Survivor Blood vs. Water cast member Brad Culpepper is defending himself against claims that he committed insurance fraud, and now Monica regrets asking her husband to go on the CBS show with her. Brad, who’s known as “Culpepper” to Jeff Probst and “Fuck You Brad Culpepper” to the rest of us, and who previously defended himself against claims he… continue reading
Survivor Blood vs. Water
Survivor’s Caleb Bankston killed in train derailment
Survivor Blood vs. Water cast member Caleb Bankston, the fiance of Colton Cumbie, was killed today in an accident where he worked. He was 26. The AP reported this evening that “[o]fficials from a Kansas-based transportation company say a worker has died in an accident at the Alabama Warrior Railway in Birmingham.” People confirmed that… continue reading
On Jeff Probst, Survivor fans, Redemption Island, social media, and how wrong I was
In the press release announcing the renewal, Probst said, “Survivor has been blessed with incredibly loyal fans. We make this show for them and I am thrilled that we get to do it again.” He also said producers try to give fans “what they want.” This is a terrible idea, and I say that as… continue reading
Survivor ends its bloody dramatic season with a watered-down finale
After a season of unpredictable game play and twists that delivered near-constant drama, Survivor Blood vs. Water coasted through a predictable and comparatively boring finale. Its final alliance of three stayed solid, giving Tyson Apostol an easy but well-deserved win capped off by the two final immunity challenge wins and a strong argument at the… continue reading
Survivor renewed for seasons 29, 30 with Probst as host, producer
Two days before its 27th season finale, Survivor has been renewed for two more seasons by CBS, which will bring the show to its 30th season in the spring of 2015. The network said the show was “a consistent ratings winner” in its timeslot, and noting that it is “the #2 reality series on broadcast… continue reading
Survivor: Ciera, Hayden, and the wooing of Tyson’s lapdog
One thing I love about this season is that it continually surprises, especially in terms of people and how they play. Ciera and Laura M. have proven themselves to be break-out star players, each in their own way (strategically and in challenges), and there are many other examples. Who knew that at this stage, I’d… continue reading
How Probst’s leading questions led to one of this season’s best votes
One of the biggest blindsides on Survivor Blood vs. Water was the result of a leading question Jeff Probst asked at Tribal Council, and the somewhat ironic result was that it sent home Brad Culpepper, aka Probst’s bro “Culpepper.” At Tribal Council, Caleb Bankston announced to the other two men on his tribe, Vytas and… continue reading
“We’re drawing rocks”: Survivor Blood vs. Water’s intense unpredictability continues
Despite the suspense being dulled by CBS’ insistence on giving away the a twice-in-a-series’-lifetime moment in a preview, Survivor Blood vs. Water delivered again last night with an incredible Tribal Council that ended up with Katie Collins being sent to Redemption Island as a result of a random draw. And was it ever intense. Yes,… continue reading
Tina Wesson’s son, Katie Collins’ brother died in a car accident
The only son of Survivor Australia winner Tina Wesson, and the brother of Survivor Blood vs. Water contestant Katie Collins, died in a car accident this morning, according to a news station. Taylor was 25. Knoxville CBS affiliate reporter Lauren Davis reported on Twitter that the “25 yo son of local Survivor star Tina Wesson… continue reading
A new low for CBS’ Survivor promos: result of Tribal vote, challenges
That CBS’ promotion for upcoming episodes of Survivor have been getting increasingly spoiler-filled and desperate is obvious. However, the preview for Wednesday’s episode essentially reveals every major thing that happens in the episode, but gives away what would have otherwise been a shocking moment that makes Survivor history. The preview–which is not the “next time… continue reading
On Survivor, Jeff Probst reveals his new hosting strategy: “Perform for me! Show me blood!”
Wednesday’s episode of Survivor was a mix of frustration and awesomeness. Guess who was the source of the frustration, like gravy dribbling off the mashed potatoes and getting all up in the cranberries? (Yes, Jeff Probst.) I was convinced for a long time that Ciera’s confession to Tyson was part of her plan with Caleb… continue reading
Survivor crushing X Factor; The Voice is the most-popular reality show
The strength of Survivor Blood vs. Water has given the show strong ratings that are leaving it as the number two reality show in the country, behind only The Voice, which airs on different nights. Survivor is far, far ahead of its timeslot competition, Fox’s The X Factor, which airs at the same time, and… continue reading
Survivor: throw momma from the tribe?
How many times in the history of Survivor have we heard someone say, “it’s just a game” as a way to excuse hurting others feelings? Sure, it’s a game, but it’s also one that involves developing and then manipulating and/or betraying relationships with people, and we saw a completely atypical illustration of that last night…. continue reading
Survivor regurgitates its bitterness
Survivor Blood vs. Water sped through two episodes in a single hour, re-stocking Redemption Island and also getting through two inevitable votes, who were both kind of bitter and who the tribe was anxious to spit out. Despite the editors’ best efforts, Vytas, Tina, and Katie’s fates seemed clear after last week’s awesome blindside of… continue reading
Survivor will air a PSA for Philippines relief
CBS will air a Red Cross PSA featuring Jeff Probst after Survivor on Wednesday, asking viewers to donate to relief efforts in the Philippines after Friday’s devastating typhoon. The country has hosted this year’s and last year’s four seasons of the series. The typhoon was likely the strongest storm ever recorded, and it killed many… continue reading