Trawlermen

Trawlermen

If you thought fishing was relaxing, just wait till you meet the Trawlermen – risking life and limb to bring us the grub we take for granted.

Vicious weather, deadly machinery and a whole lot of fish. Welcome to the world of the Trawlermen - the unsung heroes of the North Sea, whose perilous lives are reeled in by this daring documentary series.

Watch just one episode of Trawlermen and you'll never whinge about your job again. This storm-tossed docusoap follows several crews of hardy Scottish men as they set out from Aberdeenshire to bring in the treasures of the deep. And it's certainly a far cry from a Sunday afternoon's fishing.

Narrated by Peter Capaldi (the foul-mouthed spin doctor from cult sitcom The Thick of It), the series plunges us in at the deep end, contrasting the fortunes of different trawlers and their workers. Trawlers like the Amity II, skippered by Jimmy Buchan. He's been working the waves for over 20 years, so nothing much fazes him - but even Jimmy has a tough time of it, particularly when his trawler sails out to the ominously-named Devil's Hole.

Then there's the Fruitful Bough, a trawler manned by three young brothers eager to prove their worth. And they've got a lot to live up to, as fishing has been in their family for over 100 years. They want the Fruitful Bough to live up to its name, but getting big hauls will mean staying up for 24 hours at a time and coping with the wild, unforgiving North Sea.

And it's not just Mother Nature the Trawlermen need to be wary of - they're surrounded by vicious machinery that will chew up their limbs if they're not careful. There's no respite even when they get the fish in, because they also need to spend hours filleting the slippery blighters. The Trawlermen are sailors, butchers, mechanics and cunning businessmen all rolled into one - talk about a tough task.

The series also lets us in on their family lives, showing how their wives and children deal with the fact that their husbands and fathers are married to the sea. We also get an insight into the rivalry between the crews, and how they must brave increasingly dangerous conditions to keep their business going in the face of suffocating government fishing quotas. It's awe-inspiring stuff, and we guarantee you'll never take a prawn sandwich for granted again. The only question is - how long till some bright spark comes up with Celebrity Trawlermen, complete with a panel of seafaring judges? We bet Tony Blackburn would be well up for it.

When is it on?

Trawlermen - Pick of the Catch is next on at 10:50 am on Sunday, 22nd November on Dave.
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Trawlermen 2, 3

Gripping fly-on-the-wall series about trawler fishermen in Scotland. Ominous weather warnings mean that Sandy Watt must decide whether to brave violent storms or head for safety.

  1. On at 10:50 am on Sunday, 22nd November on Dave
  2. On at 11:50 am on Sunday, 22nd November on Dave Ja Vu
  3. On at 7:40 pm on Sunday, 22nd November on Dave
  4. On at 8:40 pm on Sunday, 22nd November on Dave Ja Vu

Trawlermen 2, 4

Gripping documentary series following trawler fishermen in Peterhead, Scotland. Skipper James Buchan practises a form of fishing that dates back almost two hundred years.

  1. On at 10:50 am on Saturday, 28th November on Dave
  2. On at 11:50 am on Saturday, 28th November on Dave Ja Vu

Trawlermen 2, 5

Gripping documentary series following trawler fishermen in Peterhead, Scotland. Skippers Jimmy Buchan and Sandy Watt take stock of the human cost of their dangerous occupation.

  1. On at 10:30 am on Tuesday, 24th November on Dave
  2. On at 11:30 am on Tuesday, 24th November on Dave Ja Vu
  3. On at 3:30 pm on Tuesday, 24th November on Dave
  4. On at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, 24th November on Dave Ja Vu
  5. On at 7:40 pm on Tuesday, 24th November on Dave
  6. On at 8:40 pm on Tuesday, 24th November on Dave Ja Vu

Trawlermen 3, 2

Discover the realities of trawler fishing off Peterhead, Scotland. When Charlie and Charles McBride lose a net at the bottom of the sea, debts force them to try to retrieve it.

  1. On at 2:00 pm on Monday, 23rd November on Watch
  2. On at 3:00 pm on Monday, 23rd November on Watch +1
  3. On at 7:30 pm on Monday, 23rd November on Watch
  4. On at 8:30 pm on Monday, 23rd November on Watch +1

Trawlermen 3, 3

Wind-lashed documentary series about trawler fishing off Peterhead, Scotland. Chaz Bruce finds a rope wrapped around the New Dawn's propeller but is reluctant to put into port.

  1. On at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, 24th November on Watch
  2. On at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, 24th November on Watch +1
  3. On at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, 24th November on Watch
  4. On at 8:30 pm on Tuesday, 24th November on Watch +1

Trawlermen 3, 4

Discover the harsh realities of trawler fishing off Peterhead, Scotland. John Alexander, alone on his boat, finds himself in trouble when the weather turns and the seas run high.

  1. On at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 25th November on Watch
  2. On at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, 25th November on Watch +1
  3. On at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, 25th November on Watch
  4. On at 8:30 pm on Wednesday, 25th November on Watch +1
  5. On at 12:30 am on Thursday, 26th November on Watch
  6. On at 1:30 am on Thursday, 26th November on Watch +1

Trawlermen 3, 5

Discover the treacherous working conditions faced by Peterhead's trawler fishermen. Pair trawlers Ocean Dawn and Sunrise tackle ferocious weather and problems with a new net.

  1. On at 2:00 pm on Thursday, 26th November on Watch
  2. On at 3:00 pm on Thursday, 26th November on Watch +1
  3. On at 7:30 pm on Thursday, 26th November on Watch
  4. On at 8:30 pm on Thursday, 26th November on Watch +1
  5. On at 12:30 am on Friday, 27th November on Watch
  6. On at 1:30 am on Friday, 27th November on Watch +1

Latest post

  • kaygeebee kaygeebee | 20 Nov 09

    as retired fisherman it looks like home from working the old sidewinder in all weather no deck cover at least, you gut under coverit like being at home

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Displaying 1 to 5 of 8

  • kaygeebee kaygeebee | 20 Nov 09

    as retired fisherman it looks like home from working the old sidewinder in all weather no deck cover at least, you gut under coverit like being at home

  • markP28583 markP28583 | 30 Oct 09

    ive been a fisherman in the 80s. and i loved it. best job ever. i was fishing off westcoat of scotland. and id love to go back to it. the trawlermen progs are good to wach. the men in them are the best. wish them well.

  • jammy1484 jammy1484 | 1 Aug 09

    arthur if you tthink it is boring go out and try it for yourself,

  • andrea1976 andrea1976 | 21 May 09

    I think these men out there are very brave indeed, my dad was a trawler and sadly the boat went down on october the 26th 2006 and he and other 2 members of the boat hasnt been found or the boat, i dont miss a programme i watch it all the time. For people to say its just boring, they go out there and work to the bone day and night and its the worsed job any man could ever do. There allways hope thats some day we will get a phone call saying there have found the boat.....

  • hippiem8 hippiem8 | 19 Apr 09

    meh

Displaying 6 to 8 of 8

  • chuck1234 chuck1234 | 3 Feb 09

    batty boi

  • chuck1234 chuck1234 | 3 Feb 09

    shut up one of the best docs ive seen

  • ArthurH47028 ArthurH47028 | 5 Jan 09

    Sorry but this programme is so repetitive, you see one episode you have seen the lot ,Same as Ice Truckers really, just boring