Location: This is the worst kind of discrimination. The kind against me.
Favorite beer: Grizzly. No, wait - polar bears.
Posts: 10,116
Survivor: Fiji
- Starts February 8
- 19 survivors
- The shooting wrapped up just as the coup started in December
Survivor Bios:
(These are the bios from CBS.com. I spoilered each of them so it wouldn't be so long after you read them.)
Alex
Spoiler:
Born in Colombia, South America, Alex Angarita moved to California where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Irvine. He then moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he received his Juris Doctor Degree from Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, he was also a member of the Harvard Boxing Club.
Angarita is currently practicing law on a freelance basis and working to start his own educational consulting company. Prior to his participation on SURVIVOR: FIJI, Angarita worked as an attorney for one of the largest law firms in Los Angeles, where he represented large companies in various transactions. He previously worked as an operations director for a test preparation company and also as a tutor.
He enjoys boxing, running, basketball, weight-lifting, painting and yoga. He recently spent a week climbing Mt. Whitney. He describes himself as assertive, witty and personable. He is a member of the American Bar Association.
Angarita currently resides in Los Angeles, California. His birth date is April 20, 1978.
---------------------------------- Anthony
Spoiler:
Growing up in Compton, California, Anthony Robinson was raised by his mother and grandmother. After high school, Robinson moved to New Haven, Connecticut where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Yale University. While at Yale, he performed in two college plays and various college sketch comedy shows with Yale's "The Fifth Humour."
Robinson currently works in legal support services where he helps find expert witnesses for attorneys. He also coordinates the inspections, exams and testimonies. He previously worked in public relations and in computer support and sales.
Robinson enjoys gaming--live action role-playing (dressing up in costumes and reliving an era or genre), video games and poker. He also enjoys dancing, juggling, roller hockey, watching movies and creating his own movies. He describes himself as friendly, dorky and intelligent. He is a member of the Yale Alumni Association and a genre writing group called "Fictionados."
Robinson is currently single and living with his mother and grandmother in Compton, California. His birth date is June 25, 1974.
---------------------------------- Boo
Spoiler:
Born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, Kenward "Boo" Bernis works in construction during the day and manages the bar he owns at night. He has previously worked as a crawfish farmer and health club worker.
Bernis attended the University of Louisiana in Lafayette where he received a Bachelor's Degree in General Studies. He enjoys participating in mixed martial arts fighting and Olympic lifting. He describes himself as strong-willed, outgoing and adventurous. He considers himself to be a cerebral athlete, a great problem solver and strong both mentally and physically.
Bernis continues to reside in Lafayette, Louisiana. His birth date is June 21, 1972.
---------------------------------- Cassandra
Spoiler:
Cassandra Franklin was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She currently manages the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of California, Los Angeles, and has been employed by the university for 23 years.
Franklin participates in events to raise funds and awareness for Minority Women and Children with AIDS and Breast Cancer Research. Additionally, she is Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Southeast Communities Prevention and Intervention Program.
Franklin's hobbies include skiing, traveling and shopping. She describes herself as fun, warm and giving. She is very proud of her family, including her mother, Varie, who is retired and living in Los Angeles with Franklin's stepfather, Coleman. Her sister, Debra, resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Dr. Robert A. Williams, the pastor of the McCoy Memorial Baptist Church.
Franklin has been married for two years to her husband, Clif. Her birth date is April 19, 1964.
---------------------------------- Dre
Spoiler:
Growing up homeless in the projects of Wilmington, North Carolina, Andria "Dre" Herd spent most of his childhood trying to keep his family together and alive. He slept on the streets, ate at soup kitchens and was able to survive by becoming a street performer with his brothers. In high school, Herd began playing sports and quickly became an athletic superstar, excelling in cheerleading.
Herd spends his summers teaching cheerleading for the Universal Cheerleading Association. He also is training to be a boxer at the gym owned by his brother. Herd enjoys boxing, basketball, tumbling and stunting. He is very proud to have obtained his Associate's Degree from Cape Fear Community College.
Herd describes himself as humorous, energetic and intelligent. Describing his perfect day, he says, "When everybody is happy all day... that's a perfect day."
Herd continues to reside in Wilmington, North Carolina. He is a proud father to his two-year-old son, Giovanni, and his one-month-old son, Luca. His birth date is December 15, 1981.
---------------------------------- Earl
Spoiler:
Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, Earl Cole attended business school at the University of Washington in Seattle and received a National Scholastic Achievement Award before moving to Southern California. He is currently a Senior Advertising Executive who creates and manages new media strategies, brand marketing and advertising budgets for major accounts. He formerly worked as a marketing manager at a cable company, a sales analyst for a film company and a writer’s assistant for a television comedy series.
In addition, Cole also works as a composer and is an accomplished musician. He plays multiple instruments (piano, saxophone, guitar, violin…and a little bit of drums). He also enjoys playing chess, hiking, watching movies, billiards and playing basketball. He considers himself to be very intelligent, creative, athletic and confident, with a witty sense of humor. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
Earl currently resides in Santa Monica, California. His birth date is April 9, 1971.
---------------------------------- Edgardo
Spoiler:
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Edgardo Rivera spent his teenage years there while attending high school. After his senior year, Rivera moved to the United States where he attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He received a Bachelor's Degree in advertising while playing on the Varsity Tennis Team. During this time, he earned All-Conference accolades and was part of the Davis Cup National Tennis Team for his native Puerto Rico.
After graduating college, Rivera began to work in an advertising agency in Puerto Rico before moving to Miami to further his career. He is currently a Regional Account and Planning Supervisor for a major client of a multinational advertising agency.
Rivera enjoys playing beach volleyball, tennis, basketball, traveling, spending time with his family and friends when he visits Puerto Rico and occasionally hitting the hot spots in South Beach, Miami. He describes himself as spontaneous, ambitious and very adventurous.
Rivera has three younger sisters, Rebeca, Adriana and Isabella. He currently resides in Miami Beach, Florida. His birth date is October 5, 1978.
---------------------------------- Erica
Spoiler:
Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Erica Durousseau received a track scholarship to Grambling College, also in Louisiana, where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communications. She then moved to Jackson, Mississippi for three years before relocating to New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, Durousseau was forced to move to Lake Charles and then Baton Rouge.
Durousseau currently works as a youth market director, traveling between two states while managing fundraisers. She previously worked as an advertising sales representative, store supervisor and waitress.
She describes herself as subtle, confrontational and outgoing. Her hobbies include writing, reading and spending time with her family. Her favorite sports are football and soccer. She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Currently single, Durousseau's birth date is December 11, 1979.
---------------------------------- Gary
Spoiler:
Born and raised in Silver Lake, Minnesota, Gary Stritesky attended Silver Lake High School where he participated in football, basketball, track and baseball. He then attended St. Cloud State University and also trained at Brooks Barber School which ignited a 14-year career as a barber. He also participated in a real estate program at Anoka-Ramsey Community College.
Stritesky currently works as a school bus driver and carpenter. He recently built a six-unit townhome complex for senior citizens in Silver Lake, Minnesota. He was previously in the military, stationed in Vietnam for eight months in 1971. He has also worked as a taxi cab driver and landscaper. In 1990, Stritesky spent a year living in Melbourne, Australia, with his family during his wife's teacher exchange program. In 2002, they returned to Perth, Australia, for another year as a result of his wife's second teacher exchange program.
Stritesky has competed in multiple inline skate marathons. He also enjoys biking, canoeing and coaching. He spent many years coaching his children's soccer, baseball, basketball and football teams. At least once a year, Stritesky travels to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, taking part in portaging, canoeing, fishing and enjoying the solitude of the northern Minnesota lakes. He has biked in many areas of Minnesota, including leading a scout group to camp and family trips. He also participated in a cross-country biking adventure while in Australia.
Stritesky currently resides in Ramsey, Minnesota with his wife of 34 years, Diane. They have four children, Aaron, Alison, Leah and Kara and two grandchildren. His pet bulldog, Dobber, recently passed away. They have since adopted Harley and Blaze, two miniature dachshunds, and just returned their pet snapping turtle, Snappy, to the wilderness. Stritesky's birth date is September 16, 1951.
