www.tvgrapevine.com by honeySC

Survivor Fiji Islands Recap Mar 29, 2007

Yao Man locates the immunity idol and glories in the fact that he has finally found it. He shares the fact that he has it with Earl who sees the value in having an ally in the secret. He figures that Yao Man will use it for himself if he needs it, but that he will also use it to save Earl should he need saving.

Today’s reward challenge involves using a flame thrower. They must launch a flaming ball at targets with their tribe name on it to set the target on fire. The winning team will be airlifted to an afternoon at an arcade where they will get to play games such as foos ball and pinball. They will dine on beer and hot dogs while there. In addition the winning tribe will get to send someone from the opposing team to Exile Island. Earl launches the flame thrower first, but misses. Ravu goes and hits the target, destroying it. They both go again and are tied one-one. Mookie hits his target and they lead two-one. Alex launches his target and misses. Cassandra misses as well. Stacy falls short and Rocky falls short as well. Earl and Dreamz are up next and Earl is just short. Dreamz hits his target and Ravu wins their first challenge. Dreamz says that he doesn’t drink and is definitely going for the hot dogs. Ravu sends Earl to Exile Island. Earl says that he feels that it is his island. He says that the lodging isn’t good but the view is beautiful.

Rocky is concerned seeing his tribemates fill their faces and worries that they might become ill from eating too much. Lisi bonds with the guys and they see how she fits in well. She couches out watching Rocky play golf and the others play other games. Rocky is right and after several dogs and brownies and some beer they are all laying around feeling ill from the effects of too much food. Rocky makes fun of them and says that they need to suck it up because they have a challenge ahead of them. The others get irritated with him for ridiculing them and groan all the more. Comments are made that he doesn’t fit in well. It is fine to rib each other, but his comments are over the top. He continues to remind them that this is all they talked about back at camp and that they must “suck it up” and stop “bellyaching.” More… »

Bodog Beat

James ‘Rocky’ Reid, the 28-year-old bartender from Los Angeles, was stunned at being ousted by his boys. Rocky’s final words: “I’m extremely pissed off; I’m angry.”

Ravu man-power was short-lived once the men realized Rocky was a total ass. Last week the tribes were mixed up and the testosterone was pumping as Rocky led the man-tribe save exiled Lisi into a manly tour-du-force. When Lisa returned, it looked as though she would be next on the chopping block however, Rocky’s ugly personality crept out one too many times.

Excited by their first reward challenge win, Ravu celebrated by chowing down on a massive spread of hotdogs, brownies and beer. One by one the tribemates began to fall over, sick. All except for Rocky, who unleashed an “I told you so” tirade. “People call me out for my stuff all the time,” Rocky said. “And if you can’t take stuff like that here, you shouldn’t be here.”

See ya, Rocky.

CANOE JAM Television By JOHN POWELL

Host/producer Jeff Probst is asking disappointed fans to keep the torches burning bright. “Survivor: Fiji” will get better.

“Its going to start getting exciting this week,” Probst told Jam Showbiz. “I am just happy that the audience sticks with us to see how it plays out. Weve never had two seasons in a row with people who are lackluster.”

On Thursdays episode, Probst revealed that fans will see one of his favourite “Survivor” moments of all time. It involves the evolving friendship between Yau-Man Chan and Earl Cole.

“Yau-Man makes a quote that is similar to Rudy’s quote about Richard Hatch: Were friends just not in no homosexual way,” Probst said.

Looking back at the “Fiji” production and how it played out, Probst agrees that the “rich versus poor” twist has slanted the game in favour of the Moto Tribe. Although the members were switched up in a tribal swap on last weeks episode, Motos outright dominance of the “Fiji” game has continued unabated.

“I cannot argue with the audience. I can feel that it the series has not been as fulfilling because it has been unfair,” Probst admitted. “If you look at this the twist as a mistake then we certainly didn’t have luck but I will say the season isn’t over yet.” More… »

David Staples, edmontonjournal.com

Survivor: Baffin Island?

Producer Mark Burnett is leaning towards bringing his highly-rated show to cold Canada, says host Jeff Probst, although several factors are still giving him pause.

“Mark is leaning towards, truly considering, a colder climate, especially if the show goes on further, because it is hard to find locations,” Probst said today in a conference call with Canadian media.

He says the production crew has had long discussions about Canada.

“We see a lot of positives that would be new and different, and then there’s some negatives because physically you tend to shut down when you get cold, you don’t do as much. You’re going to be wearing parkas and hats and boots and you’re not going to be in bikinis, and challenges become a little different, so there’s pros and cons.”

Probst admits things that haven’t worked out so well yet on this season’s Survivor: Fuji, which has seen one starving tribe getting routinely trounced by the other pampered tribe.

