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Survivor Gabon

http://www.survivor.com/17/

'Survivor' creator and Jeffrey Katzenberg tour India - Travel - LATimes.com –Jane Engle, Los Angeles Times Assistant Travel Editor

They didn’t eat squirmy worms or sleep under lean-tos. But Mark Burnett, the reality TV impressario behind “Survivor,” and Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., had a swell time anyway touring India together. After all, their guide was Geoffrey Kent, chairman and chief executive of Abercrombie & Kent, the luxury travel company.

Kent, in the Los Angeles area this week to promote his company’s new destination club for the super-rich, told me he spent more than a week in India in April with the duo, along with their wives, Mark’s Roma and Jeffrey’s Marilyn.

“I always wanted to show Jeffrey and Mark tigers,” Kent said, after pausing in his Beverly Hills Hotel suite to take a call from Katzenberg, a longtime friend. And see tigers they did: at least half a dozen, by Kent’s count, at Ranthambore National Park. “They were magnificent,” Kent said.

Talk about a royal tour. The group chatted with maharajahs and stayed at swank retreats, such as the storied Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur (pictured), that Kent rated “six-star.”

Along the way, Kent said, “We made a lot of jokes about how you travel with Abercrombie & Kent versus how you travel with ‘Survivor.’ ”

Read the entire article at 'Survivor' creator and Jeffrey Katzenberg tour India - Travel - LATimes.com.

The Associated Press: Probst: Production problems on `Survivor: Gabon' By DERRIK J. LANG

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Jeff Probst says the upcoming season of "Survivor" has already hit a few snags.

"Survivor: Gabon — Earth's Last Eden" has been plagued with several preproduction problems, Probst told The Associated Press at the opening of the new restaurant Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood on Wednesday. The dilemmas for the 17th season of the CBS reality show, which begins filming in Africa later this month, range from encroaching animals to slow shipments.

"Our shipping has been really delayed," Probst said. "One aspect of 'Survivor' that is different from a lot of shows is that we have to ship throughout the season, and we're about 30 days behind now, which is a major problem. We're going to be fine on the show, but the crew housing is not there. We're going to be in tents."

Other than the habitation hindrance, Probst also said a crane had fallen over and a cargo hold containing about $100,000 worth of food had gone missing. The lumber used for building props and set pieces for challenges and Tribal Council, however, had safely arrived. Probst said the "Survivor" crew was also having an issue with something that was already present: wildlife.

"We have a danger problem with animals that we're trying to figure out how to handle," the "Survivor" host said. "There's so much truly wild life out there, we're not sure what to do. We don't want the animals around for a safety reasons, but we'd love to have a hippo sneak in every so often. I just got a call from our executive producer that we've got hippo tracks at base camp."

"Survivor: Gabon," which will feature 18 castaways living in the wilderness in the West African country, will be filmed in high-definition and is slated to premiere in the fall. It's the first time the competitive reality series has returned to Africa since its Kenya-set third season. Probst said he doesn't think the snafus will halt production.

"These things for us usually have a way of turning into good things," he said.

Read the entire article at The Associated Press: Probst: Production problems on `Survivor: Gabon'.

'Survivor' winner appeals to Supreme Court - CNN.com

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) -- "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch has appealed his tax evasion conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court, his attorney said Tuesday.

Richard Hatch was convicted for failing to pay taxes on his "Survivor" winnings.

Hatch was convicted two years ago of failing to pay taxes on the $1 million prize he won on the debut season of the hit CBS reality series. The Newport man was sentenced to more than four years in prison.

Hatch's lawyer, Michael Minns, has said his client confronted producers about cheating during taping of the show, and a producer promised his taxes would be paid if he kept quiet and went on to win the competition. CBS has said Hatch's claims have no merit.

In a brief filed with the Supreme Court on May 23, Minns argued the judge improperly prevented Hatch from testifying about the conversation.

Minns also argued the judge unfairly limited his cross-examination of the tax accountant who prepared Hatch's tax returns and who was a key witness for the government.

"He's extremely optimistic about his appeal," Minns said. "He still believes the system should work."

The U.S. Supreme Court takes up only a small number of the appeals it receives.

Minns also said Hatch was writing a book about "his experiences with the legal system and his disappointment not just with the problems that he suffered but with the problems other people have suffered that he has met."

