Survivor: Borneo
Encyclopedia
Survivor: Borneo is the first season of the United States reality show Survivor
. It was originally broadcast under the name Survivor but its official title was changed to Survivor: Pulau Tiga to distinguish it from subsequent installments of the series, and then changed again to Survivor: Borneo to avoid confusion with Survivor: Palau
. The show began filming on March 13, 2000 and ended on April 20, 2000. It aired later that year on CBS
. It was set in the South China Sea
on the remote Malaysian island of Pulau Tiga
in the state of Sabah
, about 6 miles (9.7 km) off the north coast of Borneo
, Malaysia. The show was released on DVD
on May 11, 2004.
The sixteen contestants were initially separated into two tribes, named Tagi and Pagong, which represented the names of their beaches. When ten players remained, the contestants merged into one tribe, named Rattana. While Tagi and Pagong's names and makeups were picked by the producers, Rattana was named by contestants Sean Kenniff and Jenna Lewis
, because of the large amount of Rattan
wood on the island. After 39 days of competition, corporate trainer Richard Hatch was named the Sole Survivor, defeating whitewater rafting guide Kelly Wiglesworth
in a 4–3 jury vote. In 2006, it was revealed that Hatch failed to declare his winnings, among other earnings, in his tax return and was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment.
On August 23, 2000, the Survivor: Borneo finale received the highest ratings of any Survivor episode to date with an average of 51.7 million viewers. Nielsen themselves reported that 125 million people watched at least some part of the finale. Richard Hatch, Jenna Lewis
, Rudy Boesch
, Susan Hawk
and Colleen Haskell
were invited to participate again in the eighth season of Survivor, Survivor: All-Stars
. Haskell was the only one to turn down the opportunity, while Hatch, Lewis, Boesch and Hawk placed 14th, 3rd, 17th and 13th respectively.
challenge, Tagi was sent to Tribal Council, where Sonja Christopher, who cost her tribe the challenge, was the first contestant voted out of the game. The tribes then continued to build their shelters and search for food. At the Tagi camp, former Navy SEAL, Rudy Boesch
and openly homosexual corporate trainer Richard Hatch formed a strong friendship while B.B. Anderson became an annoyance at the Pagong camp. At the second immunity challenge, contestants were forced to eat a typical Malaysian food called Butok, which is the live larva
of a beetle. Both tribes were in a tie after every castaway ate the Butok without refusing. In the tiebreaker, Stacey Stillman
ate two Butok before Gervase Peterson
, winning immunity for Tagi and sending Pagong to Tribal Council. At Tribal Council on day six, B.B. was sent home from the Pagong tribe. Tagi won the next reward challenge on day seven, winning fishing and diving gear. Richard used the tools to catch many fish and feed the Tagi tribe. Pagong caught and ate a rat, after roasting it first. Pagong won the next immunity challenge on day nine and Stacey was the third person voted out. Gretchen became the motherly tribe member of Pagong, and Rudy became the cook at Tagi, cooking the fish that Richard would catch. Tagi would win both the reward challenge on day ten and the immunity challenge on day twelve, sending Pagong to Tribal Council, where Ramona Gray was the next person voted out.
At the following reward challenge on day 13, Pagong won fresh fruit and three egg-laying chickens. Pagong also won the immunity challenge on day 15, as Dirk Been was voted off of the Tagi tribe. After winning the reward challenge on day 16, yet losing the immunity challenge on day 18, Joel Klug was voted off of the Pagong tribe. As the merge approached, Sean Kenniff and Jenna Lewis
spent time creating guidelines for the new tribe. The merged tribe was named Rattana, and continued to live at the former Tagi beach. After the first individual immunity challenge on day 21, Greg Buis won immunity for Tribal Council. Gretchen Cordy was then voted out, being tagged as the "biggest overall threat." During the following episode on day 22, each castaway except Jenna was shown a one-minute video clip, that either a family member or friend recorded of themselves talking to the contestant. Jenna's video was never received, so she was unable to view it. The winner of the reward challenge would get to watch the remainder of their five-minute video. Greg won, and was able to watch the rest of his video. Gervase Peterson won the immunity challenge on day 24, and Greg was voted off. During this episode, Sean developed his "alphabet strategy," where his vote would go in alphabetical order for the duration of his time in the game.
Colleen Haskell
would win the next reward challenge on day 25, which was a barbecue dinner for two contestants, and would receive their letters sent by family members or friends at home. Colleen chose Jenna to come to the dinner with her, allowing Jenna to read her letter as well. At the dinner, Colleen and Jenna formed an alliance, and discussed getting Gervase to join them. Gervase agreed, but the three did not have enough votes on their side, as Jenna was the next to be voted off on day 27, with Rudy holding immunity. During the following episode, Gervase was informed that his first son, Gunnar was born. Coincidentally, Gervase won the following reward challenge on day 28, allowing him a phone call home. Richard, however, won immunity on day 30, and Gervase was voted out. Following this, Kelly Wiglesworth
decided against working with her alliance of Sue Hawk
, Richard, and Rudy anymore. The next reward challenge was won by Sean on day 31, who won a night on a luxury yacht. Little did Sean know until long after getting on the boat that the Captain was his father (Jim Kenniff) who would travel on the yacht with him. Richard joined Sean for breakfast on the yacht the next morning, as Richard was chosen by Sean after the reward challenge. After deciding that if Kelly failed to win immunity, she would be sent home by her former alliance. Kelly won the immunity challenge, and Colleen was voted off on day 33. Kelly continued to win the following reward challenge on day 34. Joined by the show's host, Jeff Probst
, Kelly won a night at a bar with a hot meal, a cold beer, and a 5-minute screening of the first episode of Survivor
. Kelly also won the immunity challenge on day 36, holding off her elimination again, as the tension between herself and Sue grew stronger. Kelly voted with her former alliance to vote Sean out of the game.
As the final three days at the island came, Kelly won immunity again on day 37. The immunity challenge involved the final four contestants being quizzed on how much they knew about their former tribe mates. At Tribal Council, Richard and Sue tied with two votes each. As Kelly and Rudy voted again, Kelly switched her vote to Sue, as Sue was the next voted out. At the final immunity challenge on day 38, Kelly, Richard, and Rudy had to place one hand on the immunity idol held on a pole in the middle of a small well, while the three stood on small stands surrounding the pole. Richard voluntarily stepped out of the challenge on the assumption that the other contestants would "be crazy not to take [him]" to the final Tribal Council. After four hours and eleven minutes, Rudy accidentally removed his hand when changing his position, giving Kelly another victory. Kelly chose Richard to take to the final two, as she voted Rudy off. After Kelly and Richard pleaded their cases with the jury, each jury member cast a vote for one of the final two contestants. The votes were read during the final Tribal Council on day 39, unlike in every season thereafter, when votes were read months later during a live finale. Richard won the first $1 million prize with 4 votes to Kelly's 3.
