“Survivor 45” contestant Brandon ‘Brando’ Meyer has a clear vision of the type of player he wants to emulate in the game. The 23 year old software developer from Seattle is a true superfan so “no matter what happens at this point” he’s happy to just be a part of it. Watch their full CBS interview below.
Brando is aware that he’s playing in the “26 day fast-paced era,” so he’s had to think about what kind of game will be successful for him. His work as a software developer will help him be aware of “every detail and making sure nothing gets by [him].” But as a superfan, of course Brando has a “Survivor bucket list” of things he wants to accomplish in the game. He says that one of those things is “having a Survivor pizza.”
See Everything to know about ‘Survivor 45’
Because he’s been watching the show for so long,...
Brando is aware that he’s playing in the “26 day fast-paced era,” so he’s had to think about what kind of game will be successful for him. His work as a software developer will help him be aware of “every detail and making sure nothing gets by [him].” But as a superfan, of course Brando has a “Survivor bucket list” of things he wants to accomplish in the game. He says that one of those things is “having a Survivor pizza.”
See Everything to know about ‘Survivor 45’
Because he’s been watching the show for so long,...
- 9/22/2023
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
An adorable Survivor showmance is blossoming in season 44, but their close relationship undoubtedly threatens their longevity in the game. The couple — Matt Blankinship and Frannie Marin — came under fire in Survivor 44 Episode 3, but they weren’t the only targets. Was the showmance ultimately able to skate by one more week? Or did Matt and Frannie have to say goodbye to one another all too soon? Read our recap to discover all the answers.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Survivor 44 Episode 3, “Sneaky Little Snake.”]
Matt Blankinship and Claire Rafson | Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Fake idol shenanigans ensue in ‘Survivor 44’ Episode 3
Following the Tribal Council that sent Helen Li packing in Survivor 44 Episode 2, the remaining Tika tribe members — Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho, Carolyn Wiger, Carson Garrett, and Sarah Wade — returned to camp at the beginning of episode 3.
Right out of the gate, Carson blurts out that he didn’t trust Helen, so he wrote her name down. And deep down,...
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Survivor 44 Episode 3, “Sneaky Little Snake.”]
Matt Blankinship and Claire Rafson | Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Fake idol shenanigans ensue in ‘Survivor 44’ Episode 3
Following the Tribal Council that sent Helen Li packing in Survivor 44 Episode 2, the remaining Tika tribe members — Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho, Carolyn Wiger, Carson Garrett, and Sarah Wade — returned to camp at the beginning of episode 3.
Right out of the gate, Carson blurts out that he didn’t trust Helen, so he wrote her name down. And deep down,...
- 3/16/2023
- by Sarah Little
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
While a physical show like “Survivor” may appear to favor jock types, some of the best castaways who often thrive the most in the game are the nerds. With strategy dominating the game, it is the brainier among us who stand out from the pack and typically become fan favorites in the process. They are typically described as “superfans” who have seen every episode and studied the game extensively, like Rob Cesternino, who changed how the game was played in “Survivor: The Amazon.” He was such a smart player that he went on to be voted out very early in “All Stars” due to his threat level. Check out our gallery of the Top 18 nerdiest “Survivor” players ever above.
See ‘Survivor 40’ advantages: Who currently has immunity idols, fire tokens in ‘Winners at War’?
One recent season that featured multiple nerdy underdogs was “David vs. Goliath.” Christian Hubicki and Gabby Pascuzzi...
See ‘Survivor 40’ advantages: Who currently has immunity idols, fire tokens in ‘Winners at War’?
One recent season that featured multiple nerdy underdogs was “David vs. Goliath.” Christian Hubicki and Gabby Pascuzzi...
- 3/7/2020
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
“Survivor” superfans are currently hyped for the upcoming all-winners season, but it’s not always the case that the most popular contestant of the season is the one who wins. In fact, the audience tends to fall in love with those who just come up short of the $1 million prize, often more so than the champion. Players like Rupert Boneham, Cirie Fields and Joe Anglim will probably never win “Survivor,” no matter how many times they come back and try. Their likability is a double-edged sword — they’re genial enough to be safe through several Tribal Councils but once it gets toward the end, they’re too big of a jury threat to win. As we prepare for “Survivor: Winners at War,” here’s the ranking of our 16 favorite lovable losers we hoped would make it onto an all-winner season someday.
See‘Survivor: Winners at War’ predictions video: Who will win?...
See‘Survivor: Winners at War’ predictions video: Who will win?...
- 2/12/2020
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for People since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @stephenfishbach. Erik Reichenbach is a Survivor fan-turned-favorite, a comic book author and artist. He placed fifth on both Survivor: Micronesia and Survivor: Caramoan. Follow him on Twitter @BloodyAmer1can.
"This is like the cool kids lunch table back in high school."
– Eddie Fox, Survivor: Caramoan
Survivor is like high school. The jocks ostracize the nerds. The hotties coast on big boobs and winning smiles. Cliques form quickly. If you don't maintain your finger on the pulse of what's "in,...
"This is like the cool kids lunch table back in high school."
– Eddie Fox, Survivor: Caramoan
Survivor is like high school. The jocks ostracize the nerds. The hotties coast on big boobs and winning smiles. Cliques form quickly. If you don't maintain your finger on the pulse of what's "in,...
- 2/26/2014
- by Stephen Fishbach
- People.com - TV Watch
Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for People since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @stephenfishbach. Erik Reichenbach is a Survivor fan-turned-favorite, a comic book author and artist. He placed fifth on both Survivor: Micronesia and Survivor: Caramoan. Follow him on Twitter @BloodyAmer1can. "This is like the cool kids lunch table back in high school." - Eddie Fox, Survivor: CaramoanSurvivor is like high school. The jocks ostracize the nerds. The hotties coast on big boobs and winning smiles. Cliques form quickly. If you don't maintain your finger on the pulse of what's "in,...
- 2/26/2014
- by Stephen Fishbach
- PEOPLE.com
"Survivor" announced during the live "Blood vs. Water" reunion special that next season, which is number 28 (!) is "Brawn vs. Brain vs. Beauty," which could be a lot of fun. Since it's par for the course these days to have previous players return, it got us thinking -- which former castaways would we like to see in each category?
We're operating under the assumption that there will be three tribes divided according to the subtitle of the season, so here are our suggestions for each. Vote below for who your favorites are and let us know if we forgot anybody.
Also -- the castaways could oftentimes fit into two or all three of the categories, so we aren't saying they aren't smart or beefy or good-looking by picking one place to put them. Finally, we also are trying to pick people who haven't already returned to the show many times over.
We're operating under the assumption that there will be three tribes divided according to the subtitle of the season, so here are our suggestions for each. Vote below for who your favorites are and let us know if we forgot anybody.
Also -- the castaways could oftentimes fit into two or all three of the categories, so we aren't saying they aren't smart or beefy or good-looking by picking one place to put them. Finally, we also are trying to pick people who haven't already returned to the show many times over.
- 12/16/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
When I first perused the names of the 10 returning players coming back to play in Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites, I was struck by one thing: How bad so many of them were. Not bad people, necessarily, but people that had performed really poorly in the game. And I wasn’t the only person to notice. When I spoke to returnee Malcolm Freberg before filming in May 2012, he noted that the male cast was filled with men that were best known for making bonehead mistakes.
One of the men that made those mistakes, John Cochran, went even a step...
One of the men that made those mistakes, John Cochran, went even a step...
- 1/15/2013
- by Dalton Ross
- EW - Inside TV
Update: Unfortunately, Yau-Man has had to cancel tonight’s chat due to a work-related emergency. We still hope to have him join us soon. Our apologies for the inconvenience.
Yau-Man Chan has an impressive resume: two-time Survivor alum; Chief Technology Officer for the University of California, Berkeley’s College of Chemistry; MIT graduate; champion table-tennis player; and now, EW.com Live Chat host.
That’s right, the man whom Jeff Probst once called “an unlikely hero” will be taking your questions and adding his commentary during the West Coast feed of tonight’s Survivor: One World at 8:00 p.m.
Yau-Man Chan has an impressive resume: two-time Survivor alum; Chief Technology Officer for the University of California, Berkeley’s College of Chemistry; MIT graduate; champion table-tennis player; and now, EW.com Live Chat host.
That’s right, the man whom Jeff Probst once called “an unlikely hero” will be taking your questions and adding his commentary during the West Coast feed of tonight’s Survivor: One World at 8:00 p.m.
