I think I'll pass on it, myself. II was inferior to I in a lot of ways, the main one being that the thrill of the new was gone. In the first one it was all novel, but the second one basically followed the same pattern - alliances formed, one tribe picks the other off - very little in the way of surprises except for Michael's injury.

Also, I thought the finale last night just SUCKED. Not Tina winning - either she or Colby I'm OK with - but as a television program it was AWFUL. They padded an hour show into three hours of junk; that sickly montage of the "gone" Survivors that seemed to go on forever nearly made me throw the remote through the TV. The first 45 minutes of the episode consisted of nothing but padding; it was almost funny. "One of us will get voted off tonight, this is the last night," over, and over, and over until that horse isn't just dead, it's decomposed. And I HATED the final vote taking place on some cheesy soundstage - the first had that drama of them being dirty and tired, but finally reaching that goal, while in this one they're all scrubbed and clean months later on a stage that looked like a reject from Disneyland and a studio audience that bugged the hell out of me.

They really dropped the bomb on this finale, it was one of the worst television shows I've seen in a long time - unless they do some serious rethinking of the format I'm not going to watch Survivor III. Besides, the whole thing has gotten rather tired anyway. It was amusing but I have to wonder how much the ratings will drop for III.

I agree Sierra with just about everything you said.
The climax was not much of a climax. Tina didn't even
look like Tina anymore. Anyone else notice they were
wearing the same clothing on stage that they were
wearing at the last tribal council?? Sounds a little
rigged to me.

I'll watch. To me, the interactions between the castmates and the other stories that come out are of most interest to me. Like the one about Jeff letting the 13 fish out of the cage before going to tribal council because he knew his number was up. That was pure evil, and I loved it! :)

I thought both Kel and Maddog were a hoot. The Deb segment, I think, did hit home to people that all these contestants are still people who can get hurt in the process/phenomena of being picked to be on a show like Survivor.

I'll watch not because it's a "game show," but because these people sooner or later feel like family to me. Sure, it may be the same game again, with a few new variables thrown in, but it's the people that got my interest brewing. Each and every person in the Outback had their own style, personality, and quirks that caused you to either fall in love with them or hate them. The interaction between the people is the real draw, not the game itself. I loved II, and can't wait for III. The only way I'll stop watching is if they pick a bunch of real lame people who don't talk or interact with each other.

Keep it comin, Mark :)

Well, let's see, spend 6 weeks in the outback, lose 12% of your body weight, and wear no make-up. Then get back home, and start eating normally again, show up for the wrap-up show back at your fighting weight, and perhaps shave off your scruffy beard/moustache. Sure, people will look different. I thought it was a nice touch that both Colby and Tina wore the same clothing (hopefully washed!) at the wrap-up show. The producers did what they could to bring the Outback tribal council to LA.

Tina did look a little strange with lipstick on. So did Elisabeth, too much rouge. And what was with Kel's haircut? Yessh! Jeff looked like he lost weight as well (but after the show!) Alicia cleans up well. I thought Rodger looked like a bank executive now that he's clean-shaven. Keith looked totally different, I could see his eyes now.

Yes, last night's marathon Survivor was padded and cheesy (and would be a wonderful addition to the Other forum, by the way). But what I absolutely loved was the WTF? reaction of the jury and Tina and Colby when Jeff Probst walked back to the fire with the bucket of votes and then got whisked away in the chopper. The looks on the survivors' faces said that they were not informed that this was going to happen. Tina in particular looked pissed.

I was rolling on the floor when that happened. What a complete mind-f*ck for the survivors - to have endured all this time with no food in the middle of nowhere and then, when you're at your lowest point physically and mentally, to have the rug whipped out from under you. Coitus Interruptus! No soup for you! That was just plain cruel and nearly made up for the 45 minute flashback sequence of the rest of the episode.

Oh and just to hop on the bandwagon - yes, Colby is a complete "idgit." Of course, that doesn't seem to have stopped him from getting a Harley now did it? The coming attractions preview for next week's Post-Survivor special shows him cruising down some city street on a "hog."



[Edited by grunter on 05-04-01 at 09:36 AM]

Seirra -- I strongly agree that the finale was long-winded and hokey.

The new climax formula is more like an anti-climax. Recreating a soundstage version of the tribal council set just makes the whole show seem that much stagier and artificial. And the live "orchestra" playing the same 16-bar song over and over and over...

