How Real (Or Fake) Is Wicked Tuna?
The fishing-focused reality series dishes up boatloads of drama (pun intended) each season, but how just how real (or fake) is Wicked Tuna? Over the past decade or so, there’s been a surge in reality TV shows about people employed in risky professions. Ice Road Truckers, for example, follows truck drivers delivering goods to remote communities via frozen lakes and rivers while the likes of American Loggers and Ax Men profile the dangerous world of tree logging. One of the most popular shows in the sub-genre is Deadliest Catch which follows the exploits of crab fishermen in Alaska’s Bering Sea.
Wicked Tuna features a premise similar to Deadliest Catch but focuses on several boat crews based in Gloucester, Massachusetts who fish for the lucrative bluefin tuna off the coast of New England. The series premiered on the National Geographic Channel in 2012 and has aired 11 seasons to date, alongside spawning a spin-off titled Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks which follows fisherman based in North Carolina. It’s one of National Geographic’s most-watched shows, but questions have been raised over the years over just how realistic the reality series is.
Related: Bling Empire: Real Or Fake? Fans Wonder If The Reality Show Is Scripted
In an interview with Food & Wine, Wicked Tuna boat captain TJ Ott stated that the show does “a good job showing the hardships” of working as a commercial fisherman. However, like a lot of reality TV, the show uses a combination of crafty camerawork and fast editing to amp up the drama and ensure it makes for more compelling viewing. One area where this comes into play is how Wicked Tuna often makes it seem like its boat crews are constantly catching fish when in reality the job involves a lot more sitting
Read more on screenrant.com
