cast

[Emanuel Berg]

I accept the neurotic, very articulated nerd type of
personality is by now very common in modern society, and the
Survivor casts should reflect that, but were are the
old-school hardliner and adventure guys? Surely they exist in
society as well and since island life one would think would be
right up their alley, there should be a couple of those as
well every time IMO.

--
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

[Brian Smith]

On Monday, December 25, 2023 at 9:49:10 PM UTC-7, Emanuel Berg wrote:
> I accept the neurotic, very articulated nerd type of
> personality is by now very common in modern society, and the
> Survivor casts should reflect that, but were are the
> old-school hardliner and adventure guys? Surely they exist in
> society as well and since island life one would think would be
> right up their alley, there should be a couple of those as
> well every time IMO.
>
> --

I wonder if someone like Boston Rob would even get cast in the New Era? Last week Katurah posted some clips to her IG Stories of her doing a Zoom or Microsoft Teams call with one of the casting producers. Katurah was mentioning her sob stories and then added "And I'm gay as fucking hell! I check off all the boxes." For better or worse, checking the right boxes is pretty key to getting cast nowadays. Emily must have submitted one hell of an audition video to get cast.

--
Brian

[Emanuel Berg]

Brian Smith wrote:

> I wonder if someone like Boston Rob would even get cast in
> the New Era?

What about Sandra? :)

[Rick]

"Brian Smith" wrote in message
news:53d8cc37-1114-4122...@googlegroups.com...

Well even with diversity, you still need at least one token straight smart
white girl, and they got that with Emily.

Course they also got the token ADHD-ish goofy white guy with Jake.

--

[Brian Smith]

Thank God Emily got cast. She saved the season for me early on. Hopefully in the future they see through people like Hannah and don't cast them.

--
Brian

[Brian Smith]

On Monday, December 25, 2023 at 10:32:46 PM UTC-7, Emanuel Berg wrote:
> Brian Smith wrote:
>
> > I wonder if someone like Boston Rob would even get cast in
> > the New Era?
> What about Sandra? :)
> --

Sandra would get cast for sure. Someone like Jeff Kent wouldn't get past the first stage of casting.

--
Brian

[Rick]

"Brian Smith" wrote in message

news:a6d8b3e7-64a8-4a25...@googlegroups.com...

Emily was definitely a find, and she's a lock to return if they ever do
returning players again. Last I heard was that they want to focus on new
players in the "new era" so it will probably be a while before they do
another all-stars or second chances or something like that.

--

[Emanuel Berg]

Rick wrote:

> Emily was definitely a find, and she's a lock to return if
> they ever do returning players again. Last I heard was that
> they want to focus on new players in the "new era" so it
> will probably be a while before they do another all-stars or
> second chances or something like that.

Also, we have said a lot of times, this player is so cool
he/she will return, and that didn't happen. Well, so far
at least it didn't.

Some examples. Jay Starrett from "Millennials vs Gen X".

Kellee Kim, Noura Salman, Dean Kowalski, in that order, from
"Island of the Idols".

And many more.

Not saying Emily can't return tho, good for her if she does.

Go Emily \o/

[Brian Smith]

Dalton thought S46 was going to have returning players but that clearly didn't happen. Jeff was asked about returning players about a year or so ago and said there wasn't enough compelling players to bring back yet. My guess is S48 will have a few returning players and S50 will be all returning but not necessarily just from the New Era. Hopefully Emily is willing to play again.

--
Brian

[Rick]

"Brian Smith" wrote in message

news:018b96e5-275c-49b5...@googlegroups.com...

She said in one of her interviews she would come back in a heartbeat, but
who knows how she will feel in another few years. When they kicked off the
new era a few years ago one of their mantras was the elimination of "themes"
and simpIy designating each season as Survivor 41, Survivor 42 etc., which
could make a returning player season problematic.