I may still watch Survivor III, but they've certainly screwed up the finale evening for the sake of gimmickery.

If you look closely almost all of the final 9 contestants had the same clothes on. I guess they wanted to make it look like that night. BTW, Colby had a different shirt on.

I will watch SIII.

I thought Colby's shirt last night matched the blue shirt he wore in the Outback (maybe it was a tad lighter - could have been washed).

In the outback he had on t-shirt with a round neck.
Last night it was a darker blue with a v-neck.

I agree the finale was really watered down. They just added as much as they could just so they could beat everybody in the ratings. I mean, they didn't do that on the Borneo islands, and Austrailia is no different. Just go to tribal council, answer some questions, do the voting, and go home. How hard is that? You could do it all that and be home for lunch in the States the next day!

I defenitely will. Even if they do the same exact challenges with the same exact rewards and everything else exactly the same, it's the people that make the show. The people will not be the same and they are they best part. The interactions between them and getting to know them, watching them strategize and trying to guess their next move.

That's why I have to snicker at people who watch one show (especially those who only saw the last show the other night) and say they hated it. You can't make a decision on the show just from that! You need to get to know the people before you can really enjoy it. It's just a shame so many will miss it because they are sick of the media-hype and refuse to give it a chance.

~Scheherazade

Haven't watched the first two ain't going to watch the third.

What bodai said.

I absolutely second this.

What is this "Survivor" everybody keeps going on about?

No thanks! This show is getting old and unorginal ! The 1st time was OK but a third time of doing this? Give me a Break!I think I will pass! So what they are to Africa/Kenya?Hopefully this third time will be it's downfall!


Did I forgot to mention that this show seems to be following a formula?


[Edited by Aaron Amos on 05-04-01 at 11:30 PM]

I'll watch. Hopefully they'll find a more interesting group that this last one.

Yes, I'll watch S3.

To those complaining that Survivor repeats a formula...

WHAT GAME SHOW DOESN'T??!!??

Jeopardy:
start round 1
meet the players
finish round 1
round 2
final jeopardy
end

Price is Right:
call contestants
lowest bid
pricing game
lowest bid
pricing game
lowest bid
pricing game
showcase showdown
lowest bid
pricing game
lowest bid
pricing game
lowest bid
pricing game
showcaseshowdown
final showcase
end

So what if some of the challenges are the same the the format is similar every year. It's a game show.

Hell yeah!

I'll watch it just to see how many of the 16 contestants have Malaria at the end of the game. I was halfway through my application when I found out they were seriously leaning towards Kenya. Nice country and all, but either you take Malaria pills for two months, which will make you very sick and can kill you slowly, or, you don't and you get Malaria, which will make you very sick and can kill you slowly.

It will be interesting to see how they handle that problem, if at all.

Those are all good points but you have to remember how paranoid MB must be about leaks. It would be nearly impossible to hide the fact that you've become a milionaire. To do it for nearly a year would be nearly impossible. I think the finale was a good one. Didn't like the padding during the first hour though.

I thought Colby was an idiot at first but now I can understand his perspective a little. He wanted to go up against the best competition as opposed to a freeloader in Keith. He knew he would make more than a million in appearances and endorsements. Friendship is a big thing when you're "in the outback" for 43 days and that might have affected his decision.

I'm definitely watching S3. To echo a lot of good sentiments mentioned previously, the show is about the people not the game.

Just went over the videotape, and Colby's wearing the same dark blue Reebok t-shirt. Both were round necks, the live show had his microphone clipped to his shirt to make it look like a v-neck t-shirt.

The little white thing over the left breast on the shirt looks like a Nike swoosh, but it's the Reebok sign.

I plan to. I missed Survivor 1 and 2 was only slightly annoying after Michael left the show....All in all, an interesting show.

I never really watch Survivor aside from a little bit of the finales. I think that this totally goes against being a real survivor in favor of sensationalistic televison. Why not have the show's premise be no-holds-barred/last man standing? Just drop a bunch of people in the middle of nowhere, leave a camera crew, and come back in about four months to see who's left. Some interesting footage would surface, I am sure of that. I do not mean people dying, but people leaving as they feel they can't take it anymore.
If not that, then at least one where the reward consists of having the option to punch that annoying Jeff Probst in the nose! In fact, why didn't the Survivors band together and stage a "revolt" against the TV crew? That would have been cool!