Discovery Channel's #1-Rated Series DEADLIEST CATCH Returns for Season Four in April

Discovery Channel's #1-Rated Series DEADLIEST CATCH Returns for Season Four in April

- Emmy(R)-Nominated Series Offers Glimpse into Lives of Men Who Have One of the Deadliest Jobs in the World -

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The fleet of crab-fishing boats -- and their unforgettable captains and crews -- that captivated more than three million viewers each week on Discovery Channel's Emmy(R)-nominated series DEADLIEST CATCH returns on Tuesday, April 15, at 9 PM (ET/PT) for a fourth season of life-or-death adventures on the high seas. Viewers can get ready for the new season by watching the two-hour BEST OF SEASON THREE recap special on Tuesday, April 8 at 9 PM (ET/PT).

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080306/NETH095 )

DEADLIEST CATCH, broadcast in high definition this season for the first time, follows the now legendary captains and crews of five crab-fishing vessels on the Bering Sea doing one of the deadliest -- and most lucrative -- jobs in the world. The brave men endure subzero arctic weather, 60-mph winds and turbulent seas with waves the size of four-story buildings, all on three to four hours of sleep each night -- if they're lucky. To add to the weather nightmare, a thousand gallons of water crashes onto the deck every 30 seconds, freezing as it hits the boat. To prevent the boat from becoming too top-heavy and capsizing at sea, deckhands are continuously forced to stop fishing and spend hours clearing the ice with sledgehammers.

This year, injuries dominate the crab-fishing season. Two men get hurt by a loose picking hook -- one of the most dangerous things that can happen on deck. A deckhand's season -- and livelihood -- are threatened doing something he's done a thousand times before. And a fisherman is forced to end his fishing season early after a situation quickly turns life-threatening.

Returning to DEADLIEST CATCH this year are the men of the Northwestern, led by Captain Sig Hansen; Captain Phil Harris and his crew of the Cornelia Marie, including sons Jake and Josh; Captain Johnathan Hillstrand (king crab season) and Captain Andy Hillstrand (opilio crab season) of the Time Bandit; and Captain Keith Colburn of the Wizard, with a crew that includes two greenhorns. New to DEADLIEST CATCH this year are the men of the North American, led by Sten Skaar, and deckhand-turned-skipper Rick Fehst of the Early Dawn.

This year, fans can enjoy DEADLIEST CATCH both on and off the television screen.

DIGITAL MEDIA

In addition to exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and online chats, the fansite (discovery.com/deadliestcatch) provides the ultimate fan community with the new DEADLIEST CATCH WIKI. Viewers can congregate for weekly challenges and win DEADLIEST CATCH prizes. Fans can share their favorite moments and captain quotes with other fans, and vie for Deadliest Catch Superfan status by creating their own profile pages and contributing regularly to the communityplace.

Fans can also watch an original, behind-the-scenes podcast series "Inside the Catch," which gives viewers the real Dutch Harbor, Alaska experience (discovery.com/deadliestpodcast). Visit the people and places that keep the largest fishing port operating. Get the stories behind the new season from the film crews that bring the series to life. And stay connected to the boat captains and fishermen long after the crab-fishing season is over with exclusive interviews and a view of their lives off the crab boat.

Also this year, original content was filmed for Discovery's mobile website (discoverymobile.com), Discovery Channel's streaming mobile channel on Sprint, Alltel, and MobiTV, as well as Verizon's V-Cast. This content includes "Deadliest Catch: The Real Dutch," a behind-the-scenes look at the fishing port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, made famous by the DEADLIEST CATCH series. Additional custom content available for download includes "Quick Catch," a series of five 10-minute shorts edited from the full series which sum up all of the major events from seasons one through three. All of the custom content will also be featured on Video on Demand.

BOOK, GAME AND GEAR

Tales of heroics, wrecks, rescues and antics are captured in an all-new book DEADLIEST CATCH: DESPERATE HOURS, available April 8 at discoverystore.com and retailers nationwide. This unique collection of epic tales will have readers setting sail for adventures on the frigid Bering Sea.

Also available this spring at discoverystore.com and retailers nationwide is DEADLIEST CATCH ALASKAN STORM, a crab-fishing adventure launching on the Xbox 360(R)video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC. The game -- inspired by Sig, Edgar and Norman Hansen who are featured on the series DEADLIEST CATCH -- is an immersive experience that puts players at the helm of a crab fishing vessel. Gamers must choose and lead their fatigued, hungry and hardworking crew in the strategic search for crab while also battling Mother Nature.

In addition to being available now at discoverystore.com, the DEADLIEST CATCH season three box set will also be available at retailers nationwide beginning April 8. And DEADLIEST CATCH fan gear -- including t-shirts, bags and mugs -- is available now at cafepress.com/deadliestcatch.

MARKETING

The captains featured on DEADLIEST CATCH will be larger than life as part of this year's multi-media marketing campaign. In addition to bus shelter ads throughout New York, the fishermen will tower above the Big Apple with wallscapes in locations such as 42nd & 8th (visible from the top of the Empire State Building) and Houston & Lafayette Streets. The men will also be featured prominently on the West Side Highway billboard at 123rd.

DEADLIEST CATCH is produced for Discovery Channel by Original Productions. Thom Beers and Jeff Conroy are executive producers, Matt Renner is series producer and Lisa Tanzer is supervising producer. For Discovery Channel, Paul Gasek and Tracy Rudolph are executive producers.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications is the world's number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ:DISCA) (NASDAQ:DISCB) , Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information, please visit http://www.discoverycommunications.com/.

For more information and artwork, please log on to http://www.press.discovery.com/

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080306/NETH095
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Discovery Channel

CONTACT: Amy Hagovsky of Discovery Channel, +1-240-662-2931,
amy_hagovsky@discovery.com; or Nikki Pesusich-Warren, +1-818-788-7650,
nikki@nppr.net, for Discovery Channel

Web site: http://www.discovery.com/
http://www.press.discovery.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment