| Source |
| Celeste Mackenzie,
special to the Toronto Star. Original article
scanned and posted by BJ
at Sucks, text version by biancaxxx. |
September 15, 2005: Sucks poster BJ
finds a (print-only) article in the Toronto Star, which appears
to contain a few spoilers:
"Survivor leaves mixed feelings among locals; Old Mayan
city Guatemala locale Many neighbours paid for labour
(La Máquina, Guatemala) There goes the
neighbourhood.
A Mayan city three millenia ago and now a government-touted
tourist destination, Guatemala's Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park
is the host of Survivor: Guatemala, The Maya Empire, premiering
tonight at 8 on Global and CBS. With howler monkeys roaring like
lions from tree perches above centuries-old Mayan ruins, Yaxha is
just one natural wonder the government's tourism board hopes to
promote via the show, having lobbied to bring the production to
Guatemala. But the arrival of the massive American TV production
caught many locals unaware.
Closure of the park before filming in June surprised
residents in nearby villages like La Maquina, according to Luis
Armando Rosales, president of the local tourist association. There
were unfounded rumours of looting among the ruins, and some residents
worried the spirits of the Mayans buried in the park would be upset
by all the commotion. 'Yaxha is a sacred place that must be
respected,' neighbour Joel Martinez said. 'Something terrible is
going to happen, but the Americans will leave and we will pay the
price.'
Others were happy for the visit, like La Maquina
resident Gladis Salinas, whose husband worked as an unskilled labourer
for the show. 'I wish they'd stay longer so Emilio could keep his
($8 U.S. per day) job,' she said. The minimum wage for unskilled
labour in Guatemala is about $4.50 per day. Some 50 people from
La Maquina worked for Survivor as cooks, cleaners, camera
haulers and groundskeepers, and they built and dismantled games
and sets. The hamlet consists of about 130 households. Gloria Diaz
Grajeda, who runs a diner, prepared up to 150 meals a day for local
staff with the help of half a dozen other women. Vans showed up
regularly to pick up the meals and take them to the park.
An hour away in Flores, Peten's capital, Mayor
Emilio Tager agrees that temporary work was beneficial, but says
Survivor's premise is a joke when compared to daily life
here. 'Putting on this huge show requires a huge investment, including
the $1 million prize, (to attract) people from rich countries who
want to try something new - people who are bored with golf and other
sports and are looking for other adventures. Yes, here people are
getting some work, but afterwards they'll just be the same,' he
says.
Promos for Survivor: Guatemala give the
impression that the show takes place deep in the jungle. In fact,
the entrance to Yaxha is at the turn-off from La Maquina on the
main highway. Still, Yaxha is a spectacular site that includes not
only ruins, but also a beautiful lagoon.
Carlos Perez, a labourer who worked on the sets,
says scavenging for food wasn't difficult for Survivor
contestants: 'We prepare the area where they would be (filming),
including placing fruit from trees where they would find it.'
According to the Ministry of Culture, part of
the agreement between Survivor and the Guatemalan government
was no hunting or cutting of vegetation in the park. Instead, private
farms near Yaxha were also used for filming. There, picking fruit,
cutting trees and use of open fires could take place.
Other sites outside Yaxha, such as a private
park that offers rides on cables through the jungle canopy, were
also used to film. Filming also took place in Peten's best-known
site, Tikal, which boasts the tallest pre-Colombian ruins in the
Americas.
Perez gives us some minor spoilers, noting that
some of the games that the Yaxha and Nakum teams (into which
participants are divided) include breaking ceramic targets with
slingshots, crossing rope bridges, and a downhill race with some
kind of sled. He says the games were given a trial run
by teams of crewmembers called 'imitators' before the actual filming
took place.
As a casual employee, Perez was able to talk about
his work. Unlike employees on contract, he didn't have to sign a
confidentiality agreement. However, he never got close enough to
get wind of which participants had been eliminated, and who continued
to advance. He did say that he'd noticed one contestant,
'a fat young man,' lost about 40 kilograms. |
September 13, 2005: SurvivorFever.net
posts its transcript of the Jeff Probst teleconference (see also
the post below this one). We highly recommend reading the entire
thing, but we've added excerpts we feel might be relevant for
spoiling, below:
- "Brandon Bellinger: ...He's got a quick
wit and he's got a smart mouth. He's a strong kid. He's really strong.
I think people are going to really enjoy him. I
think he's got a likeable quality."
