The Weather Channel Companies (TWCC) announced today it has greenlit the new original docu-series “Coast Guard Florida,” produced by Al Roker Entertainment (ARE). The series will premiere on The Weather Channel in October 2012 and will feature 13x 60-minute episodes. Al Roker and C. Russell Muth will serve as co-executive producers. This original concept will take full advantage of the significant audience The Weather Channel brand has on television, web, mobile and tablet.
“Coast Guard Florida” will follow the men and women of the 7th Coast Guard District who are charged with keeping America’s ports secure and waterways safe, stemming the flow of illegal narcotics, securing the southeast border, protecting the environment, enforcing maritime laws and treaties and saving those in peril on the sea. The danger, drama and excitement will grow out of the assignments coming from three bustling Coast Guard Bases located in Clearwater, the Keys and Miami/Everglades. The 7th Coast Guard District area of responsibility (AOR) spans 1.8 million square miles with more than 9,500 miles of shoreline, and borders 34 nations or independent territories. There is a fleet of approximately 2,000 commercial vessels that are inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard within the 7th District AOR, and there are about two million recreational boats within the AOR. The 7th District Commander has 39 cutters, 190 boats and 36 aircraft at his disposal to accomplish the U.S. Coast Guard missions in this dynamic AOR.
“Coast Guard Florida” follows the success of the hit series “Coast Guard Alaska,” also produced by ARE, which premiered in November 2011 on The Weather Channel and has enjoyed strong ratings and a passionate following. TWCC has since ordered second and third seasons of “Coast Guard Alaska.” However, the new series will have a very different look and feel – not only in terms of landscape and weather conditions, but also in the missions assigned to the crews. Additionally, while the first season of Coast Guard Alaska focused on the activities of one station (Kodiak), Coast Guard Florida will expand to cover the many activities and missions of three large bases throughout southern Florida.
“While both series have ‘Coast Guard’ in the title, that’s almost where the similarities end,” said Michael Dingley, senior vice president, content and development for The Weather Channel. “Viewers will be amazed at how different ‘Coast Guard Florida’ will be from its Alaskan predecessor. Not only do they face completely different weather conditions, which can have a huge impact on their missions, but the missions themselves will reveal to viewers a different set of skills these Coast Guardsmen and women must employ, and a new range of risks and challenges they face on a daily basis.”
Said Al Roker, president and CEO of Al Roker Entertainment, “It has been a great partnership with The Weather Channel, from hosting ‘Wake Up with Al’ to working as an executive producer on these series. ‘Coast Guard Alaska’ is one of the projects I’m most proud of as a producer – the United Sates Coast Guard is an awe-inspiring group of men and women, and we feel privileged to give viewers an inside look at the courageous acts they embark on every day in serving our country. ‘Coast Guard Florida’ will allow us to continue to tell their stories.”
“Coast Guard Florida” joins TWCC’s growing stable of long-form original content, which includes its most recent additions “Lifeguard!” and “Ice Pilots,” as well as upcoming anthology series “Braving the Elements” and “Hurricane Hunters.”
