Host: 'Survivor' About Relationships
The “Survivor” shows are studies in human social politics and how people get along, according to Jeff Probst, who is host of “Survivor: Africa,” which premieres Thursday, and its two predecessors.
In an interview with with The Early Show anchor Bryant Gumbel, Probst spoke about the new show and its relevance in a time of war. The following is the text of that interview:
Gumbel: How are you doing?
Probst: I'm doing all right. It was interesting listening to those stories.
Gumbel: Yeah. Wasn't it amazing?
Probst: Yep.
Gumbel: Yeah, I mean. You give me the perfect opportunity. After hearing something like that, does the name "survivor," do people even want to hear that with a TV program?
Probst: You know, it's obviously a good question. There's no correlation, I don't think. Even the whole term "reality television" is a phrase that was given to a genre of television. Survivor for us, anyway, has always been the same thing. At its best, escapism and hopefully at its least, you know in this type of environment, an entertaining distraction.
Gumbel: The locale has changed. Has the show changed in any way as a result?
Probst: No. We were finished with this, so it hasn't. And fortunately we were all back and safe. But, no, I don't think the show will ever change. It really is a study of human -- you know, of social politics and how people get along. And actually, Africa was fantastic, because we really had this experience that you could never have any other way, taking these people and putting them in the middle of the 100,000 acres of wildlife. But also bringing in so much involvement from some of the tribes. Some of the Masai warrior tribes, particularly the Samburu tribe. These guys saw things and experienced things in their life they would never get a chance to see otherwise.
Gumbel: As usual there have been a lot of rumors associated with this episode, also. Is it true there's going to be three tribes at the end of the show?
Probst: You know I'm not talking about that. But, we certainly tried to mix it up a little bit this time. Just to remind them 2hat you can't predict what's going to happen just because you watched last season.
Gumbel: Yeah. There's no abundant water source as in the first two shows. How much is that going to impact and change the game?
Probst: Water is a big factor, because of what you just said. There's nowhere just to go cool off and clean off. You can't go to a river or the ocean. And the only water source there is, is actually little tiny streams that sort of trickle. They have to figure out how to make fire so they can boil the water because it's so polluted. If you drink it...you're in serious trouble. Having said that, even though hey do manage after their first tribal council, they get fire, even after that, the water is still so bad that their stomach's in constant turmoil and there's nowhere to go clean off or refresh yourself in that sense.
Gumbel: This is grand stuff, Jeff.
Probst: Wanted to share that with you.
Gumbel: Real quick, about the cast. Which show is it going to remind us most of, the first one or the second one?
Probst: I think it's a combination of one and two. Because we certainly have some young, attractive hard bodies like we did in Australia. But we have some great rural types. We have everybody from Tom Buchanan...a goat farmer to a career counselor at Harvard. A young Puerto Rican Deputy Sheriff, Jessie, and a girl from one of the richest suburbs in San Diego. So it's really all over the map.
Gumbel: Was this your first trip to East Africa?
Probst: First trip to Africa in general, period. And it was amazing.
Gumbel: I'm sure it won't be your last.
Probst: You know the phrase the birthplace of humanity?
Gumbel: Yep.
Probst: I never understood it, and the minute I stepped off the plane, I got it.
Gumbel: Jeff, thanks, good luck.
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