- "Danni Boatwright: ...If somebody like Danni
gets deep in the show she'll be a threat because she definitely
gets competition."
- "Margaret: ...Right away, Episode 1, she's
a star because this 11 mile trek that they begin with is so brutal
that you have the most unlikely of people on their backs, on their
knees, throwing up, eyes rolling in the back of their heads. Margaret
is qualified to run triage and figure out who is doing ok, who's
just over heated, who might be in trouble and what to do.... At
one point Margaret was concerned about somebody, she really was
concerned. And we got concerned. So she got into a big role
right off the bat."
- "Brian Corridan: ...Considers himself incredibly
bright.... Brian is really fascinating to watch and listen to. He's
like Hatch Lite. He's Richard Hatch Lite. He truly believes he is
the second coming."
- "Gary Hogeboom: ...Well Danni Boatwright,
the talk radio host from Kansas, on day one, said "that's Gary
Hogeboom, I know that's Gary Hogeboom". So it was a great little
dance that went on right away with Hogeboom saying "I'm Gary
Hawkins" and Danni having this information about who he was.
Do they confide in each other? Does she use that information? Does
she hold onto it? It got off to a good start."
- "Rafe Judkins: ..He's got this tremendous
personality. Very likeable. I think people are going to
really get behind Rafe.... If we ever did a Q and A, theoretically,
that guy would have a leg up."
- "Jim Lynch: ...I think Jim's big thing is
going to be...he's a big... he's one of those "I know how to
do it.". That's gonna be hard for him to back down
and be a team player because he probably does know how
to do it. And he's with 20 year olds and he's gonna have to get
along."
- "Morgan McDevitt: ...I wasn't sure she had
the staying power. As the show started, I started changing my mind.
I saw someone who really did want to play and really would work.
She kind of became an underdog in that sense for
me, personally. I think she always saw herself as a full on threat...."
- "Lydia Morales: ...Lydia is a charming woman
with quite a history. I don't know how much will come out
on the show. Truly a survivor in her own life. A woman
who is going to have to work hard to stay in the game because it's
a physical, physical, physical season. It's the most physical we've
ever done and Lydia is probably the least physical of all the people
out there."
- "Jamie Newton: ...I think there's a bit
of a chip on his shoulder but it's a charming chip. And
Jamie is a strong guy. What I found endearing about Jamie is that
I truly believe that he intends to do the right thing everyday.
Sometimes that's harder for him to do than others.
I believe his heart is in the right place and that makes him an
interesting person to put on this show."
- "Amy O'Hara: ...she shows you what she is,
she says what she means. "Yeah socializing with a group of
people is going to be a little difficult but I've done it before.
I worked with a police force and I can merge. I'm a little rough
around the edges." She's a little bit of Twila. And it's fun.
And Amy is tough, chick is tough. And this season tough
could keep you in the game."
- "Judd Sergeant: ...He's colorful. He's hot
headed, he's strong. He's a pretty good player of Survivor....
I think Judd gets the game. He knows he's got to build
alliances with people. He knows he's got to be trustworthy to a
certain point and he knows he's got to pull his weight."
- "Brooke Struck: ...her strength or her liability
lies within her approach to the game which is very calm. The show
starts off with an 11 mile trek through the jungle and it's a doozy,
it aint no walk. You got a map and a compass and Brooke
is the kind of person who will offer to lead and it just depends
how she does it because that can really irritate people
or it can be comfort to have somebody who's willing to take the
risk and knows how to read a compass."
- "Blake: ...But as I said this season is
tough and even the fit guys are going to have a hard time.... I
don't know what the take on Blake will be."
- "Brianna: ... she was really interesting
for me in terms of how this journey played out for her
and what she wanted to get from it and whether she was successful."
- "Question: You did answer about Hogeboom
and did anyone get wise to the fact that he's an ex NFL player.
JP: ...he's a former pro quarterback and has some
sort of celebrity but not so much that it's guaranteed that he'll
be outted, it becomes sort of interesting. On one hand this guy
could still be a superb athlete but if you show that, you're dead....
It's early on, day two or day three when we have our first challenge.
Danni is sitting on the side saying 'I think that's Gary Hogeboom.'
It got into my head and I just about said it and luckily caught
myself."
- "JP: What struck me is these ruins are 2500
years old. That means the people have been gone for 250 centuries!"
(No spoiler value there, just funny).
