Jeff Probst Movies

The 17th season of the reality series begins with 18 castaways marooned in Gabon, Africa, and divided into two tribes: Fang and Kota. As the show's title suggests, Gabon, like the legendary Eden, is a pristine paradise teaming with exotic wildlife. Fittingly, the series is shot in high definition for the first time, allowing the cameras to more fully capture the land's natural beauty-and the game's soul-crushing competitions. The emerging theme for this edition is good vs. evil. Among the villains are Corinne, an acid-tongued beauty who relishes being nasty; Ace, a smug yoga-loving photographer with a suspect British accent; and Randy, a cranky wedding videographer who swears off marriage. More likable are Bob, a 58-year-old Maine schoolteacher who fancies bow ties; Matty, a chiseled personal trainer; and Sugar, a not-so-dumb Brooklyn blond and pinup girl who finds a second home on Exile Island and christens the hut there the Sugar Shack. And speaking of Exile Island, a new twist allows a person banished there to choose between a clue to a hidden immunity idol or a comfort item, such as food or a hammock. Immunity idols are always an important part of the game, but in Gabon fake idols play an equally strategic role in outwitting opponents and lead to one of the funniest and most memorable tribal councils of any season. ~ Tim Holland, Rovi

Though it wasn't Survivor: Morocco as previously announced, the 15th season of CBS's league-leading reality series Survivor more than compensated for any audience disappointment by being lensed in its entirety in Mainland China--the first American TV series, in fact, to utilize this fascinating location for fifteen consecutive episodes. The producers were granted unprecedented access to many of China's most exotic and spectacular landmarks, ranging from an enormous Shaolin temple to the Great Wall itself. The bulk of the action occurred in the Jiagnxi Province, on two islands in Zhelin Lake. The sixteen castaways participating in the 39-day Survivor competition included the series' youngest-ever contestant, 20-year-old Parkour athlete and film student Michael Zernow, aka "Frosti." Another player could be regarded as a bonafide celebrity--namely, WWE pro wrestler Ashley Massaro. Also on deck this season were professional hunting guide Amanda Kimmel, surfing instructor Aaron Reisberger, poultry farmer Steve Morris (better known as "Chicken"!), former model Dave Cruser, waitress Courtney Yates, school "lunch lady" Denise Martin (whose negative comments about her employers stirred up an unexpected controversy during the "reunion" finale), college coed Jaime Dugan, gravedigger James Clement, professional poker player Jean-Robert Bellande (regarded by some of the contestants as the "villain" of the piece because of his self-serving behavior), Christian radio talkshow host Leslie Nease, elementary school teacher Sherea Lloyd), jeweler Peih-Gee Law, musician Erik Huffman and last but far from least, flight attendant Todd Herzog. In keeping with the Chinese motif, the series' traditional "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast" motto was modified to the more formal and polite "Compete in Intelligence, Compete in Skill, Compete in Endurance." Similarly, the players were divided into two tribes with Chinese names: the Fei-Long, which translates as "Flying Dragon", and the Zhan-Hu, or "Fighting Tiger." And finally, the weekly Tribal Council meetings were played against an impressive 100-foot replica of a Chinese temple. Tough there was no "Exile Island" on this occasion, the two tribes were allowed to "kidnap" members of the competiting tribe during the weekly Reward Challenge. These abductees were obliged to remain with their captives until the next Immunity Challenge, and also to share clues (provided by the producers) to the location of the two Immunity Idols. And speaking of THOSE, there was a new wrinkle on the whole "Idol" concept this time around, with a false Immunity Idol showing up at one juncture to throw the players off track. Survivor: China began on September 20, 2007, with a general get-together in downtown Shanghai, and ended on December 16, with the obligatory reunion show in Los Angeles. This last episode, as ever, was capped by the apperance of series host Jeff Probst, exhorting the viewer to return the following season when the Survivor crew would journey to Micronesia. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The fourteenth season of the evergreen CBS reality-competition series Survivor is set amongst the Fijian Islands, a tropical paradise occasionally festered with slithery snakes and other such nuisances. This time around, there are nineteen contestants rather than the twenty we've been accustomed to for the past several seasons: the twentieth contestant quit before the series began, the victim of panic attacks. For a change, the season opens "cold", without introducing the contestants individually before depositing them on the island where, for the next 39 days, they will compete for the million-dollar grand prize and the coveted title of Sole Survivor. In another new development, the "castaways" participate in a challenge before being split into two tribes--the Moto and the Ravu--with one tribe enjoying the luxuries accrued in the initial challenge, while the other tribe must make do with only a water well and machete. Also, on this go-round there are two immunity idols hidden somewhere on "Exile Island," rather than a single idol. Plus, there are no "recap" episodes; the adventure unfolds without interruption or flashback. Finally, for the first time in Survivor history, the Sole Survivor is chosen unanimously by the jury, with no dissenting votes. Their ages ranging from 23 to 55, this season's ethnically diverse "survivors" include attorney Alex Angarita, expert-witness locator Anthony Robinson; construction worker Kenward "Boo" Bemis; civil-engineer manager Cassandra Franklin; cheerleading coach Andria "Dre" Herd, aka "Dreamz"; ad executives Earl Cole and Edgardo Rivera; fundraiser Erica Durousseau; school bus driver Gary Stritesky; bartender James "Rocky" Reid; fashion stylist Jessica deBen; loan officer Liliana Gomez, customer service representative Lisette "Lisi" Linares; college student Michelle Yi; program manager Mookie Lee; single mom/professional image consultant Rita Verreos; interactive-internet producer Stacy Kimball; architect Sylvia Kwan; and computer engineer Yau-Man Chan. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