The first challenge was a combined reward/immunity challenge. The winning team received immunity and waterproof matches.
Sometime between day four and six, a reward challenge took place that was not aired. The challenge involved holding weight on poles. Richard held the weight for Tagi, as Joel for Pagong. The reward was a map to a closer water hole.
There was no reward challenge due to the tribal merge.
The final four vote was tied with Richard and Sue each receiving two votes. In the tie-breaker vote, Rudy continued to vote against Sue while Kelly changed her vote from Richard to Sue.
16 castaways began an adventure of a lifetime. There were already separated into two tribes. Both tribes made it to their beaches: Tagi in 2 hours, Pagong in 3. At the Tagi tribe, Rudy got on everybody's nerves by taking command. No one at Tagi knew what to start doing until Richard spoke up. Richard was able to get everybody to get started on their camp. At the Pagong tribe, B.B. took leadership at camp. Colleen and Greg were wondering off alone. Back at Tagi, Sonja cut her leg but Sean was able to fix it up, and Stacey got annoyed with Rudy and wanted to get rid of him. At the immunity challenge, Pagong won after Sonja stumbled in the water. They voted out Sonja for being the weakest link 4–3–1.
At Pagong, people began to realize how they liked B.B., and everyone began to realize that Colleen and Greg were together. At Tagi, Richard told stories of him being gay. Richard didn't tell Rudy because he thought if he found out that he was gay Rudy wouldn't want to be near him. Greg kept everyone entertained with the All New Newly Stranded Survivor Game. The next day, B.B. got frustrated with his tribe because most of them were lazy and Ramona was sick. At the immunity challenge, each tribe member ate their grub, so Pagong picked Stacey and Tagi picked Gervase to represent the other team in a race to eat 2 grubs. Tagi won thanks to Stacey. Pagong went to their first tribal council where B.B. was voted out 6–2.
At the Tagi tribe, Stacey still wanted to get rid of Rudy and tried to create a girl alliance to do so, but Susan didn't want to be a part of the plan. At Pagong, Greg and Colleen found a big mud pit that the entire tribe was able to enjoy. At the reward challenge, Tagi won. Back at Pagong, everyone ate rats, including a hesitant Gervase and Ramona. At Tagi, Dirk annoyed everyone with his bible reading. Pagong won the immunity challenge. At tribal council, Tagi voted out Stacey 5–2. A surprised Stacey mentioned that people had changed their votes.
At Pagong, Ramona started to feel better after having been sick and tried to put her work ethic to place, but Jenna said it might be too late for her. At Tagi, Sean and Dirk were busy fishing, but had no luck; Sean also tried to build a bowling alley. Kelly, Richard, Rudy and Susan created an alliance. At the immunity challenge, Gervase had problems on the sprint into the jungle and Pagong lost. They voted out Ramona 4–2–1.
At Tagi, Dirk and Sean were still trying to fish (with no success) instead of helping around camp. Susan told them that it was a waste of time if they weren't catching anything. At Pagong, everyone felt vulnerable because their tribe was getting smaller. At the reward challenge, Joel helped Pagong win reward with his spear throwing after the first two rounds were tied. Dirk and Sean began to help around the camp but that didn't change their tribe members' minds. At Pagong they decided to let their chickens lay eggs. At the immunity challenge, Gervase help Pagong to victory and Kelly, the white water rafting guide, was upset that "she got beat by a guy who couldn't even swim". At Tagi's tribal council, Dirk was voted out 4–1–1.
Each tribes were wondering what the merge was going to be like. At Tagi they were afraid that they might get outnumbered after the merge. At Pagong, Joel felt confident because they had the numbers. Colleen thought Joel was an idiot because they weren't merging yet and still had a chance of going in even. Gervase offended the girls by telling them that they were dumber than a cow. At Tagi, Richard began walking around camp naked. At the reward challenge, Richard brought back a duplicate knife instead of a can opener and Pagong won by default. At Pagong, Gervase tried to create an alliance with Joel to get rid of the girls, and Joel started to get a little bossy, which annoyed the girls. Tagi won the immunity challenge in a very close race. With help from Greg, the women of Pagong voted out Joel 4–2.
The day after Pagong voted Joel out, one person from each tribe went to the opposite tribe's camp and would then convene to decide which camp to live on. Jenna went to Tagi and Sean went to Pagong. After a bit of time at camp, Jenna and Sean met with each other at a neutral site (the sandbar) to decide which camp they wanted to live on and what to name the new merge tribe. They were welcomed by a feast, including lobster and wine, and got to stay the night under a canopy shelter and on beds. The next day, Jenna and Sean decided to live at the Tagi beach and named their merged tribe Rattana. All ten castaways are now together and everyone celebrated, except Rudy, who got annoyed because the population doubled. Greg won immunity after a close battle with Sean. At tribal council, the Pagong 5 (as well as Sean) were completely split and voted individually, while the Tagi 4 of Kelly, Richard, Rudy and Susan stayed together and voted out Gretchen 4–1–1–1–1–1–1. everyone got a vote except Greg ; who had immunity , Sean and Kelly.
At camp, the remaining members of the former Pagong tribe felt vulnerable because the Tagi tribe voted out their leader Gretchen. Susan thought Jenna was going to be really annoying, but after a while realized she wasn't that annoying. Richard started to worry about who voted for him at tribal council. At the reward challenge, Jeff showed everyone a sneak peek at the reward challenge except for Jenna because they never received a video for Jenna. Greg went first and no one hit the mark closer, so he won reward and saw his home video from his sister and sent one back to her. Rudy thought there might be some incest behavior between Greg and his sister. Jenna was frustrated about losing the reward challenge and instead of watching Greg's video, continued to practice with the bow and arrow, continually hitting the target closer than Greg's mark. People began to realize that Richard liked Greg because of the way he was playing the game. Greg realized that Richard was a powerful player in this game. Gervase won immunity. At tribal council, the Tagi 4 and Jenna piggy-backed off Sean's alphabet strategy and voted out Greg 6–3.