If the producers could go back, they would have had the tribes engage in a weekly battle for the luxurious camp, a plan that was considered but dropped because it was thought the constant switching might be too confusing for both the contestants and the viewers.

But, as it worked out, the well-fed tribe had far more energy so it utterly whipped the impoverished tribe in all the challenges, which has so far made the show predictable.

“This one I’d call an idea that didn’t work out so well,” Probst says. More… »

www.buddytv.com

Survivor - Jeff ProbstJeff Probst says he doesnt know if he wants to continue hosting Survivor after his current contract ends, apparently not feeling challenged enough by his role as host of the top-rated reality show.

“I honestly don’t know,” he told Canada.com this week. “I think I’m at the point in my life where I’m considering, What do I do for me? I want to make sure that I push myself.”

Probst believes that Survivor would continue to enjoy the same success without him, and that the viewers would accept a new host, even though its “its asking a lot” of the audience.

However, at the same time he realizes it could be a mistake to quit while the show is doing so well. He says that fellow actor Robert Forster, with whom he worked in The A-List in 2001, once gave him some words of advice that he’s remembering these days.

“He told me: Don’t you ever walk away from that show. When you have work, you take it.”

Probst adds that not only has the show given him years of steady work, its helped him grow as a person.

“I have worked harder on myself and invested more time in myself trying to get to know who I am and what I want to be – and its a direct result of Survivor.”

While Probst is wondering if he wants to continue as host, he still enjoys the show itself.

“I am most fascinated by people and why we do what we do,” he said. “I am fascinated by watching how people justify their ethics and make the same mistakes we make because we are all human.”

If he does decide to leave, it wont be right away; Probsts contract lasts until the end of the sixteenth season of the show; that means two more, as the currently-airing Survivor: Fiji is the fourteenth.

TVGuide.com by Angel Cohn

Three of the scariest words Jeff Probst says on CBS’ Survivor (Thursdays at 8 pm/ET) are “Drop your buffs,” a directive that turns entire strategies and alliances topsy-turvy. Last week, those three words put the final nail in the coffin for Anthony Robinson, who after some intense bickering with Rocky, lots of alone time as the tribe’s designated cook, and a weepy moment early in the season, was dismissed as the testosterone-filled Ravu tribe’s weakest member. Here’s what Anthony, an expert witness locator and self-proclaimed geek, told TVGuide.com about his ouster.

TVGuide.com: I thought for a second that Ravu was going to turn on Rocky.
Anthony Robinson: Yeah, so did I — for a glimmering moment.

TVGuide.com: When they were shaking their heads, I thought that they realized he was totally crazy.
Anthony: I’d really hoped [that was the case], but I guess they decided that I was still not standing up for myself.

TVGuide.com: Was it your strategy to lay low?
Anthony: Most definitely. I wasn’t going to be a challenge monkey [Laughs], so I knew that my really good social skills were going to be my advantage. Unfortunately, I ended up with a couple of big bullies! [Laughs] It was like a bad flashback of all your worst moments in high school. It threw a big monkey wrench in my plans.

TVGuide.com: Watching on TV, you got to see all the “girly man” comments Rocky was directing at you. Did you know about that or expect that? More… »

the futon critic

Released by CBS
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

“SURVIVOR: FIJI” PLACES FIRST IN VIEWERS AND KEY DEMOGRAPHICS IN A SPECIAL WEDNESDAY TIME PERIOD

“CSI: NY” Tops “Lost” in Viewers…Again

CBS Is Second on Wednesday in Viewers and Key Demographics

CBS placed second in viewers and key demographics led by a time period winning performance by a special broadcast of SURVIVOR: FIJI and another viewer victory by CSI: NY over “Lost,” according to preliminary Nielsen Live Plus same-day ratings for Wednesday, March 21.

SURVIVOR: FIJI SPECIAL S was first in households 7.7/13, viewers 12.68m, adults 25-54 5.0/13 and adults 18-49 4.1/12.

CRIMINAL MINDS was second in households 9.7/15, viewers 15.13m, adults 25-54 5.6/13 and adults 18-49 4.3/11.

CSI: NY was first in households 9.1/15, viewers 13.63m and second in adults 25-54 5.2/13 and adults 18-49 4.1/11. Every first-run episode of CSI: NY has topped the 10PM “Lost” in households and viewers since the ABC drama moved into the time period. CSI also came within -0.5 rating points of “Lost” in adults 25-54 5.2 vs. 5.7, its most competitive position this season.

For the night, CBS was second in households 8.8/14, viewers 13.81m, adults 25-54 5.3/13 and adults 18-49 4.2/11.

