Shark Bytes

A soap opera disguised as reality TV...

It jumped when it became the beautiful, young VS the ugly, old. There are lots of in between, but not on Survivor. The first season was the best, showed more complexity and personality.

Season 1 & 2 were the popular years, and though 3 & 5 were less-than-stellar, every season up to the first All-Stars was fine with me. It jumped the shark in Season 8...and I haven't watched since Fans vs. Favorites (16) last year. I think the show is getting slightly better, but it just isn't enough.

If they want to save their show, they need to take some risks. And not just different ethnicities for tribes, or a new type of hidden immunity idol. Perhaps a group of people with pre-existing relationships, finally go to the arctic, I don't know.

I just think its sad. Survivor invented the reality formula and genre...and now its stuck in its own engine. Ah well...17 seasons is ridiculously successful, and I expect a few more for the road.

Is Ace faking a British accent?

Its jumped years ago, I'd say since the last Survivor Africa. Its the same old stuff and the same old tactics. There is only so much they can do to make it more interesting. The players they have now grew up watching this stuff and now they are professional Survivor contestants. They know all the strategies. It is all old hat to them.

Survivor is a personal favorite of mine.

For the sake of this site, I'd say that the show jumped the shark when they threw diversity out the window.

Survivor is now full of twentysomethings and thirtysomethings. Every new edition has the same archetype cast.

I won't hold my breath for an over-fortysomethings edition and a fiftysomething woman winning Survivor.

survivor jumped day 1
i'll admit survivor
is better than these horrible shows
The O'Reilly Factor
Hannity's America
Hannity & Colmes
At Large w/ Geraldo Rivera
Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann
Scarbourgh County
Hardball w/ Chris Matthew
Verdict w/ Dan Abram
Glenn Beck
Nancy Grace
Rush Limbaugh
The 700 Club
John Hagee
Real Time w/ Bill Maher
Politicially Incorrect w/ Bill Maher
The Jerry Springer Show
The Maury Povich Show
Howard Stern
The Howard Stern Show &
The Howard Stern Radio Show

I'AM A FAN OF THE SHOW. HOWEVER ONE THING THAT I CAN'T STAND IS THE WAY JEFF ACTS AT TRIBAL CONCIL. FROM SEASON ONE TO NOW, HE ALWAYS SAYS "I'LL
GO AND TALLY THE VOTES. SO WHAT DOES HE DO? HE WALKS OVER AND GETS THE JAR
OF VOTES. THEN AND ONLY THEN DOES HE CALL THE RESULTS. THUS AT THIS TIME HE DOES INDEED TALLY THE VOTES. DOES THIS BOTHER ANYBODY ELSE..? OR IS IT JUST ME? THANKS FOR YOUR TIME

It's bullsh!t.

In season one they have extras on the dvd. When they profile JOEL, there is a quick shot of Jenna and what does she have in her hand? A green lighter.

Having to make fire from rubbing sticks? Even using BB's glasses was bull.
They gave her a lighter!

And also there's a quick shot of Ramona chopping a head of lettuce. Where did that come from?

It was bull from the get go, but I gotta say,


I JUST LOVE RUDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stephenie ruined Survivor for me. I affectionately call Seasons 10 and 11 (Palau and Guatemala, respectively) Seasons 1 and 2 of "The Stephenie Show." I was a loyal viewer that watched every single episode of the first eleven seasons of Survivor, but after all the focus on Stephenie for two back-to-back seasons, I just couldn't take any more.

In Palau, sure, she got stuck with a crappy tribe, and props to her for being the last one standing. But the producers focused too much on how long she could last as the alpha female in the Ulong tribe. Then, after the merge (or was it an acquisition?), the producers focused on how long she could last in the Kuror tribe. There was way too much emphasis on Steph! After she was voted out, I *finally* was able to enjoy a couple of episodes without her braying voice any whiny crying.

Then, in Guatemala, they bring her back? UGH!!! Having learned nothing about playing the game the first time, she proceeded to stab every single ally she had (except Rafe, who would have killed her in the final two) in the back, and was SURPRISED when Danni received all of the "anti-Stephenie" votes at the final tribal council. DUH!!! The producers gave Stephenie and Bobby Jon (one of the dumbest players and ineffective "leaders" in the history of the game) way too much face time, and when Bobby Jon was voted out early (again!), they spent way too much time focused on Stephenie and what she was doing. And if I had to hear her say "Oh My God" one more time, I was going to throw something through my TV.

After Guatemala, I just couldn't stomach this show any more. With Stephenie, Survivor officially jumped the shark for me.

I couldn't supress my laughter when I saw the trailers for the new season- a bald-headed guy named "Ace"? Writer Chuck Klosterman nailed it when he said that reality TV is no longer about showing you personalities as it is showing you personality "types". No wonder I find this show obnoxious...

I think the show jumped at all the "Rupermania". They purposely made it so that Rupert would win the million (they knew America would vote for him in that 2nd milliopn thing), but the show isn't about popularity, it's about Outwitting, Outplaying, and Outlasting. He obviously wasn't the best player, or else he would've been able to win the million without 3 chances. Well, the 3rd time was the charm for him...

I got sucked into the hype of the first season and really enjoyed watching how each contestant would be voted off.
I never got into any of the subsequent seasons, since I usually missed an early ep or two and it messed up the continuity. I guess watching a complete season on DVD might resolve this, but it doesn't do much for CBS and their ratings!
The concept has never jumped, but after the first season the format just wasn't fresh anymore (to me).

I agree with Dave. Season one was awesome, but after that it was wannabe actor/bartenders trying to get a career going. Also, I think there must be a rule that two sets of breast implants must be competing each season.

It's just become an excuse to show hard-bodied people in very little clothing. I'd like to see a season where they drop off the contestants in northern Minnesota in January!