My take on the Survivor surprise

[CherryPizza]

The second-last episode of Survivor All-Stars aired here in Australia last night, as did the preview ads for the finale with the announcement that there's a "surprise so big it'll shock the world"...

Everyone pay attention to the fact that this is the one time that the word "twist" hasn't been used to promote something that we weren't supposed to expect, so Edy is thinking that maybe the game itself isn't what's going to deviate, it's gotta be something that one of the contestants does.

Now, on the previous episode, despite Rob's claims that he's not giving up to million for anyone (even Amber) we saw Rob and Amber so close together making claims that the money will change "our lives", note the use of the plural term. Now this is probably more wishful thinking than fortune telling on my part, BUT... maybe Rob and
Amber are on the brink of breaking the golden rule about not being allowed to conspire to share the money. Ever the back-stabber/strategist (what did Shakespeare say about a rose by any other name?) maybe all it's gonna take is for Rob to say something along the lines of "If we're gonna be together it doesn't matter which
of us actually WINS the money" which could then cause the shit to hit the fan and see Rob getting his arse expelled from the game. Ok it probably won't happen, but it's the only thing I can think of that will be big enough to be promoted as a "surprise so big"...

either that or Rob votes off Amber, or vice versa, or somebody breaks an alliance, or some piddly little bit of game play that has been blown out of proportion by the promotions folk.

Oh, and all I have to add on the matter is...

Go Rupert! Go Rupert!

[GS Warehouse]

[quote name=\'CherryPizza\' date=\'May 8 2004, 09:20 PM\'] Everyone pay attention to the fact that this is the one time that the word "twist" hasn't been used to promote something that we weren't supposed to expect ...

... maybe Rob and Amber are on the brink of breaking the golden rule about not being allowed to conspire to share the money. Ever the back-stabber/strategist (what did Shakespeare say about a rose by any other name?) maybe all it's gonna take is for Rob to say something along the lines of "If we're gonna be together it doesn't matter which
of us actually WINS the money" which could then cause the shit to hit the fan and see Rob getting his arse expelled from the game. Ok it probably won't happen, but it's the only thing I can think of that will be big enough to be promoted as a "surprise so big"... [/quote]
 There's been a lot of rumbling in alt.tv.survivor about this, but Jeff Probst was on The View Friday, and he said the twist does not involve Rob or Amber.  Naturally, I don't know what it is, but it would really be a letdown if the twist involves Sue Hawk's makeover, because that's WLW-type news.

Go anyone but Rob!

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'CherryPizza\' date=\'May 8 2004, 09:20 PM\'] either that or Rob votes off Amber, or vice versa, or somebody breaks an alliance, or some piddly little bit of game play that has been blown out of proportion by the promotions folk. [/quote]
 I'll be really disappointed with CBS if this "surprise" is less than impressive.  In the first place, it's bad marketing.  The show has plenty of momentum building toward its finale anyway.  If they promise something and then don't deliver, all they do is disappoint people who were going to be into the finale regardless.

Misleading promotions is usually NBC's department.  The daytime crew is currently promising the "biggest shock in daytime history" for The Deidre Hall Show. (That IS what they're calling it now, isn't it?)  Can you imagine how outrageous you'd have to be to have the *biggest* shock in the history of daytime television?

[gameshowguy2000]

I doubt Amber will turn on Rob or Rob will turn on Amber. I mean, for many Survivor fans, their romance has been the talk ever since it began.

One may not like either one, but I have to admit, if it's Amber and Rob in the final 2, I don't know who to route for in particular, as to who should win the million.

And if neither are in the final 2, all I have to say is: Go Rupert. If you win the million THIS TIME, you will have redeemed yourself from losing out on it last time on Pearl Islands.

[clemon79]

The thing is, about the only person he CAN take to the Showdown is Ambuh. The way he's played the game has been effective in terms of keeping himself around, but the jury is so obviously nauseated by him that the only way they would give him the million is if he was sitting to someone EQUALLY unscrupulous, AND unrespectable.

For Jenna and Rupert, the critical challenge is the first immunity challenge on Sunday. If either of them win it, they can band together, knock out Rob, and it's a new game.

Whether or not they win it, the CRUCIAL one is of course the SECOND immunity, 'cuz winning that one takes you to the Showdown. Not so much so for Rob (if he's around), since he'll go regardless, either by winning himself or by being such a noxious alternative as to be the obvious choice.

It's almost as if Rob has been playing this game all along to finish second. And playing to guarantee yourself 100K is not a bad paycheck at all.

[Brig Bother]

Maybe, what with Super Millionaire existing, and the fact this is essentially a kind of champion of champions thing, they're going to surprse everyone by revealing the prize to be $10m, rather than the usual $1m?

The copy I downloaded (that's right, see me single handedly destroy the entire American TV industry) didn't have a preview of the final on so this "surprise" business has passed me by.

This said, I can't predict who is likely win so it should all be quite exciting anyway.

[grimmte]

It actually might be a "winning more than $1M" thing...I do recall reading in another JP interview that the surprise was going to be revealed during the reunion show...and since that is live, it can't have anything to do with the actual game play.

And here it is from Zap2It . . . .

And then, of course, there's that Huge Surprise that CBS has been promoting for the past week. Naturally, as gentlemen don't tell secrets, Probst refuses to give even the slightest indication of what the surprise will entail, only warning viewers to expect it on the live reunion show.