- "JP: Hogeboom gets it. I don't know how
much of that comes from playing in the NFL and being the quarterback
position and having to lead a team. But he's extremely sharp. He's
sharp enough to know that this is how people might see me. If people
figure out that I'm an athlete this is the harm it will do me. He
knew enough not to excel too much coming out of the gate. It's an
11 mile trek. Hogeboom was probably as well conditioned as anybody
out there. But I don't think you'd see it. I don't think he shows
it. He played low key. And in terms of being a guy who doesn't want
to lose, there's no doubt about it if Hogeboom could last in the
game awhile to the point where it gets to be individual then he
could be a threat because he could be strong.
Question:
And you were saying that this guy on the 2nd day outted him?
JP: It's a woman, Danni. She's
like a 30 year old, attractive, in great shape, athletic background,
lots of brothers and hosts a radio show. She doesn't out him, she
says... I can't remember if she says it in reality or in an interview
but she knows, well she's pretty sure, she goes "I think that's
Gary Hogeboom." But the big question at that moment for me
was, man if I knew that about somebody and I found out that what
you were saying was that your name was Gary Hawkins I would come
to you, I would either hold that... the question is does she hold
that information until she needs to play that chip and say "listen
Mr. Hawkins we need to make a deal or I'm going to bust you."
Or does she go to Hawkins and say "listen I know who you are
I'll keep your secret we'll team up." There are lots of options."
- "JP: It's the toughest beginning we've ever
had. You will see many people on their back, on their knees, throwing
up, eyes rolling back. And it's people you wouldn't have expected.
It's not necessarily the 19 year old girl that weights 84 lbs. It
was hard and it sent a clear message that was 'you better think
twice about voting off the strong because you're afraid they will
hurt you in this game.' Cause without them it's only a matter of
time before your tribe dwindles."
Question:
And is the camp on the coast or in the interior?
JP:
It's in the interior. And the trek is...you're vying for
two different camps. One is theoretically alot better and more enjoyable
than the other and you're also playing for fire. Fire is...if
you've watched Survivor, is key because without it you can't boil
water. Without water you're seriously hurting."
- "JP: I am not ready for what one day was
during one challenge, 120 degrees. It's stifling and sucks your
energy. You see these challenges that when you see them edited are
down to 5 or 6 minutes but in reality we're out for two or three
hours. You have to reset something up because it's in a series of
heats. I kept noticing that my brain, which is not the fastest already,
just didn't respond as quickly. I really for the very first time,
looked at these guys and thought 'man this is really serious...
they are exhausted and dehydrated.' Sometimes you'd see people get
cold because they are so dehydrated and it's 105 and they're freezing.
That's scary stuff. During one challenge I covertly called the doctors
over to make sure we were not in trouble. You'll see it in the first
episode."
- "Question: In previous seasons the people
perceived to be threats to win the game seemed to get voted off
early and it eliminated the most interesting players, strongest
players. Did you change anything in the game to discourage that?
JP: Well you can't change anything to discourage
people from voting off the threats because ultimately it's a point
of view...in terms of just getting voted off because you're strong
and therefore might be tough to beat in an individual challenge.
I think by no particular reason other than being in a tough
environment we did change that. They knew after that 11
mile trek, they're smart enough to know that everything happens
for a reason. We're putting this on day one because we want you
to understand something, this show is going to be tough. The
people who are now worried are the weak people. Lydia who,
bless her heart, is charming but not very strong in challenges.
And Morgan, who only weighed 95 lbs, is maybe getting beat up out
there. You better learn how to make that corn or build fire or build
a shelter. You gotta bring something to the party now."
- "JP: There are, in every episode, multiple
moments or encounters that I don't know happened. I want to have
free reign at TC and not be a scripted monkey. I want to be able
to watch somebody roll their eyes and ask why. People at Tribal
want to talk and can't help but talk and they really shouldn't talk.
You really should say less. In terms of should I influence the game...of
course, yeah if I said 'hey Gary Hogeboom QB'... we'd have a horrible
lawsuit. I'd be in a real bind. It's a dicey... the vague ones come
when you're hard on someone at Tribal Council... like 'you're not
pulling your weight'. And people go back at camp and go 'Probst
said you're not pulling your weight.' In Guatemala it was
very contentious. There are a couple of people who aren't going
to be inviting me to dinner anytime soon.
Question:
Has someone ever, when voted out, gone totally ballistic and threatened
violence?