- 5/2/2012
- by Christian Blauvelt
- EW.com - PopWatch
The ice-cold way that Sash, Holly and Chase cut Jane's throat on Wednesday's episode of Survivor was the perfect example of how loyalty and friendship get tossed in favor of risk assessment when it comes to the endgame. I know from experience that having to turn on your alliance can be heartbreaking. All those things you dreamed about together from day 2 are coming true - but only for one person. Rather than award a Fishy, I thought I would ask a few of Survivor's best strategists - Jt Thomas, Russell Hantz, Todd Herzog and more - what their endgame experiences were like.
- 12/17/2010
- by Stephen Fishbach
- PEOPLE.com
If you missed last week's episode of Survivor, check out a recap here.
This week's installment of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains begins with the Villains returning from their first Tribal Council. Under a full moon (when is it nota full moon in reality TV?), Coach loses his mind upon reaching camp. He confides in Tyson that he just doesn't know if he can continue in the game. See, he's a very sensitive guy, although he hides that sensitivity behind machismo, and he didn't take kindly to Sandra's attacks on his leadership and commitment to the tribe. Coach is the man, and he will not compromise what he is about for anyone, let alone Sandra. He devolves into a blubbering mess and all Tyson can do to soothe Coach's wounded pride is to hug him. Tyson asks Coach if he wants Tyson's help. When Coach says yes, Tyson tells him,...
This week's installment of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains begins with the Villains returning from their first Tribal Council. Under a full moon (when is it nota full moon in reality TV?), Coach loses his mind upon reaching camp. He confides in Tyson that he just doesn't know if he can continue in the game. See, he's a very sensitive guy, although he hides that sensitivity behind machismo, and he didn't take kindly to Sandra's attacks on his leadership and commitment to the tribe. Coach is the man, and he will not compromise what he is about for anyone, let alone Sandra. He devolves into a blubbering mess and all Tyson can do to soothe Coach's wounded pride is to hug him. Tyson asks Coach if he wants Tyson's help. When Coach says yes, Tyson tells him,...
- 3/5/2010
- by Michael Salerno
- TVovermind.com
(S20E01) We've already had epic hype for an epic season of 'Survivor.' More intense than a typical 'All-Stars' version, this season pits the (supposedly) best of good and evil in a battle to be the sole survivor. It's kind of like the Stephen King novel, 'The Stand.' Forces for good and evil, perhaps with a few shades of gray in-between, ready to duke it out for the win. Well, I could see Evil Russell being Randall Flagg, can't you? The casting is right for both sides. I would have liked to see Richard Hatch and Yau-Man Chan in there, but it wasn't my decision to make. I'm just a witness to the chaos.
Continue reading 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'Stay Everyone, Trust No One' Recap (Season Premiere)
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
Permalink | Email this | | Comments...
Continue reading 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' - 'Stay Everyone, Trust No One' Recap (Season Premiere)
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
Permalink | Email this | | Comments...
- 2/12/2010
- by Jackie Schnoop
- Aol TV.
In an All-Star season of Survivor, everyone is a target for one reason or another, but among the contestants playing in Heroes Vs. Villains, Cirie Fields is among the biggest. In my conversations in Samoa with the participants just before the game began, several (including Amanda, Danielle, J.T., and Stephenie) named Cirie as one of the players they wanted to get rid of first. And who can blame them? While Cirie poses no physical threat whatsoever, she has twice (in Panama and Micronesia) proven herself to be a savvy social player and crafty manipulator. The problem for Cirie is that everyone knows it,...
- 1/11/2010
- by Dalton Ross
- EW.com - PopWatch
CBS won't officially announce the cast for "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" until Jan. 9, but after looking at the trailer, we have a decent idea of who might be lining up on each side.
The network ran a 115-second teaser for the new edition, the show's 20th, during the "Survivor: Samoa" finale on Dec. 20. The first minute or so is a look back at earlier seasons. Around the 1:10 mark, though, things start to get interesting, as host Jeff Probst starts talking about the villains -- chosen for their skills in "deception, manipulation and duplicity," and the heroes, who represent "integrity, courage and honor." Here's the full trailer:
After multiple viewings and frame-by-frame (or, Ok, clicking play and pause a whole bunch of times) analysis of the trailer, we saw the following people. Some of them -- especially inaugural winner Richard Hatch, who was in jail during the filming of "Heroes vs.