Hatch also was convicted of evading taxes on his earnings as co-host of a Boston radio show and from rental properties. He was acquitted of seven fraud charges related to a charity he planned to open for troubled youth.

Read the entire article at 'Survivor' winner appeals to Supreme Court - CNN.com.

cbs2.com - Survivor 18 Open Call Information

It's another season of Survivor and this time YOU could be the sole Survivor winning $1,000,000!

CBS2 and CarMax want to know WHO YOU ARE and WHY WOULD YOU MAKE THE ULTIMATE SURVIVOR…it's time for the Survivor 18 Open Call!

Date: Thursday, June 19, 2008

Time: 10am-4pm (line cut-off)

Location: CarMax – Costa Mesa "Grand Opening" location
3200 Harbor Blvd.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Attire: Casual

Open Call Audition Process:
Participants will fill-out an *application and then be asked to discuss who they are and why they would make the next ultimate Survivor for up to 2 minutes on-camera. CBS2 will submit all eligible on-camera entries. Applicants must be present to apply.

* Applications may be downloaded HERE and filled out in advance of the Open Call. Applications will also be available at the Open Call to fill out.

Traits that a Contestant Must Have:
• Strong willed
• Outgoing
• Adventurous
• Physically and mentally adept
• Adaptable to new environments
• Interesting lifestyles, backgrounds and personalities

Age and Citizenship Requirements:
• All applicants must 18 and over at the time of application, except that if you reside in one of the five states listed below, you must be at least the following age:
Alabama: 19 years or older
District of Columbia: 21 years or older
Mississippi: 21 years or older
Nebraska: 19 years or older
Wyoming: 19 years or older
• All applicants must be United States citizens and be living in the United States.
• All semi-finalists must have a valid United States passport. (It is NOT necessary to have your Passport or photo with you at the Open Call)

Grand Prize:
The Sole Survivor will win $1,000,000.

Participants may experience a long waiting period before their Open Call audition.

If you have previously applied for Survivor and you were a finalist in Los Angeles, please do not reapply.

A total of approx. 800 applicants may be invited to interview sometime in August 2008 (or as otherwise scheduled by the Producers) in person at one of 10 specified locations: Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Seattle, WA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Detroit, MI; Boston, MA; Atlanta, GA; Miami, FL and Denver, CO. Producers reserve the right to change the number or the identity of the foregoing locations at any time. All travel expenses for the interview will be the applicants' sole expense.

Approximately 48 semi-finalists will be invited to Los Angeles in September 2008 (or as otherwise scheduled by the Producers) for final interviews.

Approximately 16 finalists will be selected as contestants to participate in this SURVIVOR program. Filming is presently scheduled to occur sometime between October - December 2008 at a remote location to be announced.

All decisions made by the Producers are final and not subject to review or appeal.

All applicants must authorize Producers to conduct a background check.

The Survivor 18 location for taping has NOT been disclosed.

For further questions, please call 818-655-2705.

Read the entire article at cbs2.com - Survivor 18 Open Call Information.

About Survivor - CBS.com

See exotic destinations! Interact with other tribespeople! Meet Jeff probst! Sounds like fun? Oh yeah...there's also a chance to win one million dollars.

Open Casting Calls:
(listed alphabetically by state)

Dothan, AL
WTVY
Saturday, June 21, 8am - 10am Registration; 10am Interviews begin
1975 Ross Clark Circle
Dothan, AL 36301

Costa Mesa, CA
CBS2 Los Angeles
Thursday, June 19th, 10am - 4pm
CarMax, Costa Mesa "Grand Opening" store location
3200 Harbor Boulevard
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Sanford, FL
WKMG-TV Orlando DMA
Saturday, May 24th starts at 10am
Seminole Power Sports
1200 Rinehart Road, Sanford FL 32771

Wilkes Barre/Scranton, PA
WYOU
Saturday, May 31st, Noon - 4pm
The Mall at Stearntown, Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton
www.pahomepage.com

Austin, TX
KEYE
Friday, June 13th, 1 - 5pm
Backwoods
Hill Country Galleria
12921 Hill Country Galleria Blvd.
Austin, TX 78738
http://www.backwoods.com/locations-allevents.html

Seattle, WA
KIRO
Sunday, May 18th, 3 - 7pm
Great American Casino, Lakewood location

Read the entire article at About Survivor - CBS.com.