I do like your optimism that the show will still be around for S50. Hard
to believe, but Jeff will be 65 by that point with no obvious replacement in
site. If he ever decides to call it a day, I'm not sure who would or could
replace him. Jonathan LaPaglia, who does the Australian franchise, would be
an interesting choice since he's a dual citizen and spends a lot of time in
the US anyway. I suppose Rob C or Dalton would be possibilities, though
neither has ever lead a network series like this. They used to often
mention Phil Keoghan as a possible replacement, but TAR is hanging in there
and keeps coming back, and he also has "Tough as Nails" now. I hate to say
the show would have trouble surviving (pun intended) without Jeff, but it's
hard to imagine someone else other than maybe JLP in the lead role.


--

[Brian Smith]

Good to hear Emily is gung-ho about playing again but you're right that things can change down the road.

> I do like your optimism that the show will still be around for S50. Hard
> to believe, but Jeff will be 65 by that point with no obvious replacement in
> site. If he ever decides to call it a day, I'm not sure who would or could
> replace him. Jonathan LaPaglia, who does the Australian franchise, would be
> an interesting choice since he's a dual citizen and spends a lot of time in
> the US anyway. I suppose Rob C or Dalton would be possibilities, though
> neither has ever lead a network series like this. They used to often
> mention Phil Keoghan as a possible replacement, but TAR is hanging in there
> and keeps coming back, and he also has "Tough as Nails" now. I hate to say
> the show would have trouble surviving (pun intended) without Jeff, but it's
> hard to imagine someone else other than maybe JLP in the lead role.
> --

65 isn't that old and Jeff's in good shape. Phil originally applied to be the host of Survivor, but Jeff got the job and Phil ended up getting TAR. With 90-minute episodes appearing to become permanent, I don't see TAR going anywhere. I also can't see anyone else hosting either show. Dalton probably has more knowledge about the show than anyone but I don't see that necessarily translating into him being a good host. Rob would be an interesting host but would he give up his podcasting empire? Also, who would be the showrunner?

--
Brian

[Rick]

"Brian Smith" wrote in message

news:ca30cb27-456a-4376...@googlegroups.com...

Rob makes enough from podcasting to earn a small profit, but it's a drop in
the bucket compared to what he could make as the host of a network TV show.
Very few podcasters make enough to be independently wealthy, and Rob is
certainly not that. In contrast, Jeff is a multi-millionaire many times
over and could have walked away from the show in its early years and been
set for life (in fact, he almost did that till they made him showrunner).
So I have no doubt Rob would jump at the chance to host the show. But would
CBS offer him the job? I kind of doubt it. The only comparable situation I
can think of was the Jeopardy producers awarding Ken Jennings the hosting
job after Alex Trebek's death, but that was a different situation since
Jennings was widely regarded as the greatest Jeopardy player ever, and he
had played in many all-star and celebrity versions of the show, as well as
hosting a TV trivia series.. Rob is undeniably one of the great Survivor
players, but he's been out of the general public eye for a good 20 years,
would probably not be recognized by most Survivor viewers, and has no TV
hosting experience, as far as I know. I think I might still give the edge
to LaPaglia.

>Also, who would be the showrunner?

My guess would be Matt Van Wagenen

--

[Brian Smith]

Rob could take the job and have people like Fishbach and Mike Bloom host the Survivor podcasts for him. I don't think being out of the public eye would be a huge problem. He's very well-known in the Survivor community and reintroducing him to the general public wouldn't be that hard. The problem would that his hosting style would likely be very different than Jeff's. If they go with a past player, it would likely be Boston Rob. He's got the name recognition, hosting experience, he's a past winner, part of the CBS family, and his hosting style would likely be very close to Jeff's.

> >Also, who would be the showrunner?
> My guess would be Matt Van Wagenen

That would make a lot of sense.

--
Brian

[Rick]

"Brian Smith" wrote in message

news:48316ed0-856c-4374...@googlegroups.com...

Boston Rob could probably do it, but I'm not sure he'd want it at this stage
in his life with four teenage and pre-teen girls still living at home.
That's a tough age to be separated from one of your parents for that many
months a year. He's also pretty set financially with his reality show and
poker winnings, etc. so he probably literally doesn't need the money.
Another problem is that Boston Rob is kind of a polarizing figure among
certain segments of the fandom, and I'm not sure the powers that be would
want someone who would take attention away from the players as he might do.
If they really want a former player, maybe they'd go with someone like Rick
Devens, who is an actual professional TV host.

>> >Also, who would be the showrunner?
>> My guess would be Matt Van Wagenen
>
>That would make a lot of sense.
>
>--
>Brian

--

[Brian Smith]

Doesn't Cesternino have a couple of young kids?

I saw a tweet tonight from Kim reminding people that the second season of her show on HGTV starts tonight. Kim would be an interesting choice to host Survivor. She's got hosting experience, she's recognizable to viewers, and she's likable. But would she give up everything she has now? She's also got three young kids. We know from Winners at War that she and Boston Rob can be separated from their kids for over a month so the kid aspect might not be an issue.

Do you think Rick Devans could overcome being associated with such a controversial season? A lot of people hate that season for various reasons.

--
Brian

[Rick]

"Brian Smith" wrote in message

news:01f7b732-5e1f-4a81...@googlegroups.com...

Yes, Rob C. does have two young boys at home, but I think his situation is
radically different from Boston Rob’s. It’s not for nothing that Rob C.
always refers to himself as the “Rob that sucks” when comparing himself to
Rob Mariano. He said it originally as a joke, but I think it has evolved to
highlight a big difference between them. Boston Rob is literally set for
life – he has a great wife, four beautiful daughters, he is famous, he is
more than financially secure. He can write his own ticket and pick and
choose what he wants to do in life. Yes, he and Amber did go back to do
Survivor Winners at War (how could they possibly refuse that?) and he did
that silly gig with Sandra the season before (which pretty much flowed into
Winners at War), but I just don’t think he’d want the commitment of having
to be in Fiji for half the year every year at this stage in his life.

Rob C. is different. Unlike the Rob that doesn’t suck, Survivor is really
Rob C’s big passion in life, and he has been living it for literally half
his life. He’s not exactly struggling at podcasting, but I don’t think he
feels he has completely made it yet. His downloads are decent but not great
for someone who wants to do podcasting as a full-time career. You'll notice
that everyone else who podcasts on the RHAP network has a full-time job
outside of the podcast. I’m pretty sure his wife Nicole still works
full-time, and it’s noteworthy that he and his family left LA a few years
back because of the high cost of living. Bottom line is that I’m pretty
sure Rob C. would jump at the chance for a network hosting role, but I’m
just not sure he would get the offer. Jeff certainly knows Rob C. and
refers to him from time to time, but he’s never really been one of Jeff’s
faves.

Kim S would do a great job hosting Survivor, and it would be great to have a
female hosting the show. Women have hosted other reality shows, of course,
notably Julie on Big Brother and more recently Alex on The Mole, but I'm
pretty sure no woman has ever hosted any English-language Survivor season.
I think there are probably many other former contestants who could do the
job. Adam Klein is another name that comes to mind, though he's had his own
issues with Jeff and the show recently. He has a strategic mind and I think
he would do a pretty good job as host. But I still kind of think the powers
that be will want a professional broadcaster in the role (remember that Jeff
himself had experience as a game show host before Survivor), which is why I
mentioned Rick Devens. And sure, Devens was associated with a mildly
controversial season, but he was more of a victim of the twist that enabled
Chris to win, so I don't think it will hurt him that much. And besides,
much of the controversy over Survivor 38 got more than overshadowed by the
absolute train wreck that was Survivor 39.

