TV - Movies
The Untold Truth
Of Netflix's Big
Timber
By ASHLEY BUBP
Originally airing on the History channel in 2020, “Big Timber” centered around a family-owned logging business operating out of Vancouver Island. Its first season made a strong showing when it first debuted on Netflix, peaking at #6 on the Top Trending Shows list — but it has so little feedback from viewers that Rotten Tomatoes can't even give it a conclusive review.
If you thought Americans were bad about working long hours and barely taking any time off, the employees at "Big Timber" put most of their southern neighbors to shame. Kevin Wenstob, the main figure on the show, flatly stated that "there's never downtime in the industry...we probably take two Fridays off in a year."
Due to irresponsible deforestation in places like the Amazon rainforest, the logging industry is constantly having to deal with bad press — but that doesn’t mean sustainable forestry is impossible. In fact, the Wenstobs on “Big Timber” have made their business a member of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and take their environmental responsibility very seriously.
Like most reality TV shows, audiences who tune into “Big Timber” are only seeing a fraction of what helps the Wenstobs keep the lights on. Safety meetings, for example, are a part of daily life for the loggers — not only do they have to deal with constantly changing terrain, they also have to be on the lookout for dangerous wildlife like cougars and elk.
One reporter has asked Kevin Wenstob about any Bigfoot sightings in the area. "Well you know what," he said, laughing off the reporter's joke, "when you go around a corner, he might be there because there are ancient stories of them being out in that area, but I haven't seen anything yet." Of course, the keyword in that sentence is "yet."
So far, most of the internet is unsure about whether or not "Big Timber" will even get a Season 2. Some could argue that the first season's performance is cause to remain hopeful, but niche markets like reality TV usually need some time to spread by word of mouth and social media before executives decide — and "Big Timber" hasn't even been around for a year yet.