A letter from Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, went out to his followers and supporters earlier this week and summed up his current status:
“I remain a prisoner in Germany in a case that has become highly unusual, controversial and international.
On May 13th, 2012, I was arrested at Frankfurt airport in Germany because in October 2011, Costa Rica issued an order for my arrest and extradition for an incident that had taken place in 2002.”
While Mr. Watson’s status is still uncertain, the Animal Planet cable television network (part of the Discovery conglomerate) is ready to air season 5 of the hit reality television program Whale Wars, a documentary-styled show that premiered six years after the incident that moved Costa Rica to request extradition of the controversial environmentalist.
Whale Wars has been a windfall for Animal Planet. The first two seasons received plenty of critical acclaim and high ratings. The president of Animal Planet once said that the show is an example of what the network intends to do in terms of reaching adult audiences. While Discovery has taken to the high seas before and found success in reality series like The Deadliest Catch, Animal Planet cannot take credit for the success of Whale Wars. The show is 100 percent Paul Watson, for it was him who pitched the idea to the network, and he provides the gravitas and entertainment that has propelled Whale Wars to ratings success.
Whale Wars without Paul Watson just would not be the same, and it is interesting to note that while Animal Planet has a lot riding on the show, it has not gone to great lengths to support his release. The reason for this might be because Discovery wants to position itself as a neutral party that does not condone or champion the actions of Paul Watson and his often inexperienced crew against the (mostly Japanese) whaling ships, but it does enjoy the ratings.
The show has tried to expand its success into a franchise with a spin-off season called Whale Wars: Viking Shores, which finished airing just after Paul Watson was arrested in Germany. The spin-off was based in the pristine Faroe Islands, and it mostly fell flat among critics. Writing for Playboy magazine, critic Andy Denhart described his opinion of what the New York Times labeled as Whale Wars: Onshore Bickering (since the crew left their ship):
“[the show] has derived nearly all of its drama from Sea Shepherd’s paranoia, and that’s often made for frightening moments. The tension comes from what Sea Shepherd crew members think might happen rather than what actually does happen, because with the exception of some annoyed and/or drunk people, nearly everyone they interact with is pleasant and gracious.
The activists haven’t faced a single actual threat—or, it’s worth noting, a single whale…”
As is often the case with scripted reality television, the film crew in Whale Wars resorts to different methods of adding tension and drama -which is what audiences keep coming back for. Most of the time they are effective, but when they show the Sea Shepherd crew on the deck of the Steve Irwin desperately scanning the horizon with binoculars for a whaling ship that the cameraman can see over their shoulders, it just looks silly. But when Paul Watson is on screen, Whale Wars is effective not just because of his charisma, but also because he is a man who is serious about what he does.
Starting now and until 8:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time, Animal Planet will broadcast a Whale Wars marathon of past shows, and at 9:00 PM season 5 will premiere. A dear reader of The Costa Rica Star who keeps a blog named Propaganda Buster wondered if the next spin-off could be named “Shark Wars: Costa Rica Pura Vida.” Considering the reaction to Viking Shores, it might be a better idea for Paul Watson and Animal Planet to stick to the original formula. Here’s the episode description for tonight’s season premiere:
After more than seven years of intense battles at sea, the Sea Shepherds believe they have finally driven the Japanese whaling fleet from the Southern Ocean forever. But now, Japan promises to return to Antarctica to resume its hunt, and the stakes for the Sea Shepherds are higher than ever. Adding to the already intense conflict, the Japanese government is committing nearly $30 million to this year’s hunt to provide additional security against the Sea Shepherds. Hoping to end the war before it even begins, Captain Paul Watson develops a daring plan to prevent the whalers from killing a single whale.