Fishing shows are extremely niche-specific, and today we’re going to cover why River Monsters, that fishing show with Jeremy Wade, ended after such a successful run. River Monsters was quite the popular fishing show among bait and tackle enthusiasts because it took the occasional angling to the extreme because Jeremy Wade went on the boat to try and catch some of the bigger, feistiest, rare, and elusive aquatic creatures.
Most of the show’s success was built on Jeremy Wade’s personal story, a dude that, since his young days, went to and fro with a fishing rod, his bait and tackle, developed a passion for it, and found a way to monetize that hobby while developing a career that studied underwater life.
Meet Jeremy Wade
Jeremy Wade is a lifelong fisherman; he began with his humble fishing pole, bait, and tackle in England. A hobby that led him to a three-month fishing trip across the world, to the other side of the world, to India, where he saw how the locals managed to catch gigantic fish, and he wanted to follow suit while learning all those techniques.
One thing is to catch yourself the occasional river bass, and another is to catch a 400-pound river beast. The man went across the world; he got infected with Malaria while fishing in African Congo and had a really bad time —if you know about Malaria, you know how nasty that disease is.
Wade never gave up on his passion, and from traveling, meeting the locals, and catching huge fish, he eventually got the attention of television producers who approached him with the opportunity of filming a show about big game fishing.
Also Read: Where Is Fishing For Love Filmed? All To Know About its Production
River Monsters Is Born
River Monsters highlighted the best moments of Wade’s fishing trips. He went to Chernobyl to fish radioactively mutant fish, he went to Loch Ness to try and see if the Loch Ness monster bit his bait, he went to Amazon and Orinoco rivers to catch the mighty Lau Lau, a gigantic 200kg fish, caught enormous marlins on the Caribbean, and everywhere he went, he made sure he tried to catch some big game fish.
Despite his adventurous persona, Jeremy Wade remained committed to conservation and sustainability. He adopted a catch-and-release policy, refraining from eating fish unless their populations were not threatened. His dedication extended to speaking at universities and conferences about the importance of preserving freshwater ecosystems.
Jeremy Wade’s travels weren’t exempt from risks; I mean, try to catch a 200kg feisty underwater beast, and the boat might capsize. The dude faced all sorts of dangers. He got injured with hooks, had his scares with wildlife, and had to deal with bad weather conditions, aggressive locals, and even traffic stops.
River Monsters Was Big With The Female Public.
The show’s audience defied gender stereotypes, with a significant portion (40%) of viewers being female. This aligns with the increasing participation of women in fishing activities. Wade’s approach, which combined elements of adventure, travel, and education, contributed to the show’s broad appeal.
River Monsters’ Production Challenges
Behind the scenes, “River Monsters” was an arduous production involving meticulous planning, filming in remote locations, and overcoming numerous challenges. Episodes often required weeks of work, with only a few days dedicated to actual fishing. The crew navigated hazards ranging from adverse weather to potential pirates, demonstrating their commitment to capturing the show’s captivating content.
Why Did River Monsters End?
Five big factors intervened in the cancelation of River Monsters after ten seasons. Firstly, the show’s ratings declined up to a fraction of what they once were. Secondly, Jeremy Wade was getting older, and those physical challenges were tough.
Thirdly, the man had been all over the world, and that eventually made the producers —sort of— run out of places to fish with new stories and locations; 200 episodes and getting repetitive makes the audience go away.
Fourthly, the Discovery Channel seemed to shift its programming from personality-specific shows and tried to go back to its roots of science and tech —only to go back with gold prospecting shows a few years later.
Lastly, Wade wanted to do something else; doing a show that takes you all over the world to do what you love sounds cool, but try doing it for ten years, and you eventually become older and look for something else because filming so many episodes is draining and grinding.
Also Read: Where is Salmon Fishing In The Yemen Filmed? Locations Of The Romance Movie
