Special Reports

The Summer of <i>Survivor</i>

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 23, 2001 / 12:16 PM EST / CBS

Survivor took the TV world by storm last summer when it debuted May 31 after months of buildup and hype. To the surprise of critics, it steered clear of the sex and gothic mystery angles many had expected and instead focused on the island and its hardships and the interpersonal relationships among the 16 contestants.

Because of the success of the series, the survivors themselves became instant celebrities with endorsement deals and lecture-circuit engagements awaiting them as soon as they were booted from the tropical paradise. Most famous of all was winner Richard Hatch, who topped some people's person-of-the-year lists for 2000.

Here is a look back at the Survivor season:

On the opening show, Sonja Christopher, a 60-ish musician who proved not quite as spry as her fellow castaways, got the boot and viewers got to know all the contestants who over the summer would become as familiar to Americans as the next-door neighbors.

After two of the older contestants got booted off the island, the tribes in the series' third week exiled the San Francisco attorney Stacey Stillman, 27, who attributed her loss to "crankiness."

Survivor: The Australian Outback

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For a look at the sequel to the enormously popular Survivor TV show, visit the official CBS Web site.

The contest by which the castaways are judged often drew strong reactions from audiences. One segment, which required contestants to catch, kill and eat rats, drew protests from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

In succeeding episodes, the tribal council voted off castaways Ramona and Dirk. Audiences were surprised when frontrunner Gretchen, the soccer mom who was widely expected to win because other contestants had dubbed her a true survivor, also got the boot. Week after week, the tribal council voted off more contestants - Joel, then Jenna, whose tears at not getting a missive from home drew early sympathy from the audience, then Gervase.

As oddsmakers and experts made redictions, the favorites, like the doctor Sean, were sent into exile. In the final two-hour segment, which sparked Super Bowl-like partiesacross the nation, corporate trainer Richard - dubbed early on "the naked fat guy" by Late Show host David Letterman - became the survivor, beating out fellow finalist Kelly.