Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and a member of the jury on Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance. He has been blogging about Survivor strategy for People since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @stephenfishbach.
“If I can take this cloud that’s over me right now and sling it over somebody else, I’m gonna do it.” — Jeff Varner, The Australian Outback and Cambodia
Tonight on Survivor, Jeff Varner publicly outed Zeke Smith as trans. This wasn’t a game secret Zeke was keeping from a group of players. It was a private personal fact. Varner outed Zeke on CBS prime time,...
“If I can take this cloud that’s over me right now and sling it over somebody else, I’m gonna do it.” — Jeff Varner, The Australian Outback and Cambodia
Tonight on Survivor, Jeff Varner publicly outed Zeke Smith as trans. This wasn’t a game secret Zeke was keeping from a group of players. It was a private personal fact. Varner outed Zeke on CBS prime time,...
- 4/13/2017
- by Stephen Fishbach
- PEOPLE.com
"Survivor" Season 31 (yes, can you believe it?) is now airing, and "Survivor: Second Chance" is one of the best competitions CBS has ever aired. Maybe it's the returning players, all "losers" hungry for a win, or the many twists that have only improved the gameplay and have yet to feel like desperate gimmicks. It's rare to have so many players pushing to win, with very different strategies, and we can't wait to see who ends up the sole survivor of "Survivor: Cambodia."
Who will it be?
Well, the edits certainly give us some hints. For example, we could've told you it wouldn't be Kelly Wiglesworth even before she was eliminated in Episode 9, since she had almost no screen time, including confessionals. Spencer Bledsoe is still the confessional king. The producers have him narrating the season, like this is his story and everyone else is a supporting player. Then again,...
Who will it be?
Well, the edits certainly give us some hints. For example, we could've told you it wouldn't be Kelly Wiglesworth even before she was eliminated in Episode 9, since she had almost no screen time, including confessionals. Spencer Bledsoe is still the confessional king. The producers have him narrating the season, like this is his story and everyone else is a supporting player. Then again,...
- 11/19/2015
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for People since 2009. This season, he will blog about his experiences in Cambodia as a competitor on Survivor: Second Chance. Follow Stephen on Twitter @stephenfishbach.
"It gets mentally overwhelming and draining to think about all the things we need to do just to survive out here, and it's exhausting." –Andrew Savage, Survivor: Pearl Islands
Sometimes the best part of being on Survivor is getting to watch Survivor from five feet away.
At our season's eighth tribal council, when Kelley Wentworth whipped out her...
"It gets mentally overwhelming and draining to think about all the things we need to do just to survive out here, and it's exhausting." –Andrew Savage, Survivor: Pearl Islands
Sometimes the best part of being on Survivor is getting to watch Survivor from five feet away.
At our season's eighth tribal council, when Kelley Wentworth whipped out her...
- 11/12/2015
- by Stephen Fishbach, @stephenfishbach
- People.com - TV Watch
Few contestants have been beaten down by Survivor as much as Shirin Oskooi.
After spending 10 years applying for the show, she was finally cast in Survivor: Worlds Apart. On that season, she had vitriolic clashes with contestants Dan Foley and Will Sims that reduced her to tears.
Then she got the chance to play again in Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance. There was just one hitch: she would be playing back-to-back seasons. As soon as the Survivor: Worlds Apart live finale was finished, she would be whisked away to play again.
Before she knew it, Oskooi was back on an island,...
After spending 10 years applying for the show, she was finally cast in Survivor: Worlds Apart. On that season, she had vitriolic clashes with contestants Dan Foley and Will Sims that reduced her to tears.
Then she got the chance to play again in Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance. There was just one hitch: she would be playing back-to-back seasons. As soon as the Survivor: Worlds Apart live finale was finished, she would be whisked away to play again.
Before she knew it, Oskooi was back on an island,...
- 10/3/2015
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- People.com - TV Watch
When we informed this week's castoff Shirin Oskooi that Kelley Wentworth is predicted to win "Survivor: Second Chance" by our contest entrants, she gushed, "Kelley is amazing because she knows how to blend in when she needs to, but she also has great opinions and she's got great strategy impulse." If you agree that Kelley will win, you should be taking place in our weekly prediction contest. Hurry -- make your "Survivor" predictions for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It's fun and easy, so get started by scrolling down to predict which castaway will be kicked off the island next. -Break- Who will win 'Survivor: Second Chance'? See exclusive predictions According to exclusive Gold Derby odds that are derived from the predictions made by readers like you, Kelley is in the first place position to win Season 31 with leading 5/4 odds (45% chance). No doubt our...
- 10/2/2015
- Gold Derby
Shirin Oskooi talks candidly about her former tribe mates during our "Survivor: Second Chance" exit interview (listen below). She lets loose on "rude and condescending" Terry Deitz, who she compares with last season's womanizing castaway Dan Foley. And when we inform Shirin that Kelley Wentworth is predicted to win "Survivor: Second Chance" by our contest entrants, she gushes, "Kelley is amazing because she knows how to blend in when she needs to, but she also has great opinions and she's got great strategy impulse." After listening to our podcast below, go and make your "Survivor" predictions for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It's fun and easy, so get started by scrolling down to predict which castaway will be kicked off the island next. -Break- Who will win 'Survivor: Second Chance'? See exclusive predictions According to exclusive Gold Derby odds that are de...'...