For the third time in its 12-season history, the CBS reality series Survivor heads to Panama. Though the usual 16 contestants spend 39 days on the usual island for the usual million-dollar prize, a few changes in the format are introduced in this outing. For one, the season begins with the contestants divided up into four tribes rather than the standard two. The La Mina tribe consists of the "older men," the Casaya is comprised of "the older women," the Viveros is made up of "the younger men," and the Bayoneta represents "the younger women"; however, these four separate factions are quickly fused into two a few weeks before the inevitable merger into the single Gitanos tribe. The other major change finds certain contestants avoiding the indignity of being voted off the island by being banished to the separate "Exile Island," with the opportunity of returning to the game at a later date. Although the outcasts on Exile Island must fend for themselves without the minimal creature comforts enjoyed by the other contestants, there is one fringe benefit to their banishment: somewhere on Exile Island is hidden the coveted Immunity Idol, which will protect its owner right up to the Final Four playoffs. In other developments, this season represents the first time that a contestant receives three Immunities in a row; that lucky player is airline pilot Terry Deitz. Also, for the first time since the series' first season, another player is removed from the competition due to a medical emergency; Bruce Kanegai, a karate instructor and art teacher, is that unfortunate soul. Rounding out the "cast" this season are Shane Powers, the mercurial owner of an entertainment-marketing firm; Tina Scheer, a logging-sports promoter; Sally Schumann, a social worker; Ruth Marie Milliman, a retail-leasing director; Bobby Mason, an attorney; Nick Stansbury, a law-school candidate; Misty Giles, an engineer; Melinda Hyder, a professional singer; Danielle DiLorenzo, a medical sales rep; Dan Barry, a retired astronaut; Cirie Fields, a registered nurse; Aras Baskauskas, a yoga instructor; Courtney Marit, a performance artist; and Austin Carty, a novelist. These names are listed in no particular order -- we're not about to reveal the "Sole Survivor" until the time comes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Set in Palau, a cluster of independently governed islands near Micronesia, the tenth season of Survivor is described at the outset by series host Jeff Probst as "a season of firsts." And indeed it is. For the first time, 20 contestants -- two more players than ever before -- are whisked off to the exotic locale that will serve as the series' backdrop for 39 days. For the first time, three people are voted off the island in the initial episode -- and one of these is the first African-American contestant to be eliminated after only three days. For the first time, no new tribe is formed when the remaining members of the original tribes are merged. And those are but a few of this year's "firsts." One of the season's "stars" turns out to be Coby Archa, an extremely vocal gentleman whose constant complaints and bursts of anger (described by TV Guide as "high school frustration") place him on the same lofty level as the "whiner supreme" from season one, the unforgettable Susan Hawk. That Coby doesn't make it to the final four is no surprise, though those who do make it are surprising in their own right. After the final episode of Survivor: Palau, the memorabilia from the season is auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally slated to air in the final months of 2003, CBS' long-awaited Survivor: All-Stars finally saw the light of day in early 2004, its debut episode telecast just after the network's Super Bowl coverage on February 1. As the title indicated, this eighth season of Survivor featured several of the most popular contestants from the past seven seasons, including such celebrated "sole survivors" as Richard Hatch, Jenna Morasca, and Tina Wesson, as well as such also-rans as the original Survivor's Rudy Boesch, Jenna Lewis, Ethan Zohn, and Susan Hawk; Survivor: The Australian Outback's Amber Brkich, Jerri Manthey, Alicia Calaway, and Colby Donaldson; Survivor: Marquesas' Rob Mariano and Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien; Survivor: Africa's Tom Buchanan and Lex Van den Berghe; Survivor: Pearl Islands' Rupert Boneham; Survivor: Thailand's Shii Ann Huang; and Survivor: The Amazon's Rob Cesternino. Survivor: All-Stars marked a number of firsts for the reality game show: the first time three rather than two tribes were set up in the opening episode; the first competition in which the reward challenge and immunity challenge were one and the same; the first time that a romance between two of the players blatantly (but tastefully) developed in front of the cameras rather than being merely hinted at; and the first instance wherein two contestants quit the show voluntarily within a single season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season six of Survivor whisks the requisite 16 contestants to the rain forest of South America -- the title of this season's competition, Survivor: The Amazon. Most of the rules of the game remain intact for this go-round, though, of course, a few changes have been made to sustain audience interest. For example, season six marks the first time that the contestants are segregated by six, with the women organized into the Jaburu tribe and the men into the Tambaqui tribe. In other deviations from the norm there is no male African-American contest, though we are introduced to the series' first male Asian, Daniel Lue. Finally, Survivor: The Amazon is the first competition to include a deaf contestant, Christy Smith. Otherwise, there are few surprises this time out -- specifically, no surprise plot twists or sudden imposition of new regulations. In episode six, the two tribes merge into the single Jacare tribe remaining as such until the inevitable "final four" elimination. Without giving away the identity of the winner, it can be noted that the sole survivor is probably the best swimmer in the tribe -- or at least, looks best in a swimsuit. Also, two of the contestants, Jenna Morasca and Heidi Strobel, would later cash in on their 15 minutes of Survivor fame by posing for Playboy magazine. ~ Rovi