--

[Brian Smith]

I'm pretty sure that Jeff isn't in Fiji for half the year. I'd say three months tops with a long enough break between shooting the two seasons to go home. I don't see that being an issue for any of them, especially if they're paid well. You'd think Boston Rob is set for live but having four girls could bring big wedding costs plus there's college to think about. I also don't see him turning the gig down if it was ever offered to him.

> Rob C. is different. Unlike the Rob that doesn’t suck, Survivor is really
> Rob C’s big passion in life, and he has been living it for literally half
> his life. He’s not exactly struggling at podcasting, but I don’t think he
> feels he has completely made it yet. His downloads are decent but not great
> for someone who wants to do podcasting as a full-time career. You'll notice
> that everyone else who podcasts on the RHAP network has a full-time job
> outside of the podcast. I’m pretty sure his wife Nicole still works
> full-time, and it’s noteworthy that he and his family left LA a few years
> back because of the high cost of living. Bottom line is that I’m pretty
> sure Rob C. would jump at the chance for a network hosting role, but I’m
> just not sure he would get the offer. Jeff certainly knows Rob C. and
> refers to him from time to time, but he’s never really been one of Jeff’s
> faves.

Didn't Jeff do Rob's podcast once? They were also on a panel together with Parv in an excellent but not very well-known event to promote the start of Game Changers. The event was at a school in NYC and the moderator was excellent. The big problem with Cesternino is would he be able to stop himself from making wisecracks during challenges and TCs?

> Kim S would do a great job hosting Survivor, and it would be great to have a
> female hosting the show. Women have hosted other reality shows, of course,
> notably Julie on Big Brother and more recently Alex on The Mole, but I'm
> pretty sure no woman has ever hosted any English-language Survivor season.
> I think there are probably many other former contestants who could do the
> job. Adam Klein is another name that comes to mind, though he's had his own
> issues with Jeff and the show recently. He has a strategic mind and I think
> he would do a pretty good job as host. But I still kind of think the powers
> that be will want a professional broadcaster in the role (remember that Jeff
> himself had experience as a game show host before Survivor), which is why I
> mentioned Rick Devens. And sure, Devens was associated with a mildly
> controversial season, but he was more of a victim of the twist that enabled
> Chris to win, so I don't think it will hurt him that much. And besides,
> much of the controversy over Survivor 38 got more than overshadowed by the
> absolute train wreck that was Survivor 39.
>
> --

Is Devens still doing TV or has he moved onto something else? Not saying he wouldn't be good, but I think he would be a shocking choice. No way in hell Adam would get the job if Jeff has anything to say about.

Kim would be an excellent choice. She would probably be my choice to be host if Jeff ever packs it in.

--
Brian

[Rick]

"Brian Smith" wrote in message

news:e63a9f9e-2463-42ea...@googlegroups.com...

Well a season is 26 days now but there is also a mandatory 14-day quarantine
for everyone (including Jeff and the others working on the show). There's
also a couple weeks of setup and pre-game interviews and testing all the
challenges, etc., not to mention the breakdown of everything after the
season ends, and that's not even considering weather delays. It's hard for
me to see them getting out in under two months, and that's assuming
everything goes as planned, and that's just for one season. Double all that
and to me, you’re looking at least four months if everything goes smoothly,
which I'm sure doesn't often happen.

Rob and Amber probably have a net worth between them in the millions, so I
don't think he really has a financial need to do Survivor. But you may be
right he would take the gig if offered, if for no other reason than to
accept the challenge, but I just don't think it will be offered.

