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RescueMom

By RescueMom
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ProfCrash
ProfCrash

Neither understand the word no. Both thought they could keep doing what they wanted without ramifications.  Dan didn’t rape anyone, so rahDan? He did make 5-6 women uncomfortable enough that ther

truthaboutluv
truthaboutluv

Frankly, I'll be honest, I didn't read the entire blog post. Because the second Varner claimed the incident of him outing Zeke was another one of gaslighting by the show, I was out. Because it speaks

Rachel RSL
Rachel RSL

I cannot believe Jeff Varner used to be one of my favorites.   First of all, there is literally nothing new in his blog post. He’s simply recapping things from the show and referencing the same articl

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SVNBob

SVNBob

4 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

Per Jeff S50 will be returning players

Furthermore, there will not be any more returning players until S50.

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seacliffsal

seacliffsal

Unfortunately, the returning players I would most want to see have either aged out or are considered 'less than' as they may be from real/original Survivor, and we know that according to Jeff (earlier this season), they would not have helped Ben with his anxiety attack and therefore do not meet the requirements to be in the 'new era' of over dramatic, attention seeking, er, kinder and gentler players (insert eye roll).  Sigh.  Maybe they would consider going back to 39 days for the returnees...

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seacliffsal

seacliffsal

Thank you for posting the article about the deaths of Survivor contestants.  I didn't realize some of those contestants had died and it was a sombering and sad read.  I remembered most of them and felt genuine sadness.

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LadyChatts

LadyChatts

3 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

Unfortunately, the returning players I would most want to see have either aged out or are considered 'less than' as they may be from real/original Survivor, and we know that according to Jeff (earlier this season), they would not have helped Ben with his anxiety attack and therefore do not meet the requirements to be in the 'new era' of over dramatic, attention seeking, er, kinder and gentler players (insert eye roll).  Sigh.  Maybe they would consider going back to 39 days for the returnees...

I wonder if we will get any players from the pre-new era.  Outside of the winners who came back for S40, S35-39 have yet to be represented on any returning player Survivor season (although the show may want to forget S39 occurred all together).  It did make me wonder if they’d do a regular 39 day season for S50 but I guess that would depend on budget.  

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

On the positive side (except for making us feel old), Rob and Amber have been married 19 years.  Also, it sounds doubtful that they will be part of S50...

Boston Rob and Amber Brkich Just Celebrated Their 19th Anniversary: "It's Different Stages" (EXCLUSIVE)
BY JAMIE LERNER   APR. 29 2024
https://www.distractify.com/p/boston-rob-amber-now 

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"Just like on the island, life now is a little bit of a balancing act. But we try to make time for ourselves. We just recently went to Mexico for a friend's wedding. It's different stages, just like everything. And it's good.”
*  *  *
It’s been over 20 years since Rob and Amber fell in love, and from the sounds of it, they are still going strong. They last competed together on Survivor: Winners at War, during which their kids actually came out to visit during a very unique family visit. While Rob likely wouldn’t play Survivor again — he said the target on him is too big to make it worth it now — we would all love to see him and Amber join forces for something else in the future, which he seems open to.

Edited by tv echo
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SummerDreams

SummerDreams

I don't have any two players I hate more than I hate Boston Rob and Parvati. Only their memory makes me want to throw up. I don't think Boston Rob's behavior would be ok today with the social media. He would have been canceled, but back then he was just a hero. 🤢

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Carey

Carey

Season 8 was rather outstanding.  Definitely remember the heat with that season.  That being said, in terms of hating a past participant, I don't think there's any version of the history of the planet where I'd rank Rob & Amber first place over Spilo or Hantz.  But we all have our favorites and our villains.  No big deal.

For a second, I thought the headline was something I read a couple days ago, but I think I have clarity.  Not just 2021 to present players, with would've been a big mistake.  There's no reason to do Winners at War 2 here.  A lot of better non-winners than winners.

Glad Jeff cleared up that concern.  I was a little concerned that he'd have made the same mistake Bertram made about a decade ago at this time

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BigRedCheese

BigRedCheese

I remember awhile back there were rumors of a Third Time's the Charm season, basically a third chance for people that have been on it twice, with another fan vote to determine the players. I think that would be fun.

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Carey

Carey

For several options on news related to the release of the 2024-2025 CBS Primetime TV schedule, I'd go a GOOGLE search for them.  Especially given the fact that The Wrap actually wrote something to the tune of Survivor being back with an "All-Star Cast" for Season 47 which, in reality, is more than the opposite.

 

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Ratings: Abbott Elementary Rises, Jeopardy! Masters Returns Down
BY MATT WEBB MITOVICH   MAY 2, 2024 
https://tvline.com/ratings/jeopardy-masters-season-2-premiere-viewers-low-1235227655/ 

Quote

CBS | Survivor (4.8 mil/0.8) and The Amazing Race (2.7 mil/0.4) both rose in the demo.


CBS Will Finally Debut Strike-Delayed Shows
By Bill Bradley   May 2, 2024
https://www.adweek.com/convergent-tv/cbs-debut-strike-delayed-shows/ 

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CBS Fall 2024-25 Schedule
(New programs in ALL CAPS; times are ET)
*  *  *
WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. — Survivor
9:30 p.m. — THE SUMMIT (later changing to the spring edition of The Amazing Race)

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

'Survivor 46's Tiffany Nicole Ervin Reveals Q Refused to Let People Give Their Reward to Liz
MIKE BLOOM   MAY 2, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/tiffany-nicole-ervin-survivor-46-eliminated-interview 

Quote

I mean you would have a reason to be confused, given that Liz voted to keep Q a day after she tore into him after not getting picked for the reward. What was your reaction to that meltdown? Did you, Kenzie, or Maria think about volunteering your spot to give it to her?
That did happen! They just didn't show it. Both Maria and Kenzie tried to give up their spot for Liz. And Q said, "No. I chose who I chose."

Wait. Q said no?!
Yes. He said, "Nobody's giving up their spot. We're going to Applebee's. I don't want Liz to come. [Laughs.] I was intentional about my choices. And nobody's giving up their spot." I'm surprised they didn't show that. That happened. I didn't try to give up my spot because I was hungry, and I was going no matter what. Also, I did feel in that moment that me and Q needed to chat because we hadn't spoken in two days. But people tried to give up their spots. He just wasn't with it.
*  *  *
You had spoken the past couple of episodes about wanting to get rid of the idol because it put a target on you. When did that mentality change to wanting to keep it for future plans? And, if you had survived the vote, what were you setting up your endgame to be?
So here's the thing. I did not know how badly everybody was on my back until I watched the episodes. So me out there. I thought I had runway to move forward. Me watching it back. I'm like, "Oh, y'all was thirsty to get me out!" So maybe I didn't have as much runway as I thought, whether I use that idol or not. Now, I definitely have plans on how to move forward. And I saw a path to the end, a very clear one. But looking back, I'm like, "Oh, yeah, y'all was just ready to snake me at the first opportunity y'all got." So maybe my threat level was a lot bigger out there than I thought it was. But I definitely thought I had a path to the end.

What was that path. Who did you want to sit next to the most?
So if I had to choose like my ideal path, I would have got Q out that Tribal. And then I would have went back. Assuming that I still have my idol, we could use that to break up that Charlie/Maria thing. And I think if we had wiped off the board, it would have been a Yanu/Nami split. Even if we decided to keep Ben, I felt like if I sit next to Ben, if I sit next to Liz, if I sit next to Venus, if I sit next to Kenzie, I think I have a pretty good shot at pleading my case against any of those people. But as long as I took Charlie and Maria off the board before we got to the end, I had really good working relationships with almost everybody out there. So I think I could have I could have convinced people to take me to that. Either that or I could have took myself there.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Jeff Probst Thinks the ‘New Era’ Of ‘Survivor’ Is Just as ‘Tough If Not Tougher’ Than the ‘Old Era’ (Exclusive)
By Kaitlin Simpson  May 3, 2024
https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/jeff-probst-says-survivors-new-era-is-just-as-tough-as-ever/ 

Quote

“I say that the new era is as tough if not tougher than the 39-day season for a myriad of reasons,” Probst exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, May 2, during the CBS Fall Schedule Celebration. “But obviously if you’re a player who played 39 days you have a little bit of pride in saying, ‘I did the full season’ but you go 18 days without any food, and then let me ask you a question, let’s see how fast you respond or don’t.”
*  *  *
“If you have players from the old era, playing in the new era — that is a storyline that’s going to be really interesting,” he teased.

Probst elaborated that in the new era, players “cannot pause” or “try to hide” compared to earlier seasons since the game moves at a faster rate.

“In earlier seasons if you started with 10 people on your tribe, you could hide if you were clever for a couple of episodes. You could just duck and move and not get a vote,” he explained while noting that now the show utilizes smaller groups. “You have six people on your tribe. That means there’s only five other people you cannot hide and I think the good players come out and they’re playing to win immediately.”

Edited by tv echo
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Carey

Carey

I'll get to the Probst interview from US Magazine in a minute.  I do have to say it's a combination of laughable, sorta unnecessary, and a non-shocker that 90-minute Survivor is hear to stay.  I think there is plenty of time to fit in a quality episode within a single hour.  Like most things at the very least, it doesn't make (too much) sense to go backwards.  Furthermore, no sense in putting a new show slated to fail when to fill it with 30 extra minutes to go along with 30 extra minutes of The Amazing Race (or whatever airs after Survivor when TAR isn't on the schedule).

What's hilarious is new era survivor is about 66.67% compared to Old Era Survivor in terms of taping length.  Meanwhile old era survivor is about 66.67% compared to New Era Survivor in terms of TV time.

 

I disagree with Jeff (to a point).  Part of it is due to casting, and remaining, well, isn't. 

The old era had less benefit from previous seasons compared to the new era.  Going over 5 weeks is more taxing than South of 4 weeks.  You played against a ton of decent players.  While it is just a game, those people cared about the top prize and really just winning.  More often than not.

Jeff is right in that you cannot easily hide with 6 people, but there weren't always teams of 10 in the old era.  In fact, several seasons had even fewer than a half dozen to start.  Plus, hiding wasn't automatic.  If people can make a case over several people as to why they should stick around, the invisible player loses that invisibility.