A first feature from the man best known as the host of the hugely successful reality-TV series Survivor, Jeff Probst's twisty thriller is centered around the world of card-playing and con men. A street artist, Tepper (Erik Palladino), finds a wallet outside his apartment building one rainy New York night and phones a number he finds inside. He finds out it belongs to Avery Phillips (James Earl Jones) but notices it contains a lottery ticket worth six million dollars and foolishly tells his garrulous pal Fishman (Matthew Lillard). On the night of their poker game, two more men enter the equation: Quigley (Ryan Reynolds), a divorced sad-sack, and Bolan (Dash Mihok). After Tepper phones him, Avery decides to sit in on their game, unaware that Tepper has his winning lottery ticket. As their game progresses, Tepper's sense of ethics is put to the test, as are the loyalties of the men at the game. Robert Forster co-stars as a street cop thrown into the proceedings, and Carly Pope appears as Tepper's longtime girlfriend Carla. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

After its spectacularly successful first season, Survivor returned on January 28, 2001 (right after CBS' coverage of Super Bowl XXXV), with 16 new contestants -- Americans all -- and an exotic and potentially dangerous new locale: the Australian Outback. More specifically, the 16 "castaways" were flown by members of the Royal Australian Rescue Team to Goshen Station, a eucalyptus-laden cattle ranch some 1500 miles north of Sydney. Although not exactly desolate, Goshen Station was nonetheless treacherous, especially for anyone accustomed to the niceties of urban civilization. Particularly vexing was the possibility of snakebite, with no fewer than ten deadly serpentine species to choose from. Distinguishing this Survivor season from the previous one, which took place off the coast of Borneo, were several factors. For one, the site of the weekly Tribal Council was designed in a different fashion, with a local cliff transformed into a Stonehenge-like edifice, festooned with "ancient" Aboriginal artifacts (which were largely products of the producers' imaginations). Also, the various and sundry challenges were much tougher this time out as exemplified by the "Tuckered Out" challenge, wherein the castaways were required to eat such delicacies as cow intestines. Finally, the "final four" castaways were expected to endure no fewer than 42 days in the Outback, as opposed to the 39 days spent in the first season's Pulau Tiga island. As before, the 16 contestants were divided into two tribes: the Kucha (from the Aboriginal word for kangaroo) and the Ogakor (the native word for freshwater crocodile). And, adhering to formula, both tribes eventually merged into the single Barrumundi tribe, with one castaway per episode being voted off the settlement on both sides of the merger. While none of the contestants was quite as venerable as the first season's Rudy (72 years young), there was still quite an age range with contestant Rodger Bingham topping the chart at age 53. Ultimately, the race did not go to the youngest but the swiftest: The person who ended up winning the one-million-dollar grand prize on Survivor: The Australian Outback turned out to be a 40-year-old nurse; however, the season's most memorable moments were provided by one of the early "losers," castaway Michael Skupin, who in one episode cheerfully slaughtered a pig in full view of his companions -- and in his farewell episode fainted face-first into a smoldering campfire. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi