Best immunity challenge in the history of Survivor!!!

BEST. IMMUNITY. CHALLENGE. EVER!!!

Props to Candice and Amanda for taking the hits and kicking some ass!

You can now pre-order both Survivor: The Amazon and Survivor: Thailand

This from EW.com:

Survivor has made a habit recently of bringing back former contestants. And the former seasons keep on returning as well. Following in the footsteps of earlier Amazon.com manufactured-on-demand DVD titles for the Africa, Marquesas, and Heroes vs Villains seasons, CBS Home Entertainment will be releasing two more installments on DVD via Amazon’s CreateSpace: the highly regarded (and title-appropriate) Survivor: The Amazon (season 6), and the less regarded Survivor: Thailand (season 5).

Survivor: The Amazon features the show’s first battle of the sexes, as well as Jenna Morasca and Heidi Strobel infamously getting naked for chocolate and peanut butter (even though nobody asked them to). Survivor: Thailand is generally considered one of the franchise’s weakest installments, but still includes a few classic moments such as the brilliant fake merge and brutal final endurance challenge.

You can pre-order Survivor: The Amazon here and Survivor: Thailand here.

Now we have even more to look forward to this coming September!

"Unofficial" casting for Survivor: South Pacific

Unofficial till CBS reveals that piece of information (mid-August, usually), but these guys normally have it right. So I figure that this is what the castaways will look like.

All I ask for is for men and women there to play the game and give it their best shot. The casting for the last two seasons was atrocious, so here's to hoping that Survivor: South Pacific will be a throwback to the heydays of Survivor.

Roll on September 14th!

This from Suite101.com:

Survivor: South Pacific’s group of men are a motley group, ranging from a Utah cattle rancher to a teenage husband and father to a privileged Harvard law student. CBS is expected to officially announce the cast in mid-August, but as usual, Internet sleuths at Survivor Sucks, True Dork Times, and Survivor Skills have unearthed their identities. Let’s meet the new castaways:

Brandon Hantz (19) is a married father of one child, with another on the way. He works for his family’s oil tankering service in Dayton, Texas. Hantz is the youngest contestant to ever compete on Survivor, but he is also notable for another reason: he is the nephew of Survivor’s most notorious villain, Russell Hantz.

John Cochran (24) is an Ivy League student residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A graduate of Columbia University in New York, he is now attending Harvard Law School. Cochran comes from a prestigious background: he attended a private prep school in Virginia and his father is a neurologist.

Keith Tollefson (24) is an environmental specialist current residing in San Diego. He is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and went to the University of Minnesota.

Albert Destrade (26) is a high school baseball coach from Plantation, Florida. How did this Cuban-American end up on Survivor? He applied with his best friend for The Amazing Race 19, and was transferred over to Survivor.

Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth (29) is the founder of a philanthropy organization called the Mexico Skate Project. This surfer and former waiter and photographer previously competed on Survivor: Cook Islands and Survivor: Micronesia- Fans vs. Favorites. During his time on Survivor, Lusth made a name for himself as a strong competitor and unparalleled swimmer and fisherman.

Jim Rice (35) is a professional poker player and former wine bar owner who currently resides in Denver, Colorado.

Benjamin “Coach” Wade (39) is a university soccer coach and symphony conductor who divides his time between Bolivar, Missouri and Susanville, California. He previously appeared on Survivor: Tocantins and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. During his time on Survivor, Coach also earned the nickname “Dragon Slayer.”

Anthony Caruso (48) is a former NYPD detective who now works as a nurse for dementia patients in a psychiatric hospital. He is from Flushing, New York. Caruso is a big Survivor fan who has applied for the show numerous times, including twice in CBS’s on-line casting call contest.

Rick Nelson (51) is a cowboy and rancher from Aurora, Utah. Like Caruso, Nelson is a longtime applicant to the show and applied the last two years to the on-line casting contest. This year, producers placed his video in the Top Ten and he earned enough votes to score an interview in Los Angeles.

And also from Suite101.com:

Survivor: South Pacific’s group of women are a diverse group, ranging from a funeral director to a controversial beauty queen/go-go dancer to a Playboy model/Lingerie football player. CBS is expected to officially announce the cast in mid-August, but as usual, Internet sleuths at Survivor Sucks, True Dork Times, and Survivor Skills have unearthed the seven of the nine identities. Let’s meet these new castaways:

Sophie Clarke (22) is a pre-med student at Middlebury College in Vermont. She is originally from New York. Clarke is fluent in Russian and previously completed an internship in Moscow. In addition, she is well-traveled, having been to France, Italy, Thailand, and Kenya, where she lived in a village without electricity and running water (Alvin Reiner, June 25, 2007). Clarke applied to Survivor 23 via CBS’s on-line casting call contest.

Mikayla “Miki” Wingle (22) is a professional model who has appeared in Playboy magazine. She also plays football for Tampa Bay Breeze of the Lingerie Football League (LFL). Originally from Stanhope, New Jersey, this self-described jock may have the strength to compete in challenges, but her biggest “turn off” is people who lie (Top Models Weekly, July 25, 2011), so how will she deal with the cut-throat nature of the competition?

Semhar Tadesse (24) is a writer and aspiring actress from Los Angeles, California. With a frizzy afro, this Eritrean beauty brings a unique look to the show, but will this self-described “party girl” (Twitter.com, SincerelySemhar) have what it takes to survive in the South Pacific?

