• Reality TV Gets Own Emmy Category

  July 12, 2001
  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Emmy tribe has spoken: This year the awards show starts honoring the best programs in the oft-maligned genre of reality TV.

  ''It wasn't difficult to see that new prime-time reality programs have reached critical mass and needed to be established (in a new award),'' said Emmy Awards director John Leverence.

  Academy of Television Arts & Sciences rules divide reality programs into two categories: those that offer prizes, such as CBS' ''Survivor,'' and those that don't, like PBS' documentary series ''American High.''

  Source: AP Entertainment "

• Group Wants 'Survivor' Pig Kill Video

  July 10, 2001
  BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -- A leading animal rights group wants to see unedited television footage of the slaying of a wild pig on the hit reality show ''Survivor'' to decide whether the killing constituted a crime.

  The Australian branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) said Tuesday it is seeking access to footage of the killing, which angered people when an edited version aired around the world earlier this year.

  Source: AP Entertainment "

• The "Survivor II" winner tells how she beat rheumatoid arthritis "

  July 8, 2001
  She runs, she swims, she rides a Harley. And over 6 weeks last year, she ate a worm, braved the rugged Australian outback and out-strategized 15 other wannabes to become the million-dollar winner of the CBS hit show "Survivor II."

  But what's most remarkable about Tina Wesson, the 40-year-old Knoxville-Tennessee mother-of-two and nursing assistant, is that she does it all with rheumatoid arthritis
  

  Source: Prevention Magazine"

• Kimmi Continues To Make Mom & Dad Proud -- Now Competing In Whipped Cream Bikini Contests

  April 29, 2001
  Wow, leave it to Kimmi to continue to set new media whorish lows for Survivor contestants...

  Kimmi, apparently not satisfied with her new role as a thong contest judge, has now moved on to actually COMPETING in -- no, not in thong contests, that'd be too classy for her apparently, or maybe it's just a conflict of interest -- whipped cream bikini contests.

  And in a move sure to make Internet perverts everywhere happy, WNEW, the New York City radio station conducting the contest in which Kimmi is competing, has put a couple of her photos online.

  How low can this girl go? ...we think Kimmi just officially got too sleazy for Playboy (who'd a thunk it?) -- time to see if maybe Penthouse is interested.

  
  Source: WNEW (Mature Content)"

• Jerri To Guest Star On Y&R -- As Herself!

  April 25, 2001
  Now that she's no longer a 'Survivor,' Jerri Manthey has become one of 'The Young and the Restless.' (some of us might agrue she was already one while still on 'Survivor')

  The contestant that everyone loved to hate will appear on the CBS soap opera on May 28 - playing, of all people, herself. (wow, there's an opportunity to S-T-R-E-T-C-H her acting ability)

  The network said she was scheduled to tape the episode Tuesday, appearing opposite Jess Walton, who plays scheming heiress Jill Abbott.

  Source: Yahoo!/AP"

• 'Survivor' Run Extended By A Week With Another Post-Series Show

  April 25, 2001
  Hoping to squeeze every last ratings point out of 'Survivor: The Australian Outback' CBS will air the one-hour special 'Survivor: Back From the Outback' a week after the contest's $1 million winner is revealed.

  'Back From the Outback' will air May 10 at 8 p.m.; the special follows the 16 'Survivor' contestants as they return home and deal with their newfound fame. The hour also will feature interviews with the original 'Survivor' castmates.

  'Back From the Outback' pushes the 'Survivor' franchise into the third week of sweeps. It also sets up a battle between old-school 'Survivor' and new-school 'Survivor': The second half-hour of 'Back From the Outback' airs against NBC's special half-hour edition of 'Weakest Link' featuring a handful of original 'Survivors.'

  Source: Yahoo!/Variety"

• Survivor Winner To Be Revealed Live In Two Hour Finale, Followed By Live Reunion Show"

  April 12, 2001
  CBS has announced that they will be revealing which "Survivor: The Australian Outback" contestant gets to take home the $1 million dollar grand prize on Thursday, May 3, in a special two-hour finale. The show will then be followed by a live one-hour reunion of all 16 contestants, hosted by "The Early Show's" Bryant Gumbel.

• 'Survivor' Files Lawsuit Versus 'Boot Camp', Claims Copyright Law Violations"

  April 11, 2001
  CBS and Mark Burnett (the producer of 'Survivor') have filed a lawsuit claiming that Fox's show is a rip-off of the No. 1-rated reality show 'Survivor.'

• Rumors Of Survivor Sex Video Surfacing...

  March 22, 2001
  Personally, we don't believe it, but the rumor is apparently making it's way around the country, via gossip "reporters" (we only wonder how long before our own local gossip column prints it) and radio personalities, so in the interest of keeping fans in the loop, we'll just pass along the media report...

  The rumor is that Colby and Jerri (much like last season's Greg and Colleen rumor) at some point engaged in some, um, interesting activities during their Outback stay and it was partially captured on tape. The bootlegs of the footage is supposedly making it's way around Hollywood as we speak. Hey, who knows, after Tommy and Pamela Lee, I guess anything is possible...

  Source: 99x.com"

• REMINDER: Survivor To Air On Wednesdays The Next Two Weeks

  March 11, 2001
  Just a reminder that due to CBS Sports coverage of the NCAA mens basketball tournament, 'Survivor' will be broadcast on Wednesday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 21 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) and will return to its Thursday night time period on Thursday, March 29 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT)

  A reminder that the Wednesday, March 21 episode will not be a regular episode, but instead a special highlight episode recapping the survivors first 24 days in the outback."

MORE SURVIVOR: THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK NEWS