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'Survivor' Exit Interview: Big Girls Do Cry

Audrey Fine — 2010-04-30T16:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Survivor, Interviews, Celebrity Interviews

You can't teach an old dog new tricks -- especially when they're playing 'Survivor.' Last night's episode of 'Heroes vs. Villains' proved that old axiom beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Candice Woodcock, taking a page from her 'Cook Islands' playbook, flipped on her Heroes tribe. Meanwhile, Russell Hantz, spurred on by Parvati Shallow's secretiveness, summoned another immunity idol into his meaty little paws and Amanda Kimmel did what Amanda Kimmel always does -- played nice.

Guess what doesn't get you a million bucks? Playing nice.

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'Survivor' Exit Interview: Risky Business Doesn't Pay

Audrey Fine — 2010-04-23T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Survivor, Interviews, Celebrity Interviews

Bold moves. This 20th all-star season of 'Survivor' has been chock full of them and last night's episode of 'Heroes vs. Villains' was no exception. Fans witnessed one of the gutsiest plays of all time.

Last week, humble Hero John "J.T." Thomas handed off of his immunity idol to consummate Villain Russell Hantz, and the move backfired. Big time. And it led to the 'Survivor: Tocantins' winner being sent to join Courtney Yates and Benjamin "Coach" Wade on the jury.

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'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'Going Down in Flames' Recap

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-04-23T11:55:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S20E10) This season of 'Survivor' isn't going quite how I expected. Of course, that could be a good thing. Although I'm basically a force for good (yes, really), on my reality shows I have to admire evil strategies and schemes when they're executed well. In my own reality, I don't care for mean people. But when you consider the types of folks going on competition reality shows, the nice people can get downright boring to watch. The schemers other than Evil Russell are just getting started. Hang on, folks. We may be in for a wild ride!

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'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - ' Survivor History' Recap

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-04-16T00:02:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S20E09) Oh my. JT looks a bit disturbed in this image from tonight's 'Survivor,' doesn't he? Did he crack another tooth? Not to be posting spoilers in the first paragraph, but I don't think we'll see JT cracking teeth and being a one-man war machine this season. We've seen his whacked-out game strategy for the season already. He went from the nice guy, loved and admired by all, and winner of his original season to ... I don't know.

His own tribe doesn't trust him to the point of Amanda declaring him the "slimiest" person on the tribe last week. He's flipped, he's flopped. But tonight he has an epiphany and a brilliant idea. We'll see just how brilliant it is soon enough.

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What's On Tonight: 'Bones,' 'CSI,' 'Supernatural,' 'Real Housewives'

Rich Keller — 2010-04-15T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, Survivor, Bones, Supernatural, Celebrities, Project Runway, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free, Fringe, FlashForward, Vampire Diaries, Features, TV Previews, TV Schedules, TV News

Here's tonight's TV lineup (all times Eastern). All shows listed are new, unless otherwise noted.

8:00 to 9:00
ABC: 'FlashForward'
CBS: 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains'
The CW: 'The Vampire Diaries'
FOX: 'Bones'
History: 'Modern Marvels' -- History of everything delivery

9:00 to 10:00
CBS: 'CSI'
The CW: 'Supernatural' -- 100th episode
FOX: 'Fringe'
NBC: 'Saturday Night Live in the 2000s: Time and Again' -- Two hours. Retrospective on the last 10 years of 'SNL'
A&E: 'The First 48'
HBO: 'Treme: Beyond Bourbon Street' -- Making of the new HBO series
National Geographic: 'Secret History of the Atom Bomb'
TLC: 'Police Women of Maricopa County'

10:00 to 11:00
A&E: 'Fugitive Chronicles'
Bravo: 'The Real Housewives of New York City'
Food Network: 'Ace of Cakes'
Lifetime: 'Project Runway'
MTV: 'Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew'
National Geographic: 'Known Universe'
Playboy: 'Dropout Delinquents' -- Now, don't look at me that way
TLC: 'LA Ink'

11:00 to Midnight
Bravo: 'Watch What Happens: Live'
Lifetime: 'Models of the Runway'

Midnight to 1:00
Comedy Central: 'The Sarah Silverman Program' and 'Important Things With Demetri Martin'

Check your local TV listings for more information. After the jump, the late night talk shows.

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'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'Expectations'

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-04-08T23:32:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S20E08) This season should have been a slam-dunk for some of the more savvy castaways on 'Survivor.' Instead, we're seeing convoluted alliances and bad decisions. Some folks only thinking about their own end game without realizing they actually have to remain standing into the merge. First it was the heroes tribe in a losing streak, then a few challenges back, it all flipped and the villains did the very same thing, voting out Boston Rob and Tyson.

Why? Because they're getting rid of the strong players when they should be thinking about keeping their original tribes strong at this point. Will they continue the pattern until skeletal Courtney remains the sole 'Survivor'? Oh my. That would be such a waste of a season.

