'Deadliest Catch' Nets Series High 8.5 Million Viewers

The July 13 installment of Discovery's Deadliest Catch, which featured the final episode of Capt. Phil Harris, was watched by 8.5 million viewers with 5.2 million of them in the 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen.

Last night's Deadliest Catch now stands as the third most-watched telecast in Discovery history after Walking with Dinosaurs and Walking the Mammoth.

Harris died last February after suffering a stroke on board the Time Bandit, the crab fishing vessel that is a home away from home for the show's fishermen.

Cameras were rolling during Harris' stroke and the show continued to document his treatment and eventual death from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 53.

=The follow-up, After The Catch: The Good Captain Phil, was watched by 6.8 million viewers.

Read more at B&C here.