JP: Nobody's threatened
violence. We had a couple this season of Guatemala, where
people were so blindsided and it was so personal and there's one
in particular that is probably the most colorful exit that we've
ever had. I say colorful in quotes because it's funny looking
back on it but it wasn't funny to the person at the time. People
are generally respectful at Tribal Council. I try to remind myself
when I go get the votes that for somebody it's their last Tribal
Council and the end of something they've worked hard for and they
may not even know it's coming."
- "JP: It's not heavy water-based but we do
have water challenges. We get them out in the water. The water factors
in.... I know the people in Africa are going to want to defend their
title but I really believe that this season was tougher, the temperatures
and humidity and bugs. The hardest challenges we've done. Land based
challenges, physical challenges. Get down dig your feet in the mud
and pull."
- "JP: We think we have very evenly divided
tribes this time. The initial trek kinda speaks to that because
you're racing for the better of two camps and fire which is probably
more important than the better camp. The 11 mile trek goes all of
one day and into the next and it was very close."
- "Question: Are you still surprised when
it comes down to the end and women have the numerical advantage
and never use it?
JP: ... If we have 2 or 3
women that are very competitive with a background in sports and
competition, like Cindy and Danni, let them get deep in the show,
they may play the guys." |
September 13, 2005: Jeff Probst holds a conference
call with various entertainment media press-type people. We expect
there will be additional versions of this, and we'll try to include
the relevant stuff on this page. Jam!
Showbiz is the first to hit Google News, though. Excerpts below:
"Probst talks 'Survivor Guatemala'
Two familiar faces are returning to Survivor
but host Jeff Probst isn’t saying who the former players might
be. 'I supported the idea because I think socially it is a really
great question. People see it very differently and I think
people are going to react very differently. So people will say…
"No. No. No. You had your chance. Go away." In my thinking
that is shortsightedness. That is putting some silly ego or pride
ahead of the goal and the goal is…How do I get further in
the game?,' Probst told Jam! Showbiz of the latest
Survivor twist.
Probst revealed that
the producers did mull the twist over and created a list of potential
candidates before they decided who would get a second chance to
play the game. Probst nixed the idea of allowing America to pick
the returning Survivors.
...
In the back of his mind, Probst realized that
the twist could fail miserably if both returning players were targeted
immediately and voted off but producer and series creator Mark Burnett
supported the decision.
...
Survivor Guatemala will also
feature another familiar face: former NFL quarterback Gary Hogeboom.
During his career, Hogeboom played for the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis
Colts and Phoenix Cardinals. According to Probst, Hogeboom
persistently lied about his football background so he would not
be targeted by the other players. During the series, Hogeboom claimed
to be Gary Hawkins, a lowly real estate developer, which is Hogeboom’s
current vocation. During one of the first challenges, Danni Boatwright,
a sports radio talk show host, recognized Hogeboom but he refused
to acknowledge his true identity.
'He
didn’t hesitate to lie,' Probst said of Hogeboom. 'He’s
got to run this little game of…I’m good enough to keep
around. I am not so good that I can beat you and no, my name is
not Hogeboom. It is Hawkins.'
Set in the Mayan
ruins of northern Guatemala, the series begins with a punishing
eleven mile overnight hike through the jungle as the tribes race
against each other to win fire and their choice of a camp site.
The trek was designed by planners from Mark Burnett’s Eco-Challenge
series.
'It is the toughest beginning ever,'
said Probst revealing that many of the players passed out
or became sick from the ordeal. Probst termed contestant Margaret
Bobonich, the family nurse practitioner, as the star of the first
episode since she looked after many of the ill players.
...
Probst’s assessment of the ‘Survivor
Guatemala’ contestants
BRANDON BELLINGER: Has a smart mouth and pretended to be the dumb
farmer. He is very likeable.
DANNI BOATWRIGHT: Is an athlete and comes from a family of strong
competitors. Does not like to lose.
MARGARET BOBONICH: Star of the first episode and was seriously concerned
about one of the players during and after the hike.
BRIAN CORRIDAN: Thinks he is ‘Richard Hatch Lite’.
CINDY HALL: More comfortable around animals rather than people.
As a zoo keeper, she knows a lot about the outdoors and the animals
which populate Guatemala.
GARY HOGEBOOM: Used an alternate persona to hide the fact that he
is a former NFL football player. Might not have given his all at
the start to hide his athletic background.
RAFE JUDKINS: An understated personality who studied Mayan culture
before he even knew he was selected to be on the series. Probst
believes viewers will rally behind him.
