I have officially become a Survivor Fanatic. I bought every season that was available in stores, and found that the rest of the seasons were available with a little searching on the net (someone was selling all non available seasons for a little over a hundred bucks. I don't normally condone piracy, but I don't condone hoarding content either--the disney "vault" can kiss my ass).

Watching survivor all in a row is a much better experience than missing the odd episode here and there. What's really cool watching all of them is seeing other people come into the game with the same strategy I have, and the random results of how they do.

Love the music, love the themes....Hell, I'm even getting back into shape so I can send in an audition. :)

People still actually watch that show? :rolleyes:
Must be me, but i pretty much hate the whole "Reality" type TV except for a few shows. (Deadliest catch, ect)
When it started it was new and original but now they are trying to do it for every little thing.

Next on FOX!
Socks! The new reality show! Will Hernado put on argyle socks today? OR will he put on the socks he wore yesterday? Will his girlfriend dump him because his feet smell? See it this week on FOX!

What i'd like to see is a survivor show that puts you out in the wilds (Nowhere near civilization) with just enough food for a week where you ACTUALLY have to learn how to survive. No stupid votes or group discussions.
Could have a mounted cam on your head or such for the audience to be able to watch, and basic survival stuff for when your food runs out. Plus a radio to call for pickup if you want to quit or for an emergency. Maybe make a grand prize of a million to whoever is the last to come in.
That's my idea of a real survivor show.....:D

I love survivor as well Maniacles. This last season was the best by far. Survivor is much more than surviving the wild, its about surviving being voted off. You have to understand how to play the game, its a lot harder to get to the end and make a million than one thinks. Its a fun hour of shows to watch but if you don't like it, its easy to understand why.

People still actually watch that show? :rolleyes:
Must be me, but i pretty much hate the whole "Reality" type TV except for a few shows. (Deadliest catch, ect)
When it started it was new and original but now they are trying to do it for every little thing.

Next on FOX!
Socks! The new reality show! Will Hernado put on argyle socks today? OR will he put on the socks he wore yesterday? Will his girlfriend dump him because his feet smell? See it this week on FOX!

What i'd like to see is a survivor show that puts you out in the wilds (Nowhere near civilization) with just enough food for a week where you ACTUALLY have to learn how to survive. No stupid votes or group discussions.
Could have a mounted cam on your head or such for the audience to be able to watch, and basic survival stuff for when your food runs out. Plus a radio to call for pickup if you want to quit or for an emergency. Maybe make a grand prize of a million to whoever is the last to come in.
That's my idea of a real survivor show.....:D

I'm with ya there. I liked the first survivor after that not so much. They do have similar shows to what you're saying but even those seem staged in some way. Survivorman or whatever...

I also like Deadliest Catch and that other show with the Truckers on the ice. That's about the extent of reality TV for me and even those I don't watch frequently at all.

Well if you are equating Survivor with Survivorman or even something like Deadliest Catch...they are not even the same style/type of show. The later two are more Discovery type television as Survivor is more of game show, its not really about "Surviving" the wild more so about Surviving being voted off with the added addition of living in less than desirable conditions for 38 days. I'll addmit that when the show first came out, I absolutely hated it and even would laugh at my brother inlaw who loved telling him how it sucked, till I watched it like he does...for the ladies in skinny clothes and figuring out how the show is going to play out.

Watching it as a dvd set makes it a bit different than watching it as a series that you catch "most" of. You can avoid the bad seasons this way...or at least watch them last, after you've caught the fever.

Survivorman and the alaska experiment on discovery did what Crystana was talking about, and it's not nearly as fun to watch.

Every season that is currently out (except allstars, that season just blew chunks) has a good reason to check it out. Most that aren't out aren't out for a reason. (a few of the more recent ones are worth watching).

First season (Borneo): Richard Hatch is the first to figure out the whole "alliances" concept, Greg is a riot to watch, and Sue delivers the original "blows her top bitching at the winners" speech at the end.

Second season (austrailia): First injury evacuation. Watch them friggen STARVE...it gets so bad Jeff offers additional rice...for a major price. Watch stupid survival decisions have fantastically awful consequenses. If you are watching survivor because of the surviving element, this is the season to watch as they completely blow it.

Pearl Islands (season 7): Has the three best scenes of all 16 seasons of Survivor 1)Episode one, where Rupert shows that pirating is more than just a theme for this season, 2) episode seven, the Castaways twist. 3)The dead Grandmother. Easily my favorite season.

All Stars (season 8): Sucks rubber donkey nuts. Lex makes the biggest bonehead move in the game, and Nobody in the end is bothering to play the game.

Vanatu (season 9): The winner is the last person you think it could be, and the person I personally identify most with (and whose strategy I'd match up with best).

Palau: (season 10): The first time one tribe outright conquers another tribe.

Reviews of Seasons that aren't out yet (available in random spots on the net)

Africa (season 3) Lex's Paranoia makes this unfun to watch (and I'm from Santa Cruz!), Though hearing the camp get stalked by Lions and wildebeasts is neat! Another season where you feel the danger.

Marquesas Islands (season 4) A decent season because there are three, not two, factions. The Rob Father is fun to see get crushed.

Thailand (season 5) Not a great season, though watching the old farts dominate the young guns was fun. Pretty much a "watch the alliance eat itself" season.

Amazon (season 6) Rob C proves that you don't have to be in an alliance to go far, and that flip flopping between alliances doesn't keep you from winning. Guys vs girls, Guys eat it, hard.

Guatemala (season 11) While season two nearly kills them from starvation, this one nearly kills half the cast in the very first challenge!

Exile Island (season 12) Shane is insane--Quits a 3 pack a day cigarette habit the day before the show starts, and it shows. Terry dominates the personal immunity challenges.

Cook Islands (season 13) Tribes are separated into four race based teams! Watch Ozzy dominate. Tied with Vanatu as my second favorite season.

Fiji (season 14) Haves vs have nots. Other than Yau Man, this season is a waste. On the other hand, Yau Man is fun to watch.

China (season 15) Other than the second dumbest move in Survivor, also pretty boring.

Fans vs Favorites: Micronesia (season 16) Most quits, most medical evacs, most blindsides, and the dumbest move in survivor history. Unfortunately, the quits and medical evacs kill the first two thirds of the season. Fortunately it ended well. Amanda proves once again that no matter how good at the game you are, poor oratory will kill you every time.

You hit all those right on the head lol!

ironically the only season i could ever stand to watch the whole thing of was the all-star season. I was a big Boston Rob fan.

This crap is what has been destroying script and plot driven programming, at the cost of writer's livelihoods.

Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, LA Law, Ally McBeal, MASH, Barney Miller, BSG, Babylon 5, ER, and so many other ensemble shows with creative and witty scripts and plot-lines featuring all of the varied cast being developed were the heart of television programming. These so-called 'reality' shows are simply a programmer's lazy manner of telling the viewer they don't believe you are intelligent enough to want anything you need to pay attention to, and absorb.

I'll agree with you on just about the non gameshowesque reality shows... (except Deadliest catch...love that show). Most are vanity projects...

But Survivor is different. At heart it's a game show with contrived elements, but when the contestants forget about the survival aspect, they pay harsh penalties... We as viewers get shafted when they do with quits and medical evacs, but it brings home the "reality" of the programing.

Basically, it's the closest thing we have to gladiatorial combat in terms of actual danger to the contestants. :)

All the good scripted programing has fled to HBO and cable networks anyway.

ironically the only season i could ever stand to watch the whole thing of was the all-star season. I was a big Boston Rob fan.

I must admit, if you like Boston Rob, Watching his plan click into place and nobody catch on is a thrill ride to see if he can do it. I just always root for the geeks and the "players" (people who stir things up, politically) and against the eye candy. Natalie, for instance, was on of my favorites of Fans vs Favorites. LOVED the jugular flossing.

Havent watched this show since season 1. Can't say that I've missed it either! But thats just my taste.

Pick up the Season 7: Pearl Island DVD set. I just watched it again with a friend. It holds up to multiple viewings.

Season 17 starts this Thursday!

If there's one thing thing that survivor teaches us, it's that smart weak people who don't know how to be devious get knocked out quick.

I'd put three axes of importance:
Strong-Weak: Strong players are preferred early but are targets in late game.
Intellectual-Emotional: Intellectual people make plans, Emotional People go with their guts.
Honest-Devious Honest people make lasting alliances, but get nailed for lack of honesty by juries. Devious people make alliances they plan to screw over at some point.

Strong-intellectual-Honest: Rare, but tends to be Audience Favorite. Terry from Exile Island
Strong-Int-Devious: Well placed for the win, if they can shake the target when they don't have the idol. Yul AND Jonathon in Cook Island.
Strong-Emo-Honest: Also Audience Favorite. Does well until the target on their head breaks their alliance. Rupert from pearl island, Eric from Fans vs Favorites. Ozzy from Cook and FvF.
Strong-Emo-Devious:Tends to make it to jury, then gets knocked out. The Robfather.
Weak-Int-Honest: Usually Knocked out quickly, rarely make it to final 5: Yau Man is Exception. The Blonde in Pearle Island is more usual.
Weak-Int-Devious: Usually place 3rd. Go Go Rob C. from Amazon, Johnny Fairplay from Pearl Island, Chris from Vanatu. Cirie from both fvf and exile. Sandra from pearl Island Tends to be my favorite player type.
Weak-Emo-Honest: Kept to the end-good candidates for number 2: Happens over and over and over.
Weak-Emo-Devious: Knocked out early or Stays to the end. Safe if they can survive a few rounds.

Ok, there's one other axis, but that would make it too complicated:

Social-Pariah: Where Pariah is a minus in the beginning, but a plus near the end if it's populated with devious people.

Predictions: The Super Mario player is gonna go in the first 6 episodes. The Jerk with the accent is gonna make it to final 2. The Model/Actress will go far if she can survive getting knocked out first.

:)