I hate reality TV. No, let me clarify that. I hate the reality TV that came after Survivor, the original show that is iconic in its formula: scour the streets for conveniently good-looking ‘real†people and make them short-lived stars through their back-stabbing shenanigans — and those of their fellow contestants — in an exotic location.
Since Survivor we’ve been assailed by trashy wannabees, from Temptation Island — where couples are separated and thrown into situations designed to make them cheat on their partners — to the ghastly parody of courtship that is The Bachelor. Then there is the The Amazing Race, which sees paired contestants hurtling around the world in an attempt to win $1million. They completely ignore their majestic surroundings as their sole goal is to find the next route marker. And you can’t ignore the ubiquitous Big Brother — is anything more banal than limelight-seeking morons being filmed as they get drunk and mistake the lawn for a toilet?
None of these programmes have managed to combine Survivor‘s allure of ruthless, contrived intrigue in confined quarters with the gloss of, almost always, scantily clad women trying to make a fire with two sticks and a string bikini. And now it’s South Africa’s turn!
The first episode doled out the requisite adrenalin shot as the contestants split into two tribes, Rana and Aguila. Needless to say, like all the other Survivor series, there seems to be a suspiciously large number of good-looking individuals taking part. Case in point, Gareth, the gorgeous doctor who, during the first challenge, a competition for the most hospitable island base, saved opposing Aguila member Sanele from almost drowning as he succumbed to cramp in the ocean. And this all to the detriment of Gareth’s team, Rana. It remains to be seen whether a chiselled jaw and some heroics will be enough to outlast the other competitors — and Survivor is fabulously good at turning values such as ‘for the greater good†inside out.
This series has been hyped as giving the Survivor dynasty a uniquely South African flavour. Judging by Sunday’s episode, however, the creators have painstakingly stuck to the CBS style guide, right down to the slow motion shots of defeated tribe Rana leaving their first tribal council. It seems the only things uniquely South African about this instalment of Survivor are the lacklustre host, Mark Bayly, and the local accents.
The jury is out on whether Survivor South Africa manages to do anything different from its predecessors. But hey, why deviate from a winning premise? The spectacle of ‘average people†battling to become cohesive communities — while aiming to betray those around them using every morally expedient justification for a shot at fame and a knock-out tan — will draw the viewers.
Survivor South Africa Panama airs at 6pm on Sundays on M-Net