JIM LYNCH: A know-it-all who likes things done his way.
MORGAN McDEVITT: Probst didn’t have faith in her at the start.
She changed his mind and is seen as sort of an underdog.
LYDIA MORALES: Knowledge of fish won’t come into play as there
is not much opportunity to fish where the camps are situated. The
water there is muddy and dense. Very charming. A survivor in her
own life.
JAMIE NEWTON: Has a chip on his shoulder. Always intends to do the
right thing and has a good heart.
AMY O'HARA: Has a little bit of Twila in her. She has a big mouth
but is very, very tough.
JUDD SERGEANT: A hot head but is a strong player because he has
studied and understands the game. He knows what he has to do to
endear himself to the other players.
BROOKE STRUCK: Sharp and calm. A leader.
BLAKE TOWSLEY: Most of the men involved in the casting liked him.
The women didn’t.
BRIANNA VARELA: She had another reason for being on the series.
Probst: Something else was going on. He is not sure what she was
looking for from the experience." |
September 10, 2005: As initially described by codayoda1221
at Survivor Sucks, Inside TV magazine (apparently TV
Guide's attempt at a glossy, People-like magazine before turning
TV Guide itself into one), runs an article on Survivor: Guatemala.
Notably, as pointed out (in the thread linked above) by Mayan
Sun (Survivor Fever) this article includes a clear shot
of Stephenie LaGrossa in the Yaxha canoe. Whoops! Text below. See
also scans of the original article at SurvivorPhoenix.
"Survivor: Guatemala
'Palau
and Vanuatu will seem like a cakewalk' compared to Survivor's
11th season, says host Jeff Probst, who heads to Guatemala September
15. Sheltered by 2,500-year-old ruins, the CBS show's contestants
were in for clouds of mosquitoes, blazing heat and howler monkeys
that, Jeff tells Inside TV, sound like grizzly bears.
'I can't emphasize how hard it is,' he says. 'There's
more vomiting in the first few days than we probably had in the
last three seasons combined.' Eww. Among Jeff's early picks are
'instantly likable' Rafe Judkins and Danni Boatwright,
who reminds him of last season's never-say-die Stephenie LaGrossa.
Game on!"
"Going to Guatemala
Eleven seasons and we still get excited by a new
Survivor! Challenge No. 1? An 11-mile trek through the
Central America jungle. 'We knew going in [that] Guatemala would
be hard, and we decided to embrace that and not fight it,' host
Jeff Probst tells Inside TV. But these 16 castaways were
up to the task. 'When I first told people about the hike, you can
see a couple of people have a look on their face like, oh my God,'
says Jeff. 'But the majority of them have a look, "Right on,
bring it on!"' That's right Jeff, bring it on!"
|
| Source |
| In Touch Weekly, transcribed
by Trixiego |
September 3, 2005: As transcribed by Trixiego
at Survivor Sucks, In Touch Weekly runs an article
on Survivor: Guatemala (presumably penned by Kevin Dickson,
who shows up in TVGuide Channel's coverage
of the first challenge run-through). We haven't seen the original,
but we presume the parenthetical notes at the end are Trixiego's
summary of the rest of the article.
"The Toughest
Surivor Ever
The smiles on the cast
of the upcoming Survivor: Guatemala didn't last long. From
the minute host Jeff Probst started the game, members of the two
tribes, Yaxha and Nakum realized they were in for Survivor's
most brutal tests ever. 'We'd been accused of getting too soft,'
Jeff says. 'On this one, we decided to return to our roots and make
it as tough on the Survivors as possible.'
For this installment, this meant an inhospitable location in northeastern
Guatemala prone to blistering heat and torrential rain and inhabitated
by all kinds of biting, stinging creatures. Within a day
of the game starting, the Survivors were suffering: Many had come
down with dysentery, others suffered heatstroke and some considered
quitting. As he watched the battered teams competing in
the series' first challenge, producer Mark Burnett said 'We may
have gone too far this time.' And even before the game started,
some contestants expressed misgivings about playing. 'It
looks really hard here,' said Brian Corridan. 'I wish I got on Survivor
Palau!'