CBS Lowers Contestant Age Limit to 18 for 'Survivor 18'
    
The 17th season of Survivor, Survivor: Gabon, is amping up to start filming in the west African nation in June, but CBS is already begun casting for Survivor 18, which is set to air beginning in January of 2009.  Open casting calls around the country began last weekend, and will continue for the next few weeks.  As they prepare for season 18 of the long-running reality series, CBS has made one major change to the application process: they've lowered the age requirement from 21 to 18.  This is big news for 18, 19, and 20-year old Survivor fanatics around the country and a move by CBS that will, presumably, lead to a bigger talent pool for the network to work with and inject more youth into Survivor 18. 

There have been mild criticisms over the years that Survivor has tended to cast younger and younger as the seasons move along.  I have no problem with casting younger contestants, and I have no problem with Survivor sprinkling some older ones in as well.  I do have an issue with reality shows casting good-looking people for the sake of having good-looking people.  I'm not advocating the inclusion of more ugly people.  On the contrary, all I really care about (and I assume it's the same for most Survivor fans) is having interesting and dynamic characters.  Young, old, good-looking or not, just give us some solid characters. 

This might have a little something to do with the fact that Survivor 17 and 18 will be the first ever seasons filmed in high-definition.  Younger people tend to be better suited for HD, and it's possible that Mark Burnett and company are being forced to disregard possible Survivor contestants who, in the past, would be considered for casting but now aren't pretty enough for those pesky HD cameras. 

Read the entire article at CBS Lowers Contestant Age Limit to 18 for 'Survivor 18'.

Survivor 18 Open Casting Calls :: RealityWanted.com : Reality TV Casting Calls

Survivor 18 Open Casting Calls
Company: CBS
Casting Call Information
City: Any City
State: National

CBS is Now Casting for a new group of Americans who will experience trials and tribulations as they are eliminated one by one on Survivor 18. The Sole Survivor will win $1,000,000.

Do you have what it takes? Are you ready for a journey? Are you ready to compete with other cast members for the ultimate prize?

Apply now to be on Survivor 18!

Read the entire article at Survivor 18 Open Casting Calls :: RealityWanted.com : Reality TV Casting Calls.

Will Survivor survive The Moment of Truth? - TV Squad by Allison Waldman

Now that the upfronts have been presented, it's time to start handicapping the ratings (although Jeff Zucker doesn't think Nielsens matter that much anymore). Nevertheless, some are looking at next fall's schedule and predicting a big-time battle royale on Thursday night at 8 o'clock. Which reality show will emerge at the Nielsen number one -- CBS's Survivor or Fox's The Moment of Truth? According to Hollywood Reporter, Fox is taking aim at CBS. When asked at the upfront about positioning The Moment of Truth -- and Hell's Kitchen right behind it -- on that night was a strategic move, the executive was diplomatic at first. He said Fox isn't looking for a battle; they're doing their own thing. But then said of Survivor, "Look, it's eroding. It's an older show. Its eventually going to give up and were trying to accelerate that."

Hmm, sounds like fighting words to me. The Moment of Truth and Hell's Kitchen are two of Fox's three premiere reality shows, behind only American Idol in the ratings. Anyway you slice it, Thursday night is going to be a night to drive TV fans crazy. While Fox and CBS are leading with reality shows to start the night, ABC will offer Emmy winner and critic's darling, Ugly Betty, NBC will serve up its Emmy winner(s) and critic's faves, My Name Is Earl and 30 Rock, and the CW will bring back the venerable fan fave, Smallville. And that's not even considering what the rest of the networks have planned.

Will CBS continue to own Thursday with the Survivor/CSI double dip, or is Fox going to overtake CBS? Can scripted shows like Ugly Betty, My Name Is Earl, The Office and Smallville hope to grab a big enough piece of the Nielsen pie to stay in the game? These are legitimate questions, especially in light of Zucker's contention that demographics matter as much -- or more -- than ratings.

