footage this season. Read between the lines here.
On the F/V Saga, former Sig Hansen protege Captain Jake Anderson will try to secure more quota. But will this young captain be able to pull off a successful season? Or will F/V Northwestern’s reserve captain, Mandy Hansen, enlist Jake in her own plan to tank their combined share of the total crab quota?
Back are Captains Josh Harris and Casey McManus of the F/V Cornelia Marie. This year, they struggled and call upon business partner Jeff Silva from Hawaii to join them. Though Jeff, adept in fishing Hawaiian waters, proves that he puts the green in greenhorn.
Lastly is Captain Wild Bill and the F/V Summer Bay. Still reeling from the passing of deckhand Mahlon Reyes, who suffered a deadly heart attack at the young age of 38 years old, Bill and his crew honor Mahlon’s memory by giving him a proper fisherman’s burial at sea before setting off on the new crabbing season.
But just as they attempt to leave the dock, crew member Nick McGlashan suddenly falls ill with a fever. Will Bill must make hard decisions.
Weather will deliver the forty-foot waves, as government shutdowns, global pandemics and hurricane-force winds will smack the fleet in the face.
Is it time to lock arms or go to war? The new season promises a lot of drama and heartache with the victories too.
Follow the conversation on social media with #DeadliestCatch.
DEADLIEST CATCH Returns For its Landmark 17th Season in a Year Where Nothing Seems Normal
discovery+ to Stream First Episode on Friday, March 19, Ahead of Season Premiere on Tuesday, April 20 at 8 PM ET/PT on Discovery