Whitney Duncan (27) is an up-and-coming country singer from Scotts Hill, Tennessee. Duncan competed on Nashville Star in 2007, earning fifth place. She is the cousin of Holly Bobo, a 20 year-old college student who was reported missing on April 13, 2011 (Camille Mann, April 18, 2011). As of August 3, 2011, the 5’3”, 110 lb. blonde still has not been located. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Elyse Umemoto (27) is a former Miss Washington USA who now works as a go-go dancer in Las Vegas. Umemoto is a member of the Yakama tribe (Adriana Janovich, March 3, 2008) and was raised on an Indian reservation in Wapoto, Washington. She is also the first Native American to win the title of Miss Washington USA.

Stacey Powell (43) is a funeral director from Wichita Falls, Texas, who now resides in Fayatteville, Arkansas.

Christine Shields (44) is from the greater New York City area. No other information is known at this time.

There are two women whose identities have yet to be identified. Based on the casts of previous seasons, one of those women is expected to be an “older” woman. A currently unsubstantiated rumor by ‘DougJulet’ on Survivor Sucks indicates that one of the remaining women is a Mormon professor at Brigham Young University.

Rewatch: Survivor: Borneo "Too Little, Too Late" (Episode 4)

Episode 4: "Too Little, Too Late"
Original Airdate: July 21st, 2000
American Ratings: 24.2 million viewers

Day 10

You want to vote me off, fine. But we've got to organize this.

Everyone is feeling miserable at Pagong. The violent thunderstorm of the night before and their inadequate shelter made for a long and cold night, made even worse by the fact that the castaways were soaking wet.

Though she was unable to prevail upon B. B. to change its initial location, Gretchen wants to move the shelter away from the beach. She insists that she will not sleep another night in there. Gretchen's speech, compounded with the fact that no one wishes to live through another terrible night like the one before, provide the collective kick in the butt the rest of the tribe needed to get to work and move the shelter into the nearby woods.

With his funny sense of humor and great work ethic, Greg is gradually setting himself up as a power player within the Pagong tribe. "In his own way, Greg's a leader," says Gretchen.

At the Tagi beach, Sean and some of the less active castaways feel that Sue works too much. They wish she'd slow down a bit. Obviously, Sean has a much different set of priorities than Susan.

I had this vision and I thought I'd build myself a bowling alley right about here. That's what I'm doing here, slaving away.

For a guy with a Ph.D., Sean has emerged as the resident dumbass in the Tagi camp. While some of his teammates are starving and struggling to survive the harsh conditions of the island, this doctor spent hours putting together a fishing pole that has yet to catch a single fish, and now he spends half a day building himself a bowling alley! Hard to believe Sean wasn't invited to participate in Survivor: All-Stars. . . If that's not all-star calibre, I don't know what is!

Interestingly enough, Sean is doing all this while Sue and Kelly are searching for food. Apparently, he told them that looking for nuts was a waste of time. As expected, that crap did not fly too high with Sue, who is tired of feeding lazy people spending their days doing nothing productive.

For the reward challenge, each tribe must build a distress signal on their beach. A plane will fly two hours past sunrise to inspect both distress signals, and the winning tribe will be awarded a crate full of creature comforts such as pillows, hammocks, soap, and more.

At Tagi, there is a conflict of ideas regarding their distress signal. Dirk clash with Sue when she makes fun of him and he takes exception with what he considers to be "classless" ideas.

I think I'm going to handle this by beginning to develop alliances with some folks to insure that I move into the next round.

Realizing that tensions are appearing within the tribe and that friction is inevitable, Richard begins to plot the scheme that will see him go all the way to the end.

Meanwhile at the Pagong camp, work on the new shelter progresses. And yet, more and more it becomes evident that Ramona cannot handle the toll the island is taking on her mind, body, and spirit. Gervase, Jenna, and Greg realize that she's so out of her element as to become a liability.

Day 11

Both tribes are at work on their distress signals before the break of dawn. Feeling better that morning, Ramona works harder and is more helpful than she has ever been. As the Pagong tribesmates busy themselves putting together their distress signal, Greg is hilarious with his coconut phone.

Aboard the plane, Jeff and a couple of experts assess the quality of both distress signals. Pagong fashioned a giant smiling face, while Tagi set up a sign saying, "SOS: Tagi is groggy." And the addition of colorful moving human beings wins them the reward. The coveted crate is parachuted in the sea before their beach. While the mood is disappointed on the Pagong camp, the Tagi tribe is ecstatic.

The whole idea of an alliance is to make sure we're all voting the same way.

One would think that such a positive mood would be cause for celebration, but little did the rest of the Tagi tribe know that Richard, Kelly, and Sue would use this opportunity to seal the deal on the first and one of the most infamous alliances in Survivor history.

"We really could control our fate," claims Richard. "If we stick together." Though he was approached by Richard, Rudy is not getting with the program yet. Considering the number of votes cast against him during the tribe's two appearances at tribal council, this is a little odd. But Rudy marches to the beat of his own drum, after all. . .

Back at Pagong, Jenna's personality makes her appreciated by her fellow teammates. Ramona continues to put in the effort, redeeming herself in the eyes of Gervase at least. "I'm feeling good about being part of the group," says Ramona. But Jenna feels that it could be a case of "too little, too late."

Day 12

Pagong feels that they truly need to win the immunity challenge. Although they feel the pressure, the think they're the best tribe.

The immunity is a 5-leg relay: The castaways must swim out and dive to retrieve a map. Then they must run to a boat, paddle back to the beach, and finally use the map to locate their treasure chest.

