Image Credit: DiscoveryAn emotional hell that was “more stressful than crab fishing”: That’s how the Time Bandit captains who quit Deadliest Catch last week described the ordeal that temporarily threatened the future of Discovery’s most popular franchise. Speaking exclusively to EW from Alaska, Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand explained what led them and Northwestern Captain Sig Hansen to make such a drastic decision.
“It was a lot about our rights to do our own brand,” said Andy Hillstrand, who together with his brother and Hansen, went on a speaking tour in September that supposedly conflicted with production of Hillstranded, a set of specials the brothers shot for the network that’ll air next June. “There was a lot of misunderstanding,” Andy Hillstrand told EW. “We thought Discovery had everything they needed but then they came back and said they needed pickup shots so our schedule was pretty much screwed. It got to the point in our relationship where something had to change and we just said enough’s enough. So we butted heads for a while.”
Hansen handed in his walking papers too because “it was the right thing to do,” he told EW. “We are brothers. I told these guys a long time ago, it’s fishing first. We made a lot of fans. We’ve affected a lot people in positive ways. People like us because we are real and what they see is what they get. All of a sudden, things got a little out of kilter. So what you see is what you get.”
“It kind of made it look like me and Johnathan were doing this and then Sig stood up with us but Sig was with us,” added Andy Hillstrand.
“Emotionally, it was hell,” continued Johnathan Hillstrand. “We didn’t want to be sued. We didn’t want all the fans hating Discovery.” The trio was also told not to discuss their status with the other Deadliest Catch fisherman, who like the Hillstrands and Hansen, were in Alaska’s Dutch Harbor this week preparing to set sail for the show’s seventh season on the night of Oct. 14. Captain Keith Colburn, however, didn’t have much to say about the matter. “I’m going to take the fifth,” he told EW from the deck of The Wizard in Dutch Harbor this week. “There’s enough animosity between the fishermen at times on stuff. I don’t need to generate any more.”
Fortunately for the show’s legion of fans – some of whom fired off angry letters to Discovery – both sides came to an agreement and now the Hillstrands and Hansen are signed for two more years of Catch. The trio can also continue with their speaking tour that took them throughout Canada and the east coast in September.
“We just want our lives back, sort of,” said Johnathan Hillstrand. “But it’s a little too late for that. So we’re sticking around. We are glad to be back and we’re glad that everyone is happier.”
In Hillstranded – which will air after Deadliest Catch debuts in April 2011 - the siblings will investigate myths and legends around Alaska, including a Lochness-type monster in a local lake. “Our personalities have just been silly and kind of different,” said Andy Hillstrand. “We had a lot of fun doing them.”
'Celebrity Apprentice' exclusive: La Toya Jackson, Mark McGrath, and Star Jones in next cast | EW.com /* */ Entertainment WeeklyHomeTVMoviesMusicBooksTV RecapsDancing With the StarsFall TVFirst LookMust ListBlogs The Ausiello FilesPopWatchHollywood InsiderKen Tucker's TVThe Music MixShelf LifeThe Movie CriticsNews BriefsOscarWatch EW Home // News // PopWatch BlogPopWatch Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch BlogSee CategoriesSee ArchiveRSSFollow on TwitterOct 12201007:00 AM ETSharePermalinkComments (14) 'Celebrity Apprentice' exclusive: La Toya Jackson, Mark McGrath, and Star Jones in next cast by Dalton RossCategories: News, Reality TV, Television, The Apprentice, The Celebrity Apprentice
Image Credit: Marco Prosch/Getty Images
While the current (non-celebrity) edition of The Apprentice plays out to record low ratings, fans of absurdity and stars being forced into awesomely ridiculous scenarios can rejoice in the fact that filming on the next Celebrity Apprentice is set to begin in New York City early next week. Not only that, but a source close to production has confirmed to EW.com exclusively three of the famous faces vying for Donald Trump’s love (and money): La Toya Jackson, Mark McGrath, and Star Jones.
Michael Jackson’s sister La Toya certainly has experience on reality TV. In 2007, she — along with people like Erik Estrada and Jack Osbourne — trained to become a Muncie, Indiana reserve police officer on CBS’ Armed & Famous. Then, in 2009, she followed in her brother Jermaine’s footsteps by appearing in the UK on Celebrity Big Brother, where she shared a house with the likes of Verne Troyer and Coolio.
Mark McGrath, best known as the lead singer of rock band Sugar Ray and a former co-host of Extra, also has a background in reality, serving as a guest judge on American Idol, and as host of not one, but two Pussycat Dolls-related reality shows: The Search for the Next Doll and Girlicious. He also currently hosts the syndicated version of Don’t Forget the Lyrics.
And then there is Star Jones. Outside of an appearance last year on a celebrity version of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? (which, like The Apprentice, is a Mark Burnett production), Jones has been out of the spotlight since her nine-year run as a co-host on The View ended in 2006. (She did also manage to host a season 2 reunion episode of The Bad Girls Club.) Jones, Jackson, and McGrath will be three of the contestants on the fourth installment of Celebrity Apprentice, which will air in the first quarter of 2011. Expect more names to leak soon once the cast arrives in New York City in the next few days. Who else would you like to see in the Boardroom? And what do you think of these first three contestants? Hit the message boards and let us know.
For more Celebrity Apprentice news and various other reality ramblings, follow me on Twitter @EWDaltonRoss. And before you go, make sure to check out the latest edition of our TV Insiders podcast, where we weigh in on Survivor, Dancing With the Stars, and Glee. Just click on the play button below to sit in on our round table discussion, or click here to download the mp3 and take us with you on the go.
Previous Post 'Dancing With the Stars': Week 4 is liiiiiiiiiiiiiive!Next Post Is abortion no longer too taboo for TV?EW.com HomePopWatch MainComments (14 total)Add your comment Page: Preston Tue 10/12/10 7:27 AM
I really think that broadcast networks’ interest in reality shows are wearing out; Apprentice, Biggest Loser and even Extreme Makeover Home Edition have lost viewers with huge drops of 20,30 or 50 percent in ratings the past few new shows. I like Donald’s Apprentice, but his overusage of celebrities on the spring shows have ruined the overall show when they had ordinary people competing. It was fresh the first few years, but it’s not as exciting now.
Reply FromChicago Tue 10/12/10 8:04 AM
Not so fast. As long as it costs 1/2 to make a reality show they will continue. If Celeb Apprentice fails, Trump will turn around and create another reality show. I agree, they’re getting old and actually they’re running out of celebrities….do you notice? It’s like recycling the same ones over and over.
Reply Elizabeth Tue 10/12/10 8:18 AM
I think the audiences’ interest is waining as well, but the networks will continue to pump these out due to lost costs.
It would be nice to see a reality show get the ax after one episode or two due to low ratings. Seems to be fine for scripted television…
Reply Les Tue 10/12/10 9:30 AM
That has happened quite a bit
caryn Tue 10/12/10 7:36 AM
I think I might have to pass with Star Jones in the cast. There will have to be someone else that is really intriguing to get me to tune in this time.
Reply Joe Tue 10/12/10 7:58 AM
Please, please, please….let Kathy Griffin be in the cast. A Star Jones vs Kathy Griffin catfight is just too delicious to pass up!!
Reply pinky Tue 10/12/10 9:08 AM
Kathy would be a great addition! I would tune in for that show.
Reply wizard62 Tue 10/12/10 8:00 AM
Ugh! Star Jones and Latoya Jackson? Sounds like they are really scraping the bottom of the barrel for this one.
Reply Elizabeth Tue 10/12/10 8:19 AM
Welcome to reality television… someone with a viable career isn’t going to participate.
Reply JoshP Tue 10/12/10 8:29 AM
Latoya Jackson?! Wow that’s diggin some one out the grave.
Reply Julia Tue 10/12/10 8:48 AM
Star Jones really has become desperate!
Reply ugly nikki Tue 10/12/10 8:59 AM
Star is a smart lady with a law degree. I’d put her bottom of the barrel credentials against most of yours any day.
Reply waya Tue 10/12/10 9:03 AM
They need some bigger names than Star Jones and Latoya! I still like The Apprentice, but this season it is on at an odd time for me and I always miss it.
Reply drayche Tue 10/12/10 9:33 AM
I think the perfect person for Celebrity apprentice would be Andre Agassi…
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Image Credit: DiscoveryAn emotional hell that was “more stressful than crab fishing”: That’s how the Time Bandit captains who quit Deadliest Catch last week described the ordeal that temporarily threatened the future of Discovery’s most popular franchise. Speaking exclusively to EW from Alaska, Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand explained what led them and Northwestern Captain Sig Hansen to make such a drastic decision.
Image Credit: Marco Prosch/Getty Images
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