---------------------------------- James
Spoiler:
Originally from Boston, James Reid received his high school diploma through an adult program. He currently works as a bartender and also sets up for private parties and special events at an upscale hotel. He was formerly in the United States Navy, stationed in Ridgecrest, California and San Diego where he eventually received an honorable discharge.
Reid enjoys working out at the gym, most sports (especially football) and hanging out with good friends. He describes himself as outgoing, tough (but an overall "good kid"), a people person and a "man's man."
Reid is currently single and living in Los Angeles, California. His birth date is September 11, 1978.
---------------------------------- Jessica
Spoiler:
Originally from New Orleans, Jessica deBen attended approximately three years of college at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. She went on to attend the University of New Orleans and Tulane University.
deBen moved to Los Angeles three years ago and currently works as a fashion stylist and make-up artist. She works freelance with photographers, models and magazine editors. She previously worked as a body painter for the "Lion King" show at Disney in Orlando and also as an attendant for the Volunteers of America Personal Care.
deBen describes herself as ambitious, warm and unbreakable. Her hobbies include portrait painting, jogging, hiking, kayaking, biking and eating pancakes at The Griddle Café. She is an avid fan of the New Orleans Hornets basketball team (she used to go to games twice a week when she lived there). She is a member of the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions and St. Brendan's Catholic Church.
Currently single, deBen's birth date is April 25, 1979.
---------------------------------- Liliana
Spoiler:
Liliana Gomez grew up the second eldest of eight siblings in the city of Oxnard, California. Born of Mexican descent, Gomez always held strong to her roots and decided, with the permission of her parents, to move to Guadalajara, Jalisco, for one year when she was 11 years old. Surrounded by the rich, colorful folklore of Guadalajara, she discovered her passion for music and singing.
Moving back to the United States, Gomez eventually became an assistant for handicapped children at a local junior high while she was attending high school. In 1999, she graduated from Rio Mesa High School and then immediately joined the United States Marine Corps where she served for eight years. Gomez received her training in Parris Island, South Carolina, and graduated as Squad Leader and Honor Graduate through Military Occupation School. During her tour in the U.S. Marine Corps, she served in the Operation Iraqi Freedom War in 2003.
Gomez is currently a mortgage loan officer in Los Angeles where she helps people buy, sell and/or refinance properties. She aspires to pursue a career as an entertainer as her passion has always been with the arts and working with children.
Gomez enjoys anything athletic, the outdoors, music, singing, dancing, independent films, barbeques and playing with her nephews, Frankie and Dario. She also enjoys following professional soccer. She describes herself as strong, stubborn, confident, goofy and a witty gal. She is most proud of her sense of family and her burning fire for life.
Gomez currently lives in Oxnard, California. Her birth date is April 5, 1981.
---------------------------------- Lisi
Spoiler:
Born in Miami, Florida, Lisette "Lisi" Linares lived on again and off again in New York City, taking college courses at New York University Film School before moving to Los Angeles. She currently works as a customer service representative for a psychic service company. She has previously worked as a reservationist and paralegal.
Linares describes herself as an "Underground Electropunk Noise Artist" and has procured quite a following (she had a hit in France in 2004). In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dog. Her favorite sport is tennis. She describes herself as creative, intelligent, smart, observant and fun. She believes her resourcefulness and humor will help her do well on SURVIVOR.
If Linares could hold any office, she would like to be the Mayor of Miami (ironically, her grandfather was once the mayor of his town in Cuba).
Linares currently resides in Los Angeles with her Scottish terrier, George. Her birth date is June 9, 1970.
---------------------------------- Michele
Spoiler:
Raised in Cincinnati, Michelle Yi is in her final year at the University of Cincinnati where she is studying fashion design at their college of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP).
Yi enjoys fashion photography, traveling and is an avid and competitive rock climber. She enjoys 80s pop music, drinking Eddie James, pirates, things that are green and video games prefaced with the name Mario. Yi admits she likes to eat--everything from Korean BBQ to Cincinnati Skyline Chili, with a particular weakness for ice cream and sushi. To complement her love for food, Yi practices yoga, lifts weights and trains for climbing. She's not a big fan of cardio workouts, but does it anyway because she believes it builds character and prevents heart disease.
