‘Wicked Tuna’ Canceled By National Geographic
National Geographic has canceled the popular reality TV series Wicked Tuna after 13 seasons on the air. The news broke when the network confirmed the cancellation in a statement and thanked the series’ cast and crew for all their hard work over the years.
Here is what you need to know about National Geographic canceling Wicked Tuna.
Wicked Tuna Canceled After 13 Seasons
National Geographic announced that it has canceled the hit reality TV series Wicked Tuna. The show followed a group of fishermen from Gloucester, Massachusetts. This is the nation’s oldest seaport, and they made a living catching one fish at a time. The entire goal was searching for the bluefin tuna.
According to National Geographic, it canceled the series after 13 seasons and 200 episodes. “the long-running series Wicked Tuna has concluded its run on National Geographic,” the statement read (via Variety). “It has been an incredible journey together and there are only two words that seem to fit the moment: Thank You.”
The series shows viewers the fierce competition, crushing losses, and big paydays of the country’s toughest captains. The job is simple for these commercial fishermen: Catch a fish or don’t get paid.
Wicked Tuna premiered on Nat Geo in April 2012 and aired for 13 seasons. It also spawned a spinoff called Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, which ran from 2014 to 2021.
The network wrote, “The series celebrated one of America’s oldest industries since first premiering on National Geographic in 2012 and made internationally recognizable stars out of the intrepid commercial fishermen who brave the unrelenting North Atlantic waters to catch the elusive bluefin tuna.”
Why Did National Geographic Cancel Wicked Tuna?
National Geographic canceled Wicked Tuna simply because it was a case of cost-cutting. The network has taken several cost-cutting measures by order of Disney, which owns the network. This comes less than a month after Disney laid off 140 employees from its television division (via Variety).
The two networks hardest hit by the layoffs were National Geographic and Freeform. National Geographic was hit worse, as it lost 60 employees, which was 13% of its team. Disney acquired the brand in 2019 when it purchased 21st Century Fox. This was part of Disney CEO Bob Iger’s plan to “pretty dramatically” reduce spending on traditional television after spending “too much” on streaming.
Iger said Disney’s new goal is to quickly move new episodes of shows onto platforms like Hulu, which he said is paying off. However, it also means reducing many fan-favorite shows from regular network television. Pixar Animation previously cut 14% of its workforce, as Disney wants to put the money into movies rather than TV shows for that brand.
What are your thoughts on National Geographic canceling Wicked Tuna? Do you think this is just the start of eliminating many popular TV shows just to save money? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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