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If you were making a list of the 20 BEST Reality-TV Shows Ever!, who would be number one? Of course!, Survivor. “Changed the face of TV” is not a phrase to be used loosely, but you can actually say that about Survivor.
Best Season: 1, when the snake (Richard Hatch) devoured the rat (Kelly Wiglesworth).
1. SURVIVOR (CBS, 2000-present)
By dropping 16 strangers on an island and letting them battle it out for a million dollars, Survivor changed the face of television — for better or for worse — more than any show this millennium. And the combination of exotic locales, backstabbing strategy, and hotties in bikinis has the series still going strong, with season (gulp!) 19 coming this fall.
Best Season: 1, when the snake (Richard Hatch) devoured the rat (Kelly Wiglesworth).
Read the entire article at:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20282998_20,00.html
What do you think?
No, not him. Another Survivor alum has tax trouble, but it’s not related to the show this time.
White Lake resident Michael Skupin, star of “Survivor: The Australian Outback,” endured near starvation, falling into a campfire, and poorly cooked rice, but he may be outwitted and outplayed by the tax man. Skupin owes $59,358 in federal income taxes, which he disputes, and $6,764 in property taxes, records show.Skupin owes $59,358 in federal income taxes, which he disputes, and $6,764 in property taxes, records show.
Skupin was one of two Michiganians who gained fame on that season of Survivor, which aired in 2001. The other was local chef Keith Famie.
Skupin, a 47-year-old father of seven, spun his brief TV fame into a career as a motivational speaker. He recently started two endeavors: A nutritional company and a financial services business.
Read the entire article at:
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/taxingdetroitblog/index.php
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Miami Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson, left, sends in a play with quarterback Dan Marino in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapois, Sunday, Oct. 10, 1999. TOM STRATTMAN / AP FILE PHOTO
The need to compete did sneak up on Johnson in the oddest of ways recently, though. Survivor is one of his favorite shows. And he wanted to be on it. So he went out back on the private beach, Rhonda with the video camera, and explained to the producers why he should be allowed even though he worked for a rival network. He filled out thick files of paperwork and signed contracts. He got his yellow-fever shots. And he was headed to Africa for 45 days of seclusion when the doctor called about some of his tests. One artery to his heart was totally blocked, another blocked 70 percent. He wouldn’t be going anywhere. He has lost 30 pounds since. No more big bowls of butter-pecan ice cream before bed. And now the big, bad leader of violent men sheepishly orders the lighter dish when Honeybun says no to the prime-rib wrap.
Read the entire article at:
http://www.miamiherald.com/615/story/1085231-p3.html
What do you think?
JEFF PROBST
By MAXINE SHEN
STAYIN’ ALIVE - ‘SURVIVOR’ HOST’S SHOW ABOUT DYING STILL IN WORKS
JEFF Probst’s show about dying people isn’t dead.
Even though “Live for the Moment” was left off CBS’ 2009/2010 pick- up list announced at last month’s upfront pre sentation — usually a sign that the network didn’t want the show — Probst tells The Post. “We are doing more [episodes].
“CBS called me the day of the announce ment and said, ‘Don’t be alarmed if you don’t hear the an nouncement, it’s only because we don’t know where it would go on the schedule yet,’ ” he says.
Turns out that be cause Probst is shooting two seasons of “Survivor” back to back — he’s currently in Samoa, gearing up for the 19th season of the compet ition show — he “can’t even start shooting ['Live for the Moment'] until the end of September, when I’m back from double duty on ‘Survivor.’ The earliest I could have episodes done would be January.”
Read the entire article at:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06092009/tv/stayin_alive_173341.htm
What do you think?
Now you have a chance to meet, greet and COMPETE against reality stars. You wanted to beat Rob and Amber (Survivor and The Amazing race) at their own game. Now is your chance. Do you think you can race faster than David and Mary (The Amazing race)? Are you a better swimmer than Ozzy (Survivor)? Maybe you have more connections than Vincent Pastore (The Sopranos and The Apprentice). Are you a better exec than Tana Goertz (The Apprentice)? Can you out-muscle James Clement (Survivor)? Well now is the time when need to put your money where your mouth is. Quit sitting on the sidelines and talking a good game. Get up and show us what you got.
June 27th, 2009 is the Kentuckiana Police and Firefighters benefit and Saturday is when The Biggest Kentucky Challenge begins. A chance to compete with and against some of your favorite reality stars.
Read the entire article at:
http://www.kpffb.org/
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Matt Baker writes about college sports in the Springfield area, in addition to the Springfield Cardinals during the minor league baseball season.