While all shows across the board have shown a decrease in Nielsen numbers -- the result of fragmentation caused by the sheer volume of choices TV viewers have thanks to digital cable and satellite -- a show like Survivor has remained popular, winning its time slot and giving CSI a strong lead in. Still, next fall it will broadcast its 18th edition (with a 19th in the spring). Has Survivor's novelty worn off, as Fox suggests?

One thing for certain; fans of sitcoms and dramas better do all they can to support the likes of Earl and Betty or risk future TV schedules with even less fictional fodder.

Read the entire article at Will Survivor survive The Moment of Truth? - TV Squad.

Reality Sinks In: 'Idol' and 'Survivor' Hit New Lows - washingtonpost.com

NEW YORK -- Contestants are disappearing as the "American Idol" finale approaches. Unfortunately for Fox, so are the viewers.

The 21.8 million people who watched last week's competition episode was the show's smallest Tuesday audience in more than five years. The show did better the next night, with 22.9 million, but that was the smallest Wednesday audience in three years, according to Nielsen Media Research.

They were still the most popular programs in prime time last week. Even though it is the May ratings sweeps period, when the networks tend to air their most attractive projects, no other show had 20 million viewers, once considered routine for television's top programs.

Another onetime big event, the finale of a "Survivor" season on CBS, was seen by 13 million viewers and didn't crack Nielsen's Top 10.

Americans also seemed to prefer to spend Mother's Day with their own moms: NBC's special "America's Favorite Mom" ranked No. 107 for the week with just 2.4 million viewers.

CBS was the nation's most popular network last week, averaging 10.6 million viewers in prime time, followed by ABC with 9.5 million. Fox won among the 18-to-49-year-old demographic but, reflecting the "American Idol" decline, slipped to third among all viewers with an 8.9 million average. NBC averaged just 6 million viewers, and the CW had 2.6 million.

ABC's "World News" won the evening news ratings race, averaging 8 million viewers. NBC's "Nightly News" had 7.8 million viewers and the "CBS Evening News" had 5.6 million.

For the week, the top 10 shows, in order, were: Fox's Wednesday and Tuesday "American Idol"; ABC's Tuesday and Monday "Dancing With the Stars"; CBS's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"; ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives"; CBS's "Without a Trace," "CSI: Miami" and "NCIS."

Read the entire article at Reality Sinks In: 'Idol' and 'Survivor' Hit New Lows - washingtonpost.com.

"Survivor" Champ -- Outwit, Outlast, Out of Cash!? - TMZ.com

Parvati Shallow won $1 million bucks on "Survivor" this past Sunday -- so why the hell was she hitting up the paparazzi to pay her $4 cab fare last night in L.A.?

Watch the video at TMZ.com

Read the entire article at "Survivor" Champ -- Outwit, Outlast, Out of Cash!? - TMZ.com.

The Associated Press: Jeff Probst: Surviving 16 seasons of `Survivor' By FRAZIER MOORE

NEW YORK (AP) — After all this time, you don't associate Jeff Probst with traffic gridlock, yowling sirens, or office towers crowding the sky.

It's not that Probst seems out of place in a metropolis like New York. It's just that, after hosting 16 seasons of CBS' "Survivor" since 2000, he's more readily identified with various brands of wilderness half-a-world away.

Yet here he is in Manhattan, big as life (including those dimples) and eager to talk about "Survivor: Micronesia," whose finale will originate 8 p.m. EDT Sunday from Broadway's Ed Sullivan Theater.

"This has been a season of blind-sides and dumb moves," Probst zestily sums up. "We've had a really strong women's alliance for the first time. We've had people out with injuries. A woman lost her mind." (Or, at least, her will to continue: On Day 19 of the 39-day ordeal, Kathleen begged tearfully to be sent home to Glen Ellyn, Ill., and was.)

By Sunday, what began with 20 castaways — divided into rival teams of "Survivor" fans and veterans from seasons past — will be down to just four finalists. One of them will win the $1 million prize as Sole Survivor.

Then the process starts over again, with Probst presiding at the next, yet-to-be-announced exotic site as "Survivor" No. 17 goes into production in July.

Who could have dreamed during its inaugural run in summer 2000 that "Survivor" would display such staying power?

Not Probst, who, with undisguised amazement, notes that he has signed to host another four seasons.

"It was a show I was certain would be over after three," he declares, recalling his prediction that Season One "would be good, Two would be better, Three would fail but we'd still get paid."

