By MONROE ROARK
mroark@thecitizennews.com

I think I can comment accurately on the subject of "15 minutes of fame." In 1989 I appeared on "Jeopardy!" as a college student, which provided me some extra cash and made me a bit of a name at West Georgia. Now I have a scratchy video tape and a fading 8x10 autographed by Alex Trebek that shows what I looked like with hair. It was a very cool experience.

Having said that, I have no doubt that Paschal English will be in a totally different stratosphere when "Survivor" begins airing at the end of the month. There's no way to know for sure, and no one is talking about it right now, but my first instinct is that the judge comes out looking pretty good on the show and will be able to write his own ticket afterward.

I'm certainly not a celebrity freak, but there's something very interesting about seeing a guy with a local connection on an event of such widespread national exposure. It will be weird seeing English on television after having sat in his courtroom (as a reporter, not as a defendant). The Citizen is abuzz about the whole thing, starting with rumors that surfaced a couple of weeks before the official announcement of his participation.

I have heard some people question his appearance on the show in light of his professional position. There's obviously nothing illegal about it, but I heard a question in the office about propriety. "It's just not dignified," someone said.

Please. The guy has a life. His participation on "Survivor" won't affect his job any more than if he played in a recreational softball league. Even less, perhaps, because the other contestants are all highly unlikely to appear in court here, since they live far from here.

When I look at the judge, I see someone who has had a long and prosperous career, whose children are grown, and who just decided to go for it. I salute that wholeheartedly.

As far as I'm concerned, English can sit on the bench another ten years. But I don't think he will. My guess is that his career as a Superior Court judge will be over pretty soon after the show airs, because his star will be on the rise.

English has the personality, background, and looks to make this thing work for him, in my opinion. His age and experience will likely work in his favor on the show; at 57, he's eight years older than any other contestant in this round. But the older guys have done very well in previous rounds.

Aside from his education and professional experience, there's the military background that includes a few years in Southeast Asia in the late 1960s. If that doesn't teach a man survival skills, I don't know what does.

Then there are the morve obvious characteristics, which should become evident with the first episode. English is trim, athletic, tanned, handsome, and speaks articulately with a pleasant and polite Southern accent. In short, chicks will dig this guy. Buzz about him has already been heavy on "Survivor" fan Web sites; I think his popularity will grow.

Of course, the big question right now is "How well did he do on the island?" If I were betting on it, I'd say he finishes in the top four. That won't be known for certain until around Memorial Day.

If he does that well, what are the possibilities afterward? More than you can count.

He could stay on the bench or take his winnings and retire quietly. But there will be plenty of folks ready and willing to make him into a TV star.

The most obvious scenario would be to capitalize on his area of expertise. Could English end up with his own show on Court TV, CNN, or Fox News? Why not? There is plenty of demand for legal commentary in network news, and the talent poll out there right now ranges from very good to very poor.

One could speculate for quite a while about other possibilities. But whatever happens, my hat is off to him for just going for it, and it should be fun to watch the upcoming "Survivor" tale unfold.

[Monroe Roark can be reached at mroark@TheCitizenNews.com.]

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