reality blurred + Dan was the most likable Survivor Gabon cast member, while Kelly, Matty were the most awful

August 28th, 2008

reality blurred + Dan was the most likable Survivor Gabon member, while Kelly, Matty were the most awful

After meeting and talking one-on-one with each of the Survivor Gabon cast members at pre-Ponderosa, the location where they stay and wait until the game starts, I decided to try to rank them based upon how they’d do in the game. Having watched every episode of every season of Survivor except the very first episode, I thought this would be an easy task. It was not.

In fact, I think my familiarity with the show made it more difficult, because I realized there were so many game-play variables that affected their success—like tribe divisions, when the merge occurred, and other twists—never mind their own decisions about their behavior. Randy, for example, came across as a complete asshole in our conversation, but I knew that, once the game started, he could play nice or he could be an even bigger dick. If the latter, his tribemates could either dump him or keep him around because he’d be easy to beat. See? There were just too many possibilities.

Complicating things was the way nearly all of the cast members told me about their impressions about one another. Although they aren’t allowed to speak before the game (and they do not talk, which is creepy), they spend days together, eating and killing time on the beach or whatever. Some told me that they communicated non-verbally, while others just started judging their fellow competitors based upon clothing or the books they were reading. While some had totally figured other people out, others had pretty inaccurate impressions, and in both cases, of course, I didn’t share that with them, although they occasionally tried to get information from me.

After trying to figure out which of the 18 people would at least make the merge and giving up on that, I realized the only way I could rank them was by how much I liked them—because even after just 20 to 30 minutes with each of them, I absolutely knew that. I’ve ranked them based upon their likability below (I’ve also included their official hometowns and occupations, according to CBS).

The first eight were people I’d want to align with if I played the game, or at least I’d just want to spend time talking with them. They were warm, charming, interesting, or some combination of those things. The next six, nine through 14, were people I was neutral on; they were pleasant but nothing really sparked in our conversations, and I might have even been a bit bored with them. The last four I pretty much despised, and perhaps not coincidentally, some of them didn’t really seem to like me. Also, it’s worth noting that in these groups, the ranks are a bit arbitrary; Matty could easily have swapped places with Kelly, just as three to eight could be shuffled because they were all similarly nice.

Read the entire article at reality blurred + Dan was the most likable Survivor Gabon cast member, while Kelly, Matty were the most awful.

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Survivor: Gabon Cast / Tribe Members

August 27th, 2008
Cast of Survivor: Gabon - Earth\'s Last Eden

Cast of Survivor: Gabon - Earth's Last Eden

ROBERT -BOB- CROWLEYROBERT ”BOB” CROWLEY
AGE: 57
OCCUPATION: Physics teacher
HOMETOWN: South Portland, ME
BOB SAYS: ”I’m a high school teacher. I enjoy younger people. I’m not part of their group, age wise, but emotionally I’m about 12.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”He’s the oldest guy out there. And unfortunately, that works against people all the time, even though there’s probably nobody better equipped for this game. He’s probably the guy who will be the biggest asset, if they don’t get foolish and vote him out.”

MICHELLE CHASEMICHELLE CHASE
AGE: 24
OCCUPATION: Music production assistant
HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CA
MICHELLE SAYS: ”I will win Survivor because I’m the bombshell baller. I’m bodacious, and I outwit, and outlast, and outplay. And I need a million dollars really bad.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”Michelle is a wild card for me because I actually thought that Michelle had a good solid energy coming into the game. But she’s very small and very young. I think her life experience is the big question mark. What will she do when the going gets tough?”

MARCUS LEHMANMARCUS LEHMAN
AGE: 28
OCCUPATION: Doctor
HOMETOWN: Atlanta, GA
MARCUS SAYS: ”In addition to trying to be charismatic and active in the challenges, I have a little additional problem, which is that from society’s viewpoint I have been very successful already.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”Marcus is a physician, as he likes to remind people. And he is a true leader, an extremely bright guy. He’s a hero. He is a huge threat to win the game, for sure. He has looks, he’s got smarts, he’s probably the fittest guy out there, so he’s got a lot of things going for him.”

