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Survivor: a reality TV revolution

If you have ever said the phrase “the tribe has spoken” then you have probably seen at least one episode of Survivor, CBC’s hit reality TV series. Originally broadcast May 31st, 2000, and directed by Mark Burnett, the show is often credited with sparking a reality TV revolution. After Survivor’s initial success (the first two seasons attracted over 58 million viewers), all the networks were rushing to produce reality shows of their own. By 2003, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences had created a new Emmy award of Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, thus firmly placing reality TV into your primetime line up – all thanks to Survivor!

The Survivor Premise
The premise is simple: be the last one standing. Initially, 16 to 20 strangers are stranded on a remote location (the first episode took place on the Malaysian island of Pulau Tiga) for approximately 40 days. They are immediately divided into teams and must then create their own fire, catch their own food and build their own shelters. The teams also must compete with each other to win rewards and ‘immunity’, which guarantees that they will remain in the game until the next round. The loosing team of a particular immunity challenge must attend ‘tribal council’, where the team will vote one member out of the game. The last person left in the game wins one million dollars.

The Survivor Strategy
The show may be a pop culture staple, but don’t let that fool you: Survivor is ruthless. The players are constantly building alliances, gaining the trust of other contestants and then stabbing each other in the back (not literally). There can only be one survivor after all, and there are quite a few players who see no harm in lying through their teeth to avoid tribal council. The game is physically exhausting, but any past competitor will admit that a keen sense of strategy is the key to staying in the game. Players in the more recent seasons have the added benefit of being able to watch old Survivor episodes to learn from the mistakes of others. But be warned, potential Survivor contestants: every season is kept fresh with plot twists and surprise changes to the game’s structure, keeping the players on their toes and you on the edge of your seat!

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