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'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'I'm Not a Good Villain'

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-04-02T00:23:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S20E07) Colby Donaldson survived last week's tribal council on 'Survivor' only because James hurt his knee beyond hope for healing within the game's timeframe. Surrounded by those who want him out due to his lackadaisical efforts in challenges this season and being on the minor alliance, it's time for Colby to get playing the game. Heck, it's time for the entire heroes tribe to start playing.

JT isn't Mr. "I Broke My Tooth, Yet Kept Fighting" this season. Rupert has some sort of enhanced caveman rush into things, but has a broken toe and isn't really athletic. No one seems to be good with puzzles. What is going on here? The villains have been trouncing them at every turn. It's not just Colby who needs to step his game up. But he's the one on the hot seat due to the alliances. Can he do it?

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'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'Banana Etiquette'

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-03-25T00:42:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S20E06) I always hear the folks who don't watch 'Survivor' going on about how the castaways have it easy as far as real survival skills. Sure, being able to physically survive the elements and challenges is part of the show. But my own interest has always been more in the strategic angle. From the start with Richard Hatch, it's been shown time and time again that people manipulation skills can rule the game. Tonight was pure joy for me. It put me in my Happy Place. Why? Read on.

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'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'Knights of the Round Table' Recap

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-03-12T02:28:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S20E05) In the image above, it looks like James is surrounded by a bunch of schoolyard bullies on 'Survivor.' Well, he is surrounded, but things aren't always as they appear to be. The same can be said for the strategies of some of these all-so-great returning players, too. While some strategies remain consistent (a snake oil salesman isn't going to turn into the Avon lady), others are baffling me this season.

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'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'Tonight, We Make Our Move' Recap

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-03-05T01:02:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S20E04) No, no, no. Coach, you have it all wrong! It's not a conspiracy against you, trust me. It's you. I made a mistake last week when I commented how much less a wuss Coach was being this season on 'Survivor.' I spoke too soon. Tonight we (and Boston Rob and Tyson) had to witness his latest "I'm sensitive, the world is against me, woe is me" escapade. The man makes a mockery of himself, then goes all emotional when he gets mocked. He's a legend in his own mind, a special snowflake to the rest of us.

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'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'That Girl Is Like a Virus' Recap

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-02-26T00:40:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S20E03) How's that for a look of determination on Colby? Last week we saw the 'Survivor' heroes down two challenges. We also have seen some non-heroic behavior in their camp while Boston Rob has been quite heroic in the villains' camp. This season, although it's definitely grabbing my attention, has gone beyond the realm of heroes and villains. It's more like a bunch of power-players, wheeler dealers, schemers, lunatics, and a few decent folks gone a tad off their rockers thrown into the mix. It's All-Stars on energy drinks. It's brutal. But it's entertaining. That's all I need.

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'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'It's Getting the Best of Me' Recap

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-02-19T00:02:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Recaps, Features, Recaps

(S20E02) Well, well, well. It seems that Black Widow Jerri Manthey actually does have a tender side on tonight's 'Survivor.' No, she isn't coming on to Boston Rob. Nor has she murdered him, if that might be your concern. As seen on the promos all week, Rob had a bit of a rough time, thus giving the episode its title for the week. And, might I add, so dramatically said that one might think he'll be up for an acting Emmy. Was it an act? Is he still there or gone? Read on.

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Richard Hatch Still Ticked About Being Thrown Back in Jail

Joel Keller — 2010-02-17T14:07:00+00:00

Filed under: Survivor, Interviews, TCA Press Tour, Features, Celebrity Interviews, Fall TV

When CBS threw their tenth-anniversary party for 'Survivor' last month during the TCA press tour, there was only one person I wanted to talk to: Richard Hatch. And there was only one reason I wanted to talk to him: Someone claiming to be him sent us an e-mail comment in response to a post Allison did in October; Allison basically told him to stop airing public comments regarding the incident that sent him back to jail last summer.

If you recall, he gave an interview with 'Today' and two other NBC properties last August; he was sent back to jail because he was supposedly only given permission to talk to 'Today.'

In the note to us, the person -- who we're pretty sure was Hatch, based on some digging we did after the note came in -- claims that the system is "broken" and that he doesn't owe any back taxes, something Hatch has said in public a number of times.

So, I decided to ask him about whether he liked sending websites e-mails like that, then we talked a little about the case.

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'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'Stay Everyone, Trust No One' Recap (Season Premiere)

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-02-12T00:32:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S20E01) We've already had epic hype for an epic season of 'Survivor.' More intense than a typical 'All-Stars' version, this season pits the (supposedly) best of good and evil in a battle to be the sole survivor. It's kind of like the Stephen King novel, 'The Stand.' Forces for good and evil, perhaps with a few shades of gray in-between, ready to duke it out for the win. Well, I could see Evil Russell being Randall Flagg, can't you? The casting is right for both sides. I would have liked to see Richard Hatch and Yau-Man Chan in there, but it wasn't my decision to make. I'm just a witness to the chaos.