Yi describes herself as very independent and is a true believer in following one's passions and staying inspired. She thinks a positive attitude will keep you smiling through anything. She believes her bubbly and laid back personality allows her to enjoy most people, but she claims if you rub her the wrong way, she'll be sure you know it! Yi's hero is her mother, who lives in Taipei, Taiwan.
Yi hopes to continue to travel, particularly to go "bouldering" in New Zealand and to spend some time in her favorite hotspot, Manhattan. Yi currently resides in Cincinnati. Her birth date is December 2, 1983.
---------------------------------- Mookie
Spoiler:
Born in Seoul, Korea, Mookie Lee moved to Storrs, Connecticut at the age of three and then was raised in Northbrook, Illinois, for the majority of his teenage years. In 2003, Lee received his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he studied Actuarial Science and Finance. He was also a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.
Lee is currently a program manager at an internet loan company and is responsible for the coordination and implementation of business projects. He is also involved in real estate part time. He previously worked at one of the largest global consulting organizations as a consultant in transformation and business strategy, focused on the financial services industry.
Lee enjoys traveling, playing competitive sports (particularly basketball and volleyball) and spending time with his friends and family. He is a die-hard Chicago Bears fan and is a season ticket holder. He describes himself as outgoing, humorous, strong-minded, competitive and athletic. The most important people in his life are God, his parents, John and Mee, and his older sister, Kim, who recently married in the fall of 2006.
Lee is currently single and resides in downtown Chicago. His birth date is November 10, 1981.
---------------------------------- Rita
Spoiler:
Born in Venezuela, Rita Verreos moved to San Francisco when she was eight years old. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Italian and French Literature.
Verreos has traveled extensively through Central and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. After college, she moved to Mexico City where she lived for 11 years with her then husband and two children. She was a contestant in the Miss Venezuela pageant and walked the fashion runways of Venezuela, Mexico and Los Angeles. In 1990, she appeared in the film "Marked for Death."
In 2003, Verreos moved to Texas with her two children. She currently juggles being a single mom with working part-time on her business as an image consultant who specializes in coaching girls for the Miss Texas, Miss California and Miss USA Pageants. She is also a television spokesperson for a local supermarket chain in San Antonio and Austin, Texas.
Verreos enjoys playing with her children, cooking, listening to "world" music, reading and writing in foreign languages. She also enjoys playing basketball, football and walking. She describes herself as persistent, tough on the outside…tender on the inside, considerate and respectful.
Verreos currently resides in San Antonio, Texas, with her children, her parents, and their golden retriever, Blackie. Her birth date is July 19, 1968.
---------------------------------- Stacy
Spoiler:
Born in South Korea, Stacy Kimball was adopted at six months old and raised in Montpelier, Vermont.
At the age of 17, Kimball moved to Miami, Florida, even though she had never visited the city before. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from the Ai Miami International University of Art and Design while working full time and interning.
Kimball currently works in advertising as an interactive producer where she works together with the creative department and the development team to produce innovative web content for national clients.
Kimball enjoys knitting, making jewelry and cooking. She describes herself as resourceful, optimistic and good-humored. Whether living in Vermont, Miami or Boulder, she is most proud of her ability to adapt to her surroundings.
Kimball is currently single and living in Boulder, Colorado. Her birth date is October 1, 1979.
---------------------------------- Sylvia
Spoiler:
Sylvia Kwan was born in Hong Kong, where she lived for eight and a half years before moving with her parents and five siblings to Los Angeles. After graduation from high school, she relocated to the Bay Area where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Architecture degree from the University of California at Berkeley.
Kwan is the founder and Chairman of a renowned architectural firm located in San Francisco. As Chairman, she is responsible for strategic planning and development for her award-winning firm. She has resided as the Board Chair of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on the board of a number of Bay Area non-profit and for-profit boards. She is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Kwan is especially proud of designing the interiors of Pacific Bell Park (now AT&T Park), home of the San Francisco Giants.
