S3: Africa
S8: All-StarsChallenges: MPF percentile
45%
Seasons: 2 | Days played: 73 | Wins: 0 | Jury: 2
- Survivor 3: Africa (2001) - 4th place, 13th out - 6th juror.
- Voted out in Episode 13, "The Final Four - No Regrets" (Day 37).
- Survivor 8: All-Stars (2004) - 5th place, 14th out - 5th juror.
- Voted out in Episode 14, "The Instigator" (Day 36).
Tom Buchanan on social media: twitter
| Challenge stats | Tribal council stats | Jury stats | Overall stats | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | ChW | ChA | ChW% | VFB | VAP | TCA | TC% | wTCR | JVF | TotJ | JV% | SurvSc | SurvAv |
| S3: Africa | 1.67 | 12.31 | 0.14 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0.69 | 1.78 | - | - | - | 0.83 | 3.45 |
| S8: All-Stars | 2.24 | 9.81 | 0.23 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 0.82 | 2.92 | - | - | - | 1.05 | 5.16 |
| Career | 3.91 | 22.12 | 0.18 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 0.74 | 2.21 | - | - | - | 0.94 | 4.16 |
Tom Buchanan - Performance ranks
Tribal: VFB% percentile
72%
Tribal: rVAP percentile
71%
Challenges: MPF percentile
50%
Tribal: VFB% percentile
84%
Tribal: rVAP percentile
64%
Performance ranks are a quick visual measure of the contestant's season vs. historical data from all prior contestants, in three basic (scorable) categories:
1. Performance in individual challenges (MPF), as a measure of "physical game";
2. Ability to vote people out consistently (VFB%, or VFB/TCA), or "strategic game"; and
3. Ability to avoid being voted against (rVAP, or TCA-VAP) - which scales better than a percentage would - for "social/strategic game."
See also: Full glossary for all these abbreviations.
Tom Buchanan - Challenge record
Tribal/team challenge record (4-for-12; 1 sit-out):
- Africa Ep. 1 RC/IC: "Trail Blazer" - Helps push the cart. Boran loses as Diane passes out at the end.
- Africa Ep. 2 RC: "Stairway to the Stars" - Carries the poles, Boran loses again, this time as Kim falls down.
- Africa Ep. 2 IC: "Safari Supper" - Drinks his first-round shot of blood, but Kelly loses the tiebreaker. Boran loses.
- Africa Ep. 3 RC: "Rock 'n Roll" - Helps roll the boulder. Boran wins easily.
- Africa Ep. 3 IC: "Distress Signal" - Boran wisely uses an open area, Tom wears a feather, Boran wins.
- Africa Ep. 4 RC: "Caught in the Web" - Matched up against Brandon. Kims falls again, as does Boran.
- Africa Ep. 4 IC: "Movin' on Up" - One of four big guys carrying the heavy stuff, Boran wins.
- Africa Ep. 5 RC: "Get Your Goat" - Now with New Samburu, which loses, despite Tom being a goat farmer.
- Africa Ep. 5 IC: "Puzzle of Shields" - New Samburu "wins" as Ethan & Mama Kim throw the IC to boot Silas.
- Africa Ep. 6 RC: "Africa 102" - Tom sits out, new Samburu wins a feast.
- Africa Ep. 6 IC: "Spear-It Hunt" - Tom hits one target, but Samburu loses, 5-4.
- Africa Ep. 9 RC: "Obstacle Course" - Paired with Kim P. Does not win first heat.
Individual challenge record (1-for-10): (Mean % finish: 54.5%)
- Africa Ep. 7 IC: "When It Rains, It Pours" - Lasts 44 minutes, good enough for sixth place (6th/10).
- Africa Ep. 8 RC: "Stomp-ede" - Lands fewer than Frank's 5, but more than Kelly's 1 item (tie-6th/9).
- Africa Ep. 8 IC: "Box Your Mind" - Makes final round, gets a surprisingly strong 6 items (tie-2nd/9).