Colleen was cocky prior to the challenge, but she loses a lot of time retrieving the bottle containing the map to the treasure chest. But Joel makes up a lot of it paddling the boat back. Unfortunately, Gervase completely runs out of steam during the jungle run, costing his team a lot of time. Richard and Rudy dig for the chest for Tagi, and the former Navy Seal brings it back to their crate first, earning his tribe the win.

We're all friends, and then you boot someone.

With tribal council looming, the Pagong tribe is dreading voting another member off the island. "I'm going not knowing what's going to happen. and I'm nervous," confides Colleen, feeling the heat for her weak performance that afternoon.

They arrive at tribal council wearing face-painting again. Jeff Probst really works the tribe for the first time, forcing them to open up and elaborate on the voting process. He's slowly growing into his role as the host of this show. Good-naturedly, Jeff rips into Gervase when he claims to have nothing to worry about during this council.

I feel guilty. I feel bad. Well, I'm going to have to put somebody's name down that I really respect and came to really like. It's like taking a piece of our family away.

It's obvious this was Pagong's most difficult vote yet. The main theme appears to have been about keeping the tribe as strong as possible. As a matter of course, opinions on the subject vary.

In the end, Jennna garners one vote, while two votes are cast against Colleen. Racking up four votes, Ramona is sent home.

To purchase the Survivor: Borneo DVD boxset: Canada, USA, Europe.

Rewatch: Survivor: Borneo "Quest for Food" (Episode 3)

Episode 3: "Quest for Food"
Original Airdate: June 14th, 2000
American Ratings: 23.3 million viewers

By the time the third episode of Survivor: Borneo was aired, it was now obvious that this new reality show would be the runaway hit of the summer. "Quest for Food" saw CBS increase its TV ratings by more than 22% compared to the previous week for the second episode. And little did they know that they would continue to skyrocket.

You are aware that my biggest concern when I began this rewatch was that, with everything that has happened in the following 21 seasons of the show, Survivor: Borneo wouldn't have aged well. My fear was that, with all the shocking and unexpected twists and turns we have seen since then, the very first season of Survivor would seem a bit dull and bland. And yet, regardless of the quality or lack thereof, of all the seasons that came after, Survivor: Borneo is nearly has good now as it were in the summer of 2000.

Which demonstrates once again just how important the casting turns out to be. It's no secret that the last two seasons (Survivor: Nicaragua and Survivor: Redemption Island) were probably the worse Survivor seasons in the history of the show. It doesn't matter how much you invest in gimmicks and gadgets. In the end, it's the castaways who will make or break a season. And those last two seasons were sorely lacking in that department. So much so that anyone involved in the casting should have been fired and never allowed to work in that field again.

What made (makes) Survivor: Borneo so memorable is the wonderful blend of disparate personalities. Sure, there are those you love, those you hate, and those you love to hate. But that's what Survivor is all about. That first season would never have been as great without colorful characters such as Rudy, Sue, Richard, Gervase, Greg, and the rest of the gang. Over the years, it feels as though the production invested a lot of money to design new challenges that likely took forever to be built, when most viewers don't give much of a damn about said challenges. It's the bonding, the clashing, the mind games, the backstabbing, the manipulating, the relationships between castaways, etc, that brings us back week in and week out. And in order for that to take place, you need a good core of participants. In that regard, Survivor: Redemption Island was a veritable travesty.

But I digress. . .

They must work together to build shelter, find food, and survive the island. But ultimately, it's everyone for themselves.

Day 7

With their food stores dwindling, at the Tagi camp Stacey, Kelly and Sue embark on an early fishing trip. Yet once more, all the fish traps are empty. "That saying: There's a lot of fish in the sea," says Sean. "Not this sea."

On the raft, Rudy is once again a topic of conversation. The younger girls feel that the ex-Navy Seal eats too much and doesn't put in the effort that should be expected of a man like him. But Sue feels that Stacey is the weakest member of the tribe, and as such she'll get her vote. Stacey, for her part, realizes that she likely cannot trust Sue.

"We want food!" complains Jenna. With their food supplies diminishing rapidly, starving is becoming a growing concern on the Pagong beach as well.

During their wanderings, Greg and Colleen stumble upon a mud volcano. When they return to tell the others of their discover, the entire tribe decides to go on a field trip together. The time spent at the mud volcano helps the team bond, a task made easier with the absence of the strict B. B. "We're going to be here 39 days," says Jenna. "You got to keep yourself happy."

Back at the Tagi beach, Dirk reads his Bible. He feels that his praying, meditating, and praising God give him the strength and energy he requires. But his preaching annoys certain members of the tribe.

I've gone 23 years without sex. I think you guys can go for 7 weeks.

Pure and righteous Dirk has a little crush on Kelly, but Stacey doesn't think he has a chance in hell. "You should try it some time. You might like it," opines Sue upon discovering that Dirk is still a virgin.

As a matter of course, Richard's talking about sex and homosexuality doesn't sit well with the extremely religious Dirk, whose virgin ears are not used to such vulgar and lowbrow discourse.

Jeff Probst introducing the reward challenge to viewers is sort of a waste of time, ewpecially given the fact that Survivor is a one-hour show (40-something minutes if you take away the commercials). Getting rid of such footage in future seasons was no great loss, if you ask me.

According to tree mail, the reward challenge will include diving and/or holding your breath under water. Gervase, who is not a very good swimmer, always struggles in aquatic challenges. Still, the Pagong tribe is confident and they enter the challenge area dancing.

