Thursday, January 19, 2012

Are You Ready For Some Survivor?

Gadzooks! It was only 32 short days ago that Jamie, Mary Beth and myself were posting the final Official Survivor: South Pacific Recap Trilogy for Season 23. Now, believe it or not, there are only 27 short days until the first Official Survivor: One World Recap Trilogy for Season 24 will be posted! That’s right, we’re getting the band back together for another season of irreverent hilarity. Did you miss us?

This morning, while doing my research (you don’t think I fly by the seat of my pants, do you?), I came across a short preview clip on CBS.com. As I frantically scribbled notes while watching those 166 seconds of video, I was flabbergasted.

Seriously. Here are some of the highlights of the cast:

A gay Republican, a “little person” sporting a Russell Hantz style hat, a woman billing herself as a triple threat based on her boobs, booty and ability to sing, the ubiquitous angry black woman and not one, but two competitors with Tarzan fetishes.

But wait, there’s more. There is enough cheesecake and beefcake for everyone! For the guys, the self-proclaimed triple threat isn’t the only lady with a bikini top filled beyond capacity.

Ladies, please don’t despair, there are also plenty of buns and six-packs for your viewing pleasure. Award-winning host Jeff Probst himself said they are all good looking.

This is your first look at the cast of Survivor: One World:

Here are the tribes and a bit of information on the contestants:

Salani Tribe (Women): Nina Acosta, 51, Clovis, CA, retired LAPD officer; Christina Cha, 29, West Hollywood, CA, career consultant; Monica Culpepper, 41, Tampa, FL, ex-NFL player’s wife; Kat Edorsson, 22, Orlando, FL, timeshare rep; Chelsea Meissner, 26, Charleston, SC, medical sales; Kourtney Moon, 29, Austin, TX, motorcycle repair; Alicia Rosa, 25, Chicago, IL, special ed teacher; Kim Spradlin, 29, San Antonio, TX, bridal shop owner; Sabrina Thompson, 33, Brooklyn, NY, high school teacher.

Manono Tribe
(Men): Jay Byars, 25, Gaffney, SC, model; Colton Cumbie, 21, Monroeville, AL, college student; Michael Jefferson, 30, Seattle, WA, banker; Leif Manson, 27, San Diego, CA, phlebotomist; Jonas Otsuji, 37, Lehi, UT, sushi chef; Bill Posley, 28, Venice, CA, stand-up comedian; Matt Quinlan, 33, San Francisco, CA, attorney; Troy Robertson, 50, Miami, FL, swimsuit photographer; Greg Smith, 64, Houston, TX, plastic surgeon.

Like in Survivor: The Amazon and Survivor: Vanuatu, this season will be a battle of the sexes. Although the men vs. women angle has been done before, there is a new twist.

Both tribes will be forced to coexist on the same camp.

According to Probst, the tribes can build one camp, two camps or no camps. He went on to say that men can sleep over with the women, women can sleep over with the men, or they can choose to not interact at all. They can do whatever they like. Hmm…

Another change is that after two seasons, the Redemption Island feature will not be used. This signals the return of reward challenges. It also means that when a contestant hears Probst utter those fateful words, “The tribe has spoken”, they are out of the game.

Something else to look for are what Probst calls “Do it Yourself Challenges”, which will be sprinkled throughout the season. These Probst-less competitions will take place at camp with tribes receiving materials and instructions informing them of the rules so they can conduct their own challenge. This could prove to be either very interesting or a big bomb. (See Redemption Island)

The final new twist is with the Hidden Immunity Idols. This season, there will be two idols hidden at the camp – one for each tribe, but finding an Idol doesn’t guarantee your safety. Instead of using it for yourself, you have to give it to someone from the other tribe. Let the politicking begin!

So, are you ready for season 24 of Survivor: One World? I know I am. The premier will be Wednesday, February 15 and I can’t wait. Oh crud! I missed American Idol. Ha!

Until next time…from the booth.

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