While Richard was catching fish, people began to realize that nobody voted him out because of it. Rudy didn't made the fire hot enough so the fish wasn't done when it got off the fire, and the attempt to recook it simply burnt it. At the reward challenge, Jenna wanted to win because she didn't hear anything from her family at the last challenge. It was a race between Colleen and Kelly, which Colleen narrowly won. When Colleen won, Jeff told her she could pick one other person and she instantly chose Jenna. After the reward challenge, it was Richard's 39th birthday and he celebrated in his "birthday suit". Richard spent his entire birthday naked which disturbed some of his tribe mates, especially Colleen and Jenna. Rudy won immunity over Sean. Sean was convinced that his alphabet strategy of voting for people was the fairest way and that there was no alliance because he wasn't asked to be a part of it. He continued to vote that way and even told Jenna beforehand that he was voting for her but that he didn't think it would make a difference. At tribal council he was once again proven wrong, as Richard, Rudy, and Sue again piggy-backed off his vote and Jenna was voted out 4–3–1.
Some people were happy that Jenna was voted out because she was getting on everyone nerves. Everyone knew that Sean voted for Jenna and that Kelly didn't, so the remainder of the Tagi alliance felt betrayed by Kelly. The alliance thought about replacing Kelly with Sean because he might have been more valuable. Richard's plan was to catch more fish once Colleen and Gervase were gone. At tree mail, the castaways were surprised by cigars and a note saying that Gervase's son Gunner was born yesterday, which they celebrated. Gervase narrowly beat Richard at the reward challenge and had a chance to call his girlfriend and daughter to see how his baby was doing. He shared his slice of pizza with everyone. While he was making his phone call, Rudy questioned Gervase's life choices (having 4 children without being married) and said that having babies out of wedlock would have never happened when he was his age and that the girl would be "taken out of town" and dealt with. At the immunity challenge Richard easily won and at tribal council Gervase was seen as the biggest threat left from Pagong and was voted out 5–2.
The Tagi alliance began to crumble because Kelly was always talking to the remaining enemy of the alliance, Colleen. Camp life started to take a toll on everyone. Sean won a reward and was surprised to see his dad on the yacht. Sean told Kelly he was going to take her for the feast, but chose Richard instead, which infuriated the women. Sean brought his dad back to camp to meet everyone, who attempted to update them on current events and the stock market (although Sue thought he didn't know anything), and before he left, he gave each person a care package from their loved ones, which rejuvenated their spirits. At the immunity challenge, Rudy fell off first. Rich attempted to annoy people off the planks by singing "99 bottles of beer on the wall"...until he fell off at 64 bottles of beer. On the beach, Rich thought it was funny that Colleen was really trying to win immunity when she had no chance of going home tonight because they were going to blindside Kelly. Sean was third to go, followed almost immediately by Sue. Colleen fell off after 2 hours and 54 minutes, giving immunity to Kelly and foiling the Tagi alliance plans. At tribal council, Sean was grilled for taking Rich on the reward instead of Kelly. Colleen, the last remaining member of Pagong, was voted out 4–2.
With only Tagi tribe members left, the two people that felt vulnerable were Kelly and Sean. Kelly mentioned that she didn't trust Rich, while Rich conspired to get Kelly off next. Sean thought he was stuck with the most conniving people ever. Tempers flared at camp as Kelly and Susan had a fight about their alliance since Kelly didn't vote with them again, and Sue said that Kelly made them all look like idiots. Richard attempted to smooth things over, although he said that the fight played to his advantage. Sue got stung by a ray and her hand swelled up. On day 34, all of the castaways talked about how they missed home. Kelly collected 15.9 lbs at the reward challenge, followed by Sean (15.4), Susan (15), Rich (12.4), and Rudy (10). After the reward challenge, Susan and Kelly rekindled their friendship. Kelly went with Jeff to watch the first 5 minutes of episode 1 and talked to Jeff about how the game was going for her. On day 36, Kelly and Susan agreed to keep civil with each other, although Susan told Kelly she didn't want her in the final 3 because she was such a threat. Sean knew he needed to win immunity and attempted to exploit the Kelly-Susan friendship. Kelly won her third challenge in a row. Sean said he was definitely winning this thing even though it would be an uphill battle. Rich tried to decide whether he would be voting for Sean or Rudy, although Rudy was confident that it would be him and Rich in the final 2. While everyone spoke of voting for different people, in the end the original Tagi 4 stuck together and Sean was voted out 4–1.
The remaining 4 reflected on how much their bodies have changed, and how the game was played by them and by others. Kelly said she felt like the odd man out and was stressed because she didn't feel safe. She said that she was now playing for herself. Richard, Rudy, and Sue were planning to vote out Kelly if she didn't win immunity. At the challenge, Kelly and Sue were tied after 10 questions, but Kelly got the tiebreaker question correct, giving Kelly won her fourth challenge and third immunity in a row. Directly after at tribal council, there was a 2–2 tie between Richard and Susan. During the revote in which only Rudy and Kelly voted, Kelly changed her vote and Susan was voted out 2–0.
At 4:00 am on day 38, the remaining 3 were awoken by Jeff, told to put on something comfortable, and took a long boat ride to their rite of passage and final immunity challenge. For their rite of passage, they covered themselves with mud, walked through palm fronds held by locals, passed the torches of their fallen comrades, then passed through a bamboo curtain and walked barefoot through a fire pit. After two hours of holding on the idol, Jeff tempted the three with oranges. After 2 hours, Richard gave a speech, said he wouldn't be able to outlast Kelly, and stepped down voluntarily. He said that it was a game of odds and he didn't know what the winner would actually do. After three hours, the two left switched positions while keeping their hand on the idol and were to do so every half hour. While the two were still standing on the pole, Rich addressed the alliance to Jeff and how he wasn't surprised that Kelly changed her vote. After 4 hours, 11 minutes, Rudy took his hand off the idol while switching spots, and Kelly won immunity yet again. Rich and Rudy both said it was in Kelly's best interest to keep themselves. At tribal council Kelly voted out Rudy because she thought she might have a better chance of winning against Richard.