To win fishing supplies, the tribes must swim out, dive down to the bottom of the sea to retrieve a chest, and bring it back to the beach. Colleen and Greg do basically all the work for Pagong. Gervase, one of their strongest players, is not a factor throughout. With the whole team contributing, the Tagi tribe wins easily. In the end, they're the ones dancing and getting the last laugh.

Day 8

At the Tagi beach, there is a little fishing contest going on. With the mask, snorkel, and spear, Richard hopes to silence his critics and prove that he can catch something to eat. Meanwhile, armed with patience and the Superpole 2000, Dirk and Sean head out on the raft, hoping to beat Richard and shut him up.

Unfortunately for them, Richard proves once and for all that he can talk the talk and walk the walk. After catching three rays during his first foray underwater, Richard is well on his way to become the provider of the Tagi tribe. Sean is envious of Richard's success and can't quite hide his jealousy. Too bad the Superpole 2000 worked so well on Gilligan's Island but not in real life. . .

My position with the tribe. It's probably going to increase as a result of this.

With the entire tribe starving, the rays taste like heaven. "You just need to keep me and I'll provide you with all the fish you need," jokes Richard, obviously enjoying his newfound status within the Tagi team.

Day 9

Joel and Colleen go on a fishing expedition with the raft, but they return empty-handed once again. After nine days on the island, with all but depleted food stores, the situation has become dire indeed.

Oh, I'm so ready to eat rat!

Having no viable alternative to fall back on, the Pagong tribe begins to hunt for rats for sustenance. "Rats aren't bad. Rats are rats," Greg rationalizes. "The questions of their edibility only have to do with your perceptions."

Joel is the first to have the courage to taste one. When asked about the taste, he replies, "Almost like chicken a little bit. Use your imagination." Gervase and Ramona look on, disgusted.

"Am I using a lot of imagination?" inquires Ramona. "As poor as we get in the ghetto, we never eat the rats."

Starving, Ramona caves in and gives rat meat a shot. To her dismay, she actually likes it. She hands a piece to Gervase who, after taking a bite, exclaims, "We got to kill some more rats tonight!"

Tree mail instructs both tribes to build a stretcher to carry their smallest members. At Tagi, Rudy is in charge of the set-up, building it to Kelly's size and weight. A bit clueless but enthusiastic at first, Pagong comes up with a number of great ideas, chief among them the straps that allow the stretcher to be turned upside down without Colleen falling off.

Simulating a place crash, Kelly and Colleen are hidden in the jungle, dangling in parachutes from tree branches. The remaining castaways must find them, place them on their stretchers, and be the first to return to the first aid tent to win immunity.

Pagong takes an early lead and get Colleen to the finish line to win immunity. Once again, Jeff not narrating and commenting on the ongoing challenges during that first season feels more than a little odd.

I don't think it's going to get any easier. You know, every time we go there it's going to suck even more.

The mood is a bit subdued during the meal before tribal council. Stacey first believed that it was a done deal that Rudy would be voted off. Yet now she realizes that it's her card which could get pulled. Rudy concurs, knowing that it's either him of Stacey going home tonight. He has a feeling that the younger members might band together to get rid of him. "I'm going to vote Stacey out at the council tonight, because I don't like her. And I never will!" he explains.

Richard hoped to have a discussion pertaining to their vote before the tribe left for tribal council, but his idea was collectively shut down.

The wind picks up in intensity and a violent thunderstorm unleashes its fury on the castaways as they reach the tribal council area. Jeff attempts to get the Tagi members to open up and reveal stuff they wouldn't necessarily talk about at camp, but no one really steps up to the plate. The rain begins to pour as the vote begins.

Drenched, Jeff reads the votes. Though Rudy received two votes, Stacey racks up the five remaining votes and is forced to leave the island. Due to the bad weather, Jeff allows the rest of the Tagi tribe to remain at the tribal council area for the night, or at least until the rain stops.

To purchase the Survivor: Borneo DVD boxset: Canada, USA, Europe.

The Day Boston Rob Lost His Hat

This from Realityblurred.com:

Production on Rob Mariano’s new reality series shut down when he lost his hat

Survivor Redemption Island winner Rob Mariano filmed his new History Channel series Around the World in 80 Ways for 10 weeks starting right after the finale of the CBS show, but production had to stop when he lot his hat.

“The hat fell off while I was on a speedboat in Dubai — into the Persian Gulf — and production shut down for a day and a half so we could get another one shipped in,” Rob told The Boston Globe’s Sarah Rodman.

The show follows Rob and Grave Digger creator Dennis Anderson as they travel around the world using different forms of transportation, but the catch is they can only use each type of transportation once. Clips of the show shown to TV critics last week make the show look good—it’s produced by Deadliest Catch producer Thom Beers—and Rob and Dennis have surprisingly great chemistry together for people who didn’t meet until they filmed a brief test pilot, which was shot after the season premiere of Survivor. I’ll have more from my interview with them when the series premieres, but it looks like a fun series.

I so wish Russell could have stolen that Boston Red Sox baseball hat during Heroes vs Villains!

Rewatch: Survivor: Borneo "The Generation Gap" (Episode 2)

Episode 2: "The Generation Gap"
Original Airdate: June 7th, 2000
American Ratings: 18.1 million viewers

Although this was only the second episode, ratings indicated that Survivor would undoubtedly be the hit of the summer. Racking up an additional 2.6 million viewers for the second chapter, Survivor was well on its way of becoming the TV phenomenon of 2000. Indeed, beginning with episode 3 the following week, the ratings would never dip below the 23-million viewers mark.