Final Wednesday ratings will be available this afternoon.

www.tvgrapevine.com
Survivor Fiji Islands Recap Mar 21, 2007
by honeySC

Yao Man is relieved that he managed to escape the banishment of the tribe when Ravu has to send one of their members home at tribal council. He feels that he doesn’t have a lot to offer the tribe in terms of strength and quick-wit in competitions and is very dispensable. Although he will miss Rita, he is glad to have escaped the chopping block this time.

Jeff calls the tribes together via tree mail and when they gather they are quite shocked to hear him say that they are to drop their buffs and be switched up. It is not a merge, but a shuffle of the tribes.

The tribes of Moto and Ravu are no more. Edgardo chooses Moogie, and Earl picks Boo. Alex is chosen by Moogie and Michelle chooses Boo Rocky is chosen by Alex and he chooses Dreamz. Cassandra choose Yao Man and Dreamz is chosen by the other team. Yao Man chooses Stacy and Lise is the odd man out and has to go to Exile Island. She fusses and figures she was going home and Jeff says that perhaps tribal council will straighten out her head and she will come back ready to play the game. The good news is that she will not go to tribal council, but the bad news is that she will join the tribe that loses a member due to tribal council. Jeff reminds her that there are clues on the island to help her locate the immunity idol. In the next step opposing team members do rock paper scissors to determine which buffs to select, and the winner will draw the buff from the bag. The tribe with the green buffs will go to Moto Beach. More… »

Reality TV Magazine

On the sixth episode of Survivor Fiji, Jeff Probst called the tribes together and told them to drop their buffs that they were choosing new tribes. Earl and Edgardo volunteered to step forward and started the picking of teams. Lisi was the only one not selected for a tribe, so she was sent to stay on Exile Island. Probst told Lisi that she would join whichever tribe lost a member at the next tribal council.

Edgardo’s tribe consisted entirely of men, and they drew the orange buff and became the new Ravu tribe. Earl’s tribe received the green buff and became the new Moto tribe, which meant they went to the camp of luxury. The immunity challenge was a combination communication and maze challenge. Tribe members were attached together by a sliding hub device and had to maneuver through bamboo poles and gates. The new Moto tribe won immunity.

On the new Ravu tribe, Anthony asked several of his fellow tribe members if they were voting for him and tried to steer them toward voting out Rocky. At tribal council, Rocky told Anthony that he had poor social skills and acted like a little girl sometimes. After much verbal abuse from Rocky, Anthony finally spoke up and said he would be brutally honest with people and that he wanted and deserved to be there. However, it proved to be too little too late, and Anthony Robinson became the sixth person voted off Survivor Fiji.

The Rock Radio

Survivor is known for throwing twists and turns into the game, and it continues that tradition tonight March 21st in an episode that host Jeff Probst promises will be worth watching.

As Probst explains, the tribes known as Moto and Ravu are disassembled, and one person is literally left out in the cold: “It wouldn’t be a season of Survivor if we didnt have at least one switch, and the time for a switch is now. Everybody, we are choosing new tribes. The reactions were pretty varied, a couple of people were like Eh, this is no big deal and at least one person was not happy at all. And, theres somebody left out who does not get picked. That person is sent to Exile Island.”

Probst added that the persons reaction to being sent to Exile Island jeopardizes future play: “I have never seen somebody break down the way this person breaks down. When they find out they’re going to Exile, they really question whether they want to be in the game anymore. Its the craziest thing I’ve seen so far this season in terms of sabotaging yourself on the show. Can you recover from something like that. It’s a huge turning point, and one that is definitely worth checking out.”

Survivor is airing tonight instead of Thursday March 22nd because CBS is broadcasting the NCAA mens basketball tournament Thursday and Friday March 23rd.

canada.com ALEX STRACHAN
Never mind all the talk about the budget and the news from Iraq. Now for something really important: Survivor: Fiji CBS, Global - 8 p.m., and its one-time-only move to a new night tonight.

This has been one of the more ho-hum Survivors since the programs inception in May 2000, because of a monumental mismatch in tribal abilities. Tonight, in a bid to shake things up, two all-new tribes are formed. This breaks up a key alliance that showed every sign of playing itself out to the end, which would have led to an even more rote and predictable Survivor than its been so far.

Yes, the producers have intervened yet again in what was intended to be a natural process. Fans who are still watching are unlikely to complain, though; saving the show from being a 13-week dirge is probably worth it.

TVGuide.com by Angel Cohn

Rita Verreos by Monty Brinton/CBSRita Verreos, Survivor: Fiji

Since CBS’ Survivor: Fiji has been shuffled all over the place because of basketball — off last week, airing Wednesday at 8 pm/ET this week — and all of the promos are promising a big twist, you might have forgotten that Rita Verreos was blindsided during the show’s most recent torch-snuffing. But while Rita may have laid low during the game, the sassy single mom let loose during her interview with TVGuide.com about what it would take to win this game, the problem with beauty pageants, and Moto’s utterly unfair advantage.