Kwan describes herself as creative, energetic and determined, and according to her husband, holds the unofficial title of “Ultimate Consumer.” In her spare time, Kwan plays tennis, skis, hikes and plays golf. She’s also happy that she finally learned how to swim, because it was sink or swim as a Survivor contestant. Kwan's never met an exercise routine she didn’t like, keeping in shape with Pilates, yoga, Tai Chi, and any new type of gym equipment introduced.
Kwan resides in Marin County with her husband of 26 years, Denis Henmi. They are currently building their dream house, a mid-century modern creation that was inspired by years of designing homes for their clients. Kwan and Henmi have two children, Drew, 18 and Derek, 15. Kwan was born on August 18, 1954.
---------------------------------- Yau-Man
Spoiler:
Originally from Malaysian Borneo, Yau-Man Chan attended All Saints Secondary School in Kota Kinabalu. He moved to the United States where he received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He went on to receive his Master of Science degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Chan is the Director of Information Systems for the College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. In this position, he manages and runs the information systems infrastructure for administrative, research and teaching units of the college. This includes setting up networks, computers and managing business database systems. He previously worked designing electronic circuits for scientific instruments to collect data. He's also been a housepainter, cook and dishwasher.
Chan enjoys playing table tennis, bicycling, woodworking and reading. He is a member of the USA Table Tennis Association. He describes himself as intellectual and contemplative. He considers himself a natural leader, a good organizer, very skilled with his hands, very resourceful and feels he possesses a keen intellect.
Chan has been married to his wife, Jennifer, for 23 years. They have two children, Penelope and Ione. They also have a dog, Tucker and two rabbits, Ruby and Cupid. Chan's birth date is August 26, 1952.
__________________
I've never heard of such a brutal and shocking injustice that I cared so little about.
Location: This is the worst kind of discrimination. The kind against me.
Favorite beer: Grizzly. No, wait - polar bears.
Posts: 10,116
And the summary with just the important information:
Places of Birth:
2 from South Korea (but one moved to Vermont at 6 months old), 2 from South America, 3 each from California and Louisiana, and 1 each from North Carolina, Kansas, Puerto Rico, Minnesota, Boston, Florida, Ohio, Hong Kong, and Borneo.
Currently Residing In:
10 in California, 2 in Louisiana, and 1 each in North Carolina, Minnesota, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, and Colorado
Alex - Lawyer & Boxer
Anthony - Went to Yale!
Boo - Construction worker and self-described "cerebral athlete", whatever that means.
Cassandra - A bleeding-heart liberal
Dre - Grew up homeless, now teaches cheerleading, of all things
Earl - Works in marketing, so you know he can't be too bright
Edgardo - Works in advertising. Went to David Letterman's alma mater.
Erica - A "youth market director", whatever that means. Was in Louisiana for Katrina, so you know they'll push that.
Gary - Appears to be quite active. Given that and his age, he should either quickly annoy everyone, or he'll be a front-runner.
James - Ex-Navy, currently a bartender
Jessica - A make-up artist. Wasn't there a make-up artist in Cook Islands?
Liliana - Ex-Marine, Iraq vet. Should be a tough competitor.
Lisi - CSR for a psycic service company (so she should have an edge here). She is also an "Underground Electropunk Noise Artist". Whatever that is, it appears that the French like it. (Strike 1)
Michele - "[Michele] describes herself as very independent and is a true believer in following one's passions and staying inspired." In other words, don't look for her after week 2.
Mookie - Business geek
Rita - Former beauty contestant in Venezuela. Based on that information and the CBS headshot, Venezuelan women are not lovely.
Stacy - Another person working in advertising. Yikes.
Sylvia - She is what George Costanza always wanted to pretend to be.
Yau-Man - IT geek at Berkeley
__________________
I've never heard of such a brutal and shocking injustice that I cared so little about.
Location: This is the worst kind of discrimination. The kind against me.
Favorite beer: Grizzly. No, wait - polar bears.
