If you read this space often, you’ll recognize the name Capt. Jim Harkins.
I first spoke to Harkins last summer when writing about great white sharks off the coast of Maine, and I rode on his deep sea fishing charter boat several weeks later for the first day of a South Portland charity tournament. Since then, I’ve tried to keep readers updated on Capt. Jim’s adventures, such as when he was picked as one of a handful of subject matter experts by hunting and fishing equipment retailer Cabela’s.
Now Harkins is taking his act to television, launching a 10-episode series in southern Maine on TimeWarner Cable’s Channel 9.
Harkins said the first episode — bits and pieces of which I saw him filming when I went out on his boat in August — will air Sunday night at 8 p.m. Reruns of the show will appear on the following Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
The air time for these types of regional cable shows are often paid for by the producers, with underwriters or advertisers picking up the tab and — if they’re successful enough — providing a small profit. The initial episodes can also be used as a showcase for consideration by larger cable networks, which we’ve seen in the past bite on reality shows about deep sea fishing — think “Deadliest Catch” on the Discovery Channel and “Wicked Tuna” on National Geographic’s channel.