The network ran a 115-second teaser for the new edition, the show's 20th, during the "Survivor: Samoa" finale on Dec. 20. The first minute or so is a look back at earlier seasons. Around the 1:10 mark, though, things start to get interesting, as host Jeff Probst starts talking about the villains -- chosen for their skills in "deception, manipulation and duplicity," and the heroes, who represent "integrity, courage and honor." Here's the full trailer:
After multiple viewings and frame-by-frame (or, Ok, clicking play and pause a whole bunch of times) analysis of the trailer, we saw the following people. Some of them -- especially inaugural winner Richard Hatch, who was in jail during the filming of "Heroes vs.
- 12/29/2009
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Whether you love or loathe Evil Russell, most people agree that this season of Survivor: Samoa has been a good one. But how good? Where does it rank next to other seasons like Palau, Pearl Islands, and The Australian Outback? That's right, it's time for our oft-debated seasonal Survivor rankings! This is where I break down the first to the worst Survivor seasons, and tell you where the latest edition ranks (with two episodes left, at least). What will come in No. 1? Where does the oft-debated All-Stars season fall? And will Survivor: Samoa crack the top 10? The top 5? Click the...
- 12/17/2009
- by Dalton Ross
- EW.com - PopWatch
After watching him target and oust every obstacle in his path (from Marissa and Betsy to Kelly and Laura), find three hidden immunity idols (two with no clues), and flip Shambo over to his side, it is time to start asking: Where does Russell stand on the list of best Survivor players ever? Of course, it depends on what criteria you use to define "best". Richard Hatch, who practically wrote the rulebook on how to play the game, has to stand atop the list of best pure strategists, followed by Cook Islands' Yul, Fiji's Yau-Man and Amazon's Rob Cesternino. There...
- 12/3/2009
- by Dalton Ross
- EW.com - PopWatch
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” --Sun Tzu, The Art of War Is Russell somehow cosmically attuned to hidden immunity idols? Maybe it's magnetism. While Galu pats itself on the back and celebrates its march toward victory, Russell scrambles for his life -- and finds a second idol without any clues. When he uses the idol to blindside Kelly, he makes the move of the episode and completely upends the game's dynamics. Congratulations, Russell, on a well-deserved Fishy Award. Last time Russell found the idol without a clue, a lot of people said he just got lucky. But Russell makes his own luck. It's not easy to go out digging in the wilderness when you haven't eaten anything but coconuts and rat-kebab in three weeks. Most people just hang around camp in a listless torpor. Check out Jaison, Mick...
- 11/13/2009
- by StyleWatch
- People.com - TV Watch
Chet Welch was voted off of Survivor.aspx" >Survivor: Micronesia last night. This was way overdue. Chet was another in a long line of older Survivor castaways who brought absolutely nothing to the table. He was a wet rag, a worthless pile of goo who forced others to change the way they played the game of Survivor, created unfortunate alliances and was the catalyst in three separate surprise eliminations. It makes me sick that Chet outlasted as many castaways as he did on this season of Survivor. It didn't have to be this way. The blame falls squarely on one place and one place only – the CBS/Survivor casting department.
I understand the need to give the older set a chance to compete on Survivor. That's fine. I also understand the desire to diversify the competition and cast openly gay contestants. This is also fine. But, that doesn't mean...
I understand the need to give the older set a chance to compete on Survivor. That's fine. I also understand the desire to diversify the competition and cast openly gay contestants. This is also fine. But, that doesn't mean...
- 3/14/2008
- by BuddyTV
- buddytv.com
Did I just watch that correctly? Did the Fans make the same mistake two episodes in a row? Have they ever seen Survivor.aspx">Survivor played before? After five episodes, I suspect that CBS cleverly cast second-rate castaways as the Fans, in order to make the Favorites look good. From the second this season was concocted by Mark Burnett and the Survivor team, they knew they were going to feature the returning Favorites and not the new Fans. They did this by casting weaker players with weaker intellect and less personality on the Fans side, therefore giving the Favorites the upper hand and giving the editors an excuse to steal screen time away from the Fans. That's fine, though – I don't care if Survivor: Micronesia is unfair, so long as us viewers get to spend more time with the Favorites. But, just for fun, let's examine just how unfair...
- 3/7/2008
- by BuddyTV
- buddytv.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.