- 10/1/2015
- Gold Derby
"Abi-Maria Gomes is a psychopath who needs therapy and medication," Shirin Oskooi says bluntly about her former tribe mate during our "Survivor: Second Chance" exit interview (listen below). Shirin also lets loose on "rude and condescending" Terry Deitz, who she's happy to compare to last season's womanizing castaway Dan Foley. After listening to our podcast below, go and make your "Survivor" predictions for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It's fun and easy, so get started by scrolling down to predict which castaway will be kicked off the island next. -Break- Who will win 'Survivor: Second Chance'? See exclusive predictions According to exclusive Gold Derby odds that are derived from the predictions made by users like you, Shirin had 4/1 odds (21% chance) of being voted out Wednesday night. She placed second on our elimination chart, in between Abi-Maria with leading 2/1 odds (33% chance) an...'...
- 10/1/2015
- Gold Derby
Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for People since 2009. This season, he will blog about his experiences in Cambodia as a competitor on Survivor: Second Chance. Follow Stephen on Twitter @stephenfishbach.
"Maybe I'm not in the driver's seat right away. But I'm in the passenger's seat, backseat driving." –Shirin Oskooi, Survivor: Worlds Apart
What's daily life actually like on Survivor?
People ask me all the time. On television you see the strategy and the blindsides. You see the exhausting challenges, the bitter fights and the fraught tribal councils.
But,...
"Maybe I'm not in the driver's seat right away. But I'm in the passenger's seat, backseat driving." –Shirin Oskooi, Survivor: Worlds Apart
What's daily life actually like on Survivor?
People ask me all the time. On television you see the strategy and the blindsides. You see the exhausting challenges, the bitter fights and the fraught tribal councils.
But,...
- 10/1/2015
- by Stephen Fishbach, @stephenfishbach
- People.com - TV Watch
Did you predict that Shirin Oskooi would be the second person voted out of "Survivor: Second Chance"? If so, you should be taking place in our weekly prediction contest. Hurry -- make your "Survivor" predictions for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It's fun and easy, so get started by scrolling down to predict which castaway will be kicked off the island next. -Break- Who will win 'Survivor: Second Chance'? See exclusive predictions According to exclusive Gold Derby odds that are derived from the predictions made by users like you, Shirin had 4/1 odds (21% chance) of being voted out Wednesday night. She placed second on our elimination chart, in between Abi-Maria Gomes with leading 2/1 odds (33% chance) and third-place contender Stephen Fishbach with 9/2 odds (18% chance). Be sure to make Your predictions right here. Congratulations to our user Axolotlman for earning the top score in this week's contest.
- 10/1/2015
- Gold Derby
Survivor: Second Chance Episode 2 recap (original airdate Sept. 30): It’s new school versus old school at Ta Keo. Just when it looks like new school has the upper hand, things take a wild turn compliments of the colorful Jeff Varner who sets the target on Shirin and Spencer. Let’s take a quick look at how we got there Varner’s playing both sides — new school and old school — and thinks the biggest threat is Shirin and Spencer. He’s actually on old school’s side. The too-smart-for-you duo (Shirin and Spencer) is a little too much strategy, not enough get … Continue reading →
The post Survivor: Second Chance episode 2 recap: Who is the two-headed snake? appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
The post Survivor: Second Chance episode 2 recap: Who is the two-headed snake? appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
- 10/1/2015
- by Barb Oates
- ChannelGuideMag
Tonight's episode, kicked off with the usual conversation footage. Kelley Wentworth expressed how happy she was to snag up the immunity idol during the last immunity challenge. Meanwhile, Jeff revealed that he wanted to go ahead and get either Shirin or Spencer out early because they're gaming hard right now. Spencer told the private cams that Abi was basically awful and hated that he had to work with her. Andrew told the private cams that he definitely didn't like the fact that Stephen Fishbach was already searching for an immunity idol. Abi started a fight with Peih-Gee at one point after Abi overheard her talking about her behind her back. Terry moved in to offer Abi some protection in the game, and she was definitely open to it since all the girls turned on her. Next, they showed immunity/rewards challenge footage. It was an obstacle course and puzzle challenge.
- 10/1/2015
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
Once again, Survivor contestants from the past are returning to compete for the million dollar prize once more. Many viewers have expressed disappointment that CBS keeps bringing back contestants and these editions haven't done better in the ratings. Is it time for this reality competition to be cancelled? Will it be renewed for a 33rd season (season 32 has already been filmed)? Stay tuned.
Jeff Probst returns as host of Survivor: Cambodia—Second Chance which brings back 20 castaways that fans believe should have a second chance at winning the game. They are Kelly Wiglesworth, Jeff Varner, Kimmi Kappenberg, Andrew Savage, Peih-Gee Law, Terry Deitz, Monica Padilla, Stephen Fishbach, Abi-Maria Gomes, Vytas Baskauskas, Ciera Eastin, Woo Hwang, Tasha Fox, Spencer Bledsoe, Kass McQuillen, Jeremy Collins, Kelley Wentworth, Keith Nale, Shirin Oskooi, and Joe Anglim.
The higher a show's ratings (particularly the 18-49 demo), the better its...
