Deadliest Catch Delayed Again—But Season 21 Might Be Worth the Wait
After months of silence, Discovery has finally locked in a premiere date for Season 21 of Deadliest Catch — and it's the latest debut in the show's history.
The new season kicks off on Friday, August 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, breaking a 20-year tradition of March or April premieres. Season 20 already set a record with its June 11, 2024 start, but Season 21 pushes the delay even further.
So what's the holdup been for the world's most dangerous crab boats? According to Discovery, Season 21 follows the fleet into uncharted territory — literally.
"To claim their share of the billion-dollar bounty, captains and crews must brave unforgiving 50-foot seas to reach abandoned Adak Island, venturing farther west than anyone has dared in over 30 years and beyond the bounds of rescue," the official description reads.
The new season is being billed as a "gold rush-style" race for red king crab, with the fleet pushing deep into the far western Bering Sea — beyond where anyone's fished in decades. Crews will face not only monstrous seas but also major ship malfunctions and life-threatening conditions, with no backup in range.
While Discovery hasn't released the full lineup of captains, Jake Anderson confirmed on Facebook that he and the F/V Titan Explorer are returning. Earlier this month, Anderson posted a photo from the boat mid-haul, teasing:
"…..waiting. ………waiting …….waiting DEADLIES CATCH STARTS MID JULY."
Close — but not quite. The official date is now set for August 1.
Season 20 was already one of the show's most intense, with medical emergencies, storm chaos, and a finale that saw Captain Sig Hansen manually steering the powerless Northwestern back to harbor.
And it's not the only wild show coming this summer. Discovery also announced new premieres, including:
- Naked and Afraid: Apocalypse – July 27
- Animals on Drugs – July 28
- In the Eye of the Storm (weather disaster series) – July 27
- Mud Madness Season 2 – July 29
But Deadliest Catch remains the network's flagship — and if the new setting lives up to the hype, Season 21 could be one of its wildest yet.
Deadliest Catch, Season 21, premieres Friday, August 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery Channel.