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Jeff Probst Wants More 'Survivor' (But Not Too Much More)

Bob Sassone — 2010-02-09T15:09:00+00:00

Filed under: Survivor, TV Squad Polls, Celebrities, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

When 'Survivor' host Jeff Probst renews his contract, it's usually for two years (which comes out to be four seasons of the show). But when he renewed his contract with CBS and the show last week, he only renewed it for one year (two seasons). I'm not sure if this is because he doesn't want to commit to several seasons of the show or if it's a negotiating/contract thing. Could 'Survivor' continue without Probst as host? Or is he too big a part of the show?

'Survivor: Heroes & Villains' debuts on Thursday.

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Review: 'Surviving Survivor'

Jackie Schnoop — 2010-02-05T01:15:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

Whetting our appetites for next week's 'Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains' season premiere, this evening's 'Surviving Survivor' was definitely an hour worth watching for any true fan of the show. So often clips shows tend to tread the trodden path, but not so much with this one. The focus wasn't merely on the castaways we'll see in the upcoming season, but a look back at the show's history and a peek at what's happening in the lives of some of our favorite 'Survivors' over the years.

I've watched since the first season, and it brought back memories of the phenomenon that was 'Survivor: Borneo.' Fifty-two million viewers, extreme watercooler chat, and the start of the reality competition genre.

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250 cast members of Survivor to reunite this weekend

Bob Sassone — 2010-01-06T18:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Survivor, Celebrities, Features, TV News

Jeff Probst is on Twitter now, and today he had some breaking news. 250 cast members from all of Survivor's many seasons will reunite this Saturday at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena. This includes the final four contestants from the very first Survivor: Richard Hatch (let's hope he asks if he can be interviewed), Kelly Wiglesworth, Rudy Boesch, and Susan Hawk.

I watched that very first show. In fact, the night of the finale my power went out just when they were going to announce the winner so my roommate and I had to get his portable Sony TV and watch it on that.

They should have a giant, super-sized Survivor where all 250 compete for "The Ultimate Survivor" trophy. Give the winner $100 million. Sure, it would probably take three years for the show to end, but I bet people would watch. Set it on the moon.

Best TV of the '00s: Reality Series

Kona Gallagher — 2009-12-31T14:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, The Amazing Race, American Idol, Survivor, Festivus, Project Runway, TV Squad Lists, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, Features

More of our best of the decade coverage, which started on Tuesday. You can read the other posts at the link above. Here, we talk about a major category that came of age in the aughts: Reality shows.

While I would never call myself a reality TV junkie, it really bugs me when people make blanket statements like, "I hate reality TV," or, "Reality TV is the bane of my existence." The genre has grown so much in the past decade that it has become just like scripted television, in that there's good and there's bad. Even though we're splitting this up into two lists, "Reality," and "Trashy Reality," you won't see a single show that starts with, "Who Wants to Marry" on either list.

This list is dedicated not to the guilty pleasures, but to the shows that you wouldn't be embarrassed for your neighbors to know you watch: the classy reality, if you will. So without further ado, here is TV Squad's list of the best reality shows of the decade.

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Survivor runner-up Russell has a new web site

Bob Sassone — 2009-12-22T14:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Survivor, Web, Features

If you watched the season finale of Survivor the other night, you probably noticed that, unlike a lot of runner-ups in the past, Russell Hantz was openly bitter and angry about not winning. He didn't try to hide it, which probably proved to the jury that they were right in voting for Natalie in the first place.

But Russell still thinks he should have won and he has just launched a new web site called RussellGotScrewed.com, where he asks you to vote for him if you think he's "America's Top Survivor." You can also make donations or buy shirts and other things in his store. Proceeds go to St. Jude's Hospital, which is a great thing, though I'm not sure exactly what he wants to accomplish with the whole "vote for me" thing. Maybe he wants a recount.

He even told Natalie on the finale that if she asked Jeff to proclaim him the best player (though not the official winner) he would give her $10,000. She didn't take the offer.

Best and Worst TV of 2009: Jason's List

Jason Hughes — 2009-12-21T17:06:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, OpEd, Survivor, The Biggest Loser, Doctor Who, Game Show, Chuck, Dollhouse, Sons of Anarchy, Cougar Town, Modern Family, Jay Leno, Features

2009 was a good year for television. It offered the resurgence of the comedy on network television, and the continuing growth of original programming on cable. In all honesty, I don't think I could just do a list of what was great and what was horrible on television because I would need pages and pages.

Instead, I'm going to focus on the things that really stood out this year. Sorry, Mad Men fans, but even though this was a great third season and an amazing finale, I expect it at this point. It's the only way I could come up with to keep my list manageable.

Also, as a point of protest I did not include Jon, Kate or the balloon boy hoax. These events got more attention than they deserved already this year, and I feel bad I even mentioned them.

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