Jeff Probst returns as host of Survivor: Cambodia—Second Chance which brings back 20 castaways that fans believe should have a second chance at winning the game. They are Kelly Wiglesworth, Jeff Varner, Kimmi Kappenberg, Andrew Savage, Peih-Gee Law, Terry Deitz, Monica Padilla, Stephen Fishbach, Abi-Maria Gomes, Vytas Baskauskas, Ciera Eastin, Woo Hwang, Tasha Fox, Spencer Bledsoe, Kass McQuillen, Jeremy Collins, Kelley Wentworth, Keith Nale, Shirin Oskooi, and Joe Anglim.
The higher a show's ratings (particularly the 18-49 demo), the better its...
- 9/24/2015
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
It’s not about the money! Survivor superfan Shirin Oskooi is competing in her second Survivor season (back to back Seasons 30, Worlds Apart and 31, Cambodia—Second Chance) and she’s going into it with no regrets. For those who may have forgotten, Oskooi, a Yahoo! executive who competed on the White Collar tribe before being voted out on day 27 in Season 30, made quite a confession at the final tribal council. “What you guys don’t know about me is that I made my first million by [...]...
- 9/22/2015
- Us Weekly
The viewers have spoken! The cast for the upcoming 31st season of Survivor was selected entirely by fans, and now you can see the players in action in E! News' exclusive sneak peek at the show's new main titles. The castaways selected come from seasons spanning the entire duration of the series until now, from Kelly Wigglesworth (season one) to Joe Anglim and Shirin Oskooi from the just-wrapped season 30. They're joined by Kimmy Kappenberg and Jeff Varner from season two, Andrew Savage (season seven), Terry Deitz (season 12), Peih-Gee Law (season 15), Stephen Fishbach (season 18), Monica Padilla (season 19), Abi-Maria Gomes (season 25), Ciera Eastin and Vytas Baskauskas (season 27), Kass McQuillen, Woo Hwang,...
- 9/18/2015
- E! Online
Will Shirin Oskooi win "Survivor: Second Chance"? With the show's 31st season set to premiere on CBS Sept. 23, keep coming back to Gold Derby for in-depth analyses of all 20 returning players, including pros and cons that may affect their chances this time around. Hurry - make your "Survivor" predictions for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It's fun and easy, so get started by scrolling down to predict which castaway will be kicked off the island first. -Break- Who will win 'Survivor: Second Chance'? See exclusive predictions Shirin Oskooi Previous Finish: 8th place Season 30: Worlds Apart In a season generally heralded as a return to greatness for the franchise, Shirin became an unexpected fan favorite of "Survivor: Worlds Apart." Early in the season, Shirin established herself in a negative light, annoying both her tribemates and viewers with her "superfan" status. W...
- 9/16/2015
- Gold Derby
This concludes my coverage of "Survivor: Worlds Apart." The 30th "Survivor" installment -- "The Dirty 30" as the castaways were apparently calling it -- wrapped up last Wednesday with a decisive victory for Texas oil driller Mike Holloway, who earned six votes from the Jury, beating Will and Carolyn, who took one symbolic vote apiece. It was a hard-earned win for Mike, who started off in a position of power with a strong Blue Collar alliance only to have his former chums turn on him. Backed into a corner, Mike made a new alliance with vestiges of both White and No Collar tribes, ties that paid few dividends during the season, but formed the spine of his Jury triumph. After perceived challenge powerhouse Joe was taken out, Mike became the target every single week and nearly every single week he won Individual Immunity, tying a quartet of "Survivor" legends -- Colby,...
- 5/26/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Carolyn Rivera had a rough "Survivor" finale night. Not only did the Florida-based corporate executive lose the "Survivor: Worlds Apart" crown to Mike Holloway, but she received fewer votes than she anticipated, in tying with Will Sims for third with one vote apiece. And then to make things worse, Carolyn's candidacy for next season's "Survivor: Second Chances" fell short. [It's no solace, probably, but Mike thinks Carolyn got hosed in the Second Chance voting process] So you'll forgive me for treating Carolyn as the season's second place finisher, at least in terms of exit interview publication. Carolyn earned it. In addition to a key Individual Immunity win, a crucial play on a hidden Idol that she found sans clue and successful maintenance of majority alliance that would have won the day were it not for Mike's Immunity hot streak, Carolyn also earned her place in the Final 3 with a thrilling, tie-breaking fire build victory over Rodney. For the last few weeks of the season I...
- 5/25/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
For 13 of 14 episodes in this "Survivor: Worlds Apart" season, Will Sims II was enjoying one of the quietest, least significant 39 day runs in the show's history. For 13 of those 14 episodes, Will stayed just out of the firing line on his No Collar tribe, made a smart alliance transition post-Merge to join with an assortment of White Collar and Blue Collar players in a majority pact and cruised to a Final 3 finish. For 13 of those 14 episodes, you'd have been hard-pressed to remember anything specific that Will did. That 14th episode? Well, it was a doozy. At the "Survivor" Auction, Will seemed to make a bad bid and was sent directly back to camp, where he discovered that he'd actually been given directions to a hidden trove of supplies. Will shared his food with his fellow tribemates when they returned, but speculation inevitably arose that if he'd been forthcoming about some of the food,...
- 5/24/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
"Survivor: Worlds Apart" fourth and fifth place finishers Rodney Lavoie Jr. and Sierra Dawn Thomas called me as a package deal on Thursday (May 21) morning following the "Survivor" finale. The pairing probably spared Rodney lots of repetition about the various sexism and misogyny charges leveled through the season and discussed through the finale. Those issues came up in our conversation, but it wasn't the meat of the exit interview. In a season with a 6-1-1 vote, I let Sierra and Rodney defend casting their respective votes for Carolyn and Will instead of eventual winner Mike. We discussed a few strategic points in the game, we circled around the sexist comments, the edit and who apologized to whom. And we talked about Rodney's birthday and his feelings about Tom Brady's suspension in Deflategate. Which Rodney compares to excessive attention to "Survivor" sexism. Paired interviews are a good way to deflect problematic questions!
- 5/23/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Sometimes, people play a good game of Survivor, but lose because of bad luck.
That happened in Survivor: Worlds Apart.
Carolyn "Mama C" Rivera certainly had the chops to win the show, but she ended up on a season where likable, athletic Mike Holloway went on an immunity run and was unable to be voted out.
Brash Bostonian Rodney Lavoie Jr. put together a successful alliance, but he also fell victim to Holloway's immunity run. Sierra Dawn Thomas made it to the final five without making a single enemy on the jury. And Will Sims – who looked like a clear...
That happened in Survivor: Worlds Apart.
Carolyn "Mama C" Rivera certainly had the chops to win the show, but she ended up on a season where likable, athletic Mike Holloway went on an immunity run and was unable to be voted out.
Brash Bostonian Rodney Lavoie Jr. put together a successful alliance, but he also fell victim to Holloway's immunity run. Sierra Dawn Thomas made it to the final five without making a single enemy on the jury. And Will Sims – who looked like a clear...
- 5/22/2015
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- People.com - TV Watch
Nice guys don't always finish last.
That was ultimately the message of Survivor: Worlds Apart. The arguments were ugly and the characters weren't always lovable, but in the end, it was good guy Mike Holloway who walked away with $1 million.
It wasn't easy. After finding himself on the outs, Holloway only made it to the end by winning five immunity challenges and playing a hidden immunity idol.
Holloway, a 38-year-old oil driller from Texas, tells People how he won the game – and what he'll do differently if he ever plays again.
Mike! Congratulations on winning season 30!
Thank you! It still hasn't sunk in yet.
That was ultimately the message of Survivor: Worlds Apart. The arguments were ugly and the characters weren't always lovable, but in the end, it was good guy Mike Holloway who walked away with $1 million.
It wasn't easy. After finding himself on the outs, Holloway only made it to the end by winning five immunity challenges and playing a hidden immunity idol.
Holloway, a 38-year-old oil driller from Texas, tells People how he won the game – and what he'll do differently if he ever plays again.
Mike! Congratulations on winning season 30!
Thank you! It still hasn't sunk in yet.
- 5/22/2015
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- People.com - TV Watch
A new "Survivor" champ has been crowned and the winner is ... Mike Holloway! The Texas oil driller walked away with the million dollar check during the landmark 30th season of "Survivor: Worlds Apart," and after that finale, there was no doubt that the 38-year-old would take home the top prize. This season, the competitors were divided into tribes based on their social class: white collar, blue collar and no collar. Holloway was a member of the blue collar tribe, Escameca, ending up in the top three with Carolyn Rivera and Will Sims. He beat out his competition in all three challenges and got some help from an unexpected guest ... his mom! Congrats on being the Sole Survivor, Mike! Besides crowning a winner, host Jeff Probst also revealed the cast of season 31 of the hit series, which will feature fan-favorites from previous seasons of the show. Kelly Wigglesworth (Season 1)Kimmi Kappenberg...
- 5/21/2015
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
CBS’ Survivor on Wednesday night revealed the cast for its “Second Chance”-themed 31st edition, as determined by fans.
RelatedSurvivor Twist: Viewer Votes Will Decide Next Season’s Castaways
Starting on May 6, fans cast their votes over a two-week period. The cast of Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance, 10 males and 10 females, boarded a bus after the Worlds Apart reunion show and began their trek to Cambodia, where the Season 31 will film for 39 days.
The pool of 32 former players from which viewers chose from have never won the game and felt they deserved a second chance to compete for the $1 million...
RelatedSurvivor Twist: Viewer Votes Will Decide Next Season’s Castaways
Starting on May 6, fans cast their votes over a two-week period. The cast of Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance, 10 males and 10 females, boarded a bus after the Worlds Apart reunion show and began their trek to Cambodia, where the Season 31 will film for 39 days.
The pool of 32 former players from which viewers chose from have never won the game and felt they deserved a second chance to compete for the $1 million...
- 5/21/2015
- TVLine.com
Mike Holloway may have been named sole survivor on the season 30 finale of Survivor: Worlds Apart, but on the May 20 reunion show, it was Holloway's Blue Collar tribe mate Dan Foley who took center stage. Taken to task by CBS host Jeff Probst for a series of off-putting comments he made during the season both to other cast members and in the media, Foley was forced to apologize to costars Shirin Oskooi (whom he begged to "slap and shut her up already") and Rodney [...]...
- 5/21/2015
- Us Weekly
America has spoken.
With more than 10 million ballots cast, fans of Survivor have selected 10 men and 10 women to head to a remote island later this week to play the game.
All of the contestants have played the game once before, but none of them have walked away with the $1 million check.