At the final tribal council, Gervase asked if there was one, two or three things they would change about their time on the island, if anything at all (Rich said trusting people so easily; Kelly said making an alliance). Jenna asked who they would put in the final 2 and why (Rich said Rudy and Greg; Kelly said Sonja and Gretchen). Sean had no questions, but congratulated the two and thanked Kelly for being capable and keeping camp afloat, and told Rich that he enjoyed his company although he played the game differently. Colleen asked what three character traits got them where they are and are essential to get future players to the finals (Kelly said faith, strong will, and likability; Rich said self-awareness, observation of relationships, and ethics). Rudy said he had nothing to say to those two, but felt dumb after the mistake he made yesterday. Greg had them choose a number between 1 and 10 (Rich said 7; Kelly 3). Sue gave her famous "rat and snake" speech. In the end, Rudy, Sue, Sean, and Greg voted for Rich and Jenna, Gervase, and Colleen voted for Kelly. With that, Richard Hatch became Survivor's first millionaire by a vote of 4–3.
Richard and Susan were not eligible to vote in the second Tribal Council vote.
the chance to present his idea of this reality show to producers. In October 1999, CBS
held a casting call for a new reality show concept. The idea was Survivor
, in which sixteen people would be stuck on an island 20 miles (32.2 km) away from the mainland of Borneo
. Ten main cameras were set on the island that would film the castaways every day. Every three days, a Tribal Council would be held in which one castaway would be voted off the island. The last castaway to be on the island would win $1 million.
Over 6,000 people applied for the show; 800 were then interviewed in sixteen cities. 48 people were then chosen, and after background checks and psychological evaluations done by the producers, the final sixteen contestants and two alternates were picked.
As the survivors awaited the game's start, Survivor crews prepared the island for reward and immunity challenges, removing any harmful items, checking for any harmful animals in specific locations, and building a Tribal Council set. Camera and other crews were sent to the island three weeks in advance for testing. On the opposite side of the island from the tribes, headquarters were set up for the producers, and crew to live in on the island. This facility included many traditional trailers with running water, televisions, and one phone line. The Tribal Council set was built two hundred yards from the crew's facility. The Tribal Council set was 30 by with no walls and only a platform. In the middle of the set was a fire lava pit providing fire for the torches, which represented the castaways' life in the game.
On March 7, 2000, the contestants were flown to Los Angeles, then to the city of Kota Kinabalu
in Malaysian Borneo. From there, they were taken by boat to their island. Contestants were not allowed to speak to one another until they got on the boat headed towards their beaches. The two tribes shared the island of Pulau Tiga
, which was divided by over 20 miles (32.2 km) of forest. The castaways were surrounded by wildlife such as pythons, kraits, adders
, monkey
s, monitor lizard
s, and white-bellied sea eagle
s. The show was set to air in the summer of 2000.
stated that Survivor
has "clearly begun to emerge as part of the wider culture, with news and discussion about the show widespread on television and radio talk shows and coverage increasing in newspapers." On the Late Show with David Letterman
, David Letterman
began a segment titled, "Top 10 Things That'll Get You Thrown Off the Survivor Island." During the first season, USA Today
held coverage of the show as if it were a sporting event, listing which participant was voted off. USA Today also held a poll
to see who viewers would have voted off. With 26 percent, Susan Hawk
won the poll, although it had no effect on the game, as Sue made it to 4th place. CBS's
The Early Show
held an interview with each contestant the day after the episode in which they were voted off aired. By the second week, the show had already gained over 18 million viewers, beating out ABC
's show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
in ratings. After the season finale, Carter said that Survivor "built over a 13-week run to what was expected last night to be the biggest single television audience ever assembled for a summer television series, far eclipsed every expectation the network had when it acquired the rights to the show last year." Leslie Moonves
, the president of CBS Television said that "it has beaten our expectations by about double." The finale of Survivor was watched by 51.7 million viewers, the second-highest viewership of any American television episode during the first decade of the 21st century, exceeded only by the finale of Friends
. The finale had higher ratings than the World Series
, NBA
finals, N.C.A.A.
men's basketball finals, and Grammy Awards of that year. CBS was able to make the cost of commercial advertisers up to $600,000 during the season finale.
Survivor: Borneo was criticized by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA) in response to footage showing the contestants trapping rats on the island, initially for fish bait but later for human consumption.
Susan Hawk's
"snakes and rats" speech given during the final Tribal Council has been considered one of the greatest and more memorable speeches in the show's history,
, interview
s and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
. It was originally broadcast under the name Survivor but its official title was changed to Survivor: Pulau Tiga to distinguish it from subsequent installments of the series, and then changed again to Survivor: Borneo to avoid confusion with Survivor: Palau
Survivor: Palau
Survivor: Palau is the tenth season of the United States reality show Survivor. Its preview appeared during the final episode of Survivor: Vanuatu. Survivor: Palau premiered on February 17, 2005. The complete season, including the Live Reunion Show, was released on DVD by CBS Home Video on August...
. The show began filming on March 13, 2000 and ended on April 20, 2000. It aired later that year on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. It was set in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
on the remote Malaysian island of Pulau Tiga
Pulau Tiga
Pulau Tiga is one of a group of small uninhabited islands in Kimanis Bay off the western coast of Sabah, Malaysia. The islands were formed on September 21, 1897, when an earthquake on Mindanao caused a volcanic eruption near Borneo...
in the state of Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
, about 6 miles (9.7 km) off the north coast of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, Malaysia. The show was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on May 11, 2004.
The sixteen contestants were initially separated into two tribes, named Tagi and Pagong, which represented the names of their beaches. When ten players remained, the contestants merged into one tribe, named Rattana. While Tagi and Pagong's names and makeups were picked by the producers, Rattana was named by contestants Sean Kenniff and Jenna Lewis
Jenna Lewis
Jenna Lewis was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo , finishing eighth, and Survivor: All-Stars , finishing third. She later gained further fame for her 2004 sex tape which circulated on the Internet....
, because of the large amount of Rattan
Rattan
Rattan is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia.- Structure :...
wood on the island. After 39 days of competition, corporate trainer Richard Hatch was named the Sole Survivor, defeating whitewater rafting guide Kelly Wiglesworth
Kelly Wiglesworth
Kelly Wiglesworth is the runner-up on the original American version of the CBS reality series Survivor.-Survivor:...
in a 4–3 jury vote. In 2006, it was revealed that Hatch failed to declare his winnings, among other earnings, in his tax return and was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment.
On August 23, 2000, the Survivor: Borneo finale received the highest ratings of any Survivor episode to date with an average of 51.7 million viewers. Nielsen themselves reported that 125 million people watched at least some part of the finale. Richard Hatch, Jenna Lewis
Jenna Lewis
Jenna Lewis was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo , finishing eighth, and Survivor: All-Stars , finishing third. She later gained further fame for her 2004 sex tape which circulated on the Internet....