- Africa Ep. 9 IC: "Light It Up" - Not shown making any fire (tie-6th/8).
- Africa Ep. 10 IC: "African Folklore" - One of five people tied for third with 4 straps (tie-3rd/7).
- Africa Ep. 11 RC: "Know Your Loved One" - Just misses the win with 2 matches, but Lex brings him anyway (tie-2nd/6).
- Africa Ep. 11 IC: "Pot Shots" - Tom smashes a whopping 8 pots, and Tom wins immunity! (1st/6).
- Africa Ep. 12 RC: "Swahili Scramble" - Not Tom's game. Two words found (5th/5).
- Africa Ep. 12 IC: "Second Chance" - With Ethan, working on the puzzle as Lex wins (tie-2nd/5).
- Africa Ep. 13 F4 IC: "Fallen Comrades" - Misses on final question, does not win (3rd/4).
Redemption/Exile Island duel record: (0-for-0)
- Africa: None.
Tribal/team challenge record (7-for-14; 4 sit-outs):
- All-Stars Ep. 1 RC/IC: "Quest for Fire" - Chapera wins easily (1st/3).
- All-Stars Ep. 2 RC: "Stairway to the Stars" - Sits out as Chapera loses, but gets reward anyway.
- All-Stars Ep. 2 IC: "Float Your Boat" - Chapera wins again (1st/3).
- All-Stars Ep. 3 RC: "Better Homes and Island Living" - Chapera builds the best camp, wins (1st/3).
- All-Stars Ep. 4 RC: "Match Maker" - Sits out as Chapera wins again (1st/3).
- All-Stars Ep. 4 IC: "Blind Leading the Blind" - Chapera loses! (3rd/3).
- All-Stars Ep. 5 RC: "Shipwrecked Raft Race" - Sits out as Chapera finishes second (2nd/3).
- All-Stars Ep. 5 IC: "Pilfering Pirates" - Now down to two tribes, Chapera wins again.
- All-Stars Ep. 6 RC: "Tribal Stomp-ede" - Chapera loses Sue, then loses the challenge.
- All-Stars Ep. 7 RC/IC: "Blind Leading the Blind" - Chapera wins yacht feast, kidnaps Kathy.
- All-Stars Ep. 8 RC: "Log Jam" - Sits out, Chapera wins again.
- All-Stars Ep. 8 IC: "Choose Your Weapon" - Chapera wins again.
- All-Stars Ep. 9 IC: "Survivor History" - Now switched to Mogo Mogo, and Mogo Mogo wins.
- All-Stars Ep. 11 RC: "Big Bad O' Course" - Not part of the winning team.
- All-Stars Ep. 10 RC: "Rock Bottom" - Eliminated in the third round (tie-4th/9).
- All-Stars Ep. 10 IC: "Waiting to Exhale" - Second man eliminated, just missing finals (3rd/4).
- All-Stars Ep. 12 RC: "Face Off" - First person eliminated (7th/7).
- All-Stars Ep. 12 IC: "When It Rains, It Pours" - Third person out, fairly quickly (5th/7).
- [All-Stars Ep. 13 RC: "Survivor Smorgasboard" - Bucky Bo wins for Tom! ... but not counted)].
- All-Stars Ep. 13 IC: "Fire and Rain" - Despite failing at this in Africa, Tom wins! (1st/6).
- All-Stars Ep. 14 RC: "Second Chance" - Eliminated in the third round (3rd/5).
- All-Stars Ep. 14 IC: "Survivor Scramble" - Tom puts in a valiant effort, finding 16/17 tribe names (3rd/5).
- All-Stars: None.