This episode's title is definitely apropos. Not only regarding B. B.'s clash with the younger generation of castaways he must learn to live with on Pagong beach, which is at the heart of this one. But on a wider scale, generation gaps are a reality that participants have been forced to deal with on every season of Survivor. And it underlies one of the golden rules of Survivor: If you cannot adapt, you'll be voted off. Simple as that.

Day 4

At Tagi beach, the food situation has become quite dire. The rice and what little fruit the tribe has left is nowhere near enough to satisfy their hunger. They are approaching starvation, yet none of the castaways appear quite hungry enough to eat the rats they have captured. Yet. . .

The raft is used for a fishing expedition, but all the fish traps proved to be empty.

Who doesn't want to own the B. B. action figure?

Back on the Pagong beach, B. B. takes on the leadership role once again, supervising the construction of the shelter. The patriarch managed to get basically everyone involved this time, which explains the tribe's progress regarding their living quarters. Yet though things are moving forward, few of B. B.'s teammates appreciate his over-the-top workaholic personality and the demanding pace he sets.

"Honestly, if we were to ever lose an immunity challenge, I think he'd probably be the first one voted off," confided Ramona, a thought obviously shared by several other Pagong members. But even though it's evident that he is putting his own head on the chopping block, B. B. continues plow ahead without regards for the feathers he's ruffling along the way.

Within the Tagi tribe, an unlikely cook has emerged. Chef Rudy prepares rice and papaya for his team.

Richard is aware that his being gay would likely be hard for Rudy to handle, so he leaves the former Navy Seal in the dark about that particular nugget of information. "If he knew I were gay, that would be, probably, very difficult for him," he claimed.

But when Sean outs him, the cat is out of the bag. Oddly enough, at least based on what we've seen on camera, Richard's homosexuality didn't prevent the two men from bonding rapidly and ultimately becoming strong allies. "For a homosexual, he's one of the nicest guys I've ever met," exclaimed Rudy. Ah, there just might be hope for the world yet. . . ;-)

I think they find me abrasive, authoritarian. There's probably a couple other adjectives you could throw in there that'd probably work too.

Alas, all is not peaches and cream at the Pagong camp. Ramona remains ill. Unable to eat without throwing up whatever she ingurgitated, she must rely solely on water. Already weak, her condition continues to wane.

B. B. continues to toil to get the shelter done to his specifications, all the while grumbling about Joel and Ramona, among others. A clash between the older man and the rest of his tribe appears inevitable at this point.

Day 5

Back at the Tagi beach, there is a budding friendship between Greg and Colleen developing, one that has not escaped the attention of the rest of the tribe. "Greg is great. It's just good to have a friend, you know," says Colleen. "She's really fun to play with," opines Greg. Still, you don't want your tribesmate getting ideas which could cost you your place in the game. . .

That night, in order to lighten up the mood and get people to discover a bit more about each other, Greg (wearing a weird headpiece à la Jamiroquai) hosts the All New Newly Stranded Survivor Game. Everyone is laughing and having a good time, forgetting the travails of the previous few days.

Day 6

You know, if the sky was blue and I said it was blue, he'd say it's red just to disagree. I can't let that bring me down anymore.

Unfortunately, the laughter of the night before is gone come morning at the Pagong beach. When B. B. refused to listen to Gretchen and imposed his own will as to where the shelter should be build, it appears that he didn't consider how the tide would factor into the equation. Hence, it seems that its position is now threatened to be washed away by the rising tide, and it's not even the full moon yet. The tribe has no choice but to carry logs to act as wave breakers, but they don't yet know if that will prove to be enough to save their shelter.

Pangs of hunger drive the Tagi members to strange measures. Sean utilizes his vast intellect to create his patented Super Pole, which took him 5 hours to build. He spends the rest of the day fishing, but as Sue predicted, rather acerbically, he came back empty-handed.

I've been working my ass off while a lot of you have been lying on your ass watching me. So don't give me any of that.

We can all agree that B. B. has been digging his own grave for a while now. But his washing his clothes with canteen water in the food kettle the rest of the tribe was about to cook in is the drop that spilled the glass. Even worse, all the canteens were empty and the falling rain will render the terrain too dangerous to navigate to go get more water.

That raised the ire of the entire Pagong tribe, and B. B. suddenly finds himself without the support of even his habitual ally, Gretchen. The easy-going Gervase has had enough and henceforth won't take any crap from the older man. It's agreed that they must all vote on everything they do, though B. B. refuses to go along with the decision.

Lose and face tribal council, where you must vote one member off the island.

There is no ambiguity pertaining to the message each tribe gets from tree mail. The castaways get the distinct impression that they'll have no choice but to eat disgusting food. "Sounds tasty," says Gervase, evidently concerned by the upcoming immunity challenge.

B. B. seems like he's good at starting fires, but he can't take the heat. Realizing that he is in a heap of troubles, the patriarch confides in Gretchen that they might consider throwing the challenge to "lighten the load." It's obvious the older man feels like quitting, but he nonetheless tries to find a way to save face.

The gross food challenge has become an enduring Survivor classic and this first one was a doozy. Jeff Probst reveals that they will sample a "local delicacy," yet nobody's fooled. When the bowl of beetle larva is unveiled, both tribes know that the game is on. "First person who refuses to eat a bug loses immunity for their tribe," explains the host. "Guys, bon appétit."