TVGuide.com: As a single mom, what did your kids think of you getting voted off?
Rita Verreos: They were so sad because they couldn’t figure out why. What did Mommy do that was so bad? In fact, I’m still trying to figure out what I did that was so detrimental.

TVGuide.com: Is talking about lip gloss the end of the world? Is that the real reason?
Rita: There was no real reason, that’s the point. If there had been one, they would have shown it. I hadn’t done anything that merited me being voted off.

TVGuide.com: I didn’t see you as weak in the challenges.
Rita: Exactly. Everybody was equal. I don’t think that I stood out doing anything negative enough to be voted off. I think that Rocky got paranoid because he screwed up on the challenge and that’s what made him go off and make up that stuff about me being annoying. Rocky says that I talk too much? From Mr. Diarrhea Mouth himself? Up until then, was I an annoying talker based on what had been shown? More… »

www.pal-item.com - Richmond, Ind. BY RACHEL E. SHEELEY

Reality TV favorite to sign books April 14

A chance meeting at the Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show in February led to a relationship between “Survivor” star Rupert Boneham and Best Buy RVs in Richmond.

Boneham will be at Best Buy RVs on April 14 to sign copies of his new book, “Rupert: Just Being Me.” The book was released Feb. 5.

Boneham, who lives in Indianapolis, drew quite a crowd at the Boat, Sport and Travel Show. During the event the reality TV star met Best Buy RVs general sales manager Don Crossley.

Their conversation led to the business sponsoring a Class A RV for Boneham to use during his book tour, said Amy Smith, Best Buy RVs marketing coordinator. Its a relationship that Best Buy RVs owner Dennis Runzer is excited about. More… »

Remember! The next episode will air on Wednesday, March 21rd (due to March Madness basketball) giving us all an extra week to recover from these last 5 weeks of the worst Survivor ever. Next time, it looks like the tribes get shuffled.

TeenTelevision.com - Associated Press

NEW YORK - Richard Hatch, who won $1 million on “Survivor,” says being in prison for failing to pay taxes on his reality TV prize and other income is no day at the beach.

Hatch, who became known as the “naked fat guy” for refusing to wear clothes for much of the CBS show, was convicted last year. He was sentenced to 51 months in prison, and is at the Federal Correctional Institution in Morgantown, W.Va., a minimum security facility.

“Obviously, this is better than the county lockup,” Hatch tells People magazine in its March 26 issue. “Theres no fence here. But people think I’ve come to a country club. It’s not. This is prison. Just because its got a beautiful view of the countryside doesn’t make it a resort. And its horrendous because I’m an innocent man in jail.” More… »

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette By Monica Haynes,

Its little wonder that watchers of CBS’s “Survivor” voted to give Rupert Boneham $1 million in an all-star version of the contest a couple of years ago.

Even over the phone, this bearded, tie-dye-wearing bear of a man emanates the down-to-earth warmth of a guy who didn’t let hard times steal his joy.

Tomorrow, folks will get to see that glow in person at a 2 p.m. book signing at the Borders in Bethel Park for his newly published memoir, “Rupert: Just Being Me.”

“This is my first book,” he explained. “After I played on two Survivors, my whole world kind of changed.” More… »

I’ve been updating this version of the site since March 15, 2005, two years ago today.

Happy Birthday!

I’ve owned this domain name since July 5, 1995. The site has gone through many iterations since then, as has the Internet, as have all of us. In 1995, no one had heard of Google and colored backgrounds on web pages were the next big thing. The TV show hit in the Summer of 2000 and changed my life and this site forever.

Two years ago today, I launched this new design using WordPress as the content management system. The forum soon followed. Bobby Jon was still having trouble with puzzles and Stephanie was in her first season of the show. Season 10, Palua was what I was commenting on when this version of the site launched.

Tom Westman, the fireman from New York won that one, when Ian slipped up in conversation, which lead to this comment:

“Then the “Ultimate Shock” thing happens that will “go down in Survivor history”. Ian tells Tom that if Ian jumps in, Tom has to NOT take Ian, but take Katie instead. This is the opposite of what Tom offered. Ian feels guilty about it all and says that friendship is better than a million bucks. Are you sure? Yes, he’s sure. Ian jumps in, ending his chance to win the game. After the stupid things he’s done the last few days, I’m not really surprised that he does something this stupid at this point in the game.”

Ah, the good old days. Now we argue about race and the “haves” vs. the “Have-nots” and who should go to Exile Island. It’s been a fun 2 years. I’m looking forward to the next two.

OK. I just couldn’t pass up this video clip of Rita and Casandra. It’s Rita’s finest moment before she goes home. It’s a summary of the entire season so far. It’s only 15 seconds long, so it should be a quick download and well worth watching. Competition at it’s best! It’s just good TV…