>
>> Rob C. is different. Unlike the Rob that doesn’t suck, Survivor is really
>> Rob C’s big passion in life, and he has been living it for literally half
>> his life. He’s not exactly struggling at podcasting, but I don’t think he
>> feels he has completely made it yet. His downloads are decent but not
>> great
>> for someone who wants to do podcasting as a full-time career. You'll
>> notice
>> that everyone else who podcasts on the RHAP network has a full-time job
>> outside of the podcast. I’m pretty sure his wife Nicole still works
>> full-time, and it’s noteworthy that he and his family left LA a few years
>> back because of the high cost of living. Bottom line is that I’m pretty
>> sure Rob C. would jump at the chance for a network hosting role, but I’m
>> just not sure he would get the offer. Jeff certainly knows Rob C. and
>> refers to him from time to time, but he’s never really been one of Jeff’s
>> faves.
>
>Didn't Jeff do Rob's podcast once? They were also on a panel together with
>Parv in an excellent but not very well-known event to promote the start of
>Game Changers. The event was at a school in NYC and the moderator was
>excellent. The big problem with Cesternino is would he be able to stop
>himself from making wisecracks during challenges and TCs?

Yes, Jeff has done an interview or two with Rob C, but I don't get the sense
that he's really one of Jeff's favorites. If Jeff ever does retire, I just
don't think that Rob C. will be high on the list of his recommended
replacement candidates. And it won't be Jeff's call anyway or even Mark
Burnett's - it will totally be up to CBS execs to decide whether to continue
the show and who the host will be.

Not sure what Devens is doing nowadays. He co-hosted the Survivor On Fire
podcast with Jeff, so he clearly has a pipeline to Jeff, which would help if
Jeff ever steps down. I just did a quick Google on Devens and it says he
left his morning anchor job when he filmed Survivor and then went on to be
Communications Director at Middle Georgia State University in early 2022.
That sounds like a step down from TV anchorman, so I guess he may have had
problems getting back into TV after doing Survivor. Other than the podcast
with Jeff (which I've never listened to), I'm not sure what he's doing these
days.

>
>Kim would be an excellent choice. She would probably be my choice to be
>host if Jeff ever packs it in.
>
>--
>Brian

--

[Rick]

"Rick" wrote in message news:umicf4$3cb4$1...@dont-email.me...

This is the last thing I found on Devens from March 2022:

https://www.mga.edu/news/2022/03/devens-joins-mga.php

>>Kim would be an excellent choice. She would probably be my choice to be
>>host if Jeff ever packs it in.
>>
>>--
>>Brian
>
>
>--

--

[Brian Smith]

This jumped out at me when reading the press release:

"My time on Survivor provided me with a lot of opportunities in other parts of the country but my wife and I are committed to this region. This is where our kids were born and it’s where we want to raise our family. To be part of the MGA family is the cherry on top.”

Sounds like he would say no to hosting Survivor. We also need to keep in mind that none of these people would be offered the money Jeff is making.

--
Brian

[Rick]

"Brian Smith" wrote in message

news:756276df-2589-4ef8...@googlegroups.com...

I don't think we should infer anything from the comments Devens made after
taking a new job at a university. Of curse he's not going to say "We would
certainly be open to relocating if someone offered a multi-million dollar
salary to host a network TV series." He is going to make the politically
correct statement that he is committed to the region and plans to remain
here with his family for several years.

And I agree the next host after Jeff won't make the same salary as Jeff,
unless it's someone like Ryan Seacrest, whom they're certainly not going to
get. But keep in mind Jeff makes around $8 million per year as combined
host and showrunner, so even if the next person only gets a fourth of that,
say $2 million a year, that's not exactly slave wages for most people. I'm
pretty sure no-name Middle Georgia State University isn't paying Devens
anything close to that, assuming Devens even still works there.

--

[Brian Smith]

Ryan Seacrest as host would be death for the show. It would just be too weird for most people.

Not sure if you're aware of this, Devens was cohost on Jeff's podcast for S45. Could be a trial run for his eventual takeover. ;--)

--
Brian

[Rick]

"Brian Smith" wrote in message

news:65262ed8-ffb9-441a...@googlegroups.com...

Yes, I mentioned earlier in the thread that he was co-hosting Survivor On
Fire with Jeff, which might give him a pipeline to Jeff.

--