Surprisingly, almost all the castaways downed their beetle larva without a glitch. Facing Dirk, Gervase was issued a 5-second countdown to finish his bug by Jeff, otherwise he'd lose the challenge for the entire Pagong team. But Gervase overcomes his revulsion and rises up to the challenge, forcing a tie-breaker. Both tribes are asked to assign the person they feel is the most sqeamish player from the other team. The final showdown will be between Gervase and Stacey. Tagi wins immunity, and the victory appears to earn Stacey the respect of her peers.

With the threat of the soon-to-be-held council hanging over them, the mood is subdued at the Pagong beach. As they pack up their belongings, Colleen is crying. For his part, B. B. appears to have come to terms with his fate and seems ready to go home.

The younger Pagong members arrive face-painted at tribal council. Though no mention was made of it, I thought it was a nice little touch.

Jeff Probst appears more comfortable during this second tribal council. He projects more assurance as he walks the castaways through what is about to take place.

Compared to subsequent seasons, during which the council is used for posturing, manoeuvering, and strategic purposes, it's interesting to see just how subdued and frightened the castaways are during the first few tribal councils of that first season of Survivor. It's obvious that no one wants to be there, but they act as though they don't want to bring attention to themselves and just want this thing to be done with.

It's time for you to go.

Though Ramona is sick, continues to weaken, and is little more than deadweight, only two votes were cast against her. B. B. pays the price for the way he conducted himself, racking up the remaining six votes against him. Yet in getting rid of him, Pagong loses its hardest working member and a man who always gave everything he had. Three days before, the Tagi tribe strengthened themselves by eliminating their weakest link. Now, the Pagong tribe will have to make do without the only person who seemed to know a little about survival. . .

Stay tuned for more!

To purchase the Survivor: Borneo DVD boxset: Canada, USA, Europe.

Rewatch: Survivor: Borneo "The Marooning" (Episode 1)

39 days, 16 people, 1 survivor!

Episode 1: "The Marooning"
Original airdate: May 31st, 2000
American ratings: 15.5 million viewers

It was with both pleasure and trepidation that I revisited the very first episode of the reality show which soon became by favorite TV show for years to come. I had not seen a single minute of Survivor: Borneo since the reruns aired on CBS during the summer of 2000.

It sure brought back memories to see the original castaways board that boat in that small Malaysian fishing village to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. And when the host Jeff Probst gave them two minutes to salvage whatever they could from the boat, the game was officially on and chaos ensued.

To win, you must survive the island, survive the vote, and ultimately survive each other.

Remember when Survivor pushed the contestants to the limit of their abilities and endurance? There were very few puzzle challenges back then, and every single minute seemed to be gruesome and painful. This is, in my mind, what Survivor is meant to be about. And that's how it all began.

A group of strangers forced to throw themselves off the boat and somehow make their way to their respective beaches on rafts that could not fit them all as well as the material they had salvaged from the ship. With an unforgiving sun beating down upon them, they were forced to row and swim, ever so slowly, toward their destinations. Getting there was obviously an ordeal for most of the contestants, especially Ramona. When you end up vomiting before the game has even truly started yet, it probably dawns upon you that this may not exactly be what you signed up for.

They must learn to adapt, or they are voted off.

Left to fend for themselves (this is Survivor, after all), the castaways are at a loss as to how to get organized. But this first episode, rewatched with 22 Survivor seasons under my belt, shows just how the entire production team is also learning the ropes. The camera crews are all over the place, creating a chaotic jumble of images. The picture quality isn't the same, nor is the location scouting up to par with subsequent seasons. Russ Landau's unforgettable soundtrack feels more present in this first episode, creating a musical backdrop to what is taking place. Even Jeff Probst appears uncomfortable, not quite sure as to exactly what sort of role the host is supposed to play in a reality show like this.

Day 1

With a few boxes' worth of survival supplies, both the Tagi and the Pagong tribes finally made it to their beach. Funny how the bulk of those supplies would disappear in future seasons, forcing the castaways to make to almost nothing but machetes and a bit of rice.

As a corporate consultant, Richard Hatch tried his best to get his tribesmates to sit down , talk, and come up with a plan so they could all work together. "Guys, the first thing we ought to do is talk about how we're going to do whatever it is we're going to do. Talk about the process," he opined. Unfortunately for him, the rest of the Tagi tribe felt that they had things well in hand and there was hence no need to discuss anything. At which point Susan Hawk came up with the kind of quote that would immotalize her in Survivor lore:

I'm a redneck. And I don't know corporate world at all. But corporate world ain't going to work out here in the bush.

Meanwhile, Rudy Boesch, a retired Navy Seal, tried to take control and issued orders to the rest of the tribe. Which quickly put him at odds with several of them.

Funny how such disparate men would soon become part of the first and one of the most infamous Survivor alliances in the history of the show. Funny also how Richard appears to put so much effort into creating a good team spirit and building their campsite, as he'll soon become one of the most selfish, cocky, and calculating players ever. But this was day 1. . .

On the Pagong beach, it's not Club Med either. B. B. seems to have his priorities straight, something that will rapidly put him at odds with the rest of his tribe. Along with Ramona, following the water map they'll finally manage to find their water spot after over an hour of searching. They hatch the very first strategic move the game has ever seen by considering not telling the others where the water can be found, hence forcing them to keep the two of them around if they want to survive.