Another defense for Probst is that you have to earn stuff that used to be given to people at the beginning or close to it.  Given all the changes within the new era, that can be difficult.  Plus, it's not cool when it feels like it's done on the fly; it's at a point where someone can't prepare for it.

Finally, there weren't an infinite number of HII opportunities in the past.  Not that it matters on the show today

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LadyChatts

LadyChatts

(edited)

I know that the 90-minute episodes were thrown at the show after the season's had already filmed, so I'm hoping with the advanced knowledge that the episodes will be this long going forward that editing will be tighter.  I don't oppose 90 minutes, but this season has been rough at times (though I enjoyed last season).

As to the other stuff in the article:

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However, the Survivor team hasn’t made it any easier for the competitors. Players now face harsher elements as they get less food and comfort in the game. Tribes also have to earn their flint when they step foot on the beach in Fiji and get it taken away if they lose a challenge.

First, I don't think Fiji is the harshest in regards to elements, even without creature comforts.  But I do approve that they aren't throwing tarps and 20 fruit baskets and doing huge cookouts for every reward anymore.  However, I don't care for them withholding flint until a tribe wins (and then taking it away when they lose).  In the early years of the show, you got flint either by winning the first IC or after you voted someone off if you lost that first challenge.  That was a trade off, you got flint but it cost you a tribe member.  I do think that when they started withholding flint until you won a challenge, tribes could still use their torches to start a fire but it could be harder to keep it going.  I also think once you've won it, the flint shouldn't be taken away.

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“You have six people on your tribe. That means there’s only five other people you cannot hide and I think the good players come out and they’re playing to win immediately.”

I get what he's saying, but I also don't think this is necessarily a good thing.  In watching previous seasons, sometimes it was head banging when people slipped by because they had no strategy and were simply a number that would get dumped later on (and I know Probst used to complain that better competitors and characters were voted out).  But now, like we saw what happened at Yanu, all it takes is 1 person to get voted off and then 3 people have the majority.  Unless there's idols/advantages in play (that people actually use) at least 2 people on a tribe are screwed.  So is it really better players or is it just lucky players who get a majority early on?  I know an argument can be made that 8-10 tribe divisions, there could be a majority early on, and history has shown that, but there was still more wiggle room.  I mean outside of Jelinsky being voted off first the next two Yanu votes were painfully predictable.

Edited by LadyChatts
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tv echo

tv echo

May TV Calendar: 70+ Season and Series Finale Dates to Save!
BY MATT WEBB MITOVICH   MAY 4, 2024
https://tvline.com/lists/tv-schedule-2024-may-finale-dates-calendar/bob-hearts-abishola-series-finale-ncis-hawaii/ 

Quote

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22
8 pm Survivor Season 46 finale (3 hours)
8 pm Chicago Med Season 9 finale (NBC)
8 pm Jeopardy! Masters Season 2 finale (ABC)
8 pm The Masked Singer Season 11 finale (Fox)
9 pm Chicago Fire Season 12 finale (NBC)
9 pm Abbott Elementary Season 3 finale (ABC)
9:30 pm The Conners Season 6 finale (ABC)
10 pm Chicago P.D. Season 12 finale (NBC)
10 pm grown-ish series finale (Freeform)

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Jeff Probst ('Survivor') at 2024 CBS New Fall Schedule Party red carpet
GoldDerby / Gold Derby   May 3, 2024


Survivor’s Jeff Probst Promises a Fiery Finish to Season 46: ‘The Gameplay Kept Getting More and More Intense’
BY NICK CARUSO  MAY 4, 2024
https://tvline.com/previews/survivor-46-finale-preview-jeff-probst-interview-video-1235228381/ 

Quote

“The rest of 46 is as good as the last few episodes have been,” he teases. “There was just this momentum happening out there where the gameplay just kept getting more and more intense, and it became harder and harder to tell who was telling the truth. Which means, if you have an idol in your pocket and you don’t know if you should play it, and you look to your friend and say, “Should I play it?” and they say “no,” you’ve got to decide. Are they my ally or are they betraying me? And that’s part of why Survivor is so addictive [because] you sit at home and play along.”
*  *  *
Probst recently announced that Season 50 will feature all-returnees, though he admits they haven’t yet decided on a theme or even the criteria they’ll consider when it comes to picking its players. “You just want 50 to be a celebration,” he says. “We did Winners at War for Survivor 40. I want this to be fun and I’ve been really impressed with a lot of fan ideas, so who knows where that will lead!”

Edited by tv echo
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Carey

Carey

At the end of the day, to be fair: I still look at the positives when it comes to the new era.  I'm more of a fan of what was very good in the past for the most part.  As mentioned, I respect Jeff Probst.  The jokes have come & gone, and hit or missed, but he's been the face of the program since Day One.

It is a shame that things change based on what he prefers before anyone else, but for me, if it were totally bad, I wouldn't watch.  Hats off to him for doubling down and not making excuses for what may be unpopular.

