Kelsey1224
09-15-2004, 08:03 AM
Here is an article of a recent interview with Jeff Probst:
'Survivor' sticks to winning formula
By John Powell -- JAM! Showbiz
The way Jeff Probst sees it, more of the same is a good thing when it comes to "Survivor."
"With this season, I started wondering if Survivor was becoming like 'Monday Night Football' in that it is familiar," he told Jam! Showbiz. "The music is always the same. The setting is almost always the same, the conflicts emerge, and people start fires and building shelters and working together. I wonder if that familiarity and the fact that we haven't played with the show too much (we've tweaked tiny things within the show) has made the series the success that it is."
Gearing up for the debut of the ninth season with the one hour premiere of "Survivor: Vanuatu, Islands Of Fire" Thursday night (8:00 p.m. ET on CBS), Probst is offering no apologies for not taking the series in a different direction and shaking things up.
"Survivor: Vanuatu, Islands Of Fire" is set on another group of tropical islands and mirroring the Amazon edition, the two tribes will be divided into men versus women at an initiation ceremony presided over by local natives. It is not clear how long the tribes will be divided down gender lines but it probably won't be for too long.
"To be completely honest, there is not always going to be a brand new fresh idea. I think you are going to repeat yourself at times. We are probably going to push people off a boat again," he joked defending the recycled gender twist.
"I buy into the notion that there are certain things that are now a staple of 'Survivor'," Probst continued. "Much like when people go see 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' at midnight on a Friday, I am going to say... Fire represents life because as long as your fire is alive you are in the game...blah...blah...blah... because that's the speech you give when you're are the elder at Tribal Council. That's how I view it. I am not looking for a fresh way to say the same thing. There are certain speeches that are mockable. If you can't mock Survivor at this point, you've got no wit because the opportunities are rampant."
In Probst's view, despite all of the similarities, the allure of a Robinson Crusoe-like setting is just too much for the producers to resist especially since the formula has worked well thus far.
"Has the show earned a chance to take a risk? Probably, I think our audience will stay with us but there is something about the water and the deserted island and the palm trees and all that. That is 'Survivor.' It is synonymous now," said Probst. "I hope we never abandon ship and go completely wholesale. If we do, I hope we fully sell out and do something completely different, dark and psychological. When people get bored with the show, we are done."
One change to the series that will certainly be welcomed by die-hard fans is that CBS.com is launching a new "Survivor" talk show hosted by winner Richard Hatch and New York television and radio personality Chris Booker. "Survivor Live: The Internet Talk Show," a live, twice weekly, one-hour streaming video talk show, will premiere Thursday, Sept.16 (2:00 PM-3:00 PM, ET) on CBS.com, just hours prior to the debut. The webcast will also be seen live each Friday (2:00-3:00 PM, ET). On the Friday webcast, viewers will be able to call in and talk directly with the castaway who got voted off the previous night. The call in phone number is 646-CBS-1000.
According to Probst, in electing to open the series with the frightful initiation ceremony, the producers had no choice but to separate the men from the women because information might have been passed back and forth between contestants. Located in the South Pacific, the Vanuatu Islands are the home to volcanoes, sorcery and black magic. The dread inspiring opening was a bone of contention for him and Probst wasn't sure what the Survivors were shown at the ceremony would shock or frighten them at all.
"I like to own every word that comes out of my mouth on Survivor. I can be tough to work with in that if you are telling me something is gonna happen, it damn well better happen because I am telling them (the players) it is going to happen. I don't like having egg on my face," said Probst claiming that because of the milder weather and fewer insects, the "Survivor: Vanuatu, Islands Of Fire" players had it easier than those who appeared on previous editions.
One aspect of the series that may shock some viewers is a live pig is slaughtered in the first episode. When Michael Skupin killed a wild boar on "Survivor: The Australian Outback," animal rights groups took the producers to task for airing the incident. Probst has no doubt that the producers will find themselves in hot water again after Thursday's broadcast.
"In Vanuatu, that is as common as us driving through the drive-thru and getting a cheeseburger and nobody is protesting that. It is the way other people live. I am an animal lover but I don't want to be a hypocrite. I am not going to judge another country for how they live. Let me tell you, slaughtering pigs in a lot of these places is the least of the heinous things that happen that we would consider tough to stomach," he said about the incident. "I am sure PETA will come after us and good for them. They are doing their job but I am not losing any sleep over it. It is part of the world that I live in."
Unlike previous editions with the infamous Johnny Fairplay or Richard Hatch, this time around there are no ready-made villains on "Survivor: Vanuatu, Islands Of Fire." Probst maintains that those who eventually evolve into that role probably won't even realize they were the baddies of the series until they see the series for themselves and how the other players spoke about them behind their backs.
In filming the series, Probst was surprised by the tribal politics that erupted once the tribes were divided by gender. Paralleling the "Amazon" series, the female tribe splintered into cliques of young and old with the older players taking a more cautious approach to the game and the younger contestants assaulting problems head on. The main theme of the series appears to be the notion of "Girl Power" and whether such an alliance can be sustained throughout the entire course of the game.
"The women come out strong saying... We are going to do what has never been done before. We are going to stick together until the end. That's easy to say and really interesting to watch them try and pull it off," said Probst revealing that many of the hardcore alliances crumble in the last half of the series.
As for the rumours "Survivor" is coming to Canada, don't hold your breath.
"It is something we talked about and the more time that goes by Mark (Burnett) starts talking about colder climates and all of that. As of right now there's nothing on that," said Probst.