Posts: 10,116
Quote:
Jeff Probst Talks "Survivor: Fiji"
The Slug - 1.12.07
Nineteen castaways?! Two Hidden Immunity Idols?! Luxurious campsite?! What the heck is going on with the next season of "Survivor"!? (At least they're not dividing the tribes by race again.) The Slug called Jeff Probst for every detail we could squeeze out of him about the Fiji-set edition of the CBS show, premiering Feb. 8. (And if you want to find out where those two Hidden Immunity Idols are hidden, you'll have to listen to the asap podcast.) The Q&A, after the jump. Unless you don't want to be spoiled. At all.
The Slug: First, let's review. Now that it's over and done, what did you think about "Cook Islands?"
Jeff Probst: I feel the same way now I felt about "Cook Islands" the second I felt after we finished the season, which was it was one of the five best seasons we've ever done. And I still feel that way. It was interesting to watch the arc that started with all this outrageous reaction to this idea we had and then quickly followed by "Oh! They bailed on it two weeks in!" followed by "This season isn't really that good. It's really boring." followed by "Oh my God! What a great ending! This is one of my favorite seasons ever!"
That's how it felt for me out there. Those emotions are the same emotions I felt. I wish we hadn't bailed as early as we did. The middle of the show waned a little bit. And the second we had the mutiny and we were down to a tribe of four, which were clear underdogs, it just kicked into high gear.
It finished very strong. If you're a fan of "Survivor," it had one of the best Tribal Council votes we ever had, two very likable, deserving people and one person won by one vote. And you could even trace that vote back to a move they made in the game and how they got that winning vote.
The Slug: Any regrets about the racial divide?
Jeff Probst: Zero. None. None! I'm glad it got people talking, if only for a moment. Personally, I'm happy that our show is more ethnically diverse. It's more fun. It's more interesting. So whatever road it took to get there, I think it's been good. And as a result, we had a much more interesting group in the "Cook Islands" and once again in "Fiji." We have a more interesting group just due to diversity and coming from different worlds.
The Slug: Now there was some criticism about your influence during "Cook Islands," specifically when you pointed out Yul brought Jonathan his hat to Tribal Council. When is too much, you know, too much?
Jeff Probst: It's a fine line I walk. The line is being a moderator on the show and being an instigator. That fine line is when you start influencing the game too much. It's always a judgment call. It's never really any formal discussion about it. We all know that line. There's a lot of trust in me to not step over it. I'm sure at times I do, and I have. I'm sure there are times when I've been too heavy handed or hard on somebody. I usually can justify it in my head.
There was a time in the Cook Islands when Yul had skated through Tribal Council after Tribal Council and never really got hammered on anything. There was a point where he had revealed he had the Idol, he had revealed he was in control of the game and after that.
At the next Tribal Council, I felt like there were certain questions the audience was gonna want to know, which was "Why would you let a guy rule the game like this, have the Idol, let him tell you he has the Idol, let him tell you he's in control of the game and not try to stop it? Are you just gonna let him waltz to the finish line?" And Yul got upset. He's like, "Jeff, why are you picking on me?" And I said, "Yul, you've had a free pass for the last several Tribal Councils. I'm saying everything that everybody's thinking." So that's how I look at it.
The Slug: How do you try to top yourselves for "Fiji"? What was the creative process?
Jeff Probst: Imagine a group of eight or nine people and — those of us who have hair — pulling it out, hair by hair or clump by clump. That's what creative meetings are like anymore. We're now into our 14th season. It's not an endless well. We realize it's very apparent in the room we bring up an idea either we've already done a version of or some other reality show, which there are now hundreds, has already done. That pie is sliced so thin.
Coming up with big promotable ideas that you can get people into episode one and hopefully hook them becomes more and more difficult to do. There's no getting around it. There's no use hiding behind some lie. One day we'll run out of ideas, and we'll have to adapt again. So we sit down and look at ideas that we wanted to do maybe three years ago and maybe they make sense now. Should we start to change the format of the show? So far, to date, we've said no. That doesn't make sense. There's no magical answer to coming up with new ideas. It's literally pounding your head against the wall and saying we won't quit.
The Slug: So what's "Survivor: Fiji" about?
