New Season of Discovery Channel's 'Bering Sea Gold' Premieres Friday Night

The newest season of the Discovery Channel show 'Bering Sea Gold' premieres on Friday night, here's what to expect and how to watch it.

Credit: Discovery Channel /

Discovery Channel's long-running reality TV show about Alaskan gold premieres its 18th season on Friday night.

'Bering Sea Gold' has been on the air since 2012 and showcases the highs-and-lows of gold mining.

Viewers that are interested in adventure, survival and reality TV alike all have something that they can garner from the show.

Epsiodes usually involve some high-stakes drama revolving around the actual act of mining for gold, but also the interpersonal conflict that it brings.

The actual dredging for gold involves a lot of operating heavy machinery as well as sifting for gold. Gaining some insight on the different techniques and equipment that are used each day can be interesting.

As with most reality TV, the drama is the main focus. There is plenty of potential for action in each episode whether it be equipment breaking, weather going rogue or competition between different crews.

Episodes end with a weigh-in for each haul which gives an answer to how successful each dive is.

The show last aired in December of 2023, but there is still time to keep pace for their normal two seasons a year plan.

One key change for this upcoming season is that Emily Riedel won't be returning to the cast.

Riedel was a fan-favorite that had appeared in 153 episodes of the show dating back to its first season. In a YouTube video titled 'I lost my job on Bering Sea Gold' she shared that the production company hadn't shot anything with her for the first time in over a decade.

Fans that want to keep up with her can followed along on her YouTube channel that is under her name. She still uploads gold mining related videos a couple of times a month, in an effort to replace what was lost when she left the show.

How to watch

'Bering Sea Gold' Season 18 will premiere on the Discovery Channel at 9 p.m. ET. Those without cable will be able to find the show on the Discovery Plus subscription service or the Max streaming service the next day. Programs like Philo, Sling TV and YouTube TV allow for people to stream shows via the internet rather than traditional cable.

The episode has the following premise: Chaotic El Niño conditions impact the ice, creating dangerous pressure ridges and flipping the gold miners' game plans upside down as some are forced off their claims.