Wednesday, February 27, 2002
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Wednesday, February 27, 2002 |
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'The Old Man and the Island' By MICHAEL BOYLAN "Survivor" started on an island in the South Pacific and then went to the Australian Outback and then Africa. Tomorrow night the reality show returns to the islands and one of the 16 contestants vying for the $1 million prize is a local celebrity, Superior Court Judge Paschal English. "Survivor," which airs on CBS Thursday nights at 8 p.m., started as a smash hit but has been progressively losing steam since the end of the first season. The Outback and Africa, though hard to survive in, were considered by many to be too ugly for TV. Now, they go back to an exotic and lush landscape and the producers of the series are, in the words of Emeril, kicking it up a notch. Contestants will not be given any provisions this time around. There is plenty of food on the island and they will have to live off the land. One can expect the physical challenges to be more physical and the gross challenges to be more gross, though I don't know how the producers will get more disgusting than having contestants drink warm cow's blood. There is a way to win the game and one would wager that the contestants on this version of "Survivor" have studied all of the angles. They must build alliances and have contingency plans for being double crossed, but even then things can change in an instant. Last season, the rules changed automatically, taking away a huge advantage from one tribe. So, how will Paschal do? There are already dozens of Web sites that have thousands of obviously very bored people speculating on the outcome. I have yet to see anyone pick Paschal to finish as the winner. This may be because he is old. At 57, Paschal is the oldest contestant by eight years and may have trouble building alliances with a younger crowd. There may also be some speculation that a woman will win this time around as the pattern appears to be guy-girl. However, he certainly has the skills to make it a long way in the game. He is a judge by trade, meaning he can mediate disagreements and win people over to his side. He was in the Air Force, which gave him survival skills, and has spent time in Southeast Asia. If Paschal can fish (and what good ole Georgia boy can't?), he will be useful to his tribe, which could keep him around a while. Either way I'm sure he had fun on "Survivor" and we will have fun watching him. How surreal for people who have been on a jury of a case he presided over or had to stand in front of him in court. There is the judge, eating bug larvae and running around without a shirt on. It will definitely be interesting to watch, at least until he gets voted off the island. For those of you who won't be watching and are more interested in Joey and Rachel's relationship on "Friends" (which I'll be taping and watching after Survivor), be sure to check out our Web site every Friday morning for a Paschal on "Survivor" update. I will write about everything that happened to him the previous night and what could be in store for him the following week. The tribe has spoken.
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