Individual challenge record (1-for-7): (Mean % Finish: 56.3%)
Hero challenge/ duel record (0-for-0):
Career totals - challenges
| Wins: | 10 |
| 2nd place: | - |
| Played: | 26 |
| Win%: | 0.39 |
| Sat out: | 5 |
| Wins: | 2 |
| Played: | 17 |
| Win%: | 0.12 |
| Mean% Finish: | 55.2% |
| Wins: | 0 |
| Played: | 0 |
| Win%: | - |
| Mean% Finish: | - |
Tom Buchanan - Tribal Council record
Idols held/played: (0/0)
- Africa: None.
VFB - Votes for the person booted (7/10):
| Tribal | Voted | Boot (totals) | VFB? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ep1 | Clarence | Diane Ogden (voted out, 6-2) | - |
| Ep2 | Clarence | Jessie Camacho (voted out, 5-2) | - |
| Ep6 | Lindsey | Lindsey Richter (voted out, 3-3; out, prior votes) | Yes |
| Ep7 | Clarence | Clarence Black (voted out, 8-2) | Yes |
| Ep8 | Kelly | Kelly Goldsmith (voted out, 5-4) | Yes |
| Ep9 | Brandon | Brandon Quinton (voted out, 6-2) | Yes |
| Ep10 | Frank | Frank Garrison (voted out, 6-1) | Yes |
| Ep11 | Kim P | Kim Powers (voted out, 4-2) | Yes |
| Ep12 | Teresa | Teresa Cooper (voted out, 4-1) | Yes |
| Ep13 (F4) | Lex | Big Tom Buchanan (voted out, 3-1) | - |
| 10 | TOTALS | 7 | |
VAP - Votes against (7):
- Africa, Ep. 6: Three votes, from Kim P., Brandon, and Lindsey.
- Africa, Ep. 12: One vote, from Teresa.
- Africa, Ep. 13 (F4 vote): Three votes, from Ethan, Kim J., and Lex (voted out, 3-1).
Jury votes made (1/1):
- Africa, Ep. 13: Voted for Ethan Zohn (who won, 5-2).
Idols held/played: (0/0)
- All-Stars: None.
VFB - Votes for the person booted (5/6):
| Tribal | Voted | Boot (totals) | VFB? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ep4 | Rob C | Rob Cesternino (voted out, 5-1) | Yes |
| Ep10 | Lex | Lex van den Berghe (voted out, 7-2) | Yes |
| Ep11 | Kathy | Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien (voted out, 6-2) | Yes |
| Ep12 | Alicia | Alicia Calaway (voted out, 6-1) | Yes |
| Ep13 | Shii Ann | Shii Ann Huang (voted out, 5-1) | Yes |
| Ep14 | Jenna L | Big Tom Buchanan (voted out, 4-1) | - |
| 6 | TOTALS | 5 | |
VAP - Votes against (4):
- All-Stars, Ep. 14: Four votes, from Amber, Boston Rob, Jenna L., and Rupert (voted out, 5-1).
Jury votes made (1/1):
- All-Stars, Ep. 15: Voted for Amber Brkich (who won, 4-3).