BY MATT BAKERI want to explain today’s interview with “Survivor” Coach Ben Wade, as many of you saw online here.
We chose to run the story through his words to let him tell his side of the story. That way, you, the reader, can make up your own mind on his coaching career and portrayal on the show.
Here’s how the story came about: Wade e-mailed me last week, saying he was going to be in town over the weekend. He asked if I would like to chat about the show and his dismissal from Southwest Baptist University, now that his ban on talking to the media has been lifted by CBS. I said yes.
We talked for more than an hour, most of it on record. He told his side of the story on many things, ranging from allegations that he told his team he had cancer to how he was portrayed on the show. I thought it was important for him to be able to do this.
Here’s why: As an objective reporter, I strive to tell every side of the story within the time and space allotted. With Wade, I couldn’t always do that.
Read the entire article at:
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20090603/BLOGS11/90603041/More+on+
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The last four months have been, without question, the most difficult in my life.
Wade finished fifth on “Survivor,” which ended last month, and said he hopes to get back into coaching and continue acting. With CBS’ ban on speaking to the media lifted, Wade recently met with the News-Leader to talk about his dismissal from SBU and his portrayal on the show.
When asked about some of Wade’s comments in this interview, SBU replied by e-mail: “He is no longer employed here. We do not comment on personnel matters.”
On Life Since The Show Premiered:
I’ve got to tell you, Matt, the last four months for me have been awesome. The older you get, the more set in your ways you become. You can’t grow when you’re on the mountain. You can’t grow. The last four months have been, without question, the most difficult in my life. I’ve been under attack. My reputation, people calling me a liar, made me look like a jackass on “Survivor,” lose my career. It’s, like, what do I have left? You literally can say that in the last four months, I’ve had just about everything taken away from me that you can have taken away. It’s in those valleys that you really grow.
Read the entire article at:
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20090603/SPORTS/90602046/Wade+trying+to+survive++Survivor+
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One of my favorite sites and source of some of the best Survivor news has been redesigned and comments have been added. Take a minute to go check him out. I think we can all use a little more Andy in our lives.
Welcome to version 5.0, by my count, of reality blurred. I’ve been working on this new design on and off for about four months now, and non-stop for the past week, running into a major fun problem which delayed the launch by a couple days. Anyway, I recognized that redesigns can often be unsettling, but I hope you’re as excited about it as I am.
Perhaps the biggest change is the addition to comments, which I hear is some hip, new thing in the blog world. Seriously, I’ve consciously not had comments for the past nine years because comments on other sites are often useless or become a cesspool (pick any story on TMZ and read its comments, for one example). In addition, I’ve never quite understood why I should offer my opinions with my full, real name, and let people with fake names respond in my space. That’s not a conversation; that’s a joke.
Read the entire article at:
http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/reality_blurred/2009_Jun_03_redesign
What do you think?
by Lynn
This is absolutely hilarious! My friend, Rita Verreos from Survivor: Fiji was a contestant on Friday on the Price Is Right. She got so excited about the results of her game that she somehow managed to knee Drew Carey in the “jewels.” LOL!
Here’s the clip:
Read the entire article at:
http://www.realityexploits.com/2009/06/01/survivor-fijis-rita-verreos-on-price-is-right/
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by Gil Asakawa
The second interview lined up for visualizAsian.com’s AAPI Empowerment Series is with Korean American attorney-turned-TV celebrity Yul Kwon. The interview will be held Tuesday, June 9 at 6 pm PDT (9 pm EDT).
Erin and I were fortunate to see Yul speak during last year’s Democratic National Convention in Denver, and more recently during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month at an event in Denver. He’s a great role model because of his accomplishments, and because he’s on a mission to dispel myths and stereotypes about Asian American Pacific Islanders, and to urge AAPIs to enter the political process.
Kwon has a diverse background in law, politics, technology, business, and media — except for his exceptional “Survivor” victory, he’s almost a model for the “model minority” myth!
Read the entire article at:
http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/2009/05/29/survivor-cook-islands-winner-yul-kwon-is-up-next-on-visualizasiancom/
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By Larry Carroll
‘Twilight’ Big Focus Of Movie Awards, Producer Mark Burnett Says
‘People love the movie, love the books. I’ve seen nothing like it,’ he says of the Twilighter phenomenon.UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Television super-producer Mark Burnett is responsible for more than a thousand broadcast hours on prime-time TV and has given us shows like “Survivor” and “The Apprentice.” These days, he’s putting the finishing touches on this year’s MTV Movie Awards — and has learned to trust in things like “Twilight,” Eminem and his hardworking production crew.