SUSIE SMITHSUSIE SMITH
AGE: 47
OCCUPATION: Hairdresser/assistant teacher
HOMETOWN: Charles City, IA
SUSIE SAYS: ”The first player that I see going off thinking they’re gonna track an elephant or a hippo, I’m gonna kick their ass, because we don’t need them coming into our camp.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”Susie is a mom, and she likes to talk. That’s definitely her biggest obstacle to overcome, that she can’t shut up. If I went in and played this game and got teamed up with Susie, I would be wary of her hanging in there with me, because she seems to go with the wind and doesn’t even seem like she’s paying attention at times.”

DAN KAYDAN KAY
AGE: 32
OCCUPATION: Lawyer
HOMETOWN: Walpole, MA
DAN SAYS: ”My Achilles’ heel in this game will most likely be trust. You have to have trust to win this game but you have to know who is untrustworthy, and that’s probably the most difficult task.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”He’s earnest, but he is his own worst enemy. He means well and does not know when to shut up. He’s like a cocker spaniel, charming and annoying at the same time.”

JACQUE BERGJACQUE BERG
AGE: 25
OCCUPATION: Medical device sales rep
HOMETOWN: Santa Barbara, CA
JACQUE SAYS: ”It’s kind of one of my natural instincts to flirt. I don’t mean to. That’s actually going to be something I watch, because I don’t want a target to be on my back from the other girls.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”I think Jacque will be a bit of a dark horse. I don’t think she’ll be a leader. I think she’ll use her looks and her charm to get in with the right guy and hope that she can ride with that guy as far as she can. If Jacque gets deep into the show I think she’s a legitimate threat at the challenges. She’s pretty fit.”

MATTY WHITMOREMATTY WHITMORE
AGE: 29
OCCUPATION: Personal trainer
HOMETOWN: Pacific Palisades, CA
MATTY SAYS: ”I’m a fierce competitor. I don’t want to lose. I was raised in the mountains and also in the city, so I got the wilderness down and I got the humanity down.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”I think Matty will be one of the favorites this season, someone people will absolutely love. I find him to be one of the most endearing guys we’ve ever had on the show to the point where it could work against him because he can’t hide anything. If he’s confused, he says ‘I’m confused.’ If he’s happy, he’s smiling. If he’s sad, he’s crying.”

GILLIAN LARSONGILLIAN LARSON
AGE: 61
OCCUPATION: Retired Nurse
HOMETOWN: Temecula, CA (raised in South Africa)
GILLIAN SAYS: ”I love doing all sorts of crazy things. It doesn’t matter what age you are. As long as you can physically do it, do it! And hopefully they’ll look at me as a mom and you know, who would like to kick their mother out of the game?”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”Charm is her strength because she’s likable in doses, and that’s her liability. Does she know when enough is enough? You can only hear someone say ‘I’m from South Africa’ so many times before you want to say, ‘Why don’t you go back to South Africa!”’

DANNY -G.C.- BROWNDANNY ”G.C.” BROWN
AGE: 26
OCCUPATION: Maintenance supervisor
HOMETOWN: Portland, OR
G.C. SAYS: ”I will win Survivor because I need this million dollars more than anyone out here.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”G.C. is a fish out of water. Does he have the fortitude to really do this? Because when I talked to him before the show it seemed like a lot of nervous energy masquerading as confidence. But it was, really, I felt, fear, like ‘What am I getting into?’ And that’s not a good place to be because what you’re getting into is a big ol’ headache.”

PALOMA SOTO-CASTILLOPALOMA SOTO-CASTILLO
AGE: 24
OCCUPATION: Student
HOMETOWN: Downey, CA (born in Chile)
PALOMA SAYS: ”I think I deserve it. I’ve worked really hard in my life. I’m very competitive. I’m stubborn. I’m compassionate, and passionate.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”Paloma is sassy, cute. My question for her is, ‘Is her attitude real, or is it a put on?’ And if it is a put-on, how long will she be able to sustain it when she starts getting hungry? Paloma’s going to have to pick the right alliance. Who you decide to team up with early on has such an impact on how you do in the game, because if you pick the wrong people, it can be hard to get out from under that.”