But season after season, the Nielsen tribe has spoken and pronounced "Survivor" an enduring hit.

How to explain it? Probst theorizes that success has stemmed from starting with a good idea, then sticking with it.

"We go back to the start, every season," he says. There have been variations (like the current "Fans vs. Favorites" format). "But we don't deviate too far from the original premise."

Read the entire article at The Associated Press: Jeff Probst: Surviving 16 seasons of `Survivor'.

Jeff Probst talks about next 'Survivor' location | TV Biz | Hollywood Insider | EW.com

With Survivor: Micronesia in the books, the reality franchise is now gearing up for season 17 by going back to Africa. The show will be setting up shop on the continent’s west coast in the country of Gabon. “I didn’t know where it was,” confesses host Jeff Probst. “I had to look it up on a map. It is probably the most remote place we have ever gone.” What does that mean in terms of wildlife? “We don’t know,” Probst says. “No one’s really ever hung out there. We’re going to leave a boma with some sticks and stuff, and the contestants will be given instructions that they need to finish it since we’re a little concerned because it’s so unknown. In Kenya [season 3], we had armed guards everywhere so that if something did happen, we could take care of it. We’re not gonna have that because they’re telling us it is so remote and will probably be remote forever. But a gorilla could wander into camp.” (You mean, Joel from Micronesia?)

Season 17 marks another big change for Survivor in that it will be the first time the show has been shot in high definition. “Survivor is one of those shows that you want to see in HD,” says Probst, while noting that the scenery will look a lot more stunning than the stranded contestants, “People with bug bites are gonna look worse, people that don’t have great bodies are gonna look worse, and people who are really attractive are probably gonna look… worse.” And what about you, Jeff? “I went through every scenario: Is there any way I can wear makeup? Is there any way I could not shoot in the middle of the day? And the answers are all no. I’ve just come to terms with it.”

Survivor: Gabon—Earth’s Last Eden begins filming in late June and will air in September on CBS.

Read the entire article at Jeff Probst talks about next 'Survivor' location | TV Biz | Hollywood Insider | EW.com.

'Survivor' Contender's Lawsuit Against Bonaduce Continues - Entertainment News Story - KNBC | Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES -- A "Survivor: Pearl Islands" contender who alleges Danny Bonaduce injured him during taping of a reality TV awards show must provide more details in his lawsuit if he wants to seek punitive damages from the producers, a judge ruled on Monday.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael C. Solner gave lawyers for Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton 20 days to revise the lawsuit with the additional information.

Dalton filed the suit Oct. 9 in Los Angeles Superior Court, naming Bonaduce, Fox Reality Channel and Natural 9 Entertainment as defendants.
Dalton alleges Bonaduce caused him emotional and physical distress following a tussle the two had during filming of Fox's "Really Awards," which was taped a week before the lawsuit was filed.

Dalton maintains he suffered a broken tooth, lost another tooth and two others loosened due to being dumped to the ground by Bonaduce, a radio personality who, as a child, was part of "The Partridge Family" during the 70s television series.

Dalton claims the producers let the battery occur, encouraged Bonaduce to go onto the stage uninvited; did not provide adequate, or any, security; ignored Dalton once he was bleeding; and failed to administer immediate medical care or contact medical personnel.

Dalton updated the complaint once before in response to a judge's finding last month that the details concerning alleged negligence by the producers were too vague.

Dalton's suit maintains Bonaduce "had a propensity to violence, anger and incidents of uncontrollable rage that (the producers) knew about or should have reasonably known about when they hired him."

But Solner, agreeing with Vicki Greco, an attorney for the producers, said the lawsuit does not currently explain who among her clients allegedly enticed Bonaduce to go on stage and harm Dalton.

According to Greco, Bonaduce was walking off the stage when Dalton jumped onto him.

Greco also said it was too early in the case to make a punitive damages claim. But Dalton's lawyer, Daniel C. Lapidus, argued the timing for such a claim was appropriate and that adequate details in support of it were already in the lawsuit.

Solner also scheduled a trial date for Dec. 16.

Monday's hearing on the producer's motion did not deal with the individual allegations against Bonaduce of battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. He maintains he acted in self-defense.

Bonaduce, 48, starred in "Breaking Bonaduce," a 2005 reality show on VH1.

Read the entire article at 'Survivor' Contender's Lawsuit Against Bonaduce Continues - Entertainment News Story - KNBC | Los Angeles.

Survivor: Exhausted? - TV Decoder - Media & Television - New York Times Blog By BENJAMIN TOFF

“Survivor: Micronesia,” the sixteenth edition of the CBS franchise, ended on Sunday, drawing the lowest ratings ever for a season finale of the 8-year-old series. The episode drew an average of 12.9 million viewers from 8 to 10 p.m., according to Nielsen’s estimates, coming up just short of the previous lowest rated finale in the franchise, last year’s conclusion of “Survivor: Fiji” in May (13.6 million).

Although the reality show’s audience has steadily eroded in recent years, the last edition of the series, “Survivor: China” had shown some promise. Its finale in December had fared considerably better than either this year’s closing episode or last year’s, earning 15.2 million viewers.

Despite the somewhat modest ratings, “Survivor” still managed to lead the 8 p.m. hour, besting ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (11.9 million) and other shows in the time slot. As a result, by the slimmest of margins, CBS eked out a victory as the most watched network for the night, even while trailing ABC in the latter portion of prime time when ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” (15.2 million) and “Brothers & Sisters” (11 million) won the 9 and 10 p.m. time slots, respectively.

CBS’s customary “Survivor” reunion special (10.8 million) finished just behind ABC’s drama in the 10 p.m. hour. CBS did receive a boost during the 7 p.m. time slot with “60 Minutes,” which remained the early hour’s most watched program (10.4 million).

Despite CBS’s edge in total viewers, ABC remained slightly ahead for the night in the important demographic of adults 18 to 49. Fox finished a distant third overall, with a mix of repeats and new episodes of its animated comedies. NBC was fourth, showing mostly reruns.

Read the entire article at Survivor: Exhausted? - TV Decoder - Media & Television - New York Times Blog.

Media Life Magazine - 'Survivor' slips to its lowest finale ever By Toni Fitzgerald

Aging CBS reality show averages a 4.4 in 18-49s

“Survivor: Micronesia” may have taken a bite out of “Desperate Housewives’” audience, but the season finale was still the lowest-rated in the series’ history.

“Micronesia” averaged a 4.4 adults 18-49 rating for its two-hour season-ender starting at 8 p.m. last night, according to Nielsen overnights, off 15 percent from a 5.2 overnight for last fall’s “Survivor: China” finale, which competed against a “Housewives” rerun.

“Micronesia” was 0.1 behind the previous lowest-rated finale, “Survivor: Fiji,” which averaged a 4.5 at this time last year. The show, now in its 16th season, averaged 12.9 million total viewers and was the night's second-highest-rated show behind "Housewives."

The ratings decline is certainly no surprise, as just about every hit show has hit a season or series low in recent weeks. “Micronesia” did better its most recent outing in its regular Thursday timeslot, which averaged a 4.1 adults 18-49 rating.

Read the entire article at Media Life Magazine - 'Survivor' slips to its lowest finale ever.

''Survivor'' season finale recap | Survivor | 1 | TV Recaps | EW.com By Dalton Ross

''Survivor'': Million-Dollar Babe

In the season finale, the triumphant all-woman alliance has to turn on itself, with Parvati eventually edging out Amanda for the big prize
More

Poor Amanda. She spent 39 days suffering in China, went home for a few months, and then spent 39 more days getting rained on in Palau. She made it to the very end twice — the only Survivor contestant ever to do so. She won the final challenges of each season and got to hand-pick her finale opponents. And what does she have to show for it besides two crappy-ass final tribal council performances? Now, make no mistake about it, Amanda wasn't as insanely awful this time as she was in China, when she basically handed Todd a million dollars on a silver platter, but she wasn't very good either. Her low point came when Cirie asked her why Parvati deserved to be there over her, leading the doe-eyed dummy to give a speech on what a ''powerhouse'' Parvati was and how she made so many bold decisions, in essence telling the jury to vote for the person sitting next to her.

Here's the thing: Amanda was no slouch in this game. She was smart enough to ask to be sent to Exile Island so she could go find the hidden immunity idol, and then sold it to her tribemates that she didn't have it. She won challenges. She was completely left out of the loop on a major decision (to get rid of Ozzy) yet still managed to reinsert herself back into a position of power. But then she got back to the final tribal council and just refused to own it. And thus the game became Parvati's.

I don't have a problem with that. Love her or loathe her, Parvati played a totally solid game. Probably the second best strategist out there this season after Cirie. But first let's look at what went down in the season finale leading up to this Shallow victory (no pun intended). The episode began with the women doing a very awkward victory dance and laughing at how stupid men are. Like men that have immunity idols but don't use them. Or men who win immunity and then give it away. Or men who stay up late at night drinking cheap beer and writing recaps of reality shows for no particular reason. Men like that. Look, I love what the women have done this season. I think it's awesome. I just don't need them to hammer their awesomeness down my throat every two minutes. That ''stir the pot'' dance of theirs is already about as old as the macarena or electric slide.

So what else would they do with no men around? Well, Parvati scaled a tree and cut down a bushel of coconuts. Honestly, had I been there with her, I probably wouldn't have been much help. Of course, that's because I would have been busy barfing after getting a close-up view of her big bitten and sore-covered legs. As for Natalie, she revealed that she felt she needed to be more of a bitch in real life. Uhhhhhhh, okay. You do that. A piece of advice, Natalie: The black-widow thing works wonders in Survivor. In real life, it just kinda makes you trashy. Save it for the game, babe.

Read the entire article at ''Survivor'' season finale recap | Survivor | 1 | TV Recaps | EW.com.

Summing Up the Season With the Survivor Reunion - Film.com

So, even the last vote of this season of Survivor: Micronesia was a surprise. Now it's time to bring everybody back to discuss the season. In keeping with the tradition of Survivors looking way worse once they have access to their makeup and hair styling products, Amanda is working approximately the same look I rocked in my 7th grade class photo, with curly mall bangs and giant yellow earrings, and Parvati is just a few jangly bracelets short of a gypsy Halloween costume.

Parvati revealed that Jonathan identifying her as a threat shocked her into a more aggressive game. Amanda, who was just in the position of coming in second last season, said you can only get yourself so far in the game, because you just don't know what the jury is going to place value on. Cirie, who I think played the best strategic game, said her only regret was losing the final Immunity Challenge. Natalie said she got some hate on her MySpace page (not from me, though even though I did hate her).

This season was all about the blindside, going all the way back to Mary in the first episode. This is one of the first seasons in a while where most of the votes have been a surprise to me. Ozzy said the reason he didn't play the idol was because of the friendship he had with Parvati coming into the game. I still think he's behaved like a jackass, but he says they've made up.

The best incident from the season for me was Jason mistaking the fake idol for the real one. Eliza said she thought he was trying to put one over on her when he put it in her bag, but then she realized he was just that dumb. He still has the real hidden Immunity Idol that he didn't play.

Jeff asked about the Favorites' advantage going in. Jonathan said it was because they already knew how to get by on the beach, but Yau-Man said it was also a disadvantage because the Fans already knew their games. Ami was the first Favorite voted out after the merge (when it would have been possible to vote for a fan instead).

Erik was the ultimate Fan. I think he's exactly what they had in mind when they came up with this concept. Like Todd and Frosti in Survivor: China, he's been watching Survivor since his early teens. He's still starstruck, and now it seems he's a little bit starstruck by himself, if that's possible. Not that his ego is inflated, but he just thinks it's so cool that people on the street know who he is.

Jeff asked James who made the dumbest move out of Jason, Ozzy, and Erik. James said Erik, by eloquently comparing the Immunity Necklace to a life vest. I've said this before, but I still think it's Jason. Not for being blindsided, but for falling for the fake idol.

Read the entire article at Summing Up the Season With the Survivor Reunion - Film.com.

Survivor: Fans vs Favorites Finale - Film.com

And then there was Natalie. I swear I think that girl is whacked out. She basically asked Parvati how her flirtiness translates into the bedroom in a weird roundabout way that caused confusion among everybody, including Jeff himself. Parvati told her that being flirtatious is a big part of her personality and that she'll flirt with anybody, men and women, to get what she wants. Natalie then told Amanda that she's a beautiful woman, but the asked if her strategy in the game was to play, "the zombied-pretty-girl-not-really-knowing-what's-going-on-pageant-queen-cliché", or was that who she really is? Amanda basically said that it was neither and that she's a strong woman who just happens to be reserved sometimes. Again, Natalie is a WEIRDO.

Erik told Amanda that he feels thrown under the bus by what Amanda said about him at his last two Tribal Councils and Amanda apologized for hurting his feelings. He told her he didn't buy her apology and walked off without asking Parvati anything. James told Amanda that she had this game in the bag and asked Parvati what she really would have said to him the day after Ozzy had been blindsided. She didn't give him the answer he wanted and told her all he wanted her to basically say was that it was a game. Cirie congratulated both of them and couldn't help but involve herself in her questions to them. She wanted them to tell her why Parvati deserved to be in the final two more than herself. She was obviously still a little sore at them.

Ozzy told Parvati that he was hurt by what she did to him and couldn't believe that she put a price on their friendship. Ozzy told her that he didn't want a response from her and then told her that the hardest part was that she took away fourteen days he could have spent with Amanda. He then told Amanda that he wasn't faking his feelings towards her and feels like he has begun falling in love with her. Well, we know Amanda would have his vote!

After the jury voted, Jeff walked off into the jungle and then appeared before a live studio audience. It was time to find out who the winner of this season's Survivor would be.

Parvati received the first vote to win. Amanda. Parvati. Amanda. Parvati. Amanda. Parvati. The winner of Survivor: Fans vs Favorites is Parvati Shallow. I can't believe it! I thought Amanda would have won it by a vote or two. It's obvious that the jury voted in appreciation of Parvati's gameplay more than Amanda's. It's also obvious that she sealed a couple of votes with her questions during the jury questioning.

I really enjoyed this season and hope the next season in Gabon is just as good. Until next time everybody!

Read the entire article at Survivor: Fans vs Favorites Finale - Film.com.

"Survivor" Finale: Parvati wins and kills my grin | Leslie Gray Streeter

Cirie wuz robbed!

I agree with Jeff Probst - and I never do that - that the just-ended Survivor “Fans Versus Favorites” round was maybe the most chockfull o’ stunners season since Richard Hatch first wowed ‘em with his nakedness. It had all the elements of a good action movie — crazy challenges, several magically delicious blindsides, one ridiculously stupid relinquishment of immunity (Erik, I can’t even look at you) and some shocking exits due to fatigue (Kathy), injury (James and Jonathan, my fave Survivor of all time) and pre-emptive weasling (Jonny Fairplay, who quickly surmised that his snakey ways would not go over with this particular bunch of folks and quit to “see his pregnant girlfriend” before he could get booted.)

The power behind a lot of the shadier shenanigans was Cirie, the “Favorites” nurse who, as some bloggers pointed out, played a stealth game of Lady MacBeth proportions - she did a lot of whispering in people’s ears and planting of devious plots that other people took the blame and the hit for. Unfortunately, she was so stealth that the show, even after running the scenes of her pulling the strings, seemed to forget about her, and gave credit for some of her better ideas, like the booting of challenge monster and resident cutie Ozzy, to Parvati. Parvati always seemed to think she was responsible for everything anyway, so when it got down to Amanda, Cirie and Parv, nobody seemed to get how essential Cirie had been. Had she survived the surprise immunity challenge that no one expected, she likely would have won, because Amanda, as cute as she is, is a lousy arguer. Cirie did all the work and got nothing for it.

Parvati did play a good game, in that she was always close to the decisions, and that even after all the knives she plunged into people’s backs she still managed to get the stab-ees to vote a million bucks her way. That takes skill. What bugs me about her winning is how she conducted herself in moments that were less about strategy and more about being a mean, rotten person. As Eliza, the first member of the jury, pointed out, Parv spent a lot of time whispering about how funny-looking Eliza was and how nobody liked her, and isn’t that so funny ha ha ha. What, are we in grade school? Grow up.

Then again, Richard Hatch proved that you don’t have to be nice to play this well. Actually, being nice gets you booted -They smile in your face, but all the while, they’re trying to take your place, the Survivors (Survivors!). So I guess the right rat got the cheese in the end. But I’m still annoyed.

Read the entire article at "Survivor" Finale: Parvati wins and kills my grin | Leslie Gray Streeter.