Among the standouts in the 2010 programming lineup for ESPN2 Outdoors are the much anticipated Tom Brokaw-hosted series Pirates of the Flats, the historic 15th season of Jose Wejebe’s Spanish Fly, the second season of coverage of the Built Ford Tough ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series presented by Takemefishing.org and fresh faces and places on The Bassmasters.
After months of buzz topped by a YouTube trailer that received thousands of hits, Pirates of the Flats presented by Ace will debut Sunday, Dec. 27, at 9 a.m. ET. Filmed in the Bahamas, the show features Brokaw, who also narrates. The news anchor goes on a weeklong catch-and-release bonefishing expedition, a project in partnership with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.
The casters on the show with Brokaw include actor Michael Keaton, fly-fishing icon Lefty Kreh, author Thomas McGuane, mountaineer and outdoor industry leader Yvon Chouinard and photographer R. Valentine Atkinson.
“Every season, new ESPN Outdoors programming entices more sportfishing fans, whether they are drawn to the shows to learn and develop their own skills, or to relax and enjoy the action and adventure,” said Greg Trager, senior director, programming & acquisitions, ESPN Outdoors.
Jose Wejebe is back in 2010 with the popular Spanish Fly. Entering its historic 15th season, the show is now ESPN2’s longest-running outdoor sports program. The 2010 Spanish Fly season will kick off with a two-episode arc Sunday, Dec. 27, at 9:30 a.m., when Wejebe takes to the water with a family of artists to explore the art of Japanese fish rubbings, or gyotaku.
Also in 2010, Wejebe will continue as host of Built Ford Tough ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series presented by Takemefishing.org. With six new shows, the Saltwater Series programming will capture the fast action of the EOSS’ 2009 catch-and-release tournaments from locations including Abaco, Bahamas, and Islamorada, Fla., for the famed Redbone Celebrity Tournament.
Wanna Go Fishing? jumps into the schedule in the second quarter. Fans of fishing and of football will love the episode shot at the Billfish Bowl in Key Largo during Super Bowl weekend. The big-fish event is a two-day charity sailfish tournament hosted by football greats Mike Ditka and Jimmy Johnson.
In competitive freshwater fishing, the biggest happening is the annual Bassmaster Classic, and ESPN2 will be there in 2010. Bass fishing fans will get more than 11 hours of programming through the three days of the tournament. Footage from Alabama’s Lay Lake and the weigh-in arena in Birmingham, Ala., will be on ESPN2 daily, within hours of the Feb. 19-21 daily competition.
Throughout 2010, bass fishing fans can get their fix with The Bassmasters. New Elite pros and stops at fisheries not visited in past years will add twists to the inherent drama of every Elite competition. ESPN Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders will again host the chronicle of the top-tier Bassmaster Elite Series.
Zona will also be back on Saturdays with new episodes of Mystik’s World’s Greatest Fishing Show, while Beat Charlie Moore will have an all-new season lineup. The fishing/travel series Fishing Adventurer with Cyril Chauquet will go deeper into the wilds, as will George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing with new episodes.
Also, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Byron Velvick of Del Rio, Texas, will host Going Coastal, which airs Sundays at 8:30 a.m. ET, beginning Dec. 27. Going Coastal is an inshore saltwater show that aims to inform and entertain with Velvick serving as the conduit between local experts and the television audience.
About ESPN Outdoors: Since its inception in 1980, ESPN Outdoors has strived to inform and entertain anglers, hunters and people of all ages who enjoy the outdoors. ESPN Outdoors is committed to increasing awareness of and participation in outdoor activities, a direction best exemplified by television programming on ESPN2. Each year, ESPN Outdoors stages more than 30 marquee events, including the Bassmaster Classic. ESPN Outdoors is comprised of BASS, the worldwide authority on bass fishing, and a growing array of multimedia platforms, including the Bassmaster and ESPNOutdoors websites and programming on ESPN2, in addition to promotions and activities that deliver a clear message of conservation and ethical sportsmanship. For more information, contact ESPN Outdoors Communications at (407) 566-2208.
By: ESPN Outdoors