, Rudy Boesch
Rudy Boesch
Rudy Boesch is a former Navy SEAL. After his honorable discharge, he was the oldest competitor on Survivor: Borneo at 72 years of age, where he finished in third place. He set the record again when he competed on Survivor: All-Stars at 75. He currently lives in Virginia Beach.-Military...
, Susan Hawk
Susan Hawk
Susan "Sue" Hawk was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo and Survivor: All-Stars...
and Colleen Haskell
Colleen Haskell
Colleen Marie Haskell is an American television producer and actress. She was a contestant on the first season of the American reality show Survivor.-Survivor:...
were invited to participate again in the eighth season of Survivor, Survivor: All-Stars
Survivor: All-Stars
Survivor: All-Stars is the eighth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2003 and debuted in the United States on CBS on February 1, 2004 after Super Bowl XXXVIII. It was set on the Pearl Islands of Panama, where the previous Survivor: Pearl Islands had just finished...
. Haskell was the only one to turn down the opportunity, while Hatch, Lewis, Boesch and Hawk placed 14th, 3rd, 17th and 13th respectively.
Summary
The series premiere began with sixteen people split into two boats, divided into two tribes, Pagong and Tagi. During the first night, neither tribe had a completed shelter or a fire. On day two, after losing the combined reward and immunityImmunity (reality television)
Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
challenge, Tagi was sent to Tribal Council, where Sonja Christopher, who cost her tribe the challenge, was the first contestant voted out of the game. The tribes then continued to build their shelters and search for food. At the Tagi camp, former Navy SEAL, Rudy Boesch
Rudy Boesch
Rudy Boesch is a former Navy SEAL. After his honorable discharge, he was the oldest competitor on Survivor: Borneo at 72 years of age, where he finished in third place. He set the record again when he competed on Survivor: All-Stars at 75. He currently lives in Virginia Beach.-Military...
and openly homosexual corporate trainer Richard Hatch formed a strong friendship while B.B. Anderson became an annoyance at the Pagong camp. At the second immunity challenge, contestants were forced to eat a typical Malaysian food called Butok, which is the live larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
of a beetle. Both tribes were in a tie after every castaway ate the Butok without refusing. In the tiebreaker, Stacey Stillman
Stacey Stillman
Stacey Stillman was a contestant of the first season of the CBS reality television series Survivor, which aired in 2000 and was set in Borneo.Before Survivor, Stillman was an attorney in San Francisco, California...
ate two Butok before Gervase Peterson
Gervase Peterson
Gervase Peterson was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo, the first edition of the popular CBS reality television series Survivor, which premiered in May 2000, and was the highest rated American series during the summer of that year...
, winning immunity for Tagi and sending Pagong to Tribal Council. At Tribal Council on day six, B.B. was sent home from the Pagong tribe. Tagi won the next reward challenge on day seven, winning fishing and diving gear. Richard used the tools to catch many fish and feed the Tagi tribe. Pagong caught and ate a rat, after roasting it first. Pagong won the next immunity challenge on day nine and Stacey was the third person voted out. Gretchen became the motherly tribe member of Pagong, and Rudy became the cook at Tagi, cooking the fish that Richard would catch. Tagi would win both the reward challenge on day ten and the immunity challenge on day twelve, sending Pagong to Tribal Council, where Ramona Gray was the next person voted out.
At the following reward challenge on day 13, Pagong won fresh fruit and three egg-laying chickens. Pagong also won the immunity challenge on day 15, as Dirk Been was voted off of the Tagi tribe. After winning the reward challenge on day 16, yet losing the immunity challenge on day 18, Joel Klug was voted off of the Pagong tribe. As the merge approached, Sean Kenniff and Jenna Lewis
Jenna Lewis
Jenna Lewis was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo , finishing eighth, and Survivor: All-Stars , finishing third. She later gained further fame for her 2004 sex tape which circulated on the Internet....
spent time creating guidelines for the new tribe. The merged tribe was named Rattana, and continued to live at the former Tagi beach. After the first individual immunity challenge on day 21, Greg Buis won immunity for Tribal Council. Gretchen Cordy was then voted out, being tagged as the "biggest overall threat." During the following episode on day 22, each castaway except Jenna was shown a one-minute video clip, that either a family member or friend recorded of themselves talking to the contestant. Jenna's video was never received, so she was unable to view it. The winner of the reward challenge would get to watch the remainder of their five-minute video. Greg won, and was able to watch the rest of his video. Gervase Peterson won the immunity challenge on day 24, and Greg was voted off. During this episode, Sean developed his "alphabet strategy," where his vote would go in alphabetical order for the duration of his time in the game.
Colleen Haskell
Colleen Haskell
Colleen Marie Haskell is an American television producer and actress. She was a contestant on the first season of the American reality show Survivor.-Survivor:...
would win the next reward challenge on day 25, which was a barbecue dinner for two contestants, and would receive their letters sent by family members or friends at home. Colleen chose Jenna to come to the dinner with her, allowing Jenna to read her letter as well. At the dinner, Colleen and Jenna formed an alliance, and discussed getting Gervase to join them. Gervase agreed, but the three did not have enough votes on their side, as Jenna was the next to be voted off on day 27, with Rudy holding immunity. During the following episode, Gervase was informed that his first son, Gunnar was born. Coincidentally, Gervase won the following reward challenge on day 28, allowing him a phone call home. Richard, however, won immunity on day 30, and Gervase was voted out. Following this, Kelly Wiglesworth
Kelly Wiglesworth
Kelly Wiglesworth is the runner-up on the original American version of the CBS reality series Survivor.-Survivor:...
decided against working with her alliance of Sue Hawk
Susan Hawk
Susan "Sue" Hawk was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo and Survivor: All-Stars...
, Richard, and Rudy anymore. The next reward challenge was won by Sean on day 31, who won a night on a luxury yacht. Little did Sean know until long after getting on the boat that the Captain was his father (Jim Kenniff) who would travel on the yacht with him. Richard joined Sean for breakfast on the yacht the next morning, as Richard was chosen by Sean after the reward challenge. After deciding that if Kelly failed to win immunity, she would be sent home by her former alliance. Kelly won the immunity challenge, and Colleen was voted off on day 33. Kelly continued to win the following reward challenge on day 34. Joined by the show's host, Jeff Probst
Jeff Probst
Jeffrey Lee "Jeff" Probst is an American game show host, executive producer and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show Survivor.-Biography:...
