Survivor: All Stars
From the Jan 17th Issue of TV Guide
3 Tribes, 18 Seasoned Players, And Richard is Still Naked
by Shawna Malcom
A storm is brewing on cutthroat island. Divided into three tribes of six, the new cast of Survivor: All-Stars has traveled, blindfolded, by boat over shark infested waters to reach a picturesque stretch of beach in Panama’s Pearl Islands. Soon they will compete in an immunity challenge that will force the losing tribe to give one of its members the boot. But first they get a chance to check out the competition.
As thunder rumbles, host Jeff Probst instructs the tribes to emerge, one by one, from the separate patches of the mosquito riddles jungle where they life in wait.
The tribe names on their flags - Chapera, Mogo Mogo, Saboga, from 3 of the more than 100 islands nestled along Panama’s Pacific Coast - may not be familiar, but the members are immediately recognizable to any Survivor fan. Here come Saboga tribe members Rudy Boesch, the curmudgeonly ex-Navy Seal who is sporting a fresh buzz cut, and Pearl Island’s Rupert Boneham, with his tie-died tank and unruly beard. Loud mouthed former trucker, Sue Hawk appears with the Chapera while Australian Outback’s buff and bronzed Colby Donaldson steps forward with Mogo Mogo - beside the Machiavellian Richard Hatch, who’s wearing a khaki skirt he’s soon to doff.
It’s a surreal, awe inspiring site. Even Probst seems at a loss for words. “Wow”, he says, shaking his head and laughing. “That is so…weird.”
CBS executives likely have another word in mind: jackpot. In Survivor: All-Stars, executive producer Mark Burnett has brought together 18 of the most memorable type A personalities from the series’ seven competitions. All of them are determined to do whatever it takes to outwit, outplay and outlast the rest for a 1 million dollar prize - not to mention bragging rights as the ultimate Survivor.
While the show has consistently gone the distance with viewers, All-Stars may well return Survivor to heights of popularity it has not seen since it became a national addiction in the summer of 2000.
“All of the elements for big success are there” says media analyst Bill Carroll of the Katz television group. “It’s like being able to have Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter all play together.” CBS executives are so high on the show that they’ll premiere it February 1st in the prime spot after the Super Bowl.
So What’s New? Aside from the 3 tribes and a total of 18 players, rather than 16 in 2 tribes, much of All-Stars may seem familiar. For instance, the name of the game on this sweltering November day is “Quest for Fire”, a souped up version of the very first Survivor challenge. In fact, several All-Star challenges will be variations of favorites from the past that have been “all twisted up abit,” says challenge producer John Kirhoffer.
Even the location is recognizable. “We have 18 very known people,” Burnett explains. “They’re our marquee stars this time, not the place”.
Deciding which names belong on that marquee was “very unscientific,” Burnett says. First, he grabbed a legal pad and jotted down the most memorable characters from each season. (Winners weren’t automatically listed: Thus, Marquesas’ Vecepia Towery and Thailand’s Brian Heidik didn’t make the cut.)
While original Survivors Richard and Sue and Outback bitch Jerri Manthey were all shoo-ins, Probst says it was 75 year old Rudy who was at the top of their wish list: “He’s the sentimental favorite”. Adds Burnett of Survivor’s oldest ever castaway, “it may be too much for Rudy. But he deserves to be here period”. Rudy certainly had no hesitation signing up again: “I’m gonna keep doing this til I win”.
Jolly giant Rupert didn’t think twice either, even though his invite came less than a month after he returned from the Pearl Islands. “Why [would] I go into Survivor 8?” he asks. I was always a fat kid that got picked on in school. [Survivor 7] empowered me with so much self-confidence, I gotta come back.”
But not even a hefty chunk of change could woo original Survivor Colleen Haskell and Outback’s Elisabeth Hasselback (formerly Filarski). And Burnett tried. For this edition, he upped the prize money - the first person voted out will get $25,000 instead of the original $2,500. (The winner still gets a million). Colleen “had just had enough,” Burnett says, while Elisabeth was auditioning for her new gig on The View.
Their rejections opened the door for some head scratching choices. Um, Outback’s Amber Brkich? “Women are going to say we only picked her because she’s cute. And,” Probst admits, “they might be right”.
It’s day 3 and Chapera still doesn’t have fire. Sue hardly cares: She’s downed the parasite filled water and snacked on the beaches crabs - raw, which has Dr. Adrian Cohen, Survivor’s Doctor, concerned. But Amazon’s Rob Cesternino laughs. “He shouldn’t bother,” he says. “The only way to kill Sue is with silver bullets and a stake”.
The big question is whether these Survivors will be as willing to stab each other in the back. No longer strangers, these alums have become something of a fraternity. They routinely see each other on the charity event circuit and many have become close friends.
Africa’s tattoo covered Lex van den Berghe and Marquesas’ Kathy Vavrick O’Brien considered opening an adventure travel business together, and current tribemates Ethan Zohn and Jenna Lewis reportedly dated. “I adore Ethan,” Jenna says. “He’ll probably try to use our bond to his advantage, which I’m more than willing to let him think he can.”
Back at Chapera, Marquesas’ “Boston” Rob Mariano is gossiping to Amber about how Ethan’s love life could affect the game. “Imagine,” he says. “You, Jenna Lewis, Jenna Morasca and Ethan in one tribe.” Rob C. pipes up: “Yeah, Ethan with all his exes. That’s a sitcom right there”.
But for most of the castaways, this game is no laughing matter. Many have gone to extreme measures to get ahead of the competition. Rob C. hired a personal trainer 2 months before he even knew if he’d be cast. “This is my job right now,” he shrugs. “I’m a professional Survivor.” Kathy worked with a corporate therapist to create personality profiles of contestants which helped her determine “who I’m not going to get along with,” she says. (The verdict? “The younger girls. She said, ‘[Don't] look at them as competition. You’ve got to pretend they are your son’s girlfriends.’”)
Such intense preparation seems to amuse Burnett, but he claims he won’t be the one making things difficult. “I don’t need to do much,” he says. “They’re own paranoia will do them in.”
Let the game begin!
Additional reporting by Ethan Alter