As night falls on both beaches, the castaways try to get some sleep in their unfinished makeshift camps as rats prowl the premises. Both tribes get a taste of what life on the island will be like. . .

Day 2

The hardest part is hanging around with all those young kids. I don't even know what MTV means, you know.

Rudy is aware that things are not necessarily looking up for him. A hardened military man, he appears baffled by this stranded community among which he must now make his home. "If they listened to me, they'd all have haircuts and everything else, you know. We'd be in formation in the morning and all that kind of stuff. But they're not going to do that. I've got to fit in, not them. You know, there's more of them than there is of me."

God knows there's been quite a few characters on Survivor over the years. And yet, no matter how many fish in the sea, Rudy managed to leave an indelible mark on the history of this TV show.

Still, as a rule, military figures haven't fared all that well on Survivor. And Rudy is no exception. As a former Navy Seal, one would have thought that survival was second nature to such a man, and that starting a fire would be a piece of cake for one such as him. Be that as it may, as some of his tribesmates pointed out, he was pretty close to worthless when the Tagi crew attempted to create fire. With the help of Sean, Richard and Sue, Dirk gave it everything he had. But nothing short of divine intervention could have struck the sought-after spark. Alas, the Lord was busy doing something more important. . .

For her part, Sonja's only claim to fame during her time on Survivor would turn out to be singing "Bye Bye Blues" with the ukulele. Yes, she did leave her mark. . .

On the Pagong side of the island, B. B. is giving everything he has to build the tribe's shelter. To his dismay, his teammates do not seem to attach the same importance to the project. The old man's patience comes in short supply, and the Pagong widespread laziness and lack of work ethic irk him to no small degree. Tension exists between B. B. and Joel, and it's only a question of time before this kettle explodes.

Gretchen tries to reason with B. B., encourages him to calm down and take a 15-minute break. But the old man will have none of that and continues to dig his own grave. "I thought we were going to try to stay competitive. And if you work all day and you're burned at the end of the day, then we're not going to be competitive," she tells him. But as a matter of course, Gretchen's words of wisdom fell on deaf ears. On a more positive note, Gretchen did manage to create fire using B. B.'s glasses.

Back on the Tagi beach, Richard is already trying to catch some food using the fish traps and the rat traps. You can see that, right from the beginning, Richard wanted to assume the role of provider for the rest of his tribesmates.

The tribes' first tree mail summons them to their first encounter against the competition. The first challenge in Survivor history was the "Quest for Fire," for both reward and immunity. The castaways needed to swim to a raft containing fire, push it toward the beach and lighting torches along the way. At the beach, they had to carry their raft toward a fire bowl set upon some kind of statue. Pagong were the first to light up their fire bowl, getting their hands on the coveted immunity idol and a number of waterproof matches as their reward. During the course of the challenge, there was no commentary coming from Jeff and the host's silence was a bit odd compared to his active involvement in future seasons. Setting up the challenge at dusk was also a questionable call, as the lack of light made for poor visibility. The good news for viewers is that the production crew would learn from their mistake and turn Survivor in the most visually stunning TV show this side of National Geographic.

Day 3

This chick thinks I'm voting for one person, but I'm not.

Annoyed by Rudy's demeanor, Stacey tries to convince her tribesmates to vote him out. But little does she know that Richard and Rudy have bonded, and that Sue is not being honest with her or getting with the program. Still, Sonja, who was responsible for the Tagi lost of the previous day, and Rudy will be on the hot seat that night.

Dirk was the first God-fearing contestant on Survivor. He appeared to undergo a thoroughly uplifting experience while reading the Bible and praying. In any case, he was in no danger for this first council and thus did not need any intercession from God.

With Russ Landau's now mythical "Tally the Vote" theme playing in the background, the Tagi tribe entered the council area. The wooden chest containing the million dollar prize in cash was a bit overdone, methinks, and it's a good thing they got rid of it in subsequent seasons. "On the island, fire represents life," intoned the host. Once again, Jeff Probst doesn't seem quite sure about what his role should be at tribal council. He doesn't quite know how to set the tone yet.

The tribe has spoken.

In the end, Stacey's strategy is foiled by Sue. Rudy nevertheless got 3 votes cast against him, Stacey got one, and Sonja was the first ever castaway to be voted off the island with 4 votes cast against her.

All in all, though it certainly doesn't hit you with the same sort of impact it had in 2000, the first episode of Survivor: Borneo survived the test of time and still delivers. It marks the beginning of one of the biggest reality shows in the history of television, and as such it makes for a satisfying viewing experience, even more than a decade after it first aired.

As is often the case within group dynamics, strong personalities come to the fore early on. Survivor: Borneo was no exception to that rule. Richard, Rudy, Sue, B. B., and Gretchen stayed in the spotlight throughout the episode. Other castaways such as Greg, Colleen, Jenna, Gervase, Kelly, and Sean, who will come into their own at the series progresses, remained in the background and did not create any waves. It will be interesting to watch them gain confidence and take their rightful place among their respective tribes.

Stay tuned for the rewatch of the second episode. . .

To purchase the Survivor: Borneo DVD boxset: Canada, USA, Europe.

Survivor: Season 24 set to begin shooting soon

This from a recent Jeff Probst Facebook update:

hey guys! Sorry so quiet. Been shooting S23. Back in LA for a few days but heading out tonight to shoot S24! Yes.. S24! Crazy.

So by the time the first episode of Survivor: South Pacific hits our TV screens, production for the 24th season will already have wrapped up.