, Kelly won a night at a bar with a hot meal, a cold beer, and a 5-minute screening of the first episode of Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
. Kelly also won the immunity challenge on day 36, holding off her elimination again, as the tension between herself and Sue grew stronger. Kelly voted with her former alliance to vote Sean out of the game.
As the final three days at the island came, Kelly won immunity again on day 37. The immunity challenge involved the final four contestants being quizzed on how much they knew about their former tribe mates. At Tribal Council, Richard and Sue tied with two votes each. As Kelly and Rudy voted again, Kelly switched her vote to Sue, as Sue was the next voted out. At the final immunity challenge on day 38, Kelly, Richard, and Rudy had to place one hand on the immunity idol held on a pole in the middle of a small well, while the three stood on small stands surrounding the pole. Richard voluntarily stepped out of the challenge on the assumption that the other contestants would "be crazy not to take [him]" to the final Tribal Council. After four hours and eleven minutes, Rudy accidentally removed his hand when changing his position, giving Kelly another victory. Kelly chose Richard to take to the final two, as she voted Rudy off. After Kelly and Richard pleaded their cases with the jury, each jury member cast a vote for one of the final two contestants. The votes were read during the final Tribal Council on day 39, unlike in every season thereafter, when votes were read months later during a live finale. Richard won the first $1 million prize with 4 votes to Kelly's 3.
Contestants
There were sixteen contestants overall, divided into two tribes, Pagong and Tagi. After six contestants were eliminated, the tribes were combined, or merged, to form one tribe, Rattana. Seven contestants made up the jury, who ultimately decided who would win the game, and the $1 million grand prize.| Contestant | Original Tribe | Merged Tribe | Finish | Total Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonja Christopher 63, Walnut Creek, CA |
4 | |||
| B.B. Andersen 64, Mission Hills, KS |
6 | |||
| Stacey Stillman Stacey Stillman Stacey Stillman was a contestant of the first season of the CBS reality television series Survivor, which aired in 2000 and was set in Borneo.Before Survivor, Stillman was an attorney in San Francisco, California... 27, San Francisco, CA |
6 | |||
| Ramona Gray 29, Edison, NJ |
6 | |||
| Dirk Been 23, Spring Green, WI |
4 | |||
| Joel Klug 27, Sherwood, AR |
4 | |||
| Gretchen Cordy 38, Clarksville, TN |
rowspan=10 | 4 | ||
| Greg Buis 24, Gold Hill, CO |
6 | |||
| Jenna Lewis Jenna Lewis Jenna Lewis was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo , finishing eighth, and Survivor: All-Stars , finishing third. She later gained further fame for her 2004 sex tape which circulated on the Internet.... 22, Franklin, NH |
11 | |||
| Gervase Peterson Gervase Peterson Gervase Peterson was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo, the first edition of the popular CBS reality television series Survivor, which premiered in May 2000, and was the highest rated American series during the summer of that year... 30, Willingboro, NJ |
6 | |||
| Colleen Haskell Colleen Haskell Colleen Marie Haskell is an American television producer and actress. She was a contestant on the first season of the American reality show Survivor.-Survivor:... 23, Miami Beach, FL |
7 | |||
| Sean Kenniff 30, Carle Place, NY |
9 | |||
| Susan Hawk Susan Hawk Susan "Sue" Hawk was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo and Survivor: All-Stars... 38, Palmyra, WI |
7 | |||
| Rudy Boesch Rudy Boesch Rudy Boesch is a former Navy SEAL. After his honorable discharge, he was the oldest competitor on Survivor: Borneo at 72 years of age, where he finished in third place. He set the record again when he competed on Survivor: All-Stars at 75. He currently lives in Virginia Beach.-Military... 72, Virginia Beach, VA |
8 | |||
| Kelly Wiglesworth Kelly Wiglesworth Kelly Wiglesworth is the runner-up on the original American version of the CBS reality series Survivor.-Survivor:... 22, Las Vegas, NV |
0 | |||
| Richard Hatch 39, Middletown, RI |
6 |
- The Total Votes is the number of votes a castaway has received during Tribal Councils where the castaway is eligible to be voted out of the game. It does not include the votes received during the final Tribal Council.
The game
| Episode title | Air date | Challenges | Eliminated | Vote | Finish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reward | Immunity | |||||
| "The Marooning" | May 31, 2000 | colspan=2 | 4–3–1 | 1st Voted Out Day 3 |
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| "The Generation Gap" | June 7, 2000 | 6–2 | 2nd Voted Out Day 6 |
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| "Quest for Food" | June 14, 2000 | 5–2 | 3rd Voted Out Day 9 |
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| "Too Little, Too Late?" | June 21, 2000 | 4–2–1 | 4th Voted Out Day 12 |
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| "Pulling Your Own Weight" | June 28, 2000 | 4–1–1 | 5th Voted Out Day 15 |
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| "Udder Revenge" | July 5, 2000 | 4–2 | 6th Voted Out Day 18 |
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| "The Merger" | July 12, 2000 | None | 4–1–1–1–1–1–1 | 7th Voted Out Day 21 |
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| "Thy Name Is Duplicity" | July 19, 2000 | 6–3 | 8th Voted Out 1st Jury Member Day 24 |
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| "Old and New Bonds" | July 26, 2000 | 4–3–1 | 9th Voted Out 2nd Jury Member Day 27 |
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| "Crack In the Alliance" | August 2, 2000 | 5–2 | 10th Voted Out 3rd Jury Member Day 30 |
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| "Long Hard Days" | August 9, 2000 | 4–2 | 11th Voted Out 4th Jury Member Day 33 |
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| "Death of an Alliance" | August 16, 2000 | 4–1 | 12th Voted Out 5th Jury Member Day 36 |
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| "Season Finale" | August 23, 2000 | None | 2–2 2-0 |
13th Voted Out 6th Jury Member Day 37 |
||
| 1-0 | 14th Voted Out 7th Jury Member Day 38 |
|||||
| "The Reunion" | August 23, 2000 | Jury Vote | 4–3 | Runner-Up | ||
| Sole Survivor | ||||||
- In the case of multiple tribes or castaways who win reward or immunity, they are listed in order of finish, or alphabetically where it was a team effort; where one castaway won and invited others, the invitees are in brackets.