Career totals - Tribal Council
| Found: | 0 |
| Played: | - |
| Votes voided: | - |
| VFB: | 12 |
| Tribals: | 11 |
| VAP: | 16 |
| Made: | 2 |
| For winners: | 2 |
| Received: | - |
Tom Buchanan - Pictures
-
Africa intro shot -
Africa intro shot -
On the truck with Probst, Day 1 -
On the truck, head shot -
Hometown intro shot -
Freshly dumped off the truck. Have a nice day! -
Boran gathers stuff -
Double-checking the map -
Talking about the hike -
Trying to make fire -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep1 RC/IC -
Starting line -
Still leading? (No)
-
Relaxing with Diane -
Boran yells at Clarence -
Boran, Ep1 Tribal Council -
Talking about Clarence -
Watching the vote reveal -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep2 RC -
Placing a pole -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep2 IC -
Here comes the cow -
That's... graphic -
Watching Kelly lose the tiebreaker -
Boran, back at Tribal Council again, Ep2 -
Talking about Clarence again -
Checking treemail with Clarence -
Reading the Ep3 RC treemail -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep3 RC -
Listening to Probst -
Rolling stones -
On a roll to victory -
Boran finally wins one! -
Enjoying some water -
Talking about Boran's distress signal, Ep3 IC -
Nothing says distress quite like this -
Boran wins! Ep3 IC -
Cheers -
Talking about food, early Ep4 -
Trying and failing to climb a tree -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep4 RC -
Starting line -
Battling Brandon -
Watching Boran lose another one -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep4 IC -
Listening to Probst -
Starting line -
Boran hauls a house -
Put 'er there -
Boran wins immunity! -
Victory hike to some big rock -
Victim of the first-ever tribe swap, Ep5 -
Answering fairly easy questions about Africa, Ep6 RC -
Samburu wins! -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep6 IC -
Freshly merged, pre-challenge lineup, Ep7 IC -
Ep7 IC, now underway -
Time to find an item, Ep8 IC -
Final round, Ep8 IC -
Failing to start a fire, Ep9 IC -
Ready to eat *all* the ham, Ep10 auction -
Trying to match answers with loved ones, Ep11 RC -
Smashing things with clubs, Ep11 IC -
Trying to catch up to Lex, Ep12 IC -
Not winning, Final 4 IC
-
All-Stars intro shot -
All-Stars intro shot -
Soggy arrival -
Bonus hometown intro shot -
Chapera arrives in camp -
We have nothing! -
Trying to start a fire -
Already suspicious of Boston Rob and Amber -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep1 RC/IC -
Listening to Probst -
Starting line -
Hauling the raft -
Chapera hits the beach -
Almost there... -
Pulling the raft through the crawl -
Final steps -
Chapera wins immunity! -
Accepting the idol -
Have you ever seen the rain? -
Talking about Chapera's mysterious treasure chest -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep2 RC -
Sitting this one out -
Working on fire again, now with flint -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep2 IC -
Trying to flip Chapera's boat -
Paddling -
Chapera wins immunity again!
Tom Buchanan - Interviews
Pre-game interviews
- Roanoke Times (9/28/01): "Farmer Returns -- As Survivor"
Post-game interviews
- Larry Edens at Appalachian Voices (3/1/02): "From Appalachia to Africa, Big Tom Emerges a Survivor"
Pre-game interviews
None?
Post-game interviews
- Rome Neal at CBSNews.com (5/6/04): "BigTom Takes the Fall"
- Angel Cohn at TVGuide.com (5/13/04): "Survivor's Big Tom Bites Back"
- Rob Cesternino at RHAP (8/5/13): "Lex and Big Tom LIVE to talk Tom's new show Family Beef"
Thanks to Muneeb Khan (@MUK734) for his help in compiling this list.
Tom Buchanan - Bios
From his official CBS Survivor: Africa cast bio page:
"Born and raised in Rich Valley, Virginia, Tom Buchanan currently works as a self-employed goat and cattle farmer on the ranch that has been in his family for three generations.
Buchanan attended Rich Valley High School, where he played football, basketball and baseball. He also served as student body president. He then attended East Tennessee State University as a football walk-on and later earned a full football scholarship, serving as team captain his senior year. After college, he returned home to work on the family farm. Known to his friends as 'Big Tom,' his hobbies include softball, fishing, bird hunting and riding his motorcycle. He is a member of the Virginia Cattleman's Association, Rich Valley Farmer's Club and Rich Valley Presbyterian Church
Tom Buchanan has been married to Sandy for 23 years. They have one son, Bucky Bo, who is currently attending Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky. His birth date is October 30, 1955."
From his official CBS Survivor: All-Stars cast bio page:
"Since returning from Survivor: Africa, Tom Buchanan has become very involved with elementary schools, promoting reading literacy. Prompted by events on the show that shed light on his inability to spell, Tom created a reading program for kids, 'Reading is The Key to Survival,' which has had an enormous impact on young readers of today. He has also donated many hours of his time to local and national fundraisers. "