(Can't swim - Crocs shown with statement: the lake nearby was full
of man eating crocs)
(No shelter - Contestants the lived around Mayan ruins, but not
inside them)
(No sleep - troops of howler monkeys lived in the trees, deafening
roars kept them awake)
(Big bugs - Creepy tarantulas disease carrying mosquitoes and huge
flying insects plagued players)
(High heat - Temps reached 122 degrees, great for cold blooded snakes
and repitiles)
(Stinging things - Ground at camp was crawling with scorpions)."
|
| Source |
| TV Guide (9/4-9/10) print
edition, transcribed by beatles20147 |
September 1, 2005: As first noted by CobySucks,
and later transcribed by beatles20147
at Survivor Sucks, TV Guide's September 4-10 print edition carries
a description of the opening episode. Includes spoilers about the
hike, and general season spoilers.
Update:
you can see scans of the original article at SurvivorPhoenix.
"Grab Your Torches!
by Shawna Malcom
Survivor: Guatemala
kicks off with the most brutal challenge yet--and a major twist
that will knock your buff off!
Deep in the
heart of the Central American rain forest, the cast of Survivor:
Guatemala is getting a rude wake-up call--and we're not talking
about the shrieking howler monkeys. It's Day 2 of the game,
and the Nakum tribe is hurting. Danni, a rail-thin pageant queen
turned sports radio personality from Kansas, is nursing some serious
scraps and bruises on both legs, the result of a nasty spill down
a hill, while Blake, a commercial real-estate broker from Texas,
is fretting over how to remove several thorns lodged in his left
shoulder. Meanwhile, the requisite 'oldest Survivor,' retired Colorado
fire captain Jim (a spritely 63), looks deathly pale as he hunches
next to a majestic Mayan ruin, puking his guts out.
Welcome back to TV's most enduring reality show,
no in its 11th edition. It may go down as the most grueling season
yet. Crocodiles lurk in the waters; mosquitoes cloud the air; the
thermometer can rise to a steamy 114; and the challenges are so
intense they'd make Palau winner Tom Westman cry for his mommy.
The tone is set early in the first episode with
a brutal challenge: The two tribes, Nakum and Yaxha, are
pitted against each other in an 11-mile overnight hike through the
poisonous snake-filled jungle. (The winning team gets the better
of the two camps and the flint to help create fire.) Even
Survivor challenge producer John Kirhoffer, who helped cook up the
torturous trek, underestimated the toll it would take. 'The
hike turned out to be excrutiating,' he says. 'You can
test these things [beforehand], but you never really know how hard
they're gonna be on somebody who isn't used to it. We have a lot
of really fit people, and it just kicked their asses.'
But
perhaps Guatemala's toughest task will be living up to last season.
Survivor: Palau was a critical darling and fan favorite.
Host and producer Jeff Probst is well aware of the pressure. 'Palau
is maybe one of our top three seasons,' he says. '[The location]
was gorgeous. We had a great finish and a good winner. Then you
come to Guatemala, where it's brown, rainy, and muddy, and you think
God, I hope this isn't ugly. I hope the season isn't ugly and the
people aren't ugly.'
Probst isn't talking
about the Survivors' faces here: Overall, they're a fairly photogenic
bunch. Among the personalities who pop right away is Morgan, a bubbly
magician's assistant; Cindy, a zookeeper; Lydia, a fishmonger who
stands all of 4 feet 10 inches; and Amy, a fourth-generation cop
who sums up her reason for being here thusly: 'I'm a fuckin' lunatic.'
A Survivor first, Guatemala
boasts a celebrity: former NFL quarterback Gary Hogeboom, who spent
six years with the Dallas Cowboys in the '80s. Hogeboom, however,
plans to keep that information under his buff. 'It's been years
[since playing in the NFL], and this is a pretty young crowd,' he
says. 'If someone thinks they recognize me, I'm just gonna play
it off: "Nope, it's not me."'
Survivor:
Guatemala will incorporate more of its country's culture than
in previous seasons. With consent from the Guatemalan government,
the Survivors will live among the 2,000-year-old ruins, and some
of the challenges are Mayan-inspired, such as a ball game that Kirhoffer
describes as 'the great, great, great, great grandfather of basketball.'
It is believed that the ancient Mayans traditionally sacrificed
a losing member to the gods, something Danni had read up on prior
to her trip. 'I just hope we don't get beheaded,' she jokes. 'Watch,
instead of writing our names down [at tribal council], that'll be
the new twist.'"
|
August 11, 2005: CBS finally gets
around to announcing the cast, done as usual on the Early Show (vidcaps
and transcript of Early Show segment are here):
 "CBS
Announces 16 New Castaways for 'Survivor: Guatemala -- The Maya
Empire'
Former NFL Quarterback Gary Hogeboom Among the New Castaways Set
to Compete When the Eleventh Installment of the Hit Television Series
Premieres on Thursday, September 15
NEW YORK, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- CBS today announced 16 new castaways
to compete in SURVIVOR: GUATEMALA -- The Maya Empire. The
castaways will begin their adventure with a grueling 11 mile hike
through the jungle when the eleventh installment of the
Emmy Award-winning hit series premieres Thursday, Sept. 15 (8:00-9:00
PM, ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network.
