Fishing shows are usually dull affairs, and low-rated at that, appealing all but entirely to people whose passion is angling in all its forms. You've got to love it to watch them, and then some, as they are long on jig and lure chatter and short on high adventure.
Or so it was until the Discovery Channel came up with "Deadliest Catch," the second-year reality show airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. It's all about daring and stamina and risk-taking.
The show chronicles Alaska’s crab fisherman enduring freezing temperatures and waves up to 40 feet high as they struggle to land crabs in giant 700-pound pots. If that sounds nearly impossible, and also sort of insane, consider this: While crab fishermen have an injury rate of nearly 100 percent, they can also support their families for an entire year through just a few months of work.
By combining rock music and lively narration with an active show forum, where the show’s subjects often drop by to answer viewer questions, Discovery has produced cable’s highest-rated non-sports show among adults 25-54.
Ratings for the program are up in every demo this season. "Catch" is averaging a 1.6 in 25-54s, up 23 percent over season one’s 1.3. It has averaged a 1.9 household rating, up 19 percent over season one, which aired last summer.
And after four episodes, it ranks behind only USA Network’s "WWE Entertainment" among 25-54s on the basic cable charts.
This season has brought some changes to crab fishing rules, and thus to the show itself.
Last year each fleet scrambled to catch as many crabs as possible in just a few days. This year, in a move to preserve the fishermen’s safety, new rules were implemented that allow the ships to stay out longer in order to reach their quota. Unfortunately for the crabbers, this year has also brought colder temperatures and stiffer winds.
Discovery has marketed the new season aggressively, which it credits with providing much of the ratings boost. New outlets included ads in movie theaters and in men’s magazines, as well as a guerilla campaign in several U.S. fishing ports that involved giving coffee and other "Catch" branded items to fishermen.
And Discovery posted bloopers and behind-the-scenes footage from "Catch" on its newly launched broadband site to also capture fans’ interest. Thus far this month, the "Catch" fan site has received 1.2 million views.
Part of the show’s appeal is its folksiness. Message board posters often share their own fishing stories, or relate details about their latest Alaskan crab meal.
The people on the show also drop by regularly. Narrator Mike Rowe, a fan favorite, came on the message boards last year to discredit a rumor that he would not be working on season two (he is).
Fans often banter about the rock music that accompanies the show. New posters’ most frequent question is who performs the show’s catchy theme song. For the record, it’s Bon Jovi.
And of course the attractiveness of the fishermen is the main draw for some. Writes one poster: "Forget about who narrates and to what music. I just want to see some hot tail skillfully navigating the dangerous, stormy seas with masculine bravado."
Meanwhile, in other cable ratings for the week ended April 23:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): USA, TNT, TBS, Spike, ESPN, TBS
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): USA, TNT, Cartoon Network, Fox News Channel, TBS
Top movie (18-49s): TBS’s “Pretty Woman” (Sunday, 8 p.m.) 1.46 million
Top sporting event (total viewers): USA’s WWE Entertainment (Monday, 10 p.m.) 5.66 million
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: USA’s WWE Entertainment (Monday, 9 & 10 p.m.); Comedy Central’s “South Park” (Wednesday, 10 p.m.); Spike’s “The Ultimate Fighter” (Thursday, 10 p.m.); TNT’s Bucks vs. Pistons (Sunday, 7:02 p.m.)
Show on the rise: “House,” USA, Friday, 11 p.m. A rebroadcast of the cranky Fox doctor show was up 5 percent over the previous week to 1.62 million viewers 25-54. Just wait till next week’s season finale.
Show on the decline: “Pretty Woman,” TBS, Sunday, 8 p.m. Julia Roberts is no hobbit. Though “Woman” was the top-rated movie for the week among 18-49s, it was down from the previous week’s Sunday movie on TBS, “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” which averaged 1.63 million 18-49s, nearly 200,000 more than “Woman.”
