PRESS RELEASES

ASSETS

<< Back
Seven: If it’s a lucky number, then this could be their season …
GLOUCESTER’S FINEST FISHERMEN BET ON BIG PAYDAYS IN THE SEVENTH SEASON OF HIT SERIES WICKED TUNA
Mon Feb 12 2018 20:43:00 GMT+0000 (UTC)

New Season Premieres Sunday, March 11, at 9/8c on National Geographic

(Washington, D.C. – Feb. 12, 2018) — Last season, millions of Wicked Tuna fans watched as the competition to be the top-earning boat in Gloucester came down to the final weigh-in, with one captain pulling ahead by just $19. Now, a new season dawns and with it, new opportunities to settle old scores, forge fresh beginnings and bring in lucrative paychecks. And as the captains battle it out, the next generation of commercial fishermen find their place in the fleet. The new season of National Geographic’s hit series Wicked Tuna kicks off with an extended 90-minute episode on Sunday, March 11, at 9/8c. Produced by Pilgrim Media Group, Wicked Tuna will also air internationally on National Geographic in 171 countries and in 43 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotvpressroom.com and follow us on Twitter (@NGC_PR).

Wicked Tuna’s seventh season finds the captains in need of redemption. Captain Dave Marciano of the Hard Merchandise (@CaptMarciano) is out to turn things around after a disappointing season in Gloucester last year, in which he caught only five fish and landed near the bottom of the leaderboard. This year, Marciano is looking to start strong and land some big paydays as he teams up once again with his son and first mate, Joe, and welcomes a new crew member aboard — his oldest daughter, Angelica. For the Marciano clan, fishing is a family affair.

Over on the Hot Tuna, Captain TJ Ott (@tjHOTTUNA) had a dismal season in the Outer Banks, finishing in an embarrassing last place. Ott has languished in the middle of the pack for the past few seasons and is desperate to restore his reputation and prove himself as one of Gloucester’s top fishermen. He also has a secret weapon up his sleeve side in his 10-year-old nephew, Dan — the Hot Tuna’s good luck charm who joins the crew at different points throughout the season.

Captain Brad Krasowski also needs to shake off a discouraging performance last year. Krasowski is a local legend in Gloucester, known for his friendly personality, trademark long hair and, most important, his ability to put meat on deck when no one else can get a bite. Despite his reputation, he finished in last place in his inaugural season as a captain. Krasowski’s career is now on the line, and he is more determined than ever to make his mark on the fleet this year.

Meanwhile, Captain Tyler McLaughlin of the Pinwheel (@PinWheelFV) is on a hot streak. Armed with a new boat and a skilled mate, McLaughlin fished hard against a talented Southern fleet in the Outer Banks and came in a very close second, a haunting echo of his previous season in Gloucester, when he barely missed the top spot. McLaughlin is tired of second place and is determined to have the most successful season of his life so he can finally finish on top. In order to succeed, McLaughlin will have to best a skilled group of competitors, including last season’s champion, Captain Dave Carraro (@TunaDotCom) of the FV-Tuna.com, who has claimed the top spot four times in the past six years and is confident he can repeat that success again this year.

Last season, Captain Paul Hebert (@PissahTunaPaul) of the Wicked Pissah struggled with his brand-new first mate, Rick Schrafft, who Hebert pushed to a near breaking point. After weeks of jokes made at Hebert’s expense, Wicked Pissah stunned the fleet and finished in third place. Hebert is out to prove that his performance last year was no fluke. But with Schrafft back as his first mate, will Hebert keep his temper in check, or will Schrafft finally throw in the towel, leaving Hebert to fish on his own?

Filmed on location in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and the surrounding waters, Wicked Tuna follows a group of salty fishermen from the nation’s oldest seaport as they make their living the way it’s been done for centuries — rod and reel fishing, one catch at a time — all in pursuit of the bluefin tuna. The series gives viewers an in-depth look at the intense battles, fierce competition, crushing losses and major paydays of the country’s toughest captains. For commercial fishermen, the directive is simple: catch a fish or go home without a paycheck. One “monstah” bluefin can be worth more than $20,000; with that kind of money on the line, every captain is fighting to be the best in the fleet.

Wicked Tuna Premiere Episodes Include:

Wicked Tuna: Worst to First
Premieres Sunday, March 11, 2018, at 9/8c
It’s opening day of the bluefin tuna season, and the first fish of the season can bring big money. With a huge payday at stake, every captain is fighting to land a tuna. Captains TJ Ott and Brad Krasowski are out to redeem themselves after a disappointing season last year; with their reputations on the line, the pressure is on to put meat on deck. And Captain Dave Marciano welcomes a new crew member — his oldest daughter, Angelica.

Wicked Tuna: Fish or Famine
Premieres Sunday, March 18, 2018, at 9/8c
For six years, defending champion Captain Dave Carraro has brought in more tuna than any other skipper in the fleet. But without his first fish of the season, Captain Dave and his crew are falling behind in the standings, and the other captains in the fleet are ready to take advantage. Captain Tyler McLaughlin tries his luck fishing off of an underwater shipwreck.

Wicked Tuna: Merch Madness
Premieres Sunday, March 25, 2018, at 9/8c
The Hard Merchandise is the only boat that has yet to land a fish, and Captain Dave Marciano is feeling the pressure. Desperate to provide for his family, the burden weighs heavily on Marciano to land his first tuna and bring home a paycheck. Meanwhile, Captain TJ Ott welcomes his father and 10-year-old nephew aboard, hoping the additional family members will give the Hot Tuna the boost it needs to keep landing fish.  

Wicked Tuna is produced for National Geographic by Pilgrim Media Group. For Pilgrim Media Group, executive producers are Craig Piligian and Mike Nichols. For National Geographic, executive producer is Bengt Anderson; vice president, production is Matt Renner; and president, original programming and production, is Tim Pastore.

# # #

About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 130 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Pilgrim Media Group
Pilgrim Media Group, a Lionsgate company, produces a wide variety of unscripted and scripted content for television and digital platforms, as well as feature films. The company’s series include Wicked Tuna and Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks for National Geographic; Fast N’ Loud, Street Outlaws (and spinoffs Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings and Street Outlaws: Memphis); Misfit Garage, Garage Rehab and Shifting Gears with Aaron Kaufman for Discovery; two-time NAACP Award-winner Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s for OWN; The Ultimate Fighter for FS1, in its 27th season; Bring It! and Love at First Flight for Lifetime; My Big Fat Fabulous Life for TLC; and Zombie House Flipping for FYI, among many others. Pilgrim also produced the scripted series Recovery Road for Freeform, multiple original movies for Lifetime, and is in development on numerous other scripted projects for TV, film and streaming outlets. Pilgrim’s feature documentary Soufra (which won two awards at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival) premiered in North America at DOC NYC, with 2017 theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles. The company also continues to produce award-winning content via its digital studio 1620 Media.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Chad Sandhas, 202-912-6537, chad.sandhas@natgeo.com
Amanda Alix, 212-918-2047, amanda@high10media.com

Please be patient, we are preparing your asset(s) for download. This could take a few minutes depending on the number of assets.

Please do not reload or exit this page until your download is complete.

Thank you.

Your session expired. Please log in to continue.

Are you still there?

Your session will expire soon due to inactivity.