JP ain't going nowhere.  If so, that's outside of the foreseeable future.  Hopefully Survivor doesn't get to a point where a change makes the show look like TPTB putting something together with bare-minimum effort.  I image they'll adapt which is what contestants have to do or they're out of the game.  Maybe they will; maybe they will not.  Hopefully the latter isn't the case since there's never been a (network) TV show that lived on forever taking the cheap & easy road

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LadyChatts

LadyChatts

1 hour ago, Carey said:

At the end of the day, to be fair: I still look at the positives when it comes to the new era.  I'm more of a fan of what was very good in the past for the most part.  As mentioned, I respect Jeff Probst.  The jokes have come & gone, and hit or missed, but he's been the face of the program since Day One.

It is a shame that things change based on what he prefers before anyone else, but for me, if it were totally bad, I wouldn't watch.  Hats off to him for doubling down and not making excuses for what may be unpopular.

JP ain't going nowhere.  If so, that's outside of the foreseeable future.  Hopefully Survivor doesn't get to a point where a change makes the show look like TPTB putting something together with bare-minimum effort.  I image they'll adapt which is what contestants have to do or they're out of the game.  Maybe they will; maybe they will not.  Hopefully the latter isn't the case since there's never been a (network) TV show that lived on forever taking the cheap & easy road

I wouldn't want Jeff to go anywhere.  Even though he can be annoying in a lot of ways, it really wouldn't be the same without him.  I've watched Dancing with the Stars since season 1, and when they axed Tom Bergeron after 28 seasons it just hasn't been the same.  And I cringe to think of who Jeff's replacement would be.  If he wanted to leave it'd be one thing I guess, but the show would lose a piece of its soul.

I don't care entirely for the new era, but it is what it is for now.  I know from watching Survivor since season 1, things won't stay the same forever.  I have a feeling that, since S50 is supposed to be a returning player season (of old and new era players), that will usher in another the next new era of the show.  Survivor may be the same game but when things weren't working or working too well they changed it up.  Some of it was minor, some of it was game changing.  We've also seen the pace of the game and what matters to jurors change.  Jeff mostly likes to keep players on their toes, so that's why I feel this era of the new era is probably going to fade when the returning player season happens.

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DEL901

DEL901

5 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

I wouldn't want Jeff to go anywhere.  Even though he can be annoying in a lot of ways, it really wouldn't be the same without him.  I've watched Dancing with the Stars since season 1, and when they axed Tom Bergeron after 28 seasons it just hasn't been the same.  And I cringe to think of who Jeff's replacement would be.  If he wanted to leave it'd be one thing I guess, but the show would lose a piece of its soul.

I don't care entirely for the new era, but it is what it is for now.  I know from watching Survivor since season 1, things won't stay the same forever.  I have a feeling that, since S50 is supposed to be a returning player season (of old and new era players), that will usher in another the next new era of the show.  Survivor may be the same game but when things weren't working or working too well they changed it up.  Some of it was minor, some of it was game changing.  We've also seen the pace of the game and what matters to jurors change.  Jeff mostly likes to keep players on their toes, so that's why I feel this era of the new era is probably going to fade when the returning player season happens.

Or they could lucky like with the Bachelor franchise.   Jesse has been a great replacement.  

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Carey

Carey

It's either a combination of both, or neither.  JMO, but trying to get someone you hate out of the game is fine.  You just need to going all in if that's the plan (i.e. using an idol).  Furthermore, if one is actually a great player, they're going to have a plan B, so taking out a hated player doesn't work, HII or no  

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tv echo

tv echo

Another Idol, Another Blindside! Who Went Home on 'Survivor 46' Tonight?
MIKE BLOOM   MAY 8, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/who-was-voted-off-survivor-tonight-week-11-season-46-2024 

Jeff Probst Reveals Why One Iconic 'Survivor' Challenge Hasn't Returned
The host and executive producer also weighs in on the old-school "Rites of Passage" segment, saying, "I hope we never do it again."
MIKE BLOOM   MAY 8, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/jeff-probst-survivor-46-touchy-subjects-challenge-rites-of-passage 

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KeithJ

KeithJ

(edited)

Looks like all returning players for season 50:

https://tvline.com/news/survivor-season-50-cast-returning-players-jeff-probst-1235226161/

What I'd like to see for season 50 is this.  It would be a bit difficult since many of the former players know each other.

Pick 36 players and divide them onto two islands of 18 people each (3 tribes of 6).  Let both islands play down to 9 people and send them tree mail saying they're going to merge.

Merge each of the islands into 9 people but then, have them all travel to a third island and surprise! Start the game over with two tribes of 9.

Oh, and go back to classic Survivor, no hidden immunity idols.