SURVIVOR:
GUATEMALA -- The Maya Empire takes place amid the ancient Mayan
ruins and ceremonial sites (some as many as 2,000 years old) located
in the northern area of Guatemala. Amid the excruciating triple-digit
heat, crocodile infested waters, relentless mosquitoes and terrifying
sounds of the howler monkeys, these new castaways will attempt to
'Outwit, Outplay and Outlast' in hopes of winning the $1 million
prize and title of 'Ultimate Survivor.' In addition to the
grueling overnight hike, the castaways will be faced with two additional
surprises in the first episode that will dramatically impact how
they play the game."
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July 23, 2005: Dan Bollinger posts
at Sucks's S11+ forum, in the "Guatemala!" thread:
"Tribe Names!
Dozens guessed that Yaxha would be a tribe name and they were right!
Clemsonbeav didn't guess Yaxhá, but did guess (p. 9) that
the other tribe would be called Nakum.
Yaxhá and Nakum: Two tribes with those names. That's
what a local source told Wezzie and I today.
Dan."
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June 25, 2005: SurvivorPhoenix article:"The
Others"
Fine article, but we'll cut to the spoilerific chase:
"The
twist this season? Several sources report that two of the
18 cast members of Survivor Guatemala are expected to be
players who have played the game previously. What role
they will have, or whether they will fully participate in the game,
is so far unknown....
As for who the 2 players are, we can guarantee that they are none
of the quitters from past seasons. Think popular, think gritty.
One woman. One man."
Read the rest of the article here.
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| Source |
| Byron Dardón, reporting
for Prensa
Libre (Guatemala). |
June 18, 2005: PrensaLibre (Free Press) article:
"Turismo: El país expuesto al mundo"
Moderately lengthy article (en Espanol, as the title suggests),
largely covering similar ground as those below. But one key fact
is stated: "Willi Kalschmitt, comisionado presidencial para
el Turismo, informó ayer de que la filmación de la
edición 11 del reality show Survivor iniciará el 27
de junio próximo y concluirá a mediados de agosto."
Our translation: "Willi Kalschmitt, presidential Commissioner
of Tourism, told us yesterday that filming of the 11th edition
of the reality show Survivor will begin the 27th of June,
and conclude in mid-August." Click the link to the right to
read the full story.
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May 20, 2005: CBS News/Associated Press article:
"Guatemala Wants 'Survivor' Boost
GUATEMALA CITY (CBS/AP) Guatemalan officials are hoping that the
new edition of the CBS reality show Survivor will draw
more tourists to the spectacular Mayan ruins of the Peten jungle.
'It is a program seen by 200 million people and we have
the opportunity to show our archaeological riches,' presidential
tourism commissioner Willy Kaltschmitt said on Friday.
The
American television network announced last week that the next edition
of Survivor would be called Guatemala — The Maya Empire.
Earlier versions were shot in places such as Australia's Outback,
Palau, Thailand and the Amazon region.
The CBS program
not only presents the contestants' antics, survival challenges and
personalities, but also showcases the wonders of nature surrounding
the drama. For example, on Survivor: Palau, winners of
a challenge swam with rare non-poisonous jellyfish. Others were
greeted by friendly dolphins.
Kaltschmitt said he hopes the program, set at the Yaxha
archaeological park, will fit into government efforts to
promote the heritage of the Maya cultures that flourished across
the region about 2,000 years ago.
'If we wanted
to pay a minute of television around the world to promote Yaxha,
it would take the annual budget' of the government tourism institute,
he said, noting that Palau saw increased tourism attention from
the just-finished series.
Kaltschmitt said a camp
for the series' staff and competitors would be established next
week and filming would start in June.
Yaxha
is a few miles northeast of the famed Maya city of Tikal. The region
is noted for mosquitoes as well as ancient architecture and the
competition will take place during the rainy season in an area that
sees rain, on average, 185 days a year.