Which makes it likely that Survivor 24 will air in early 2012. I wonder if there will be returnee players for that season as well. Let the rumor mill get to work! :P

Podcast interview with Yau-Man Chan

Two-time Survivor castaway Yau-Man Chan has been interviewed on Australian podcast The Skeptic Zone. He discusses some of behind-the-scenes details regarding Survivor and how he got on the show.

Follow this link to listen to the interview.

Reality Mud Run Fundraiser

Reality Mud Run - Survivor/Stand Up to Cancer Fundraiser from Irvine Lake Mud Run on Vimeo.

Help raise money for Stand Up to Cancer by racing through mud with your favorite reality stars!

On September 10th 2011, race against/with some of your favorite Survivor and The Amazing Race contestants!

For more information, please check out the Reality Mud Run website.

Looks like it's going to be Coach and Ozzy. . .

Though there has been no confirmation yet, everything seems to hint that Ben "Coach" Wade and Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth will be the two returnees on Survivor: South Pacific, which will premiere on CBS on September 14th.

This from Reality Blurred:

The evidence that Coach/Ben is on season 23 is pretty clear. As someone alerted me to, his voice mail message isn’t subtle: “I’m going to be traveling the next couple weeks,” he says, encouraging people to e.mail instead of texting or leaving a message. Ben conducts the Susanville Symphony, which he helped to found, and its final concert is next weekend, which up until recently he was conducting. But now, its web site says there will be “a very special guest conductor” instead.

[...]

Ozzy’s return was confirmed in a report today on TVFunSpot, which says that Ozzy’s voicemail has a similar message to Coach’s, and that he’s taken a leave of absence from his job as a waiter.

Unless it's a special season like Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Fans vs Favorites, I'm against former players returning as a new twist. It was an epic fail in terms of bringing something new and interesting in Survivor: Redemption Island, and I doubt it will inject new life in the franchise later this fall.

In any case, it's too early to bring Coach back. Survivor: Tocantins was aired in 2009, while Survivor: Heroes vs Villains came the following year. Giving Coach a third shot at the money now makes little sense. Especially since he is not the type of game-changing player that will put more asses into the seats.

Ozzy, on the other hand, is charismatic and a power player. It will be interesting to see if he'll manage to make the most of this new opportunity. As dangerous as he is, there will be a huge target on his back right from the get-go. Yet you never know. If he is fortunate enough to end up in a dumbass tribe like the Ometepe crew from Survivor: Redemption Island, he could go all the way. . .

We should discover soon enough whether or not it will be Coach and Ozzy returning for another shot at the million bucks. . .

Rewatch: Survivor: Borneo (Season 1)

I don't think I can ever forget the spring/summer of 2000. Little did I know then, but I was set on a path that I'd follow for years to come. Eleven years later, I realize that so much as changed in my life. And yet, oddly enough, some things are the same. . .

My grandfather died in March of that year, finally succumbing to pneumonia after spending weeks under medical care. Trouble is, he was in good health during the Holidays and no one would have thought that he would pass away in a matter of weeks. That's when it dawned upon me that life is short. Also, life's a bitch. And that if I didn't seize the day, then perhaps I'd never do what I've always wanted to do. My grandfather's death opened my eyes and changed my perspective on life in general. I had always wanted to travel but had never had the courage to leave my comfort zone, because none of my friends wanted to do the sort of adventures I was into. So when we left the funeral home, I had made up my mind that I was going to fly away as soon as possible. Bought a Greece guidebook the next day during my lunch break and made an appointment to a nearby travel agency for the following Monday. A few days later, my flights and trip were booked. I would be spending three weeks traveling around Greece, including a 7-day cruise through the Greek Isles and Turkey. Needless to say, that trip changed my life. A couple of years down the line, and here I am with 44 different countries under my belt. And a whole world left unexplored. . .

I returned home the last week of May. Took a few days off to get rid of jetlag before going back to work. Laugh it up if you must, but I've always been a fan of The Price is Right! Bob Barker was the shit, there's no doubt about it! Late spring and summer are, in North America at least, a wasteland as far as the television industry is concerned. It's the time of reruns and pilots, for no one really watches much TV during summertime. CBS, whose ship seemed to be going down, was marketing a new reality show quite aggressively. During every commercial break from The Price is Right, we'd get a Survivor ad. So much so that, my curiosity getting the better of me, I was intrigued enough to give the premiere a shot.

On May 31st 2000, at 8:00pm, I watched "The Marooning," the very first episode of a brand new TV show called Survivor. Little did I know then, but it would become a veritable phenomenon. There were more than 15.5 millions of us watching that Wednesday night. Before long, the show would attract over 25 million viewers every week. The grand finale attracted an incredible 51.7 million viewers! "Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast," was on everyone's mind, it appeared.

As a matter of course, I watched every single episode as it was aired. I watched the reruns aired by CBS a few weeks following the Survivor finale. And the rest, as they say, is history. I haven't missed an episode since then!

On a whim, I purchased the Survivor: Borneo DVD set (Canada, USA, Europe) a few weeks back. I haven't watched this season since it was last aired on television, so it will be interesting to see how it measures up against all those that came after.

During this episode-by-episode rewatch, I'll analyze and offer commentary on each installment, hoping that the very first season of Survivor will have survived the test of time and delight me the way the show did back in 2000.

One thing's for sure: I can't wait to be reunited with Richard, Rudy, Sue, Gervase, Jenna, and the rest of the crew! =)