Jeff Probst: The overall theme is letting them make almost every decision in terms of how this game will play out in the initial setup. That was the big idea. It starts with 19 people because we had somebody quit the night before, which has never happened before, so that threw us for a bit of a loop because we didn't anticipate an odd number.
They're literally just put on a beach. They've got some fruit trees there, but that's it. I come over in a float plane and drop a box. And in that box they start to get the information. And the information is you're gonna need to build the most elaborate shelter "Survivor" has ever seen. Here's blue prints, a building plan, a map to find lumber and tools. You've got a sink and a kitchen area and a couch, all kinds of stuff to build this elaborate shelter. They're told they have to finish this before the game can continue.
They build this great shelter. They've got water and flint. Once they finish building it, I show up and say, "Now you're gonna figure how to divide these tribes up." They choose somebody to divide the tribes. That person divides them, and they square off in a challenge. The losers have to go to a new beach where they literally have a machete, pot and water they have to boil. No fire. They have a cave they can kind of get under, but it's miserable.
The game is about one tribe living a life of luxury, and the other tribe really scraping to get by while the other tribe has it so good it almost doesn't feel like "Survivor" to them. They have a couch. They have tables. The tribe that wins the first challenge goes back to this reward, which is all these luxury items. They're not necessarily better. They just make life better like hammocks and umbrellas and bottles and decanters and all this silverware and plates and china and a bush shower. So you see them eating. It looks like some sort of Ralph Lauren picnic.
The other tribes show up and they're dragging their butts because they haven't even had water. What was really interesting was how quickly you started to see the attitude change where the winning tribe started to have this sense of entitlement. It was fascinating to watch the rich tribe get lazy and entitled and the poor tribe get desperate and resentful.
The Slug: Tell us about the person who quit. There wasn't an alternate?
Jeff Probst: We brought alternates in the past. We had an alternate in "Cook Islands." Sundra was an alternate, and Sundra made it to the final four. But we only bring an alternate if we're worried about somebody. We weren't worried about anybody. We thought we had a solid group of people.
One woman, bless her heart, she just got overwhelmed and started panicking. We told her about how the show works and how you'll be a little isolated. It was just too much for her. Our psychologist talked to her. Our medical doctor talked to her. We went out and talked to her. There was just no way you could try to encourage her to stay on the show. She was not comfortable — not even close to comfortable. And the game hadn't started. So we said, "All right. You're out."
The Slug: Oh my. When did this happen? During training?
Jeff Probst: It was the night before. We did give them a little course on what's going to go on out there. You know, what berries to pick and what snakes to watch out for. She was OK during that period. As a group, they can feel the game's about to begin. They're secluded. And they can sense a shift in energy. She could feel the game was about to begin. All the producers go out and explain the game. She just panicked. So we were stuck with 19. It required one shift. We were originally going to have two tribes of 10. We won't be able to do that now. So we came up with an alternate idea of what to do.
The Slug: What happens?
Jeff Probst: It plays out in the first episode. It's nothing significant. Instead of having two equal teams, you have two tribes and one extra person. And what do you do with that other person? It played out just fine. The only drag is we lost a person, and it just effects your creativity a little bit. Where you maybe wanted to do a double Tribal Council and vote two people out, you can't because you just lost one. It has a little bit of trickle down, but when it happens before the show, it's very easy to move everything a little bit.
The Slug: There's more diversity in the cast again. Was that a conscious effort again?
Jeff Probst: We started something in motion. Let's work hard to do it again. I think we're setting ourselves up if we think each season we can have an equal number from every ethnic group. There's already ethnic groups that aren't represented.
You really hamper your casting if you say you have to have five people from a certain group. So I don't think that's something that has to happen forever. But I think (executive producer) Mark (Burnett) and CBS wanted to show that we didn't just do it as a gimmick. We really want to incorporate more diversity into the show. And we're gonna keep doing it as best we can.
The Slug: Last season, there was some criticism because so many of the cast were in the entertainment industry. Looks like there's 10 castaways from California. How do you try to keep the cast as real as possible?
Jeff Probst: I can say this group is one of the most real groups we've had. They fact that a lot of them are from California will not feel that way. This is one of the most real, dirty groups we've had. I get where you're going with the question. There's a lot of factors in casting a reality show now. We're not the only reality show now. There are a lot of reality shows now. Every other reality show on the air is less demanding and much easier than "Survivor." Some of the people we might have gotten before, they pick easier shows now where they get a hotel and don't have to spend a month and a half in 100-degree heat with no food. So that's one big factor.
You may want to look for diversity and you force it a little bit and have to work a little harder. Those people may not apply so you have to go find them. That becomes a factor. I honestly think we're in the midst of a change. Between YouTube and all these reality shows, everybody is tasting this idea of sharing themselves with the world. I find it fascinating. I see it making an impact on our casting. I don't know what a real person is vs. somebody who wants to be on a reality show vs. someone who moved to California to be in the entertainment industry.
The Slug: Tell us about the Hidden Immunity Idols. There's two this season, but how are they used?
Jeff Probst: I think we figured out how to do it this season. The very first time we introduced it, you had to play it before anybody voted. Then the second time we introduced it, you could play it after the votes had been made and read. So it was an absolute get-out-of-jail-free card.
This season, I think we found the happy medium. You must play the Idol after the votes have been cast but before I read them. Before the votes, I say, "How confident are you? Do you want to take a chance? Or should you play your Idol?" That made a dramatic difference. The Idols get played. Nobody is sitting on their Idol until the end and taking it home as a souvenir.
The Slug: How did Fiji's military coup impact the production?
Jeff Probst: The coup was a discussion almost the entire time we were out there. We kept hearing, "OK. It's gonna happen next Saturday." And then it wouldn't happen. Then we'd hear, "OK. It's gonna happen next Tuesday." We have quite an investment in Fiji. We had people with the government that were keeping us abreast and keeping an eye out for us. People told us, at least initially, it won't be violent. It wasn't. It ended up happening during our last few days. It impacted us in terms of supplies. We have people that shop over in the mainland for stuff we need for challenges or food for our catering. Stuff like that it made difficult because they kicked all of us out of there and wouldn't let us have our stuff. When you consider what's happening to the people who live there, the impact was neglibable.
The Slug: Do you have another "Survivor" in you?
Jeff Probst: Oh yeah. CBS has told us we're renewed. So we're working on "Survivor 15" right now. It's kinda crazy. It's actually been a really fun, life-changing experience to go from anonymity to falling into this show, which kinda changed TV a little bit, and go from being the No. 1 show on TV to being this show that's, you know, still around. We're not on the cover of magazines anymore, but we're still hanging in there. We're still top 20 and getting our ratings. It's been fascinating — and lucky for me.
Location: This is the worst kind of discrimination. The kind against me.
Favorite beer: Grizzly. No, wait - polar bears.
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Quote:
"Survivor" will live to see its sweet 16.
CBS has given thumbs up to two more editions of the Mark Burnett reality warhorse. The 15th and 16th editions of the franchise will air during the 2007-08 season.
Burnett and Tom Shelly remain as exec producers, with Jeff Probst aboard as host. The 14th cycle of the skein is set to bow next month.
Despite sustaining some ratings erosion, "Survivor" -- the longest-running reality hit on broadcast TV -- remains a potent player for the Eye. Most recent installment of the franchise, "Survivor: Cook Islands," won its 8 p.m. Thursday timeslot in all key demos and viewers despite increasingly tough competion from ABC and NBC.
"Survivor" will live to see its sweet 16.
CBS has given thumbs up to two more editions of the Mark Burnett reality warhorse. The 15th and 16th editions of the franchise will air during the 2007-08 season.
Burnett and Tom Shelly remain as exec producers, with Jeff Probst aboard as host. The 14th cycle of the skein is set to bow next month.
Despite sustaining some ratings erosion, "Survivor" -- the longest-running reality hit on broadcast TV -- remains a potent player for the Eye. Most recent installment of the franchise, "Survivor: Cook Islands," won its 8 p.m. Thursday timeslot in all key demos and viewers despite increasingly tough competion from ABC and NBC.
01-23-2007, 02:19 PM
Survivor: Fiji
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