Survivor 26: Revenge of the Nerds -- Episode 3 Recap/Analysis

Three episodes in, the lunatics are running the asylum (and threatening to quit it). During the momentary breaks from the Phillip Sheppard and Shamar Thomas highlight reel, what is revealed about the other 16 contestants? With the game - and hopefully the season - likely to be shaken up by a probable tribe swap, how should people be planning ahead? And, with some of the favourites still missing from our screens, we have to wonder: is this a sign of their permanent irrelevance, or are they being saved for their breakout moments?

As always you can listen on the player below, here, or on iTunes here.

The Reality of TV with Max Dawson

It's impossible to fully appreciate shows like Survivor unless we understand the wider context that underlies them, so we asked Max Dawson, media consultant and professor at Northwestern University, to tell us what we need to know. He paints a vivid picture of the state of the American television industry at the turn of the century and explains how the show we all love revolutionized its genre and television as a whole, before looking at how reality TV has grown and changed over the past decade. We then return to the show that started it all, talking about the evolution of Survivor over the years in everything from casting to editing to gameplay, and try to find words to express our - and seemingly everyone's - collective disappointment with the current season. Finally, Max tells us about his TV course at NU (#rtvf330 for those of you in the Twitterverse), and the rewards and challenges of teaching an interactive class.

You can listen here or on iTunes here.

You can read more about #rtfv330 here and find Max on Twitter here.

For updates, like the podcast FB page or follow us on Twitter.

Survivor 26: Laura? I Hardly Know Her! -- Episode 2 Recap/Analysis ft. Gary Wise

(No, really, who is she?)

This week, there was much that went unsaid and much we wish had gone unseen. Since the editors didn't want to tell us, what can we piece together about the fallout on the Favourites? Was Brandon in the wrong making Dawn 'True Grit' Meehan cry, and will he ever back up his words with actions? With the misfit Fans' alliance in the ascendant, who are emerging as its quiet and not-so-quiet leaders? And, with Jeff Probst joining Chuck Klosterman for a revealing interview this week, what can we learn about the man at the center of the franchise? All this, and more, with friend of the show - and of ESPN - Gary Wise, below, here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 26: Fran vs. Favorites -- Episode 1 Recap/Analysis ft. Ian Terry

After a short vacation in the Caramoan Islands, Francesca's Survivor record is as bad as our prediction record. How did someone as smart, assertive, and savvy as Francesca become the first player ever to be a first boot twice? Whose mistakes made this happen, and who stands to gain most from them? And, despite an early lead, are the Fans destined to be defeated and forgotten this season? We discuss all this, and more, with Big Brother 14 winner Ian Terry, who also gives his insight on the dynamics involving returning players. As always the podcast can be found here on the blog page, externally here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 26: Pre-game interviews & information

In case you want to get in the mood for tomorrow's Survivor premiere, we've collected the various pre-game interviews and previews here:

xfinity.tv with Gordon Holmes (full cast):
http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv/category/survivor/

Entertainment Weekly with Dalton Ross (favourites*, joint interview with Cochran and his mum*, questions with Jeff Probst):
http://insidetv.ew.com/tag/survivor/

Videos (full cast: 'Meet X', 'X's Memorable Moment'; TVGuide preview, Probst cast assessment, commercials/teaser clips):
http://www.youtube.com/user/SurvivorVideosCBS

Official bios:
http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/cast/

*Damn right, that's a 'U'. Don't let your rancour about it colour your humour!

Survivor 26: Season Preview

Survivor returns to our screens this Wednesday, but before we begin another season of carefully responding to concrete demonstrations of character and personal motivation, we must first spend three hours offering baseless overreactions to the new cast, many post-scripted by our trademark insincere disclaimer that one can't judge a book by its cover.

Do any of the Fans have what it takes to defeat this motley crew of returnees?  What can be made of the controversial casting of the Favorites tribe, and how might their off-island relationships impact the game?   Can Malcolm overcome the collective fear of the the unknown?  Is Brenda the next Survivor superstar or a trendy impostor?  And can Cochran capitalize on what appears to be a hand-selected group of teammates?

As always you can listen on the player below, here, or find us on iTunes here, and join us after the two hour season premiere when we'll be breaking everything down with special guest, Big Brother 14 winner Ian Terry.

Survivor 25: Finale Recap + Season in Review

Much to the disappointment of Mayan fundamentalists worldwide, 2013 is real, and to kick off the new year of podcasting we're back to break down the Survivor: Philippines finale and give our take on the players and season in general.

How did it all go wrong for Malcolm, and what might have been done differently to prevent his downfall? With Lisa and Skoopin Skupin in the driver's seat, did they make the right call? And how did Denise ultimately manage such certain victory?

Plus, how pointless are final four reward challenges?  What kind of drunken Pin the Tail on the Donkey process has been used for final immunity selection the last several years?  How many of the cast might we see return for future seasons?  And what does Russell Hantz believe in if not respect for women?

Listen on the player below, find the direct link here, or find us on iTunes here.



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