STLtoday - ‘Survivor’ mastermind shares his secrets

July 23rd, 2008 | by cwalton |
STLtoday - ‘Survivor’ mastermind shares his secrets By Marc D. Allan

Mark Burnett expects the first line of his obituary to read: Found the American Dream.

Not the mastermind behind “Survivor,” “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” and “The Apprentice.” Not the man who made reality TV a staple of American network programming.

“Think about it,” the British-born Burnett said. “I came here with 200 bucks, no education, and was given a chance because, in America, everyone gets a chance.”

Burnett’s latest endeavor is “Jingles,” an hour-long series in which eight teams vie to create the best ditties for commercials. The winners get $100,000 and, perhaps, jobs with an advertising agency. The weekly-elimination talent contest is set to premiere on CBS later this year.

We recently spoke to Burnett about the upcoming series, his legacy and how he’d fare as a contestant on one of his biggest hits.

Q. I had to laugh hearing the “Survivor” music while I was on hold.

A. That’s so funny, because I’m not on hold that much. So I forget it’s there. But I’m so happy that exists. That show has been so great for this company (Mark Burnett Productions). It’s hard to believe we’re about to shoot Season 17 and we’re prepping 18. Who would believe there would be 18 seasons of “Survivor”?

Q. True. The lifespan for unscripted shows can be pretty short.

A. I’m very lucky. … Through this year, we will have shot “Survivor” 18, and in a few months we’ll have shot “Apprentice” 8. “Martha Stewart,” my daytime show, is ordered for Season 4. We just did “The Contender” Season 4, the boxing show, and “Are You Smarter?” Season 3. In a world that seems to be transient, we’ve done quite well.

Q. Tell me about “Jingles.”

Read the entire article at STLtoday - ‘Survivor’ mastermind shares his secrets.

  Tags: cbs, mark burnett, reality tv, tv

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