Deadliest Catch - a Viewer's Guide

The fifth season of "The Deadliest Catch" will premier on April 14th, 2009 on the Discovery Channel. If you are new to the show, it provides a very unique and interesting look into the lives and work of Alaskan crab fishermen. Filmed on location this is a 'true' reality series. The dangers are very real and the conditions these men work in are unbelievable. Narrated by Mike Rowe this Emmy winning series shows there are still some true adventurers left in this world, and these fishermen are among them.

The show draws its name from the fact fishing for crab in the Bering Sea is perhaps the deadliest of all occupations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, commercial fishing is ranked as the job with the highest mortality rate at 141.7 per 100,000 workers. This is 75% higher than for loggers, the next most hazardous job. It should be noted crab fishing is even more dangerous than normal commercial fishing because of the harsh conditions and unpredictable weather. As of 2005, Alaskan king crab fishing reported more than 300 fatalities per 100,000 workers. That is more than double the number for commercial fishermen which was already rated as the most hazardous job in the world.

A few facts; There are two crab seasons , the King Crab and the Opilio Crab. Only adult male crabs of a specified size are allowed to be kept, all females and juvenile males must be thrown back.

Theme Music; "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi

The Ships; While each season follows a certain group of ships, there are a few favorites which will be returning for season five. Among these are the Time Bandit, Cornelia Marie, Early Dawn, Northwestern and Wizard. Each ship with its Captain and crew has its on distinct personality and fishing methods.

Film Crews; The crab boats have no special accommodations for the film crews who must endure the elements along with the fishermen in order to get the action shots viewers enjoy. While every effort is made to protect the camera gear, many of the cameras are damaged beyond repair by the cold, the sea water and the rough conditions aboard ship. Each of the cameras can cost in excess of $7,000.

Episodes and viewers; By the end of season number 4 there had been a total of 53 episodes of Deadliest Catch presented. Discovery Channel reports more than 49 million viewers during season 3 with some 3 million viewers per original airing. This makes Deadliest Catch one of the most successful shows on cable television.

Favorite Boat Websites; If you want to learn more about some of your favorite boats and their crews, many have their own websites. www.corneliamarie.comwww.fvnorthamerican.comwww.fvnorthwestern.comwww.timebandit.tvwww.crabwizard.com

Other Articles; I have also written an article "The 10 scariest moments of Deadliest Catch" which can be found at - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1555685/scariest_moments_on_discovery_channels.html?cat=2

For more information on the series you can go to the official Discovery website at www.discoverychannel.co.uk/web/deadliestcatch/

Sources: :National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries 2006 - Bureau of labor and Statistics
Discovery Channel - Total viewer-ship numbers are stated in commercials for season 4