RIVALRIES REACH NEW HEIGHTS AS THE COMPETITION GOES DOWN TO THE WIRE IN "WICKED TUNA'S" SEASON FINALE ON NAT GEO CHANNEL

Loveline's Mike Catherwood Tapped to Host Reel Talk Live Post-Finale Show Where Cast Answers Fan Questions and Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Details

Wicked Tuna Season Five Finale Event Premieres Monday, May 16, at 9/8c, followed by Reel Talk Live at 10/9c (tape delayed on the West Coast)

(Washington, D.C. - May 2, 2016) After weeks of fishing filled with treacherous conditions, multiday trips, sleepless nights and record-breaking catches, the North Atlantic bluefin season is coming to a close and the captains of National Geographic Channel's hit series Wicked Tuna are in a fierce battle to the finish. Tempers flare and the pressure builds as captains and crews reach their boiling points in a desperate scramble for last-minute paydays. Four boats are within striking distance of the title, but only one can go home the champion.

The high-octane Wicked Tuna season five finale premieres Monday, May 16, at 9/8c, followed immediately by National Geographic Channel's only live show-after-the-show, Reel Talk Live, at 10 p.m. ET (tape delayed on the West Coast). The season's captains and crews join host Mike Catherwood (@MikeCatherwood; "Loveline") before a live audience to answer fan questions, reveal behind-the-scenes details and look ahead to what's next. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com/wickedtuna and follow on Facebook, Twitter (@NGC_PR and @wickedtuna) and Instagram (@natgeochannel).

Fans can participate in Reel Talk Live by submitting questions for the captains and mates on Facebook (Facebook.com/WickedTunaTV) or on Twitter (https://twitter.com/WickedTuna) using the hashtag #ReelTalkLive.

Throughout this season on Wicked Tuna, the leaderboard standings have shifted with every weigh-in. Heading into the finale, Captain TJ Ott (@tjHOTTUNA) has scooped up the lead after a risky trip out to Georges Bank. Ott's performance over the past few seasons has damaged his reputation, and he's fishing with a vengeance to prove that he's not just an average captain. Ott has the lead for now, but last season's champion Captain Dave Marciano (@CaptMarciano) is close behind. Marciano fishes with his son and nephew, and has had a very successful season due in part to the supportive family atmosphere on the boat. The Hard Merchandise is the oldest boat in the fleet, and often the punchline of other captains' jokes, so a second victory would prove to his hotshot competitors that slow and steady wins the race.

Ott and Marciano aren't the only ones chasing the title. The ultra-competitive Captain Dave Carraro (@TunaDotCom) knows that the top spot on the leaderboard is slipping further away from him with every fish the other boats catch, so he and his crew are determined to fish harder than ever in order to finish first. And Captain Paul Hebert (@PissahTunaPaul), often disparaged by his fellow captains, has gone from being this season's underdog to a real contender for first place. After years of struggling, Hebert finally owns his own boat, the Wicked Pissah. Despite some rocky moments, including the departure of one crew member, Hebert has battled back against the odds and is within striking distance of the top spot. A win would top off his incredible season and finally earn him the respect of his peers, but the leaderboard standings are razor-thin and any captain could take the title.

Meanwhile, Captain Tyler McLaughlin (@PinwheelFV) has had a disappointing season aboard the Pinwheel - pulled hooks, broken gear and near-mutiny have cost the captain and crew. Now well behind the rest of the fleet, the Pinwheel desperately needs to catch a few more fish in order to make a profit.

Wicked Tuna: The Final Fishdown Premieres Monday, May 16, at 9/8c There's one week left in the North Atlantic bluefin fishing season, and one question remains: Who will earn the title of Gloucester's top-earning fisherman? Four boats are one catch away from the lead, and every captain is fishing harder than ever. The word is out that a bite is on, and captains are zeroed in, fishing within sight of each other. It's the most competitive season yet - each time the rod bends, a captain's fate is at stake. Captain Paul Hebert, once the laughingstock of the fleet, has come from behind to present a real threat to perennial leader Dave Carraro, last season's champion Dave Marciano, and respected captain TJ Ott. It's a race to the finish, and when the final catches are weighed and the totals are counted, who will end up on top?

Wicked Tuna and Reel Talk Live are produced for National Geographic Channels by Pilgrim Media Group. For Pilgrim Media Group, executive producers are Craig Piligian and Mike Nichols. For NGC, Robert Palumbo is executive producer; Matt Renner is vice president, production; Alan Eyres is senior vice president, development; and Tim Pastore is president, original programming and production.

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National Geographic Channels

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in over 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

Pilgrim Media Group

Craig Piligian's Pilgrim Media Group, a Lionsgate company, produces a wide variety of unscripted and scripted programming for television, including "Fast N' Loud," "Street Outlaws," "Misfit Garage" and upcoming series "The Wheel" for Discovery; "My Big Fat Fabulous Life" for TLC; two-time NAACP Award-winner "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" for OWN; "Ghost Brothers" for Destination America; "Ghost Hunters" for Syfy; "Bring It!" and "Step It Up!" for Lifetime; "David Tutera's CELEBrations" for WE tv; "Wicked Tuna" and "Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks" for National Geographic Channel; and "Missing in Alaska" for History. Pilgrim also is in production on "The Runner," with Executive Producers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, for go90. In the scripted realm, Pilgrim produces for Freeform the freshman series "Recovery Road." The company's original movies for Lifetime include "Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy"; "Abducted: The Carlina White Story," which earned a 2012 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture; and the crime thriller "Stalkers." For more information, check out pilgrimstudios.com.