Description: Although these all-stars may be familiar with the show’s premise, a few things have been changed for the show’s eighth season in order to offer some change into the mix. Players were divided into three tribes named Chapera, Saboga and Mogo Mogo, and marooned on separate beaches off the Panama coast where they cope with the most unpredictable weather yet. Promising to be the most manipulative season yet, SURVIVOR: ALL-STARS would not be complete without a little conflict between the players, and this time around, there is plenty of that to go around.. Commentaries on 10 episodes by (variously) Rob Cesternino, Jenna Morasca, Rudy Boesch, Tina Wesson, Lex Van Den Berghe, Alicia Calaway, Kathy Vavrick-O’Brien, Shii Ann Huang, Rupert Boneham, Jenna Lewis, Amber Brkich and Rob Mariano
Amazon.com: Billed as "the greatest Survivor ever" when it launched following the Super Bowl in January 2004, Survivor All-Stars broke new ground for the hit reality series by bringing back 18 of its most famous (and infamous) characters from the previous seven installments to battle it out in a quest for affirmation or redemption (and, of course, the million-dollar prize). Half the fun was seeing who was picked to return, and there were many tasty selections: original winner Richard (natch) from Borneo; Colby, Jerri, and Tina from the Australian Outback; Ethan, Lex, and Big Tom from Africa; and the newest alumnus, Rupert from the just-completed Pearl Islands. (There were, of course, many omissions, such as Mike Skupin, who deserved a second chance after falling into the fire in Australia.) Right from the beginning, it was clear that this Survivor was going to be different. Because people now knew each other (from sharing a previous game, watching on TV, or mixing at Survivor-related functions), some of the schemers were quickly sniffed out and snuffed out, and players were more aggressive about creating alliances (which sometimes overlapped, but hey, it's only a problem if you get caught). In addition, because no one wanted to see someone win a second million dollars, previous champions found that they had targets on their backs. As a result, there was an entirely new wave of power players. Along the way there were some surprising and very emotional developments (which had the unfortunate side effect of killing some of the show's action) and the first on-screen Survivor romance. In the end, Survivor All-Stars didn't live up to its billing as the best ever (that title would remain with season 2 in the Australian Outback), but it did bring a new twist and some genuinely memorable moments to a long-running series. The DVD set adds significant value to the season, including some welcome behind-the-scenes info on the series as a whole. The bonus footage consists of much longer versions of each member's "confessional" after being voted out, and 57 minutes of scenes that are edited and scored like the regular episodes. Among those scenes are a tribal council that was never seen on TV and Rob Cesternino's dead-on impression of host Jeff Probst at a mock tribal council, which was seen during the season as new footage in the midseason "recap" episode. That episode is the only one not included in the set, but with the above-mentioned moment preserved, only the most hardcore fan would object to the loss of this dead spot in every season. Three different quartets of cast members recorded commentary tracks on a total of 10 episodes, including the final four on the last episode and the first reunion (the second is also included). They provide a lot of insight and fun stories, though there's a bit too much yelling over each other. There are also featurettes that should appeal to all fans of the show: how the challenges are created and tested, the casting process, behind the scenes at the final show, and TV promos for the previous seven seasons. The individual profiles of all 16 All-Stars consist of footage of their original appearances, which may help remind you why they were picked to return, and interviews before the the season started. --David Horiuchi
Description from Shopping.com
Producer/creator Mark Burnett unleashed a pop culture phenomenon--and changed the face of early-21st-century television--with his hugely popular reality series SURVIVOR. Singlehandedly ushering in the age of reality-television, the action-adventure series more than lives up to its name as real-world contestants are divided into opposing teams and stranded in a remote location to compete in daredevil challenges in pursuit of a million-dollar prize. The team that wins each challenge earns either a prize or immunity, while the losing team faces an elimination round where one member is ceremoniously dismissed. Adding a human element to the cutthroat competition are the personal interactions between team members, which impact the game through strategic alliances--or dooming enmities. This collection presents every episode of the series' fascinating and highly watchable eighth season, which reunites 18 survivors from the first seven seasons for an all-star that includes Borneo's Richard, Rudy, Sue, and Jenna L... |
