Survivor: Jumping the Shark?

[WakkaDakka]

After tonight's episode (3/16), I am ready to put the Palau season alongside Thailand and Africa as the worst to date.

I'm loving this Survivor & think last night's episode was absolutely fabulous!

Enjoy the OC!

You'll know when Survivor "has jumped the shark" when Robbie Rist is one of the survivors!

[jimothy21]

Well, with all the sharks in the water, how can this season not jump the shark?

In all earnest, this season is nowhere near "jumping"

[Shady64]

I've watch it since Season 1 and will keep on watching until they stop making it. I like this season. Yeah some seasons were better than others. I hated AS and Thailand. Its just like any other show that's been on awhile, its not as good as it first was but it's still good. With the premise, locations and challenges, how many different things can you come up with to keep it fresh? I may not always like the "twists" they have but then again, there are story lines in my other favorite shows i don't like but i'm not changing the channel just because of it.

I had to laugh when i saw this thread. I figured someone just went to the Vanuatu archive and copy/pasted the jump the shark note from there but usually it doesn't surface until a week into the merge. I'm still loving this show and the only thing that's lame is the phrase "jump the shark"...are we back in junior high school again? lol

[jpoliver]

Just to clarify, the phrase "jumping the shark" means when a program has peaked and begins to decline.

Ratings and viewership do not necessarily define a "shark" moment, as most series (regardless of genre) tend to decline after the first year.

In this instance, the "shark" phrase refers to the quality of the product being offered. While no one but the producers would know for sure, but I find it very difficult to accept that the twists in the 3/17 episode were planned weeks in advance.

When producers begin to change rules mid-stream just to stir interest or attempt to level the playing field, then I have a problem with it.

I understand that (for the most part) there are no scripts to look at when producing a reality series. One never knows what is going to happen next, but is to be expected when dealing with real people in real situations (as real a situation as "Survivor" can be). Who is to say that this season wouldn't have been better if the win-lose ratio was more even, or if several Koror members had switched to Ulong.

The reasons I disliked Thailand and Africa is because of the personalities in Thailand and the persoalities and the surprisingly bland locale in Africa. Producers must have chosen one of the worst locations in an otherwise beautiful continent.

One thing that jumped out at me last night was that these twists seem to be just "twists for twists sake", or having a twist just to a twist. I don't mind twists and turns, but one needs to feel that they were planned and not just thrown together to attempt something interesting, which is how I felt last night.

Since TV is a business, as long as "Survivor" continues to pull in 18-22 million viewers, as it has done this season, many more are likely to be made. However, that doesn't mean that the quality or credibility to still there. For instance, NBC will keep "ER" on until at least spring 2008. However, creatively this series has long since peaked (or "jumped the shark"), but that didn't stop NBC from making that decision.

[Shady64]

ER is also one of my favorite shows. No its not as good as it used to be but its still pretty good. They have had some really great storylines and they have had some really stupid ones (IMO). I especially loved the one that featured Bob Newhart. They took an actor/comedian and put him into such a different element than he (and we) are used to and it worked. That was a pretty dramatic "short" storyline and he made it totally believable. Is it for sweeps week? I don't know why it was done and I don't really care, it worked.

Just how creative or credible Survivor ( or any other show) is, is in the eye of the viewer.. each and every viewer. I still think it's pretty good and worth watching but that's just my opinion, just as it is yours that it's past its prime. If it's getting that big of an audience, then they are doing something right.18-22 million people can't all be wrong.

[Sunnyone]

Go look at the Palau logo.... you have the word Survivor literally jumping over two sharks.
She show got a good refresher this season. Making it "Physical" in the challenges was exactly what it needed.

I hope they learn from it. No more word or memory games.

I disagree. I'm loving the show by the way, however, I think the challenges are a little too physical. Willard didn't even have a chance and I thought he or skinny minnie Janu would have gotten some bones broken had they competed in the David and Goliath challenge, or the drowning your opponent challenge! That is where the memory games/word games are fun- everyone can participate and obviously some will be smarter/better than others at those. I also liked the hockey puck challenge from Vauatu. Anyway- if the challenges are going to just be completely physical, we won't end up with a wide variety of players- they will all be the same strong, buff, gym rats because no one else will apply.

[Darkhosis]

Memory/maze/whatever else challenges are boring. I love the challenges this season. The cast isn't as good as some other seasons, but overall I'd say it's better than at least half the previous seasons.

Australia was my 2nd favorite season (after the original), not sure why this season polarizes ppl so much (from reading a few of the responses).

[emjoi]

Well, you have people complaining all over about the Flab 5 last season, about Scouts success...
Survivor is supposed to be both a mental and physical game. People standing around on a beach playing memory cards if boring. More boring than watching beat the crap out of each other, anyway.
If the physical part is downplayed, then just feed and clothe the poor buggers and put them them the Big Brother house.

The other thing they have to work on is the casting, which is a mixed bag this year of Great people and complete duds. But they experimented this season, which is admirable. I hope they learn lessons for S11. But maybe it's just impossible to know who is worthwhile until you get them out there.

[Covaleskie]

While no one but the producers would know for sure, but I find it very difficult to accept that the twists in the 3/17 episode were planned weeks in advance.

When producers begin to change rules mid-stream just to stir interest or attempt to level the playing field, then I have a problem with it.

In one of the special features of the Season One DVD (and I'm sure in many other interviews), MB said that no challenge, or "twist" is created mid-game. I know that it seems difficult to buy into that, but he also explained that the reason everything is laid out ahead of time is that Survivor, a prize awarding competition show, is regulated by the FCC's game show rules.

This fact alone makes me believe 100% that everything is laid out in advance, and nothing is changed. After the big scandal in the 50's regarding a rigged game show (dramatized in the movie Quiz Show ), all prized giving shows have certain rules they have to follow to keep the game "fair." Changing the challenges, and/or developing twists mid-season that gave one tribe/player an advantage would be in violation of that rule.

So, if, for example, the whole series of twists on 3/17 had been made up after the show started, Angie should be hiring a lawyer right about now (or actually several months ago) and suing the pants off of MB.

I think we would have heard if that law suit had been filed.

[gracie]

I don't think the show is stale yet and will most likely continue to watch the good and the bad. I couldn't even tell you who was on some of the other seasons. I know the winners, but not even all of the runners-up and I've been watching from day one, season 1. I guess you could say that I just take each season for what it is and don't compare it to another one. To me it's kind of like comparing apples to oranges. Every one is different because of the different attitudes and talents of the people involved. I do read the spoilers though, just because I want them to be wrong. Other than that, I just watch and enjoy the show and some of the stupid things that people do to shoot themselves in the foot and get voted off.