 

Edited by KeithJ
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

'Survivor 46's Venus Vafa Responds to the "Character Assassination" from Her Cast
MIKE BLOOM   MAY 9, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/venus-vafa-survivor-46-eliminated-interview 

Quote

Well, unfortunately, we have to reopen old wounds and get into how you went out. You had just seen Tiffany mistakenly believe that it was an easy Q vote and get blindsided with an idol in her pocket. So what made you believe that, in the same situation, Q would actually go here and you could save your idol for later?
Honestly, I don't know if it was pride, more so than it was risk-taking behavior. I knew it was a 50/50 shot. Charlie was the swing vote, essentially. Either he goes with Q on one side or me on the other. And I love roulette. [Laughs.] I just like taking big risks. If this pays off, one of two things will happen. One, I get to use my idol at Final Six, or potentially win immunity and use that at Final Five, which is amazing. And two, it solidifies an alliance of some kind. Which, as you can see in the show, my story arc and my struggle was just finding anyone and anything to trust me and work with me. Because I really did come in wanting to play a game of "ride or dies" and loyalty. And I was trying a lot to form that with Charlie. Obviously, I wasn't successful, as we know. But that was my goal. Essentially, I'm like, "If this risk pays off, it has an amazing payoff. Because I get to get to solidify a connection with someone and I get to keep an idol." So that was my mentality. And I knew it was touch and go.

I want to stay on that Charlie note. You had thrown his name out at the first two individual votes. So talk to me about your dynamic, and how it built to this point of wanting to form a "ride or die" with him.
So in terms of the dynamic I was trying to build, after the Moriah vote, from then on out, I sat down with Charlie and I said, "Listen, this is the game of Survivor. It was no hard feelings. And I would really love to work with you." And that was the beginning of a conversation that we continue to have. He did a great job of making me feel safe and that he trusts me. So that speaks a lot to his game. That's amazing. But I really thought we had some kind of basis there that we could work off of. But I guess it's my delivery. I've come off, as I've come to learn, very sneaky, apparently very cagey, which I didn't know. In my mind, I'd be cheeky and cute. But it doesn't go that way. But I was trying to build that relationship with Charlie. And that was the moment to prove whether or not that amount of work was successful or not. And clearly, it wasn't.

So then how did that lead to that conversation where you don't tell Charlie you have the idol, but you indicate to him you have "something else going on," which seemingly makes him wary of you and leads to your boot?
So for that conversation, when I started it, I was immediately like, "Shut up! Abort, abort." But I had started the conversation with good intentions. I really did want to work with Charlie. I wanted to use the idol with him at the next vote, but I didn't want to allude to it too distinctly. And I wanted to give him a reason to keep me. And I guess this is where my misinterpretation came. I saw it as, "Ooh, this is an opportunity for the both of us! You get to use this, too. I want to work with you." He saw it as, "Oh [expletive]. Venus has something and that can screw over my game in the future." Which is fair, I see that point of view. Now, in the moment, I didn't really see that. So that conversation is really what killed my game. If I had not had that conversation with him, I would still be in the game for sure.
*  *  *
I'm gonna keep going. It's even more frustrating that she picked Q and Liz for the rock, paper, scissors. And you can see even her conversation later, she never said, "Oh, poor Venus" or anything. Everyone there saw me almost fall off the pier because I could barely walk in a straight line. That's how much weight I lost. That's how much I was struggling. And before that, it broke my heart that she said, "Plead your case." I'm not going to beg. You know what I'm struggling with? Q went to Applebee's. Liz has a full container of rice. She would share some of it with us, but obviously that was her rice. I had eaten nothing. So she didn't even consider me. But her whole farce was, "Oh, I want to pick someone who's really struggling, who's really suffering." Shut up, please! That's not what you want to do. Own up to your [expletive]. Like this is what bothers me is that everyone takes issue with the way I'm so direct. But at least I'm honest. Don't put on a fake air of positivity. I hate that [expletive]. I hate it so much. 

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Why Is ‘Survivor’ 46 Both The Most Frustrating And Most Entertaining Season Of The New Era?
By Trisha Bartle   May 9, 2024
https://thoughtcatalog.com/trisha-bartle/2024/05/why-is-survivor-46-both-the-most-frustrating-and-most-entertaining-season-of-the-new-era/ 

Quote

If you consult Survivor superfans (or trawl the Survivor subreddit), you’ve likely heard the opinion that the new era of Survivor, starting with Season 41, has lacked a certain something. From the never-changing backdrop of Fiji to the lack of fun themes of Survivors past, to the same challenges and “twists” over and over and over, the show has definitely gotten stale. Not to mention a homogenous cast of mostly 20- and 30-somethings when the survivors used to be so diverse. And yet, even though the current Season 46 has all those points above, it’s become not only the most frustrating season of the new era, but also the most entertaining. I simultaneously yell at the screen and can’t wait for the next week’s episode. But why is that? It’s all thanks to casting.
*  *  *
Much of the frustration for many viewers is just how out-there the cast has been this season, all while never getting voted out. Let’s run down a few bullet points:

  • Q–who has pissed everyone off so thoroughly by flip flopping, trying to control everyone’s game, and unsuccessfully asking to get voted off–still hasn’t managed to get voted off. And every confessional features his wide grin at still being left in the game.
  • Liz–the self-professed millionaire who’s allergic to everything and who rightfully flips to demon mode when people don’t bring her on food-based rewards.
  • Venus–whose Mean Girls-esque attitude has found her gloating about moves that she was never actually in charge of.

And yet…these self-made “villains” still manage to make for good TV. Not only that, but many fans have found moments in recent episodes where they liked the three above despite all the hijinks. Because they’re real people, and few are fully evil on or off the island.
*  *  *
It happens almost every season. When people are thinking of who to vote out post-merge, their strategy goes from weak links to the strongest competitors. Their reasoning is that, if they’re in the final three with two duds, it’ll be easier to win. That might have been true in the past, but that was proven an outdated strategy thanks to Gabler’s win on Season 43. The man who just sat on the sidelines and who no one thought would win broke the odds and took home the million (only to be swiftly donated to charity). Gabler is proof that the goats have just as much–if  not more–of a chance of winning the whole game. People like Maria who insist on bringing players like Q and Liz to the end may just find themselves missing out on the money.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

(edited)

Venus Vafa reveals why she wasn't the biggest villain of Survivor 46
By Sydney Bucksbaum    May 9, 2024
https://ew.com/survivor-46-venus-vafa-reveals-biggest-villain-didnt-play-idol-8645909 

Quote

"I consider myself a villain in the fun atmosphere of the Survivor-verse, in the sense that, I'm a villain where I'm going to give you face, I'm going to give you c---y lines, I'm going to be sassy," Venus tells Entertainment Weekly. "I'm going to storm in on you during your alliance conversation. I'm going to storm in on you during your idol hunt, Hunter. I'm a villain in a very fun-loving and playful way — I was never a villain in the sense that I was never malicious towards anyone. I did everything with the best of intentions, truly."
*  *  *
"The people in my season, a lot of those who label themselves as heroes are the real villains because they had such — I don't want to say sinister, but it was very shocking to me how cruel they were to me," she says. "Because I quite honestly did not do anything to warrant the amount of hate I was getting. People really underestimate the the cruelty of social isolation, to not be spoken to, to not be acknowledged, to be met with silence, blank stares, and smirks for however long period of time. It psychologically really messes you up. I was in a very dark place and it sucked that I had no one to talk to."
*  *  *
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You had the idol, you came so close to winning the challenge — what happened?

VENUS VAFA: Oh my god, that's the question of the hour. Everyone's like, "Why didn't you play it? You knew!" And I did know, it wasn't really a blindside, but I'm very much a gambling kind of girl. I like to take big risks, and I knew it was a risk. But it was one that I thought would be the determining factor of my endgame. Realistically, if I wasn't able to win Charlie over, then that speaks to more about my game and the struggles I would have had later on.

The reason I didn't play the idol was because if I'm able to convince Charlie, great, that speaks to my social game, at least I have more to discuss rather than, "She played an idol in the end." I wanted to be able to rely on other people as well and social connections and the fact that I wasn't able to convince Charlie, that was something that I was like happy going home on. I was at peace with the fact that I wasn't successful in wooing him over and it's fine. You live and your learn, hindsight is 20/20 and everyone is beating me up for that conversation I had with him which I really shouldn't have. What are they going to do without me? Now it's going to be so boring.
*  *  *
Well, yeah, if you knew it was you, why didn’t you play your idol?

It's so weird. Because I remember in the moment it felt like everything was in slow motion. I don't know. It clicked in my mind that I was in danger. But then Jeff was like, "Time to read the votes," and I'm like, "Okay, well, it's too late now." I kind of just missed the mark. I had listened to my gut for so much of the season, and that had gotten me in a lot of hot water. And for the first time, I was like, "Ignore your gut, Venus. Just trust Charlie. For once, just trust someone on this island." And that was my downfall. I should not have trusted him at all.
*  *  *
Who do you blame for your exit?

It's Charlie, 100 percent. Charlie could have swung the votes either way. He had three people on both sides. That conversation is what sunk my game. And that conversation was right before Tribal too, so if I just kept my mouth shut for a little bit longer, Charlie would have stuck to the original vote of Q and I would still be in the game to live another day and potentially use my idol.
*  *  *
What’s something that happened on the island that we didn’t see in the episodes?

A lot of people have been asking if I had a makeup kit out on the island, which I don't, but I did have a little skincare routine that people weren't aware of. There was a bush that Hunter showed me with a lot of tiny red peppers, and I would take those peppers because they were really spicy and I would use them as a lip plumper, because I was like desperate to look somewhat presentable on that island. I would use the sand as like a little lip scrub. I would do my little haircare routine. I enjoyed the island makeup and it's fun to see people like confused on how I look. Oh my god, everyone gets island hot.

Was anyone in particular catching your eye when they got island hot?

Oh, hell no. I hated everyone out there! They were all so vile and rude to me that I had zero attraction to any of them.

What were the vibes like at Ponderosa?

The vibes were terrible. I was terrified going to Ponderosa because I was like, "All of these people hate me." And then when I got there, several of the people there straight up did not talk to me, even though I still made an effort to be like, "I'm sorry if I came off negatively or if I rubbed you the wrong way, I genuinely didn't mean it." Silence, did not speak to me. And then a few of them actually personally attacked me and my character, saying that I was a joke and that no one liked me. Honestly, Ponderosa was more traumatizing than the game because I was met with a lot of hostility that I didn't really expect because the game was the game, and Ponderosa should be separate from that. It was a very difficult time. I felt even lonelier at Ponderosa than I did in the game. It was hard. I'm going to tear up right now because I'm going through the trauma again, but it wasn't a fun time. The best time was just playing Scrabble with Hunter — that was the only time I enjoyed Ponderosa.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

Critics Choice Real TV Awards: ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ ‘The Traitors’ Lead Nominations
Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony set for June 15 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
BY KIMBERLY NORDYKE   MAY 13, 2024
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/2024-critics-choice-real-tv-awards-nominations-full-list-nominees-1235897773/ 

Quote

BEST COMPETITION SERIES
The Amazing Race (CBS)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix)
Survivor (CBS)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Traitors (Peacock)

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seacliffsal

seacliffsal

45 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

Survivor Australia is doing a crossover version and having Survivor legends from the U.S. compete with Australian contestants in an upcoming season.  I wonder if the U.S. version would ever consider something like this?

https://insidesurvivor.com/australian-survivor-planning-australia-vs-usa-season-with-survivor-legends-57299

Boston Rob mentioned this in an interview after he was eliminated in Deal or No Deal.  He stated that he thought the Australians would win due to physicality (he said they have some really physical challenges in that version).  It sounded like he was really not interested in being a part of this.

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Carey

Carey

Plus, he'll be about 50 more or less at the very least.  The 2000s version of BR?  I think he'd be up for it.  However?  I do see it as a decent and solid pass

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Charlie and Maria Split Up! Who Went Home on 'Survivor 46' Tonight?
MIKE BLOOM   MAY 15, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/who-was-voted-off-survivor-tonight-week-12-season-46-2024


Jeff Probst Reveals Whether 'Survivor' Will Ever Return to 39 Days
MIKE BLOOM   MAY 15, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/jeff-probst-survivor-46-39-26-days-puzzles-loved-ones-visit 

Quote

"How we landed at 26 days to begin with was COVID," Probst explained on this week's episode of "On Fire: The Official Survivor Podcast." "We've talked about this the requirements of starting with a 14-day quarantine and then doing two 39-day seasons back to back and not being able to ever leave the island for anything once we started. We just couldn't do it. So we had to get creative. We landed at 26 days."
*  *  *
"There's usually two points of contention when it comes to 39 days," he said. "And I'll address both of them from the producer point of view. The first one: Fans simply don't want the game to change. They want Survivor to stay the same. I totally understand their point of view. In their minds, Survivor's 39 days, 18 people. And now they're saying, 'Yeah, and we want that back as well!' So they think that we should have and still could go back to 39 days. The second part is the difficulty. '26 days simply can't be punishing enough because it's 13 fewer days. Do the math, Probst! The new era version of Survivor is clearly easier.'"
*  *  *
"I think it's pretty clear from this season," Probst said. "The new era--brace yourself, old-time players--is more difficult. Because the physical demands of surviving with very, very little or, for some players, no food is extremely punishing. And it begins to break you down mentally. You can't think; you can't sleep; you can't trust. That leads to the emotional breakdown, which can be brutal." 

So Probst has brought up the origins of the shift to 26 days, as well as how the changes in the new era have arguably made it harder than the first 40 seasons. The question is: Is 26 days here to stay? Especially with the announcement of the upcoming 50th season being the first all-returnee season in over five years, fans have been hoping the landmark would be an opportunity to bring back the 39-day format.

"Well, never say never," Probst responded to the question. "And I mean that. We're always open to where the game takes us as much as where we take the game. But for the time being, 26 days is the game. And I get it. If somebody else were sitting in this seat, they might make a very different decision. Even people on our own team, I think there's some of them that kind of wish we were at 39 days. So it's not right or wrong. It's just, this is what we're doing."

Edited by tv echo
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seacliffsal

seacliffsal

Thanks for linking that interview.  Jeff has his perspective and we have ours.  However, I think he is forgetting about the mental breakdowns in the earlier seasons (some of which actually led to evacuations [Kathy, Brandon, etc.]).  And, he is using this season as an example of 26 days being soooo hard when in reality I think this season is an example of bad casting.

But, no matter about what I think, Jeff runs the show so his opinion is the only one that matters (darn it...).

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TVFan1

TVFan1

I'm hoping that with season 50 and onwards we go back to 39 days. The show can make it just as difficult using the 39 day format. Part of me feels like they just don't care to go back to that.

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kassandra8286

kassandra8286

4 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

Thanks for linking that interview.  Jeff has his perspective and we have ours.  However, I think he is forgetting about the mental breakdowns in the earlier seasons (some of which actually led to evacuations [Kathy, Brandon, etc.]).

Yep. And as far as physical demands and his contention that new era players are hungrier, remember Elizabeth Hasselback from S2 who was pulling out chunks of her hair and had lost the weight of "a fourth grader" from eating so little? Sorry, Jeff, we're not buying it. 

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LadyChatts

LadyChatts

(edited)

I guess Jeff forgot about how he had to walk into the Barramundi camp during S2 on day 30 like a disappointed parent because they didn’t know how to ration their rice and were wasting away to nothing.  In new era Survivor this would have been 4 days after the season would have concluded.  For Jeff to say it’s harder because they are starting with nothing and have to work for things-well, they made the rules in the old era seasons, and I will admit some of those later seasons seemed very cushy.  But you still won’t convince me that 26 days is harder than 39, or that people who had more to start with than new era players didn’t struggle.  Of course Probst knows everything and I’m just a long time viewer who’s wrong about it all.  

Edited by LadyChatts
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Soapy Goddess

Soapy Goddess

14 hours ago, jsm1125 said:

Why can’t Jeff just admit that it’s cheaper to shoot for 26 instead of 39 days?

True, but I wouldn't doubt if they're getting people that simply don't want to be away or can't be away for 39 days. Plus we've all been saying how the cast these last few seasons have been terrible. So that is what they're up against. 

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

'Survivor 46's Q Burdette Reveals Who Caused Him to Volunteer to Leave the Game
MIKE BLOOM   MAY 16, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/quintavius-q-burdette-survivor-46-eliminated-interview 

Quote

I want to talk about that. Because, to your point, you had angered a lot of the jury with your behavior and being a smokescreen for their blindsides. So how do you think you would have done in the Final Three?
So I felt like from the very start of the game, and I said it a whole lot out there, I can beat anybody. I don't care who I go to the end with, which two, I can beat them. Why? Because my ability to not crumble under the pressure when it comes to talking and explaining and being able to be honest in showing them why I did certain things would would prevail versus some other folks who are not used to it. And I knew that, so I thought I would win.

You gotta remember, for 17 days in a row, that was my beach. I was the king. I was calling the shots. I was running the show. One day, on Day 18, was a slip up. But then by Day 21, I had started to regain footing. I started to influence decisions and votes and put things out there and make plans and talk to people and rekindle relationships and apologize. I was four days down. So you got to think of a story of a survivor who's been on top, then he crumbles down to the ground. But then he makes his way back and survives all the way. That's a story I can explain. And all the stuff about, "Q, what can you tell us about Tribal when you volunteered to go home? You tried to quit." Let me let me explain something to everybody.

Please!
I was never ever trying to quit. I'm man enough to where, if I want to leave, if I want to say, "You know what? I'm done with this. It's too much for me." I'll get up and I will leave. I won't ask for permission. I will walk out the door. What happened is, in my life if I do something wrong if I do something that I think causes chaos and problems that is beyond the game, I'm the person that says, "You know what? I did that. I should take responsibility for it. And if you guys were to do that, I would be okay with it. It wouldn't sit well with me if I didn't."

Let me give you more context. So, on that night that I did it, what happened was I told Hunter about Liz's plan. Hunter went to Liz. And in that moment, I wasn't there for the conversation. But all I see is Liz crying. This is before the Applebee's, now. So we're not enemies yet. But Liz comes up, and she's crying. This is the same Liz that has all day been so excited that she's about to blindside Tevin. She's about do all this stuff. Now she's suddenly crying and saying, "Okay, I will vote Tiff." And I'm like, "Whoa." I'm one of 17 kids. I only have four sisters. That brought me back to, "This little girl"-- who is the same size as my sisters, actually--"she's crying. She was excited earlier, because I told Hunter." He would have never known; he would have never done [anything]. I screwed her plans up.

But then also, on top of that, I was like, "Dang, man, I didn't do right about Tevin. He's part of my six. I created this. I should have been trying to fight for him harder, or I should have at least told him." So I started to feel like I let him down, too, and I can take the bullet for him. Why? Because 17 of those people, Mike, were there for the million dollars. I was there for the title. That's all I want. The million dollars is great. It wouldn't change my life. So now I'm weighing, "Okay, Tevin, actually wants the money. It will change his life. He's about to go home. I didn't do write about him. Liz is crying. I didn't do right about her at this time. I'm gonna raise my hand and admit that I screwed up. And I'm willing to take the heat now." They didn't take me up on that offer. So now the offer's off the table. I did my part.
*  *  *
So, to that point, as you're swinging, let's talk about the perception from your teammates. We heard people in the game call you a villain and a bully. In particular, it was brought up briefly last episode that you and Ben didn't talk. What was your reaction to that perception?
So it was one of those things. Me and Ben I had a conversation after the Tim vote that did not go so pleasant. Because Ben did not like talking strategy that much. And it kind of ticked me off when I would ask him something and he would just kind of give me  a BS answer. So I'm the type of person that I'll call you out on that. Like, "Come on, do you want to work with me? Cool. Go your other way then." But at that point in time in the game also, again, I was running things. They were seeing it, but there was nothing they could do about it. There was nothing they could do about it at that time. So when they call me a bully, and all this stuff. I'm not a bully, like, "Oh, give me your lunch!" I'm a bully as in, "Get out of the way. I'm here and I'm playing. And I don't have to say it." And that's the kind of bully I guess they perceived me to be. But at the end of the day, again, it was never malicious. It was never a point to where I thought these people actually hated me to a point where they wouldn't vote for me at the end. That's why I thought I still had a shot. And even when I got to Pondy, they all told me I still had a shot.

Edited by tv echo
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Carey

Carey

5 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

True, but I wouldn't doubt if they're getting people that simply don't want to be away or can't be away for 39 days. Plus we've all been saying how the cast these last few seasons have been terrible. So that is what they're up against. 

The first thing that they'd need to do is to boot the people that are casting the show.  The time being away from the family is tough, but people who love the show (should) know that already

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