Discovery.com has released a sneak peek of the new season of "Alaskan Bush People." It's everything you would expect and more … much more.
For those who don't remember, "Alaskan Bush People" is an unscripted situational comedy about a family of nine that lives outside Hoonah. The narrative is that they are a family "born and raised in the wild" with little socialization. However, there have been several controversies over the years surrounding the extremely popular television program, including when father Billy Brown and son "Bam" pleaded guilty to Permanent Fund dividend fraud and in the process called into question how long the family has actually lived in Alaska. Just Google the Browns and some amazing things can be found on the Internet.
But let's get right into this season's trailer. First, we see the Brown family riding an escalator in what I assume to be Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. "Living in the city has been different," says Billy Brown, the patriarch of the family. This is like the anti-"Green Acres."
Then the family travels through the rental car facility, and Billy says: "Can you believe, all of this to park?" For once, I completely agree. Have you ever rented a car in Seattle? Seriously, it's like hiking the Oregon Trail to end up in a Chevy Aveo.
Matt, the eldest son, then goes on to look at the rental car's backup camera. Once again, I get it. Those cameras are really confusing. Oh no, do I actually relate to the Brown family? What's wrong with me?
After these first few seconds of normal-ish Alaskan-in-the-Lower-48 behavior, the Brown family continues to talk about the big-city hardships and how much they want to go home to the Bush. We see the family wandering around Seattle, frequently with their own handheld cameras. Aside: Anytime I'm watching a video of someone holding a camera, I get confused. Clearly, they have film crews with them. Or are multiple Brown family members holding cameras and filming one another? I just don't understand.
Anyways, we see Matt (a 32-year-old man) sleeping in a motel bathtub, and Bam says, "I had to retire my knife for a while, it's not even my large knife." I hope more than half this season is the Browns in Seattle. But it looks like their big-city stay will be short-lived, and they'll head back to Hoonah. The typical Brown antics are back. Matt falls into the ocean, the girls shoot guns, a bear comes through their window and they work on new city improvements for Browntown.
But at the end of the trailer, they drop a bomb on us:
Billy says, "We haven't heard from her in 30 years …" And his wife, Ami, says, "She'll always be our daughter." Then someone with long, blond hair steps off a floatplane. Through the miracle of editing, I'm led to believe that there is a secret other Brown child who comes to visit this season. This is amazing. Between the Seattle stint and a secret child, this season is going to be awesome.
"Alaskan Bush People" returns at 8 p.m. Friday, May 6, on Discovery Channel.
Emily Fehrenbacher lives in Anchorage, where she reviews Alaska reality TV. You can reach her at realitycheck@alaskadispatch.com or on Twitter @ETFBacher.