These 20 contestants will be immediately sequestered. They will speak to the media on Friday before going to Cambodia to play the game.
With no further ado, these are the contestants America chose.
The WomenKelly Wiglesworth, the show's very first runner-up who was ambivalent about forming an alliance and...
With more than 10 million ballots cast, fans of Survivor have selected 10 men and 10 women to head to a remote island later this week to play the game.
All of the contestants have played the game once before, but none of them have walked away with the $1 million check.
These 20 contestants will be immediately sequestered. They will speak to the media on Friday before going to Cambodia to play the game.
With no further ado, these are the contestants America chose.
The WomenKelly Wiglesworth, the show's very first runner-up who was ambivalent about forming an alliance and...
- 5/21/2015
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- People.com - TV Watch
Hey, "Survivor" peeps. Yes, it's definitely true guys. Your favorite reality show will definitely be back for a brand new season 31 this Fall 2015! And if that weren't enough, we already got the spoiler lowdown from TV Line. It turns out that the show is giving the viewing audience a chance to vote for past contestants to return to the game. They're titling it "Survivor 31: Second Chance." 32 former castmates will be vying for the chance to be one of the 20 competitors for season 31. The competitors that competed for the vote. I say competed, because the voting already took place, and will be revealed in tonight's finale show. The contestants are: Season 1/Borneo | Kelly Wiglesworth, Season 2/The Australian Outback | Jeff Varner, Kimmi Kappenberg, Season 3/Africa | Teresa “T-Bird” Cooper, Season 7/Pearl Islands | Andrew Savage, Season 12/Panama |, Shane Powers, Terry Deitz. Season 15/China | Peih-Gee Law, Season 18/Tocantins | Stephen Fischbach, Season 19/Samoa | Monica Padilla,...
- 5/21/2015
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
Pre-credit sequence. It's Night 35 and the Top 5 castaways return to camp. Carolyn is giddy. Mike is incredulous. Rodney is offended that Carolyn didn't tell him about the Idol, which is funny since Carolyn's offended that Rodney voted for her. They agree that without Idols or advantages remaining, everybody wants Mike out, which is especially funny since Mike was the only person to support Carolyn at the previous Tribal. But loyalty doesn't go very far when you're this deep into "Survivor." Mother-Lover. Tonight's Reward is an individual challenge and it's really only worthwhile if Rodney loses. No Rewards for Rodney! It's a complicated challenge involving tiles, a number puzzle, shuffle board and other stuff. Wanna know what they're playing for? Love! Carolyn's husband comes out and she cries. It's a fairy tale marriage. Everybody cries. Mike's mom comes out and he cries. It's a fairy tale mother-son relationship.
- 5/21/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for People since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @stephenfishbach.
"When I start working hard on something, my whole body and soul just goes into it, with every ounce of me. … And that's what winners do. Winners keep fighting. Champions keep persevering." –Bobby Jon Drinkard, Survivor: Palau
I'm filing this dispatch to People mere moments before I learn if I'm about to be cast on Survivor: Second Chances. Whether or not I end up being selected – I want to thank all of you who have...
"When I start working hard on something, my whole body and soul just goes into it, with every ounce of me. … And that's what winners do. Winners keep fighting. Champions keep persevering." –Bobby Jon Drinkard, Survivor: Palau
I'm filing this dispatch to People mere moments before I learn if I'm about to be cast on Survivor: Second Chances. Whether or not I end up being selected – I want to thank all of you who have...
- 5/21/2015
- by Stephen Fishbach, @stephenfishbach
- People.com - TV Watch
Season 30, Survivor: Worlds Apart, has been a turbulent journey of ups and downs. We've had ugly social issues arise after Will and Dan issued personal attacks on Shirin. Mike has scrambled his way to the finale, despite having his back against the wall for weeks. And maybe most importantly, we've been blessed with Joe's adorable dimples. But now, it's finally time to see who wins it all. As Jeff would say, "Sole Survivor is back up for grabs!"...
- 5/20/2015
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
To say that Dan Foley has been one of the polarizing players in this "Survivor" season would probably be a misnomer, because the "positive" side of the pole hasn't been over-represented as far as fans are concerned. From condescending chatter about how to talk to and apologize to women, to bullying behavior towards Sierra, to the particularly odd Tribal Council moment in which Dan compared being adopted to being a victim of abuse, the editors have had fun creating an unappealing carousel of moments with Dan, but also Rodney and Will. Dan hasn't done so well with the men either, launching a feud with former ally Mike over a misunderstanding, and seemingly randomly calling Rodney's mother a whore. Several months after an ouster in which Dan's two-vote Tribal Council advantage was negated by a surprising Idol play by Carolyn, Dan's got explanations or context for a lot...
- 5/17/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Everyone knows that Survivor is a highly edited show.
Over a period of three days, multiple cameras film between 300-500 hours of footage. Then, a team of editors boil all that footage down to one 44-minute episode.
Dan Foley, the latest contestant voted off the island, says he watched the first two episodes and realized that he was going to get a villain's edit. But even he seems surprised at how negatively he was portrayed – and how vitriolic the viewer response has been.
So what did we miss? Foley, a 47-year-old postal worker from Maine, was happy to tell us.
Over a period of three days, multiple cameras film between 300-500 hours of footage. Then, a team of editors boil all that footage down to one 44-minute episode.