The first challenge was a combined reward/immunity challenge. The winning team received immunity and waterproof matches.
Sometime between day four and six, a reward challenge took place that was not aired. The challenge involved holding weight on poles. Richard held the weight for Tagi, as Joel for Pagong. The reward was a map to a closer water hole.
There was no reward challenge due to the tribal merge.
The final four vote was tied with Richard and Sue each receiving two votes. In the tie-breaker vote, Rudy continued to vote against Sue while Kelly changed her vote from Richard to Sue.
Episode 1: "The Marooning"
- Reward/Immunity Challenge: The tribes swam to a raft where they had to pass and light their bamboo torch. Once they got to the beach they had to lift up their raft and run to the big statue. On the way, there were torches that needed to be lit. Once all of the torches are lit, teams had to light up a fire bowl. First tribe to light up the bowl wins immunity.
- Reward:Water proof matches.
16 castaways began an adventure of a lifetime. There were already separated into two tribes. Both tribes made it to their beaches: Tagi in 2 hours, Pagong in 3. At the Tagi tribe, Rudy got on everybody's nerves by taking command. No one at Tagi knew what to start doing until Richard spoke up. Richard was able to get everybody to get started on their camp. At the Pagong tribe, B.B. took leadership at camp. Colleen and Greg were wondering off alone. Back at Tagi, Sonja cut her leg but Sean was able to fix it up, and Stacey got annoyed with Rudy and wanted to get rid of him. At the immunity challenge, Pagong won after Sonja stumbled in the water. They voted out Sonja for being the weakest link 4–3–1.
Episode 2: "The Generation Gap"
- Immunity Challenge: Each castaway was given a grub. If they refused to eat, their tribe would automatically lose.
At Pagong, people began to realize how they liked B.B., and everyone began to realize that Colleen and Greg were together. At Tagi, Richard told stories of him being gay. Richard didn't tell Rudy because he thought if he found out that he was gay Rudy wouldn't want to be near him. Greg kept everyone entertained with the All New Newly Stranded Survivor Game. The next day, B.B. got frustrated with his tribe because most of them were lazy and Ramona was sick. At the immunity challenge, each tribe member ate their grub, so Pagong picked Stacey and Tagi picked Gervase to represent the other team in a race to eat 2 grubs. Tagi won thanks to Stacey. Pagong went to their first tribal council where B.B. was voted out 6–2.
Episode 3: "Quest for Food"
- Reward Challenge: Each tribe swam out to an inner tube attached to a sunken treasure chest. Once all of the tribe members are at their tube, they would dive down and drag their chest to shore.
- Reward: Fishing supplies.
- Immunity Challenge: Each tribe built a stretcher, and raced into the woods to rescue one tribe member stuck in a tree. They then had to carry that tribe member back to the beach and to the first aid tent.
At the Tagi tribe, Stacey still wanted to get rid of Rudy and tried to create a girl alliance to do so, but Susan didn't want to be a part of the plan. At Pagong, Greg and Colleen found a big mud pit that the entire tribe was able to enjoy. At the reward challenge, Tagi won. Back at Pagong, everyone ate rats, including a hesitant Gervase and Ramona. At Tagi, Dirk annoyed everyone with his bible reading. Pagong won the immunity challenge. At tribal council, Tagi voted out Stacey 5–2. A surprised Stacey mentioned that people had changed their votes.
Episode 4: "Too Little, Too Late?"
- Reward Challenge: The castaways had to make a distress signal. the goal was to make the best S.O.S. signal for the plane (with Jeff in it) to see.
- Reward: Hammocks, towels and pillows, plus two additional items (one chosen by each tribe).
- Immunity Challenge: It was a five part relay race. The first member swam to a buoy, dove down and retrieved a map in a bottle. The second member ran across a floating bridge with the bottle to a waiting boat, where the second and third members would paddle to shore. The fourth member would break the bottle, check the map, and sprint into the jungle to find a rope ladder and a key. For the final leg, the two remaining tribe members had to locate a buried treasure chest and dig it up. The first tribe to unearth their treasure chest and bring it back to the start line and have the key inside the lock won.
At Pagong, Ramona started to feel better after having been sick and tried to put her work ethic to place, but Jenna said it might be too late for her. At Tagi, Sean and Dirk were busy fishing, but had no luck; Sean also tried to build a bowling alley. Kelly, Richard, Rudy and Susan created an alliance. At the immunity challenge, Gervase had problems on the sprint into the jungle and Pagong lost. They voted out Ramona 4–2–1.
Episode 5: "Pulling Your Own Weight"
- Reward Challenge: Tribes would select three tribe members to shoot for the tribe in three rounds. The first one was a blow gun, the second round was a sling shot, and the third round was a spear toss.
- Reward: Fruit and chickens.
- Immunity Challenge: One person from each tribe rowed their boat around the buoys, picking up their tribe members waiting in the water. The first tribe to get all members back to shore won.
At Tagi, Dirk and Sean were still trying to fish (with no success) instead of helping around camp. Susan told them that it was a waste of time if they weren't catching anything. At Pagong, everyone felt vulnerable because their tribe was getting smaller. At the reward challenge, Joel helped Pagong win reward with his spear throwing after the first two rounds were tied. Dirk and Sean began to help around the camp but that didn't change their tribe members' minds. At Pagong they decided to let their chickens lay eggs. At the immunity challenge, Gervase help Pagong to victory and Kelly, the white water rafting guide, was upset that "she got beat by a guy who couldn't even swim". At Tagi's tribal council, Dirk was voted out 4–1–1.
Episode 6: "Udder Revenge"
- Reward Challenge: One at a time, each tribe member raced to a barrack. There were three different items in there (a can opener, a knife, and an Army helmet). The first tribe to get all of their items (with no duplicates) back to the start won reward.
- Reward: Canned foods and a chocolate bar.
- Immunity Challenge: Both tribes raced through an Army obstacle course. The first two tribe members raced through the first part and met up with two more members, then they had to go through a puzzle and race to the finish line.
Each tribes were wondering what the merge was going to be like. At Tagi they were afraid that they might get outnumbered after the merge. At Pagong, Joel felt confident because they had the numbers. Colleen thought Joel was an idiot because they weren't merging yet and still had a chance of going in even. Gervase offended the girls by telling them that they were dumber than a cow. At Tagi, Richard began walking around camp naked. At the reward challenge, Richard brought back a duplicate knife instead of a can opener and Pagong won by default. At Pagong, Gervase tried to create an alliance with Joel to get rid of the girls, and Joel started to get a little bossy, which annoyed the girls. Tagi won the immunity challenge in a very close race. With help from Greg, the women of Pagong voted out Joel 4–2.
