Whatever Happened To Deadliest Catch's Hillstrand Brothers Spin-Off?

With around 20 Seasons of high seas drama already under its belt, "Deadliest Catch" remains one of the best-loved reality series on the air. And a case could be made that the series' iconic cast of seafaring crabbers is a big reason fans continue to tune in week after week. A further case could be made that series regulars Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand have been favorites among the various captains and crew members since the show's infancy.

The Hillstrands made their first appearance on "Deadliest Catch" during its 2nd season, with their vessel, The Time Bandit, quickly becoming a major player on the Bering Sea's king crabbing scene. Just as importantly, the kooky hijinks of the brothers provided more than their fair share of primetime entertainment for viewers. So much so that Discovery bosses orchestrated a spin-off series centered on them. 

As reported by Courthouse News, that spin-off — initially titled "Hillstranded" — was to be set in Alaska, and would follow the Hillstrands' lives when they aren't calling the shots on The Time Bandit. According to the report, the series completed its two-week shoot without issue. Problems arose in post-production, however, with reports that Johnathan and Andy had failed to show up to record the planned interview and voice-over segments necessary to finish the show.

Seems Discovery bosses were also unable to reach Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand to try and sort out what the issue was, leaving them no choice but to abandon the pricey spin-off series altogether. And that fact, naturally, led Discovery brass to bring litigation against the Hillstrand brothers in hopes of recouping the purported hundred of thousands of dollars they'd already pumped into the production — hence the tussle being reported by Courthouse News.

Per that outlet, Discovery was seeking $3 million in damages from the Hillstrands. The network claimed the loss of potential revenue generated by the series as part of that extraordinarily high sum, with Reuters reporting the strongly worded complaint alleged, "The Hillstrand Defendants determined that they would reverse course, dishonor their promises, and refuse to render the services necessary to complete 'Hillstranded.'"

For their part, Johnathan and Andy have remained tight-lipped about why exactly they walked away from their show so late in production. And it seems the Hillstrands' only official response to "Hillstranded" producers regarding finishing production on the series was a curt email from their attorney asking that they stop trying to contact the brothers. 

Cooler heads eventually prevailed, with the Hillstrands and Discovery working out a deal to not only bring them back to "Deadliest Catch," but put the finishing touches on "Hillstranded." The latter series eventually made its way to air in 2011 under the title "Alaskan Monster Hunters: Hillstranded." And if you caught that one-off show, you know it was well worth the wait.