National Geographic’s “Wicked Tuna” Canceled After 13 Seasons
After thirteen seasons of the popular documentary reality series, “Wicked Tuna”, Disney has announced that the long-running National Geographic series is going to be coming to an end.
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.
National Geographic revealed the news on its social media account, stating:
After thirteen seasons on the high seas and more than 200 incredible episodes, the long-running series Wicked Tuna has concluded its run on National Geographic. The series celebrated one of America’s oldest industries since first premiering on National Geographic in 2012 and made internationally recognizable stars out of the intrepid commercial fishermen who brave the unrelenting North Atlantic waters to catch the elusive bluefin tuna. As we reflect on 13 great seasons and 200+ episodes, our appreciation for our production partners at Pilgrim Media Group, our cast and crew, the Gloucester community and the show’s dedicated fans is hard to put into words. It has been an incredible journey together and there are only two words that seem to fit the moment: Thank You.
The series initially premiered in 2012 and has run for over 200 episodes, along with a spin-off series, “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks”.
“Wicked Tuna” is executive produced by Mike Nichols, Craig Piligian, Lynn Sadofsky and Michael Cascio. The show hails from Pilgrim Media Group.
Recently, National Geographic laid off over 13% of its workforce as part of a cost-saving exercise that has been sweeping across the entire Disney company since Bob Iger’s return. The company is looking to streamline its business and become more profitable.
Previous seasons of “Wicked Tuna” are available to stream now on Disney+.
Roger’s Take: After 13 years, “Wicked Tuna” has had a heck of a run, but any long-running show is going to reach a point where it often does not attract new viewers, and fewer people are tuning in. Especially as there are likely only so many stories that can be told about a fishing fleet catching Tuna. We’ve seen many of the long-running shows at National Geographic come to an end recently, as cost-cutting hits the studio.
What do you think of “Wicked Tuna” being cancelled? Let me know on social media!