CHARLIE HERSCHELCHARLIE HERSCHEL
AGE: 29
OCCUPATION: Lawyer
HOMETOWN: New York, NY
CHARLIE SAYS: ”I haven’t really noticed any crazy people, which kind of makes me nervous that either I’m the crazy person or there are no crazy people.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”Charlie prides himself on being very bright and educated. And the question I’d say for Charlie is, ‘Can he stand up for himself? Does he really have a voice?’ Or is he just going to look for somebody to hang on to and see how far they’ll pull him along.”

CRYSTAL COXCRYSTAL COX
AGE: 29
OCCUPATION: Athlete (2004 Olympic gold medalist in the 4×400m track relay)
HOMETOWN: Durham, NC
CRYSTAL SAYS: ”I will win Survivor because I have the three Bs — brains, beauty, and blazing speed.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”I think Crystal’s big dilemma is going to be, ‘What does she say that she does? Who does she say she is?’ Because it’s obvious she’s an athlete. Crystal has a mouth on her. She does not edit. That makes her great at Tribal Council, but a liability in the game.”

RANDY BAILEYRANDY BAILEY
AGE: 49
OCCUPATION: Videographer
HOMETOWN: Eagle Rock, MN
RANDY SAYS: ”I’ll step on toes if I have to. These people were not friends of mine last week and time will tell if they’ll be friends of mine two months from now. But a million dollars is more important than their friendship. Except maybe with that one blonde with the big t—. That might be worth a few hundred grand.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”Randy is crotchety and clever. He’s the guy who will come to Tribal Council and try to challenge me, which is a huge mistake, because I’m not playing for a million dollars. But I don’t think he’s as evil as he wants you to think he is.”

KELLY CZARNECKIKELLY CZARNECKI
AGE: 22
OCCUPATION: Retail sales
HOMETOWN: Buffalo Grove, IL
KELLY SAYS: ”I’m funny, and I’m fun, and I’m energetic, and I bring a positive vibe to the group — like a burst of sunshine.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”The way I would describe Kelly is that she is part of the Text Message Generation. And she speaks that way, she’ll say ‘OMG!’ for ‘Oh my God!’ That’s Kelly. And just as a grown man looking at her I could say, ‘That’s charming, she’s young and has her whole life ahead of her.’ But as a tribemate I’d probably say, ‘If she says OMG, I’ll probably say GTFOH.”’

KEN HOANGKEN HOANG
AGE: 22
OCCUPATION: Pro video gamer
HOMETOWN: Westminster, CA
KEN SAYS: ”Gaming will help me because I do well under pressure. I always come through. I rarely choke. I’m the underdog, I think all the fans will root for me to win. I would root for myself if I was watching TV.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”Ken the gamer is one of my favorite people who has been on the show in a long time. He is convinced his gaming expertise is absolutely in line with what it takes to win, that he knows this game backward and forward simply because he’s a gamer. But Ken is a true nerd. I think when the show began he weighed less than [China's] Courtney did.”

CORINNE KAPLANCORINNE KAPLAN
AGE: 29
OCCUPATION: Pharmaceutical sales rep
HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CA
CORINNE SAYS: ”Honestly, like, I’m a girl. We’ve all starved ourselves here and there. I can starve for a little while. I think there are no losers in Survivor: We all come home skinny, detoxed, and tan. We’re all winners.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”Corinne is a self-proclaimed über-bitch, and she owns it. I think the meanest thing you could say to Corinne would be to say, ‘You’re very pleasant.’ She would take that as an insult of the highest order.”

ACE GORDONACE GORDON
AGE: 27
OCCUPATION: Fashion photographer/Cartier salesman
HOMETOWN: Naples, FL (raised in London)
ACE SAYS: ”I watch the game, I know how to play the game, I’ve done sales my whole life, I’m good with people, and I’m physically adept. And I’m a manipulative bastard.”
JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”You would expect him to be like a villain in a Bond movie who dies a horrible death at the end. It’s almost like a blind arrogance, and he’s really fun to watch. And I think his accent could work for him or against him, but there is something about the accent that makes everything he says seem smarter.”

