While some other Bravo shows like Real Housewives and Summer House could easily have very scripted moments, Below Deck is a bit harder to add a fictional storyline to. Many of the high seas moments happen, you guessed it, at sea, where the production crew are smushed into a tiny control room.
With cameras all over the mega yachts, it is easy to catch exactly what is happening from second to second. Between boatmances and freak accidents, it looks like most of the episodes are pretty spot-on and accurate. So, how much of Below Deck is actually scripted?
Below Deck Is as Real as Reality Can Get
Reality is defined as the world or the state of things as they actually exist, and it seems Captain Jason Chambers would agree with that sentiment. While interviewing at Media Week, the hunky captain commented, “The best thing about this show, it’s a real reality show.”
Captain Jason made it clear that the cast has no time to waste with the cameras, as there is a job to get done. The Australian noted, “There’s very few of them. Deadliest Catch, Gold Rush or whatever. There’s not many of them, but we are a real reality show. You can’t take that away.”
The 50-year-old also touched on how important safety is on the vessel. “There are elements around the weather and we’ve got to please the charter guests, so you put all of that into the forefront of your mind because that’s what’s got to be done,” Captain Jason said. “You have no time to worry about the cameras.”
Captain Jason doesn’t worry much about how he’ll be perceived on camera, even though he earned the nickname, “Captain Cutie.” It seems the father of one is very proud of how real his franchise is compared to some other Bravo hits.
Captain Lee Feels the Show Is Real
In 2015, Captain Lee Rosbach told Reality Blurred he felt Below Deck is “a pretty accurate snapshot,” saying “I really do. What happens, happens and it’s all caught on film.”
Even the drama seems to be the right amount. “You’ve always got drama on board a boat,” Captain Lee shared. “Any time you get people that are living and working together in that close proximity, you’re going to have issues and things are going to happen, and drama’s going to ensue. It’s been that way in yachting for years, long before the series came around.”
The captain shared some behind-the-scenes information revealing the hoops each cast member has to jump through, and they are not for the faint of heart. The Bravo personality divulged, “Each of the crew members has to have an STCW, which is a standard set by the maritime industry for watch-keeping and just being on board—it’s basic first aid, firefighting. It’s a two-week course and a certification they have to have before they’re allowed to work on yachts.”
The Captains Have the Power
It helps that all the Below Deck captains hold all the power. Unlike other reality TV shows, they have the last say on who is hired and who is fired. Producers often look for a cast member who may bring the most drama or say the craziest things. But, each captain has to ensure their crew members can perform the job they are hired for.
Captain Lee shared, “I can’t speak directly to if anybody gets fired or something to that effect, but I can tell you that I do have that authority, yes, any time you bring new crew on board, whether it’s for a TV series or whether you’ve lost some of your old crew—which happens quite frequently in yachting—you’re bound to go through some changes, and adaptations are going to be made.”
Even Bravo Claims Below Deck Is Real
Courtland Cox, an executive producer, once shared with Bravo TV that the show was, in fact, one-hundred percent legitimate. The crew members who have been invited to work on the show have always held jobs in the yachting industry.
Even the most challenging charter guests aren’t paid actors. They’re just super annoying humans with an enormous sense of privilege.
TELL US – DO YOU BELIEVE BELOW DECK IS SCRIPTED?