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending April 23 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
2038 |
NICK |
1652 |
|
2 |
TNT |
1660 |
NAN* |
1150 |
|
3 |
TOON |
1398 |
TOON |
1023 |
|
4 |
FOXN |
1235 |
USA |
967 |
|
5 |
NAN |
1228 |
TNT |
962 |
|
6 |
TBSC |
1186 |
ADSM* |
895 |
|
7 |
LIF |
1134 |
LIF |
763 |
|
8 |
ESPN |
1055 |
TBSC |
729 |
|
9 |
SPK |
999 |
FOXN |
713 |
|
10 |
MTV |
916 |
MTV |
653 |
|
11 |
TVLD |
889 |
ESPN |
594 |
|
12 |
CMDY |
886 |
TVLD |
576 |
|
13 |
AMC |
882 |
AMC |
528 |
|
14 |
FX |
855 |
DISC |
525 |
|
15 |
HALL |
833 |
HALL |
520 |
|
16 |
HGTV |
821 |
FAM |
513 |
|
17 |
DISC |
814 |
CMDY |
509 |
|
18 |
HIST |
802 |
HGTV |
507 |
|
19 |
AEN |
794 |
SPK |
497 |
|
20 |
FAM |
771 |
AEN |
480 |
|
21 |
CORT |
725 |
FX |
478 |
|
22 |
SCIF |
684 |
FOOD |
469 |
|
23 |
CNN |
626 |
HIST |
455 |
|
24 |
FOOD |
619 |
CNN |
394 |
|
25 |
TLC |
598 |
CORT |
382 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE PROGRAMS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending April 23 |
|
Rank |
Program |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
4148 |
|
2 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
3621 |
|
3 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
3121 |
|
4 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
3116 |
|
5 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2963 |
|
6 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2801 |
|
7 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2797 |
|
8 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2722 |
|
9 |
House |
USA |
2705 |
|
10 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2695 |
|
11 |
Drake & Josh |
NICK |
2694 |
|
12 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2606 |
|
13 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2598 |
|
14 |
Law & Order |
TNT |
2542 |
|
15 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2487 |
|
16 |
Real World XVII |
MTV |
2434 |
|
17 |
What A Girl Wants |
NICK |
2411 |
|
18 |
Drake & Josh |
NICK |
2397 |
|
19 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2379 |
|
20 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2343 |
|
21 |
Law & Order: SVU |
USA |
2335 |
|
22 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2313 |
|
23 |
Law & Order: SVU |
USA |
2295 |
|
24 |
Bulls/Heat |
ESPN |
2293 |
|
25 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2262 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending April 23 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
533 |
ADSM* |
390 |
|
2 |
TBSC |
444 |
NAN* |
336 |
|
3 |
MTV |
443 |
NICK |
295 |
|
4 |
TNT |
422 |
MTV |
289 |
|
5 |
CMDY |
382 |
TBSC |
274 |
|
6 |
ESPN |
352 |
TNT |
247 |
|
7 |
SPK |
332 |
ESPN |
235 |
|
8 |
FX |
294 |
USA |
233 |
|
9 |
DISC |
253 |
CMDY |
231 |
|
10 |
TOON |
244 |
TOON |
199 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending April 23 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1 |
Real World XVII |
MTV |
1552 |
|
2 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
1519 |
|
3 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
1433 |
|
4 |
South Park |
CMDY |
1195 |
|
5 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1129 |
|
6 |
8th & Ocean |
MTV |
1102 |
|
7 |
The Ultimate Fighter |
SPK |
1084 |
|
8 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1010 |
|
9 |
Tiara Girls |
MTV |
939 |
|
10 |
Bucks/Pistons |
TNT |
916 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending April 23 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
1151 |
TNT |
563 |
|
2 |
TNT |
945 |
NAN* |
562 |
|
3 |
TBSC |
898 |
USA |
529 |
|
4 |
SPK |
707 |
TBSC |
513 |
|
5 |
ESPN |
654 |
ADSM* |
502 |
|
6 |
CMDY |
651 |
NICK |
491 |
|
7 |
FX |
635 |
LIF |
407 |
|
8 |
DISC |
622 |
ESPN |
403 |
|
9 |
MTV |
564 |
DISC |
377 |
|
10 |
LIF |
543 |
CMDY |
372 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending April 23 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2873 |
|
2 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2641 |
|
3 |
Real World XVII |
MTV |
1902 |
|
4 |
South Park |
CMDY |
1763 |
|
5 |
The Ultimate Fighter |
SPK |
1715 |
|
6 |
Deadliest Catch |
DISC |
1700 |
|
7 |
Bulls/Heat |
ESPN |
1613 |
|
8 |
Bucks/Pistons |
TNT |
1588 |
|
9 |
Grizzlies/Mavericks |
TNT |
1580 |
|
10 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1512 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending April 23 |
|
|
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Rank |
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
1158 |
TNT |
578 |
|
2 |
TNT |
1014 |
USA |
546 |
|
3 |
TBSC |
833 |
NAN* |
459 |
|
4 |
SPK |
717 |
TBSC |
454 |
|
5 |
DISC |
642 |
LIF |
426 |
|
6 |
ESPN |
627 |
NICK |
389 |
|
7 |
FX |
616 |
DISC |
381 |
|
8 |
LIF |
611 |
ESPN |
351 |
|
9 |
CMDY |
581 |
SPK |
343 |
|
10 |
AEN |
524 |
ADSM* |
321 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending April 23 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2537 |
|
2 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2373 |
|
3 |
Deadliest Catch |
DISC |
1775 |
|
4 |
House |
USA |
1628 |
|
5 |
Bulls/Heat |
ESPN |
1523 |
|
6 |
Grizzlies/Mavericks |
TNT |
1519 |
|
7 |
Bucks/Pistons |
TNT |
1498 |
|
8 |
The Ultimate Fighter |
SPK |
1475 |
|
9 |
Pretty Woman |
TBSC |
1432 |
|
10 |
South Park |
CMDY |
1422 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