JESSICA -SUGAR- KIPERJESSICA ”SUGAR” KIPER
AGE: 29
OCCUPATION: Pin-up/actress (Gilmore Girls)
HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, NY

SUGAR SAYS: ”I want to make everyone fall in love with me. And I want to be friends with everybody. That’s all I got: my personality. I’m not strong.”

JEFF PROBST SAYS: ”She makes every decision from her heart and not her head. She’s very emotional, somewhat naïve, and I think when you first look at her, the question is going to be, ‘Can she hack it out here? Does she have what it takes?’ It doesn’t take much for Sugar to break into tears.”

What do you think? Who do you like? Dislike? Talk about them in the FORUM.

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reality blurred + Survivor Gabon cast revealed, includes an Olympian and an actor

August 27th, 2008
reality blurred + Survivor Gabon revealed, includes an Olympian and an actor

The cast of Survivor Gabon was announced this morning, and it includes an Olympic gold medalist, a doctor, an actress/pin-up model, and a world champion gamer. Crystal Cox won a gold in relay during the 2004 Olympics, while Jessica “Sugar” Kiper has been on many TV shows.

The 18 players include seven are from California and two from Florida, and once again, most are in their 20s. Of the 13 in their 20s, an astonishing five people are 29. Retired nurse Gillian is the oldest at 61, although physics teacher Bob is close behind at 58, and two others are in their late 40s. They all preview their strategies and personalities in the video below.

Earlier this summer, I met and talked with all of them in Africa before the game began, so I’ve been eager for this day to arrive. I spent a week in Gabon along with a few other members of the media, covering the show, including the first three days of production, the entire first episode. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting at least daily with pre-show interviews with each of the cast members and other stories. And after the (now-expanded) first episode airs, I’ll have even more to report.

For the record, I agreed not to reveal the identities of the cast members before today (which is ironic considering how many have already been identified online) and also not to talk about what happens on the first episode until after it airs—which of course I wouldn’t do anyway, because I don’t want to ruin the show for anyone. But there’s lots of on-location Survivor stuff to come over the next few weeks.

From CBS’ web site, here’s the video featuring brief interviews with the cast members, plus shots of the incredible Gabon landscape:

Read the entire article at reality blurred + Survivor Gabon cast revealed, includes an Olympian and an actor.

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Survivor: Gabon - Meet The Cast Video

August 27th, 2008

CBS posted a video so you can Meet the Cast

Here are the individual videos.

Here’s the Press Release:

CBS ANNOUNCES 18 CASTAWAYS TO COMPETE ON “SURVIVOR: GABON — EARTH’S LAST EDEN”

17th Installment of the Hit Television Series Premieres for the first time in High-Definition on Thursday, Sept. 25

CBS today announced the 18 castaways who will compete on SURVIVOR: GABON - EARTH’S LAST EDEN, when the 17th installment of the Emmy Award-winning series premieres for the first time in high-definition Thursday, Sept. 25 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Marooned in the wilderness, 18 individuals will embark on an amazing African adventure, battling extreme conditions and interacting with wildlife such as elephants and gorillas, while attempting to forge alliances with strangers from diverse backgrounds. “In a strange coincidence to Earth’s Last Eden - good vs. evil emerges as a major theme this season. I think the audience will quickly identify with one group or the other,” host Jeff Probst teases. Will the group of deceitful castaways outlast those individuals who play from their heart or will the forces of evil prevail? Will temptations interfere with logical decision-making? More importantly, which side will come out on top?

In a SURVIVOR first, the magnificent landscape, natural elements, and fascinating wildlife featured on Earth’s Last Eden will be enjoyed by viewers in high-definition, enhancing the overall experience of the show. Probst claims, “Shooting in HD is like adding another character to the show. The detail is so sharp you can’t help but feel as though you are experiencing the adventure yourself.”

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Exclusive for EW.com: The cast of ‘Survivor’ Gabon

August 27th, 2008

Exclusive: The cast of ‘Survivor’ Gabon | TV Biz | Hollywood Insider | EW.com

The 18 contestants competing this fall on Survivor: Gabon—Earth’s Last Eden for the series’ 17th cycle include an Olympic gold medalist, a Gilmore Girls actress, and a professional video game champion, EW.com has learned exclusively. Crystal Cox, who won gold at the Athens Games in 2004 as part of the 4×400m track relay team, is the biggest name on the roster this season, which premieres with a two-hour on Sept. 25. Also among the fresh faces is Jessica “Sugar” Kiper (Gilmore Girls fans may remember her as the pin-up model who made out with Milo Ventimiglia during her four- arc as Shane) and Ken Hoang, the current international champion of Nintendo’s Super Smash Brothers Melee video game. There will also be a prominent international presence, with contestants who have lived in South Africa (Gillian Larson), London (Ace Gordon), and Chile (Paloma Soto-Castillo).

As for the format, the biggest twist of Survivor: Gabon involves Exile (formerly Exile Island). “When you go to Exile this time you can either get a clue that will help you find the hidden immunity idol, or you can get ‘instant comfort’ — a nice thing to sleep on, some food, some fruit,” explains host Jeff Probst. “Depending upon the time, we’ll make the temptation bigger and bigger. The idea was to see if anybody would be dumb enough to choose comfort over the only thing that guarantees you to stick in the game, which is immunity.” Okay, did it work? “By the time this season is over, you can make the case that maybe this is the dumbest team when it comes to idol play.”

Also for the first time ever, Survivor: Gabon will be shot entirely in HD. “If you’re a Survivor fan and you have HD, it will be a completely different show,” Probst promises. “When you incorporate the wildlife, it’s kind of like being in a Spielberg movie. I mean, it’s so real-looking that it’s exciting and scary.” And that wildlife Probst speaks of will come into play when elephants visit a tribe camp. “A truly real, raw moment of a wild animal that’s not in a park or some protected area,” Probst says.

The contestants of Survivor: Gabon will be divided up into two tribes at the very outset by a good old fashioned schoolyard pick ’em, which will immediately lead to the contestants’ first challenge. And while there are no hardcore “showmances” this time around, Probst does tease that one player proves particularly popular: “Marcus, the doctor from Georgia — one of the most arrogant guys that we’ve had on the show — he at one point had three people after him. And not only women.”

Read the entire article at Exclusive: The cast of ‘Survivor’ Gabon | TV Biz | Hollywood Insider | EW.com.

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CBS MOVES PREMIERE OF “SURVIVOR: GABON — EARTH’S LAST EDEN” TO THURSDAY, SEPT. 25, 8:00-10:00 PM

August 25th, 2008

pushed_back.jpg
I know you’ll be disappointed, but it looks like CBS is trying to crush the competition on Thursday nights by starting with a 2 hour premier. It looks like the will be announced on Weds., Aug. 27. Check back for details.

From the CBS press Release:

First-Ever Two-Hour Premiere for “Survivor”

First Time Series To Be Broadcast in High Definition

CBS is moving the season premiere of SURVIVOR: GABON - EARTH’S LAST EDEN to Thursday, Sept. 25 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT), marking the first-ever two-hour premiere for any edition of the long-running hit series.

The premiere of SURVIVOR: GABON - EARTH’S LAST EDEN was originally announced for Thursday, Sept. 18 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT).

The premiere of SURVIVOR: GABON - EARTH’S LAST EDEN, which will also be the first edition broadcast in high definition, will be followed by a rebroadcast of last season’s CSI cliffhanger finale.

CBS’s revised schedule for Thursday, Sept. 25
8:00-10:00 PM SURVIVOR: GABON - EARTH’S LAST EDEN (Season Premiere)

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Orlando Sentinel - CBS delays premiere of “Survivor: Gabon” by Hal Boedeker

August 25th, 2008
Orlando Sentinel - CBS delays premiere of “Survivor: Gabon” by Hal Boedeker

CBS will push back the premiere of the next “Survivor” by a week.