“I have a really good team. My philosophy on shows is: I want to hire people under me who are better than me,” Burnett explained. “There’s nothing more annoying than to be working on a project and the person in charge is always second-guessing you, micromanaging you.
“The way I look at things is this: Imagine you bought a guard dog, and every time the doorbell rang, you barked yourself,” he laughed. “It would piss off the dog.”
Read the entire article at:
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1612440/20090530/story.jhtml
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MANILA (Reuters) - A Bulgarian competing in the reality TV show “Survivor Bulgaria” died of a heart attack during filming at a beach resort in the central Philippines, local television reported on Sunday.
Moncho Vodnicharov, 53, died on the way to hospital after he collapsed at Gotta Beach resort while filming the show on Saturday, ABS-CBN television said, quoting local police chief Ayn Natuel.
“After performing an activity as part of the contest, he suffered cardiac arrest that resulted in his instant death,” said Natuel.
Read the entire article at:
http://in.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idINIndia-39997820090531
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By Hanh Nguyen
“Pirate Master” was an idea plundered by “Survivor” creator Mark Burnett, claims a lawsuit filed by James Papa Friday, according to TMZ.Papa insists that he copyrighted the idea for a pirate-themed reality show in 2003, four years before that scurvy dog Burnett went and raided the idea and put it on CBS.
Papa is seeking $2 million in damages to fill his treasure chest. That, and maybe a good keelhauling for Burnett.
Read the entire article at:
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/05/mark-burnett-sued-for-2-million-in-pirate-booty.html
What do you think?
Cutting his familiar hair was not an easy decision. “I’m the curly haired soccer player from Survivor. It’s my identity,” says Zohn. But the trip to the salon meant more than that. “I was nervous sitting in the chair, not because I was cutting my hair off. Hair grows back – but it’s what it represented. ‘I’m cutting my hair because I have cancer and I’m going through chemo.’ ”
But after the ‘do was done, he liked the look so much, he says, “I don’t know if I’ll ever grow it back!”
Zohn expects that all of his hair – including his scruffy beard – will fall out within days of his second chemo treatment on May 29.
Cutting his hair wound up being “one of the most liberating moments of my life,” says Zohn, who is vowing to stay positive and to use his battle with cancer to help educate and inspire others. “I realized I’ve been shackled by my hair. I suddenly felt free and alive. It looks great, and overall I’m pretty psyched about it.”
Read the entire article at:
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20281244,00.html
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Mark Burnett has a new show coming to the History Channel named: Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone
Mark Burnett has a new show coming to the History Channel named: Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone. Here’s what their web site says.
Sunday, May 31. That is in a week or so.
Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone Episode 1
In the premiere episode, clashing egos, personality conflicts and disorganization threaten to sink the expedition before it even begins. Pasquale and Benedict squabble as each tries to take command, while Mireya, the only woman on the expedition, proves more than up to the challenge ahead.. Kevin is smart and motivated, but his inexperience almost proves costly. As they find out more about the history of Stanley’s expedition, the explorers realize that the journey will be much more difficult than anticipated.
The Journey Ahead
Between Zanzibar and Ujiji, there are 970 miles of high seas, steep hillsides, scorching plains, fast-moving rivers and mud-filled swamps. Danger lurks around every corner, and any step could be their last.
Read the entire article at:
http://www.history.com/expedition/episode-1/
What do you think?
I’d place it in the top third of all seasons.
The show has been exceptionally strong these past few years.
Survivor Tocantins is over, and it’s been another strong season. From my first conversations with the cast to Ben Wade’s firing to Coach Wade’s elimination, never mind everything else that happened, it’s been a dramatic season. I’d place it in the top third of all seasons, but since the show has been exceptionally strong these past few years, there’s been more competition, and I think it’s a slight step down from Gabon, which was a step down from Micronesia. Still great seasons all around, though.
Anyway, here are a few lingering items of interest from the Brazilian Highlands and beyond:
JT Thomas won unanimously, but he also set a new record by receiving zero votes all season. He was the first person in 18 seasons to never once receive a vote from anyone. The other person to win unanimously, Earl Cole, received a single vote in the third episode of Survivor Fiji. As to the other winners, Television Without Pity poster broke down votes against them, and both Tina Wesson and Brian Heidik received zero votes during the season, but did not win unanimously.
Read the entire article at:
http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/survivor_tocantins/2009_May_22_jt_historic_win_opening_sequence
What do you think?