"There's a pretty good reveal on the live show," he promises. "We're going to share something on that show that is certainly significant, completely unexpected and will definitely have people talking."

[DrBear]

If the vast majority of us are lucky, the suprise will be that it's the LAST Survivor, and we won't have to deal with this soap opera any more.

[Matt Ottinger]

Merely giving the winner a bigger paycheck is hardly shocking, and incredibly wasteful.  Any one of these attention-hounds would probably have played the game the same way if the top prize was $100,000.  

Mark Burnett is one producer who understands the ridiculousness of "Mo' Money Syndrome".  Remember that while every "expert" now says that you can't have a successful reality show anymore without a top prize of at least a million, Burnett downsized the payoff for The Apprentice (to say nothing of the fact that it's an actual job the winner now has to perform) and had himself yet another hit.

BTW, reportedly the runners-up this time around get a good deal larger chunk of change than in previous editions, including $250,000 for second.  However, since that's not really being made into a huge deal, that falls more in the category of giving these "All-Stars" a compensation worthy of their "celebrity" status than it does throwing more money at a show to improve its ratings.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/.../09/452390.html

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'DrBear\' date=\'May 9 2004, 11:04 AM\'] If the vast majority of us are lucky, the suprise will be that it's the LAST Survivor, and we won't have to deal with this soap opera any more. [/quote]
 My understanding is that there's no Federal mandate requiring you to deal with this soap opera NOW.  I'm sure there's a charming rerun of some version of Law and Order for you over on NBC.  Hey, there's probably even a book on your bookshelf you've been meaning to read.

If you don't like a show -- any show -- then don't watch it.  But to knock discussion of one of the most popular series on television merely because it's popular is the laziest form of criticism there is.

[wxfrcaster]

My gut tells me its something to do with all the All-Stars - not just the ones on the jury.  Maybe the others kicked off will have some sort of say, or veto power or something, on who wins the million.  Granted, their opinions might be tainted by the editing of the show - only seeing what we see.  But I still think all the All-Stars will have a bigger role in the outcome of the show, not just the usual sit-there-and-answer-the-question stuff.

Just my $0.02.

[ChuckNet]

Oh, and all I have to add on the matter is...

Go Rupert! Go Rupert!

Amen to that...he's the one I've been pulling for through most of the series and would really like to see him win the $1M. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a Yankees fan, LOL.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[parliboy]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'May 9 2004, 10:13 AM\'][quote name=\'DrBear\' date=\'May 9 2004, 11:04 AM\'] If the vast majority of us are lucky, the suprise will be that it's the LAST Survivor, and we won't have to deal with this soap opera any more. [/quote]
My understanding is that there's no Federal mandate requiring you to deal with this soap opera NOW.  I'm sure there's a charming rerun of some version of Law and Order for you over on NBC.  Hey, there's probably even a book on your bookshelf you've been meaning to read.

If you don't like a show -- any show -- then don't watch it.  But to knock discussion of one of the most popular series on television merely because it's popular is the laziest form of criticism there is.[/quote]
He did not knock it in that statement simply because it was popular.  He knocked it because he viewed it as a soap opera, and to an extent, I have to agree.

Burnett's shows have had multiple allegations laid against them of game fixing in various forms, and I tend to personally believe that there must be some grain of truth to them.  Heck, even Combat Missions had "reenactments".

Is Survivor popular?  Yes.  Is it unscripted?  Hardly.

I like my game shows / reality TV to be real, and my pro wrestling to be staged.  Not the other way around.

[DrBear]

I wasn't knocking it because it was popular. Although I'd knock discussion of "The O.C.," "The Simpsons" or "Friends" in this forum.

Survivor is not a game show, it is an unscripted soap opera.

If you want to discuss it, fine, but I think it belongs in here as much as, say, birthday greetings.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'parliboy\' date=\'May 9 2004, 01:51 PM\'] Burnett's shows have had multiple allegations laid against them of game fixing in various forms, and I tend to personally believe that there must be some grain of truth to them.  Heck, even Combat Missions had "reenactments".

Is Survivor popular?  Yes.  Is it unscripted?  Hardly.

I like my game shows / reality TV to be real, and my pro wrestling to be staged.  Not the other way around. [/quote]
 Now, see, THIS is a valid point worth debating and arguing.  

Burnett has freely admitted to the press that certain stagings and even competitions were "recreated" in order to get decent camera shots.  But there's a huge difference between doing that and rigging the competitions and votes in order to dictate a particular outcome.  The only specific first-hand allegations about doing anything like that were made by a disgruntled player who didn't do as well as she wanted, and she could offer no specific evidence to back up her claim.

Of course the program is not "unscripted".  You think Probst makes up the words he says?  But if you're going to make the case that Burnett has the whole thing planned out and knows in advance who's going to win (as in the pro wrestling analogy you made), you're going to have to do a lot better than "multiple allegations", when as far as I know, every single allegation about real manipulation has been shot down.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Burnett's a saint.  I've said separately that The Apprentice isn't a real competition because he and Trump could huddle after every program and decide the fates of the players totally at whim.  But dozens of people have played Survivor and hundreds of people have worked on it.  If Burnett was doing something really wrong, we wouldn't have just had these vague accusations by now, we'd have a full-blown scandal.  And you know anybody except CBS would jump on the chance to expose it.