Andy DehnartNational Geographic Channel Life Below Zero keeps winning Emmys Emmy-winning series, and continues to produce new episodes, even despite the events of the year. The 150th episode airs New Year’s Day.
How is the show filmed—including during a pandemᎥc? What’s it like to be on both sides of the camera? How were the show’s spin-off series cast? Answers to all of those questions and more are in the stories below: a collection of behind-the-scenes pieces that include interviews with one of its stars and its showrunner, and a first-person account of what it’s like to film a reality TV show in the middle of Alaska.
Life Below Zero is reaching its 150th episode on New Year’s Day with an episode airing outside its usual timeslot (NatGeo, Friday, Jan. 1, at 9), and then will finish its 14th season with two more episodes on its normal night and time (Tuesdays at 8). Starting Jan. 19, Life Below Zero: Next Generation takes over that timeslot. In this clip from the 180th episode, one of its core cast members, Ricko DeWilde, talks about teaching his kids as he has them help out in the creation of a tree house.
An interview with Life Below Zero executive producer and showrunner Joseph Litzinger about how covɪd-𝟷𝟿 affected the production of Life Below Zero season 14, plus the creation of a new series in the franchise, Life Below Zero: Next Generation.
Joseph Litzinger—Life Below Zero's showrunner since season two, whose previous credits include The Challenge and Hell’s Kitchen—writes about producing the show in less-than-ideal environments. That includes frozen cameras and peeing in a bucket.
Life Before Zero's break-out star Sue Aikens talks about what it's like to be filmed for the National Geographic Channel series, and how she interacts with the film crew when she's at Kavik River Camp and elsewhere.
In 2015, Sue Aikens flew off her snowmachine, through the air and tumbles into snow. I interviewed her about what happened. "This injury absolutely taught me fear. I fear being in that much pain," she said.
After the events of that episode, Sue Aikens filed a lawsuit against the production company and one of its producers, claiming she was “forced” to participate in “scripted scenes.”
Sue continued to appear in the series, and this story has details about what happened with that lawsuit.
The series Port Protection Alaska returns to NatGeo, rebranded as Life Below Zero: Port Protection. Meet its cast members, and see what makes it different than Life Below Zero.
What happened to cast members Amanda, Timbi, and Hans from early seasons of Port Protection? Also: watch Gary Muehlberger solve a problem at his house as winter approaches.
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About the author
Andy Dehnart is the creator of reality blurred and a writer and teacher who obsessively and critically covers reality TV and unscripted entertainment, focusing on how it’s made and what it means. Learn more about Andy.
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