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In the realms of aquatic entertainment, Steven Spielberg needs no introduction. After all, he directed “Jaws,” arguably the most celebrated shark movie of all time. However, did you know that he enjoys watching a different kind of water-themed entertainment in his down time? While speaking to Boston University in 2009, the Oscar-winner confessed to enjoying one of television’s great reality shows, “Deadliest Catch,” which he even prefers over some prestige TV series.
“I love watching network series that are well written. I always watch ‘Mad Men.’ I watch the new show ‘Southland’ that John Wells does, which I think is genius. The other thing is I watch a lot of reality television. It’s a guilty pleasure. My favorite show on the air right now is ‘Deadliest Catch.'”
Despite enjoying the show, Spielberg seemingly has no interest in hunting for crabs in Alaska like the crew members on “Deadliest Catch.” During the interview, he revealed that watching the series makes him hope that he never has to experience a storm at sea.
Speaking of Spielberg and reality TV, does anyone else remember that time he had his very own reality show in 2007?
Steven Spielberg tried his hand at reality television, but to no avail
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“On the Lot” has become a forgotten footnote in Steven Spielberg’s career. The Fox series, which debuted in 2007, saw the legendary director team up with Mark Burnett to unearth the next great filmmaker in an elimination competition. It didn’t go well.
Despite boasting other heavy-hitter names like Carrie Fisher and Garry Marshall, “On the Lot” was canceled after a single season due to low ratings and negative reviews. However, there were some notable names to come out of the series; Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky (co-directors of 2025’s “Final Destination Bloodlines”) were contestants on the show.
Today, Spielberg continues to work on small-screen projects of the scripted variety. The filmmaker is producing the upcoming “Cape Fear” series starring Javier Bardem and Amy Adams, which is expected to arrive on Apple TV later this year. Elsewhere, he is working on a Netflix documentary called “The Dinosaurs,” which will be narrated by Morgan Freeman.