“Survivor: Gabon — Earth’s Last Eden” will have a two-hour opener at 8 p.m. Sept. 25. Emmy-nominee Jeff Probst is the host. The players will be announced Wednesday.

Usually, CBS give the reality contest a week’s jump on premiere week. Not this time.

The new season officially starts Sept. 22. CBS will try to use the full power of “Survivor” to blunt the competition.

CBS also wants to make a bigger deal in premiere week because “Survivor” will be in HD for the first time.

Read the entire article at -delays-prem.html" target=newwindow > Orlando Sentinel - CBS delays premiere of “Survivor: Gabon” by Hal Boedeker.

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Survivor Gabon Commercials

August 21st, 2008

So that’s how you pronounce it.

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SC ‘Survivor’ stars getting hitched | The Palmetto Scoop

August 20th, 2008

SC ‘Survivor’ stars getting hitched | The Palmetto Scoop By Adam Fogle

DUGAN, HUFFMAN ANNOUNCE ENGAGEMENT ON FACEBOOK, BRIDESMAIDS TO BE ON UPCOMING SEASON OF AMAZING RACE

Jaime Dugan and Erik Huffman are Engaged

Jaime Dugan and Erik Huffman are Engaged

The South Carolina couple that steamed up “Survivor: China” have announced that they are getting married. And two of the bridesmaids are starring in another popular CBS reality show.

Jaime Dugan of Spartanburg, a 2008 graduate of the University of South Carolina, met Greenville native and Furman grad Erik Huffman on “Survivor” last summer and the two hit it off. At least, that’s what I’m told because I stopped watching Survivor about five years ago when that moron who won the first season was sent to prison for tax evasion.

Anyway, on Monday, Dugan sent a message to friends on the social networking site Facebook announcing that she and Huffman were engaged and that they have entered a contest to win a free wedding in Charleston. LOLZ!

Hey Yall!!

Well for those of you that haven’t heard the fun news…ERIK AND I ARE ENGAGED We are so excited. I couldn’t be happier!

We need your help to win the wedding of our dreams. We both want to go home to good ol SC for our wedding. As most of you know, Charleston is my favorite place in the entire world. We had a few people mention the “Charleston Wedding Giveaway” to us and we decided to send in a tape. IT WAS HILARIOUS so I hope the judges will like it.

They pick the finalists in a few weeks. So keep your fingers crossed! Until then, we are asking friends to go on the site and post on the wall. “Vote for Jaime and Erik” or anything you would like. It would be a HUGE HELP!

Here is the site:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Charleston-Wedding-Giveaway

Thanks so much! And please pass it on to all of your friends.

Even though Dugan is smoking hot and it’s always sad to see a good one taken off the market, they’ve still got my vote. Because nothing brings me more happiness than seeing true reality show love blossom. That and the joy of seeing freedom finally flourish in China.

In a very related story, two of Dugan’s bridesmaids will be on the upcoming season of the Amazing Race. USC graduates Marisa Axelrod and Brooke Jackson will star in the 13th installment of the popular CBS show, which debuts Sept. 28.

Will true reality love blossom again for these South Carolinians? Let’s hope so, because like the City of Columbia, that would be “famously hot.”

Read the entire article at SC ‘Survivor’ stars getting hitched | The Palmetto Scoop.

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No CBS Survivor: Gabon Cast Announcement Yet!

August 18th, 2008

There has been no Cast Announcement yet! CBS has not told anyone officially who will be in Survivor:Gabon. We expect the announcement any day now, possibly even on Thursday, August 28th, since that will be 3 weeks to the beginning of the season. Please keep checking back here. As soon as any one knows, we’ll know and we’ll post here to let you know.

Not now, but soon, very soon.

There are some ideas of who might be in the cast in the forums, but I wouldn’t want to spoil anything for you.

Here is the first commercial for Survivor:Gabon seen in the wild.

Here is a preview of the season:

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