Having sat in on the final tribal council it seemed pretty clear at the time that JT would win.
Well, I am sorry this is so late, but better late than never…right?
This one will be short and sweet and not all that clever — just the facts ma’am. (Name that show….)
As far as the outcome of the show, I was not surprised. Having sat in on the final tribal council it seemed pretty clear at the time that JT would win. I didn’t expect it would be a total sweep but I think Stephen did himself in when he admitted he wouldn’t have taken JT to the end. Stephen would have been foolish to take JT if given the choice. JT knew that and it poured the “pretend shock and hurt” on thick trying to garner jury votes. It worked.
Final Tribal Councils are quite tricky because the jury is almost always very upset that they are not in the final and so they are looking to get the last word in edgewise. Stephen was a sitting duck next to JT.
No, I don’t feel sorry for Stephen. He played a very good game, but JT deserved to win. In fact, I’d go further and say that JT is one of the best overall players ever to play Survivor. He has it all and he has to come back if there is ever another All-Star season.
Read the entire article at:
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/05/probst-finale.html
What do you think?
Here’s an excerpt of one of the 3 interviews with the runner-ups.
Please be a real warrior, with honor and integrity, and click through to read the whole story.
Despite being an outsider, Erinn said she remains close to several people, including Debbie and Sierra—and also Coach.
Taj was the apparent master strategist the first half of the game, crafting an alliance on Exile with members of Timbira.
Stephen eventually went on the offensive, but that was at the end of ''three hours of these people insulting me.''
She was in a good mood despite saying that Stephen and JT’s betrayal “really hurt my feelings,” because it was “completely unnecessary.” She said “I didn’t think I was a threat in any way. … The person that really hurt me the most was Stephen,” Taj said, since together they “pulled JT in and we became a trio,” but “when it mattered the most, he turned his back on me.” When she watched the episode, she said it was “refreshing to see last night how they felt bad” and “I hope it hurts good”; “what really pissed me off was they ruined my whole goodbye speech,” saying she’d planned a dramatic exit for her third-place finish. Instead, they “blindsided me and ruined my moment,” she laughed.
Taj was the apparent master strategist the first half of the game, crafting an alliance on Exile with members of Timbira. She said that happened because “I had to come up with a plan” since Joe and Spencer, who were “completely smitten by Sydney,” wanted to keep Sydney “because they thought she was prettier.” Taj joked that she was just “the chunky girl.” Once the tribes merged, though, it essentially fell apart because, as Taj told me, it was “hard to get Sierra and Brendan to go along with the plan because they didn’t need us at the point.”
Read the entire article at:
http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/survivor_tocantins/2009_May_20_stephen_erinn_taj
What do you think?
Despite forming a close bond through the entire season of Survivor Tocantins, J.T. and Stephen were put to the test in the finale when J.T. won the final challenge.
Despite forming a close bond through the entire season of Survivor Tocantins, J.T. and Stephen were put to the test in the finale when J.T. won the final challenge and had to choose between Stephen and Erinn. Although it seemed like an easy decision for J.T. to take his closest ally, their surviving final three tribe mate Erinn exposed a few cracks in their alliance, as Stephen began to look ahead to the million dollar prize with a different view than his Tocantins friend. At the final Tribal Council, when both J.T. and Stephen had to face the jury, Stephen was forced to reveal that he may not have lived up to his end of the alliance bargain with J.T. and most likely would have taken Erinn into the Survivor Tocantins final Tribal.
After J.T. poured on the emotional heartbreak when hearing Stephen’s honesty, hamming it up for the jury and tugging at their heartstrings, his former tribe mates unanimously voted cattle rancher J.T. the winner of Survivor Tocantins.
The following morning we caught up with J.T. and Stephen on a final exit conference call to learn if their alliance held up beyond the game, why they didn’t take Taj into the final three, what their strategy was to stay alive, and if they still keep in touch with “Coach”.
THE DEADBOLT: So, J.T., how will the cattle benefit from your win?
JAMES “J.T.” THOMAS: [Laughs] Well, I’m definitely not going to spend any of the winnings on the cattle. But the business is benefitting, because obviously sales and things are better. People are actually wanting to do business with me now instead of me chasing them around. But I’m going to continue managing the farm. This isn’t going to affect the farm much at all. Hopefully I will have an extra hand around the farm now, so maybe that will help out.
Read the entire article at:
http://www.thedeadbolt.com/news/105706/survivor_tocantins_jt_stephen_interview.php
What do you think?
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