Bravo’s high-seas adventure seriesBelow Deckhas become one of the most successful reality TV franchises with super yachts cruising on the Baltic, Caribbean, and Mediterranean seas, but lately,the show has been going downhill, evident through low ratings.Below Deckis watchable and enjoyable for every single person. There is also the mystification over the appeal of Gary King, a First Mate who has a spirited temperament and a flirtatious charm, which makes him a loveable character.Below Deckand its spin-offs, have presented an escapism aspect to the series, keeping many hooked.
The premise of every episode of the franchise is when a group of rich guests board a boat for a lavish vacation.Below Decktakes the viewers through the crew’s daily lives as they attempt to keepup with the demanding guests, who slowly drive them to the brink of madness. Despite its popularity,Below Deckhas significantly changed since its debut in 2013. The debut ofBelow Deck Adventurein November 2022 wasn’t the best for the franchise as it wasn’t as exciting as the others, dropping the ratings. Lately, this has been the case for mostBelow Deckshows, and here’s why.
The Drama Feels More Fabricated
There Are Lots Of Manufactured Scenes
When it comes to entertainment and drama,Below Deckis one of the most popular reality shows with luxurious mega yachts, difficult charter guests, and exotic locations. However, there’s still a question of how much of it is manufactured drama, andwhat role the producers have to play. Turns out most of the parts are entirely unscripted. Although some conversations are prompted and some shots well edited, the series still depicts a small percentage of yachties' real-life situations. Nonetheless,Below Deckfocuses on drama, and the people onboard know how to keep it up.
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For example, inBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 5,Captain Sandy Yawn fired Chief Stew Hannah Ferrierfor having a CBD pen and undeclared Valium in her belongings. This was after receiving a tip from Hannah’s bunkmate Malia White. Many felt like the whole issuewas orchestrated to create maximum tension, thus increasing the chances of falling out, which would lead to drama.
Captain Sandy still let go of Hannah even though Hannah stated she had a prescription for the anti-anxiety medication. Although Hannah should have declared it before, this situation was exaggerated to create drama. In a recent Reddit thread fromFront_Crow_5328, theyproved this theory,with one commenter stating:
“I think it was the plan to fire Hannah from day one of season 5 production. Something that’s always bothered me about Sandy is she creates problems when there shouldn’t be just to stir up drama. Hannah was a victim of this way too many times.”
Additionally,Below Deckhas had some of the mostoutrageous guests who’ve ended up making some unreasonable requests. Some have demanded lavish beach picnics within a short time, while others have made extreme changes to their meals.Below Deckseason 8 was certainly a memorable one. A huge argument broke out as the charter guest bickeredover deckhand James Hough. Shay, a guest onboard, had expressed her interest in James and hoped she would ride on a jetski with him.
However, a different guest, Lexi ended up going on that adventure with James and a huge fight occurs, leaving the crew shocked (viaBravo). That incident seemed to be exaggerated to heighten the drama. Further, mostBelow Deckcrew members do not seem qualified to perform their duties well.Below Deckseason 8 presented Elizabeth Frankini, who frequently failed to complete her tasks as expected.
She often left some tasks unattended or poorly done,and her carefree attitude was infuriating for all crew members. Elizabeth further became distracted by her involvement, but with James preventing her from doing her job well. Bringing these crew members on board made the show more dramatic than anything else. It has also made yachting look less professional than it is.
There Have Been Too Many Scandals Across The Below Deck Franchise
Too Many To Count
Below Deckfranchise has seen its fair share of scandals over the years. For instance, manyBelow Deckcrew members have gotten involvedin onboard romances that led to betrayal, public breakups, and more. Since most ofBelow Deckcast members are young and attractive, it has become difficult for them to fall for one another. That has led to many boatmances and, in some situations, one-night stands.Natalya Scudder and Storm SmithfromBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 7 didn’t have the best relationship.
Although he wanted to make it work,Natalya often caused pointless fights,which made their relationship rockier and more dramatic. There have also been incidences of guest misconduct, like the infamous incident inBelow Deckseason 7, where a guest named Brandy caused a stir with her drunken behavior. She was caught on the beach struggling and seemingly in need of medical help. In another controversy,Peter Hunziker was fired fromBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 5 for posting a misogynistic and racist post, which wasn’t far-fetched from the behavior he’d depicted on the series.
Daisy Kelliher Is The Backbone Of Below Deck Sailing Yacht (Will She Continue To Tolerate Gary King’s Bad Behavior?)
Below Deck Sailing Yacht’s Daisy Kelliher has been the backbone of the series to date, but will she continue to tolerate Gary King’s bad behavior?
Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux’s paternity dramainBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 2 is one of the most scandalous romances. Dani Soares revealed she was expecting after they wrapped up filming. Unfortunately, Jean-Lucexpressed doubts about being the father, leading to a public paternity dispute. The off-screen drama became a huge talking point, but eventually, he did admit to being the father.
How Can Bravo Fix The Below Deck Universe?
Consider More Crossovers, Maybe
SinceBelow Deckhas expanded to other spin-offs, crossing over between franchises could create a buzz on different shows. Having crew members fromBelow Deck Medwork on otherBelow Deckfranchisescould bring some interesting aspects to the show. It has been the case when big names in theReal Housewivesuniverse such as Claudia Jordan and Cynthia Bailey chartered aBelow Deckyacht. By combiningBelow Deckwith shows likeSouthern Charm, the cast members wouldbring chaos combined with personal conflicts and romantic entanglementsthat could boost the ratings.
Below Deckshould also expand to other locations. They should consider expanding to exotic places like thePacific Northwest, Alaska, and some unique destinations like Antarctica or the Galápagos Islandsthat would present new challenges but also breathtaking views.Below Deck Adventurewas on the right trajectory, as it presented a colder climate in Norway.
It had all the makings of a hit series, providing a unique setting in a more rugged Norwegian environment and new faces, which was refreshing to the viewers. Therefore, bringing backBelow Deck Adventure, which is on hiatus, might boost the ratings. Although theBelow Deckfranchise has tried to increase diversity on the show, they should also select yachties from other parts of Africa rather than South Africa alone for more inclusivity.
Sources:Front_Crow_5328/Reddit,Bravo/YouTube
Below Deck
Below Deck is a popular reality TV franchise that focuses on a group of crew members as they work on luxurious yachts and cater to their client’s needs. After the original series proved to be a success, Bravo developed a handful of spinoff shows including Below Deck Selling Yacht, Below Deck Adventure, Below Deck Down Under, and Below Deck Mediterranean.