Dan Foley, the latest contestant voted off the island, says he watched the first two episodes and realized that he was going to get a villain's edit. But even he seems surprised at how negatively he was portrayed – and how vitriolic the viewer response has been.
So what did we miss? Foley, a 47-year-old postal worker from Maine, was happy to tell us.
- 5/15/2015
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- People.com - TV Watch
As Survivor: Worlds Apart heads into its penultimate episode on Wednesday night, Tyler Fredrickson is out of the running for the million dollar prize.
Fredrickson, who was perhaps the nicest person in his alliance, was voted out of the game last week. The other contestants saw him as a threat.
The 34-year-old from Los Angeles tells People what went wrong – and weighs in on the controversial season.
So you were voted off by your own alliance. Did you know it was coming?
I didn't. I thought it would be Dan. I thought some of us would vote for Dan, and others would vote for Mike.
Fredrickson, who was perhaps the nicest person in his alliance, was voted out of the game last week. The other contestants saw him as a threat.
The 34-year-old from Los Angeles tells People what went wrong – and weighs in on the controversial season.
So you were voted off by your own alliance. Did you know it was coming?
I didn't. I thought it would be Dan. I thought some of us would vote for Dan, and others would vote for Mike.
- 5/13/2015
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- People.com - TV Watch
On Survivor: Worlds Apart, Rodney just woke up and realized he's playing Survivor. He complained incessantly about not winning one reward challenge and being stuck on the beach doing the same thing day after day. Uh, hello? Haven't you watched the past 29 seasons? He's even more shocked and shaken that Mama C didn't relinquish her spot to him when she won the opportunity, along with Sierra and Mike, to deliver supplies to a local orphanage and partake in a BBQ reward. Let's face it, philanthropic missions are hardly in Rodney's wheelhouse. It's your birthday, Rodney, Bfd.
The question of whether the core four would turn on each other instead of going after Dan or Sierra was answered. Predictably, the Strong Six chose to force Mike to play his idol. What did come as a shock was Mama C turning on her closest ally, Tyler. Dan may have an advantage,...
The question of whether the core four would turn on each other instead of going after Dan or Sierra was answered. Predictably, the Strong Six chose to force Mike to play his idol. What did come as a shock was Mama C turning on her closest ally, Tyler. Dan may have an advantage,...
- 5/13/2015
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
On "Survivor: Worlds Apart," Will Sims is far from a physical powerhouse and he's not really a mental threat either, which is likely why our readers think he'll be a non-factor when it comes to winning this season. Can Will overcome his lowly 100/1 odds at Gold Derby to earn the title of Sole Survivor? Hurry -- make your predictions for next week's episode and you could win our prize of a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It's fun and easy, so start now by scrolling down and predicting who will be eliminated next. -Break- Who will win 'Survivor: Worlds Apart'? See exclusive predictions According to exclusive Gold Derby predictions, Will's chances of winning the game are only about 2%. Even if he makes it to the two-hour season finale on May 20 and winds up in the Top 3, he likely won't earn a single vote from the jury. Why? Because keep in...
- 5/12/2015
- Gold Derby
As so often happens on "Survivor," Tyler Fredrickson seemed well on his way to winning the million bucks, at least until he suddenly wasn't and Jeff Probst was snuffing his torch. Tyler had weathered a bumpy transition out of the not-wholly-functional White Collar tribe and he found himself in the center of a seemly strong numbers alliance, one that he helped solidify through his tight bond with original tribemate Carolyn. The former Cal Bears kicker and preseason Redskin and Raider was just strong enough that he seemed capable of winning an Individual Immunity or two, but not so dangerous that everybody viewed him as a threat. And in a season of larger-than-life personalities prone to extended shouting matches, he seemed level-headed and quiet. Naturally, that was a combination of factors that caused people to start talking about him as the eventual winner and that's the kind of talk that can...
- 5/10/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Rather than selecting returning players unilaterally and listening to fans complain about the latest return for Rupert or a confusing return for a castaway even superfans don't remember, "Survivor" has left the decision somewhat up to America to determine the 20 castaways for Season 31. On Wednesday (May 6) at the end of the latest episode of the less-than-lackluster "Survivor: Worlds Apart," CBS formally announced what had long been rumored across the Interwebs. There are 32 candidates up for the "Second Chance" season. As the word "second" implies, this season will only be open to one-time former players who didn't win, so all of your Hantzes and Ruperts are out. Thank God. Instead, this group of 32 includes contestants going back to original "Survivor: Borneo" runner-up Kelly Wigglesworth. And then there are five candidates from the current season, including two who haven't been eliminated yet, which is either an annoying spoiler or not, but I'm...
- 5/7/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Pre-credit sequence. Shirin is gone, but thanks to Mike, last week's Tribal had some amusement and it's time to see what the ripples are. Everybody's trying to figure out who voted for who, with Mike cackling all the way. The Six go off into the jungle to scramble, which Mike loves, even if he wasn't invited. He knows he's safe with his Idol, so The Six will have to cannibalize. Dan is ranting and raving about knowing it was a bluff, while Tyler is trying to lecture Dan on basic strategy. "It's fine," Dan says, putting his hand on Tyler's chest in a threatening manner. Clueless Will is trying to explain to Dan why he voted for him and Dan also reassures him, in a Low-Rent Godfather kinda way. "I don't have too many lifelines remaining," Tyler says, vowing to vote for Dan again if he needs to.
