Alaska State Troopers (TV series)

Lore & Background

The series originally aired on National Geographic Channel from October 14, 2009 to April 15, 2015, spanning 8 seasons. It was narrated for its first 8 seasons by Marc Graue. The show follows the exploits of numerous officers from all regions of Alaska, including James and Anne Sears, Howie Peterson, Jon Simeon, Brent Johnson, and many others. After 8 seasons, the series was not continued because, according to the article, 'It was just time to focus on the job of providing public safety without any added outside distractions.'

A new 10-episode season, its first in 10 years, premiered on A&E on January 7, 2026. The article notes that although the show aired in many countries, National Geographic Channel has not released DVDs of the series outside the United States.

Four officers who participated in the show have been killed in the line of duty. On March 30, 2013, two troopers—Tage Brandel Toll and pilot Mel Nading—died in a helicopter crash during a search and rescue mission near Talkeetna. In 2014, the NTSB concluded the accident was caused by pilot error and the Alaska DPS and troopers' safety culture. On May 1, 2014, Trooper Gabriel 'Gabe' Rich (26) and Sgt. Patrick 'Scott' Johnson (45) were shot and killed in Tanana. A 19-year-old man, Nathanial 'Sach' Kangas, was arrested in connection with the shootings.

Reader's Guide

The significance of Alaska State Troopers lies in its long-running documentary portrayal of law enforcement in a unique and challenging environment, and its revival after a decade. The original series aired for 8 seasons on National Geographic Channel from 2009 to 2015, documenting the daily work of Alaska State Troopers, village public safety officers, and officers from various cities. The show's cancellation was attributed to a desire to focus on public safety without distractions. Its revival on A&E in 2026 with a 10-episode season marks a notable return, reflecting continued interest in the subject matter. The series also gained attention for the line-of-duty deaths of four participating officers, including two killed in a 2013 helicopter crash and two fatally shot in 2014. These incidents, investigated by the NTSB and resulting in arrests, add a somber layer to the show's legacy. The article does not provide further details on the revival's reception or content.

Did You Know?

• A new 10-episode season premiered on A&E on January 7, 2026, after a 10-year hiatus.
• On May 1, 2014, Trooper Gabriel 'Gabe' Rich and Sgt. Patrick 'Scott' Johnson were shot and killed in Tanana.

Format and Geographic Reach

Alaska State Troopers debuted on the National Geographic Channel in October 2009 and ran through April 2015, spanning eight seasons. For the entirety of that run, Marc Graue served as the series' narrator, guiding viewers through the day-to-day operations of the state's law enforcement agencies. The show's scope was remarkably broad: it tracked the daily beats of multiple bureaus within the Alaska State Troopers organization while also spotlighting village public safety officers stationed in small, remote communities. Urban departments in Wasilla, Palmer, Anchorage, and Soldotna were likewise given screen time, ensuring that viewers saw a cross-section of policing across the state's diverse geography. Despite being broadcast in numerous countries around the world, the National Geographic Channel never issued a DVD release of the series for audiences outside the United States, meaning international fans could only access the show through the channel's live or on-demand feeds.

The Troopers on Screen

The series built its identity around the people doing the work. Over its eight-season run, viewers met a long and rotating roster of officers drawn from every corner of Alaska. The cast included names such as James and Anne Sears, Howie Peterson, Jon Simeon, Brent Johnson, Scott Quist, Odean Hall, Lonny Piscoya, Luis Nieves, Dan Dahl, Rick Roberts, Abraham Garcia, Dan Cox, Gabe Rich, Michael Munson, Jonathan Stroebele, Joshua Varys, JJ Hennessey, Melvin Colley, Ken Van Spronsen, Daron Cooper, Lance Ewers, Jared Noll, Terrence Shanigan, Blake Calhoun, Brandon Viator, Tony Wegrzyn, William Connors, Jimmy Buttrey, Kamau Leigh, and Garrett Frost. These troopers represented a wide spectrum of assignments, from highway patrols to search-and-rescue operations to the more intimate, community-rooted policing carried out by village public safety officers in tiny rural settlements. The show deliberately avoided a single-protagonist model, instead letting the collective experience of the force tell the story of law enforcement in one of the most geographically challenging states in the country.

Tragedies in the Line of Duty

Four officers who appeared on the series ultimately lost their lives while performing their duties, a sobering statistic that underscores the real-world dangers behind the documentary format. On March 30, 2013, Trooper Tage Brandel Toll and pilot Mel Nading perished in a helicopter crash near Talkeetna while returning from a search-and-rescue mission; the snowmobiler they had just rescued also died in the accident. A 2014 NTSB investigation attributed the crash to pilot error and a broader safety-culture failure within the Alaska Department of Public Safety, noting that both the pilot and the observer had been inadequately trained and that the pilot flew into severe weather beyond his preparedness. On May 1, 2014, Trooper Gabriel "Gabe" Rich, 26, and Sergeant Patrick "Scott" Johnson, 45, were shot and killed in Tanana. Nineteen-year-old Nathanial "Sach" Kangas was arrested for the murders. The troopers had been dispatched after a local village public safety officer called for backup in an earlier incident involving Kangas's father, who was separately charged with assaulting the officer and driving on a suspended license.

Cancellation and a Decade-Later Return

After eight seasons that stretched from October 2009 to April 2015, Alaska State Troopers was not renewed. The reasoning was that the troopers needed to refocus on their core public-safety mission free from the extra pressures a television production inevitably brings. The final seasons arrived at a steady pace, with Season 5 premiering on September 15, 2013, and Season 6 following on April 10, 2014, before the run concluded. For a full decade, the series sat dormant, with no new episodes produced and no home on any network. Then, on January 7, 2026, a brand-new ten-episode season debuted on A&E, marking the show's first return in ten years. The move to a different network signaled both a fresh start and a recognition that audiences still craved an unfiltered look at what it means to police one of the most remote and demanding landscapes in the United States.