'Great Lakes Warriors' Premiere: The Dangers Of Tugboats On The Great Lakes Revealed (VIDEO)

While "Deadliest Catch" may have set the standard for watching men and women working on dangerous waterways, "Great Lakes Warriors" (Thu., 10 p.m. ET on History) is trying to stand up and say that the Great Lakes can be every bit as dangerous as the Bering Sea. In this premiere, viewers saw the crews dealing with empty barges, tumultuous waters and even ice.

John Selvick is the series' featured star, and the captain has lost both a grandfather and brother in tugboat mishaps, so he takes the job very seriously, as reported by the Green Bay Press Gazette. The tiny tugs are completely overshadowed by some of the vessels they try and work with, making for some exciting and harrowing visuals.

But the Chicago Tribune says the show can't help being compared to "Deadliest Catch," and it just doesn't compare favorably. They explain that a tug hauling barges up and down the lakes just isn't the same. They blame the production crew for following too closely the editing and stylistic formula of "Catch."

"The show goes to great lengths to emphasize certain technical aspects of the job," the writer for the Tribune wrote. "But none of it matters if we don't have an emotional investment in the boat crews. ,,, 'GLW' will need to embrace a stronger character-based storytelling aesthetic."

The story -- or lack thereof -- continues on "Great Lakes Warriors" Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on History.

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.