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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

‘Deadliest Catch’ Stars Sued Over TV Special

ROCKVILLE, Md. (CN) - Two cast members from "The Deadliest Catch" refused to complete post-production work for a separate TV show following their adventures in Alaska, the Discovery Channel claims in Montgomery County Court.

After five successful seasons of "The Deadliest Catch, which follows fishing boat crews as they work in the Bering Sea, Discovery Talent Services says it asked Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand, brothers and stars of "The Deadliest Catch," to film a separate show about their lives in Alaska "unrelated to their work as crab fishermen."

The show, "Hillstranded," was to be a one-time TV special that would air during "Deadliest Catch" marathons.

The brothers completed two weeks of filming, according to the complaint, but disappeared when it was time for post-production work. Discovery claims it needed the brothers to record voice-overs and finish interview segments that would underscore the show's theme as their "personal adventure story."

Though Jonathan and Andy agreed to participate in post-production, they didn't respond to a producer's calls to coordinate a scheduled shoot in Los Angeles, the lawsuit states.

The brothers' lawyer allegedly told the producer not to contact the Hillstrands and refused to respond to Discovery's attempts to reschedule.

Without the voice-overs, Discovery says the hundreds of thousands of dollars it has spent on the show are wasted.

Discovery demands $3 million from the brothers and their company, Time Bandit Productions. It is represented by Paul Gaffney with Williams & Connolly of Washington.

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