- 5/7/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
If your favorite Survivor castaway never made it to the end of the season, now you’ve got the power to bring him or her back for a second chance at glory.
Fans of the long-running reality series will pick the 20 people who’ll compete in Season 31, CBS announced Wednesday.
Those who visit cbs.com/survivorsecondchance will have their pick of 32 former contestants from Seasons 1-30. None of the contenders won their respective seasons.
Related May Finales Calendar: Find Out What’s Ending When!
The voting results will be revealed during this season’s live reunion show on Wednesday, May 20 (10/9c).
The castaways competing for…...
Fans of the long-running reality series will pick the 20 people who’ll compete in Season 31, CBS announced Wednesday.
Those who visit cbs.com/survivorsecondchance will have their pick of 32 former contestants from Seasons 1-30. None of the contenders won their respective seasons.
Related May Finales Calendar: Find Out What’s Ending When!
The voting results will be revealed during this season’s live reunion show on Wednesday, May 20 (10/9c).
The castaways competing for…...
- 5/7/2015
- TVLine.com
In its 30 seasons, Survivor has worked hard to keep things fresh.
Each season has included twists and turns, keeping contestants – and viewers – on their toes. "Sometimes, people love what we do," host Jeff Probst told People in February. "Sometimes, they just want to throw things at us."
For the show's 31st season, producers have come up with one of the show's biggest twists: letting fans of the show choose the 20 castaways who will compete.
Voting opens on Wednesday and continues for two weeks. Fans can visit Survivor's website to view personal videos from the 32 finalists – all contestants who have played the game once before,...
Each season has included twists and turns, keeping contestants – and viewers – on their toes. "Sometimes, people love what we do," host Jeff Probst told People in February. "Sometimes, they just want to throw things at us."
For the show's 31st season, producers have come up with one of the show's biggest twists: letting fans of the show choose the 20 castaways who will compete.
Voting opens on Wednesday and continues for two weeks. Fans can visit Survivor's website to view personal videos from the 32 finalists – all contestants who have played the game once before,...
- 5/7/2015
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- People.com - TV Watch
According to Gold Derby's combined predictions, either Dan Foley or Tyler Fredrickson will get their torch snuffed tonight on "Survivor: Worlds Apart." Do you agree or disagree with those odds? Hurry-- make your own predictions and you could win our prize of a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It's fun and easy, so start now by scrolling down and predicting who will be eliminated next. -Break- Who will win 'Survivor: Worlds Apart'? See exclusive predictions Last week, our users correctly predicted the elimination of Shirin Oskooi with 35% of the vote. Listen to our exit Q&A podcast with Shirin here, or scroll down to the bottom of this post. As for tonight's episode, titled "Holding on For Dear Life," our readers are setting their sights on Shirin's "super fan" nemesis Dan. He has leading 9/5 odds of being voted off, followed by Tyler in second place with odds of 13/5, and then Rodney Lavo.
- 5/6/2015
- Gold Derby
On Survivor: World's Apart, Mike's plan to expose the hierarchy of the "Strong Six" was genius. It's just unfortunate that most of them called his bluff. Mike should have saved Shirin because now that Dan knows he's low man on the totem pole, Mike has a better chance of rekindling their alliance. With Dan's extra vote advantage and Shirin still around, Mike, with Sierra in tow, would have had the numbers to get out Tyler, who already played out that possible scenario in his head.
- 5/6/2015
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
When Shirin Oskooi was 21, she applied to be a contestant on Survivor. She didn't make it, so she applied again and again, at least once a year.
She finally got the call to compete. She was 31.
But things didn't go as planned. Oskooi, a Yahoo! executive from San Francisco, found herself on an exceptionally unpleasant season. The arguments often devolved into vicious personal attacks – many of which were aimed directly at Oskooi.
The ugliness reached its peak when fellow contestant Will Simms derided Oskooi for not having a family. It was clearly a painful moment for the contestants and an awkward scene for the viewers.
She finally got the call to compete. She was 31.
But things didn't go as planned. Oskooi, a Yahoo! executive from San Francisco, found herself on an exceptionally unpleasant season. The arguments often devolved into vicious personal attacks – many of which were aimed directly at Oskooi.
The ugliness reached its peak when fellow contestant Will Simms derided Oskooi for not having a family. It was clearly a painful moment for the contestants and an awkward scene for the viewers.
- 5/4/2015
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- People.com - TV Watch
On last week's "Survivor: Worlds Apart," several castaways talked about talking much-maligned underdog Shirin Oskooi to the end because of the assumption that nobody would vote for her. This was crazy-talk and I figured Shirin would have been a lock for at least four votes. "Five, bro! I had five Jury votes bro, five," Shirin was quick to tell me when we spoke after Wednesday's "Survivor." Of course, the fact that we were speaking on Thursday meant that Shirin would actually be receiving zero Jury votes, because she was sent to join the Jury herself in a vote that at least had drama thanks to an Idol bluff from Mike. Sensing an inevitable vote against Shirin, Mike feigned like he was going to give the former White Collar member his Hidden Immunity Idol and suggested the ruling alliance would be wise to cannibalize itself. Mike's move caused a couple surprise votes to go against Dan,...