CBS accepted
restrictions required for activity in a national park, Kaltschmitt
said, and Guatemala promised to facilitate the program."
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| Source |
| chapin23,
at the Sucks S11+ forum |
May 16, 2005: Guatemalan poster chapin23
arrives at Sucks' S11+ forum, and posts the following (excerpted):
"...Here at Guatemala, we knew about the possibility
of the location about 3 weeks ago. But some dumbass government
agencies weren't very excited about it and gave the producers a
hard time. Finally it got approved about a week ago.
...I bet many are wondering how the hell do you pronounce Yaxhá....Well
it goes like this: Yahk-shah.
It's a beautiful
park, the lake (lagoon) is amazing. But bad news for all of you
who are thinking of coming over to spy on the filming. It will be
protected by three government agencies, and I heard the main challenges
will take place in a private farm.
Tikal
is the largest and most important city of the Mayan Empire. It's
about 45 minutes from Yaxha. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the
rewards involves climbing to the top of temple 5, its view is outstanding.
No volcanoes there though. Most of our volcanoes
are located south of Peten, the volcanoes you guys saw last night
are shots from other regions of the country, but I wouldn't be surprised
if they take the survivors for a treat of our most active volcano,
the Pacaya. It is located too close to Guatemala City (about 30
minutes), though, so it wouldn't appear very "survivor like".
You can see the city from its peak.
A
company named Casas Canadienses will be in charge of building the
lodge where the crew will live at, and probably will supply the
materials for challenges. The park closes on May 18, filming starts
in June."
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May 12, 2005: "Sobrevivientes en Yaxhá
Survivor, el "Reality Show" de la cadena televisiva estadounidense
CBS será llamado "The Ancient World".
Desde el 18 de mayo hasta el 10 de agosto será filmado en
Petén dentro del Parque Nacional Yaxhá-Nakum-Naranjo.
Publicado por Patojo Shute. Mayo 12, 2005 04:08 PM"
TDT translation: "Survivors in Yaxhá
"Survivor, the 'reality show' of the American CBS network,
will be called 'The Ancient World.' From May 18 until August
10, it will be filmed in Petén, in the Yaxhá-Nakum-Naranjo
National Park."
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| Source |
| Carlos Rigalt, reporting
for El
Periódico (Guatemala). |
April 26 , 2005: "CBS grabará
la serie “Survivor” en Yaxhá
El parque Nacional Yaxhá-Nakum-Naranjo será el escenario
y podrá ser visto por los televidentes alrededor del planeta."
[Excerpts]: "[Yaxhá] podría volver a recibir
una nueva influencia extranjera, de parte del reality show Survivor,
de la cadena CBS, que se empezará a filmar en junio. "
"En el convenio -que según Willy Kalltschmitt
había sido la condición original a seguir entre el
Gobierno y los productores del programa- se establecerá que
deberá haber seguridad permanente, de parte de los guardias
de las instituciones guatemaltecas, durante los 57 días de
filmación. El parque tampoco será clausurado en su
totalidad, como se había dicho al principio, indicó.
La grabación del programa podría generar una ganancia
de US$2 millones al país, en contrataciones de servicios
como líneas aéreas, taxistas y proveedores locales."
TDT translation: "CBS will
record the series 'Survivor' in Yaxhá
The Yaxhá-Nakum-Naranjo National Park will be the scenery
and could be seen by TV viewers around the planet."
- The article states essentially that a deal was struck after
representatives of the Ministry of Culture, CONAP and Inguat toured
the site on April 23rd. Filming will start in June
(presumably with cast). Also, the show will have permanent security
forces, the entire park will not be completely closed,
and the show allegedly could provide $2 million (U.S.) in various
fees and employment to people in the area.
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| Source |
| Carlos Rigalt, reporting
for El
Periódico (Guatemala). |
April 19 , 2005: "Reality show “Survivor”
en Yaxhá crea controversia
El conocido reality
show de la cadena “CBS” podría ser filmado en
Yaxhá, Petén. El programa se encuentra en quinto lugar
de audiencia en EE.UU.
Carlos F.Rigalt/elPeriódico"
[Moderately lengthy article describing intra-governmental battles
over who gets to approve (or disapprove) the filming of Survivor
in Yaxhá. Main objections appear to be to Survivor's exclusive
use of the site for the 57-day filming period. Feel free to read/translate
yourself, but its main spoiling importance is as the first print
mention of the filming site, weeks before the reveal at the S10
finale].
Follow-up story here.
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