'Survivor' sticks to winning formula
By John Powell -- JAM! Showbiz
The way Jeff Probst sees it, more of the same is a good thing when it comes to "Survivor."
"With this season, I started wondering if Survivor was becoming like 'Monday Night Football' in that it is familiar," he told Jam! Showbiz. "The music is always the same. The setting is almost always the same, the conflicts emerge, and people start fires and building shelters and working together. I wonder if that familiarity and the fact that we haven't played with the show too much (we've tweaked tiny things within the show) has made the series the success that it is."
Gearing up for the debut of the ninth season with the one hour premiere of "Survivor: Vanuatu, Islands Of Fire" Thursday night (8:00 p.m. ET on CBS), Probst is offering no apologies for not taking the series in a different direction and shaking things up.
"Survivor: Vanuatu, Islands Of Fire" is set on another group of tropical islands and mirroring the Amazon edition, the two tribes will be divided into men versus women at an initiation ceremony presided over by local natives. It is not clear how long the tribes will be divided down gender lines but it probably won't be for too long.
"To be completely honest, there is not always going to be a brand new fresh idea. I think you are going to repeat yourself at times. We are probably going to push people off a boat again," he joked defending the recycled gender twist.
"I buy into the notion that there are certain things that are now a staple of 'Survivor'," Probst continued. "Much like when people go see 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' at midnight on a Friday, I am going to say... Fire represents life because as long as your fire is alive you are in the game...blah...blah...blah... because that's the speech you give when you're are the elder at Tribal Council. That's how I view it. I am not looking for a fresh way to say the same thing. There are certain speeches that are mockable. If you can't mock Survivor at this point, you've got no wit because the opportunities are rampant."
In Probst's view, despite all of the similarities, the allure of a Robinson Crusoe-like setting is just too much for the producers to resist especially since the formula has worked well thus far.
"Has the show earned a chance to take a risk? Probably, I think our audience will stay with us but there is something about the water and the deserted island and the palm trees and all that. That is 'Survivor.' It is synonymous now," said Probst. "I hope we never abandon ship and go completely wholesale. If we do, I hope we fully sell out and do something completely different, dark and psychological. When people get bored with the show, we are done."
One change to the series that will certainly be welcomed by die-hard fans is that CBS.com is launching a new "Survivor" talk show hosted by winner Richard Hatch and New York television and radio personality Chris Booker. "Survivor Live: The Internet Talk Show," a live, twice weekly, one-hour streaming video talk show, will premiere Thursday, Sept.16 (2:00 PM-3:00 PM, ET) on CBS.com, just hours prior to the debut. The webcast will also be seen live each Friday (2:00-3:00 PM, ET). On the Friday webcast, viewers will be able to call in and talk directly with the castaway who got voted off the previous night. The call in phone number is 646-CBS-1000.
According to Probst, in electing to open the series with the frightful initiation ceremony, the producers had no choice but to separate the men from the women because information might have been passed back and forth between contestants. Located in the South Pacific, the Vanuatu Islands are the home to volcanoes, sorcery and black magic. The dread inspiring opening was a bone of contention for him and Probst wasn't sure what the Survivors were shown at the ceremony would shock or frighten them at all.
"I like to own every word that comes out of my mouth on Survivor. I can be tough to work with in that if you are telling me something is gonna happen, it damn well better happen because I am telling them (the players) it is going to happen. I don't like having egg on my face," said Probst claiming that because of the milder weather and fewer insects, the "Survivor: Vanuatu, Islands Of Fire" players had it easier than those who appeared on previous editions.
One aspect of the series that may shock some viewers is a live pig is slaughtered in the first episode. When Michael Skupin killed a wild boar on "Survivor: The Australian Outback," animal rights groups took the producers to task for airing the incident. Probst has no doubt that the producers will find themselves in hot water again after Thursday's broadcast.
"In Vanuatu, that is as common as us driving through the drive-thru and getting a cheeseburger and nobody is protesting that. It is the way other people live. I am an animal lover but I don't want to be a hypocrite. I am not going to judge another country for how they live. Let me tell you, slaughtering pigs in a lot of these places is the least of the heinous things that happen that we would consider tough to stomach," he said about the incident. "I am sure PETA will come after us and good for them. They are doing their job but I am not losing any sleep over it. It is part of the world that I live in."
Unlike previous editions with the infamous Johnny Fairplay or Richard Hatch, this time around there are no ready-made villains on "Survivor: Vanuatu, Islands Of Fire." Probst maintains that those who eventually evolve into that role probably won't even realize they were the baddies of the series until they see the series for themselves and how the other players spoke about them behind their backs.
In filming the series, Probst was surprised by the tribal politics that erupted once the tribes were divided by gender. Paralleling the "Amazon" series, the female tribe splintered into cliques of young and old with the older players taking a more cautious approach to the game and the younger contestants assaulting problems head on. The main theme of the series appears to be the notion of "Girl Power" and whether such an alliance can be sustained throughout the entire course of the game.
"The women come out strong saying... We are going to do what has never been done before. We are going to stick together until the end. That's easy to say and really interesting to watch them try and pull it off," said Probst revealing that many of the hardcore alliances crumble in the last half of the series.
As for the rumours "Survivor" is coming to Canada, don't hold your breath.
"It is something we talked about and the more time that goes by Mark (Burnett) starts talking about colder climates and all of that. As of right now there's nothing on that," said Probst.