- 5/3/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
"I'm not a victim," says the latest "Survivor: Worlds Apart" castoff Shirin Oskooi during her exit interview with Gold Derby about why she denied Will Sims his letter from home last week (listen below). "You had people there like Mike, Jenn and Sierra who wanted to see me raise my hand. Me raising my hand instills pride in them [and] I won over all of their jury votes." Hurry -- make your predictions for next week's episode and you could win our prize of a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It's fun and easy, so start now by scrolling down and predicting who will be eliminated next. -Break- Who will win 'Survivor: Worlds Apart'? See exclusive predictions Shirin delves deeper into her controversial decision, saying, "That guy did not deserve his letter. Everybody only had their letters in the first place because of me, including the people that I didn't like.
- 5/1/2015
- Gold Derby
Did you predict that Shirin Oskooi would get her torch snuffed on "Survivor: Worlds Apart" Wednesday night and that Carolyn Rivera would win both the Reward and Immunity challenges? If so, you should be taking part in our weekly prediction contest. Hurry -- make your predictions for next week's episode and you could win our prize of a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It's fun and easy, so start now by scrolling down and predicting who will be eliminated next. -Break- Who will win 'Survivor: Worlds Apart'? See exclusive predictions Congratulations to our user ScoobyFan for winning this week's episode contest. He's one of five people to reap perfect 100% prediction accuracy while predicting Episode 11, titled "Survivor Russian Roulette," though he broke the tie with his high point score (10,661) thanks to using his special 500 and 200 point bets wisely. If eligible, as per our contest rules, he will win a $1...
- 4/30/2015
- Gold Derby
Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for People since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @stephenfishbach.
"You've just gotta hope that those true alliances that you thought you had, and that you tried to build at the beginning, help you at the end. But sometimes it just doesn't work out that way." –Russell Hantz, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Mike Holloway is a superb Survivor player. He's a challenge beast who will grip a pole until his palms are bloody. He's a strategic wizard who will blow up your tribal council with grandiose...
"You've just gotta hope that those true alliances that you thought you had, and that you tried to build at the beginning, help you at the end. But sometimes it just doesn't work out that way." –Russell Hantz, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Mike Holloway is a superb Survivor player. He's a challenge beast who will grip a pole until his palms are bloody. He's a strategic wizard who will blow up your tribal council with grandiose...
- 4/30/2015
- by Stephen Fishbach, @stephenfishbach
- People.com - TV Watch
Pre-credit sequence. I already miss Jenn. Sigh. No matter what Mike tried to say at Tribal, Dan doesn't believe he's at the bottom of his alliance, insisting once again that beneath his seemingly passive game lurk schemes. Still waters, as we say, run Dan. Taking a break from brow-beating her about her stupidity, Dan is feigning sympathy toward Shirin, who feels like she was verbally assaulted by Will in the previous episode. She says she isn't a crier, but she has a Pavlov's Dog response to men attacking her, a thought that makes Shirin cry again. "All this drama makes Will an excellent person to take to the end," Shirin also laments to us. Putting on the hangdog of hangdoggiest expressions, Dan tells Shirin that he's sorry about what went down at Tribal. Do we believe a word out of Dan's mouth? Well, let's see what he tells the camera.
- 4/30/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Things got ugly last week on Survivor: Worlds Apart. But besides the social issues, and there have been plenty, the majority alliance continues to pick off the minority alliance one at a time according to plan. Maybe Mike can shake things up with his idol or convince Dan to use his extra vote to vote with him and Shirin. Let's get to it.
- 4/29/2015
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
Survivor contestants Mike Holloway and Shirin Oskooi need to catch a break.
With eight competitors left, Holloway and Oskooi are clearly on the outs. Other castaways have begun to verbally berate them, leading to uncomfortable fireworks each week.
They will likely be the next two Murica tribe members to go unless the stars align for them. (Then again, what do we know? The first rule of Survivor is that anything can happen.)
Holloway has a hidden immunity idol, but it's going to take more than that to keep him and Oskooi in contention for the million-dollar prize.
Their salvation may...
With eight competitors left, Holloway and Oskooi are clearly on the outs. Other castaways have begun to verbally berate them, leading to uncomfortable fireworks each week.
They will likely be the next two Murica tribe members to go unless the stars align for them. (Then again, what do we know? The first rule of Survivor is that anything can happen.)
Holloway has a hidden immunity idol, but it's going to take more than that to keep him and Oskooi in contention for the million-dollar prize.
Their salvation may...
- 4/29/2015
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- People.com - TV Watch
According to Gold Derby's combined predictions, either Shirin Oskooi or Dan Foley will get their torch snuffed tonight on "Survivor: Worlds Apart." Do you agree or disagree with those odds? Hurry -- make your own predictions and you could win our prize of a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It's fun and easy, so start now by scrolling down and predicting who will be eliminated next. -Break- Who will win 'Survivor: Worlds Apart'? See exclusive predictions Last week, our users correctly predicted the elimination of Jenn Brown with 23% of the vote. Listen to our exit Q&A podcast with Jenn here, or scroll down to the bottom of this post. As for tonight's episode, titled "Survivor Russian Roulette," our readers are setting their sights on Jenn's partner-in-crime Shirin. She has leading 9/4 odds of being voted off, followed by Dan in second place with odds of 9/2, and then Tyler Fredrickson in third place.
- 4/29/2015
- Gold Derby
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