Episode 7: "The Merger"
- Immunity Challenge: All ten castaways submerged themselves underwater to see how long they could hold their breath. The top three castaways then had another competition of releasing buoys along a ladder submerged underwater. The first castaway to release all of their buoys would win immunity.
The day after Pagong voted Joel out, one person from each tribe went to the opposite tribe's camp and would then convene to decide which camp to live on. Jenna went to Tagi and Sean went to Pagong. After a bit of time at camp, Jenna and Sean met with each other at a neutral site (the sandbar) to decide which camp they wanted to live on and what to name the new merge tribe. They were welcomed by a feast, including lobster and wine, and got to stay the night under a canopy shelter and on beds. The next day, Jenna and Sean decided to live at the Tagi beach and named their merged tribe Rattana. All ten castaways are now together and everyone celebrated, except Rudy, who got annoyed because the population doubled. Greg won immunity after a close battle with Sean. At tribal council, the Pagong 5 (as well as Sean) were completely split and voted individually, while the Tagi 4 of Kelly, Richard, Rudy and Susan stayed together and voted out Gretchen 4–1–1–1–1–1–1. everyone got a vote except Greg ; who had immunity , Sean and Kelly.
Episode 8: "Thy Name Is Duplicity"
- Reward Challenge: Each tribe member was to shoot at an archery target with a bow and arrow. The closest mark to the bullseye won.
- Reward: A video from home and the chance to send a video home to them.
- Immunity Challenge: Each member was connected to a piece of rope and needed to go to the checkpoints in number order (1–6) and collect the color carabiners at each check point and then cross the finish line.
At camp, the remaining members of the former Pagong tribe felt vulnerable because the Tagi tribe voted out their leader Gretchen. Susan thought Jenna was going to be really annoying, but after a while realized she wasn't that annoying. Richard started to worry about who voted for him at tribal council. At the reward challenge, Jeff showed everyone a sneak peek at the reward challenge except for Jenna because they never received a video for Jenna. Greg went first and no one hit the mark closer, so he won reward and saw his home video from his sister and sent one back to her. Rudy thought there might be some incest behavior between Greg and his sister. Jenna was frustrated about losing the reward challenge and instead of watching Greg's video, continued to practice with the bow and arrow, continually hitting the target closer than Greg's mark. People began to realize that Richard liked Greg because of the way he was playing the game. Greg realized that Richard was a powerful player in this game. Gervase won immunity. At tribal council, the Tagi 4 and Jenna piggy-backed off Sean's alphabet strategy and voted out Greg 6–3.
Episode 9: "Old and New Bonds"
- Reward Challenge: A rope course with 16 legs, each leg had a medallion with the castaways number on it. First castaway to receive all of their medallions and get back to the center won reward.
- Reward: A barbecue and letters from home.
- Immunity Challenge: The castaways started on a square and moved one square at a time. As they moved, they had to flip over the square they were just on. Each castaway would go until they could no longer move. Last person standing wins immunity.
While Richard was catching fish, people began to realize that nobody voted him out because of it. Rudy didn't made the fire hot enough so the fish wasn't done when it got off the fire, and the attempt to recook it simply burnt it. At the reward challenge, Jenna wanted to win because she didn't hear anything from her family at the last challenge. It was a race between Colleen and Kelly, which Colleen narrowly won. When Colleen won, Jeff told her she could pick one other person and she instantly chose Jenna. After the reward challenge, it was Richard's 39th birthday and he celebrated in his "birthday suit". Richard spent his entire birthday naked which disturbed some of his tribe mates, especially Colleen and Jenna. Rudy won immunity over Sean. Sean was convinced that his alphabet strategy of voting for people was the fairest way and that there was no alliance because he wasn't asked to be a part of it. He continued to vote that way and even told Jenna beforehand that he was voting for her but that he didn't think it would make a difference. At tribal council he was once again proven wrong, as Richard, Rudy, and Sue again piggy-backed off his vote and Jenna was voted out 4–3–1.
Episode 10: "Crack In the Alliance"
- Reward Challenge: Each person started at one end of a balance beam. There were three rounds, where the first half to make it to the other end of the balance beam would move on. The first person to get to the end with both feet on the platform without falling off would win.
- Reward: A slice of Pizza and a phone call home.
- Immunity Challenge: Each castaway had a few minutes to grab all of the kindling necessary to build a fire. They then had to take their torch out to the water to floating woks, light their torch, and bring it back to their pile of wood to start their fire. The first person to burn through their rope won.
Some people were happy that Jenna was voted out because she was getting on everyone nerves. Everyone knew that Sean voted for Jenna and that Kelly didn't, so the remainder of the Tagi alliance felt betrayed by Kelly. The alliance thought about replacing Kelly with Sean because he might have been more valuable. Richard's plan was to catch more fish once Colleen and Gervase were gone. At tree mail, the castaways were surprised by cigars and a note saying that Gervase's son Gunner was born yesterday, which they celebrated. Gervase narrowly beat Richard at the reward challenge and had a chance to call his girlfriend and daughter to see how his baby was doing. He shared his slice of pizza with everyone. While he was making his phone call, Rudy questioned Gervase's life choices (having 4 children without being married) and said that having babies out of wedlock would have never happened when he was his age and that the girl would be "taken out of town" and dealt with. At the immunity challenge Richard easily won and at tribal council Gervase was seen as the biggest threat left from Pagong and was voted out 5–2.
Episode 11: "Long Hard Days"
- Reward Challenge: Each castaway was given a questionnaire about Borneo. The person who answered the most correctly won.
- Reward: The person will go on an overnight trip on a yacht and was given a Visa card.
- Immunity Challenge: Each person stood next to each other on a set of 5 planks. One plank would be removed over time until they got down to one plank. Whoever stayed on the longest would win.
The Tagi alliance began to crumble because Kelly was always talking to the remaining enemy of the alliance, Colleen. Camp life started to take a toll on everyone. Sean won a reward and was surprised to see his dad on the yacht. Sean told Kelly he was going to take her for the feast, but chose Richard instead, which infuriated the women. Sean brought his dad back to camp to meet everyone, who attempted to update them on current events and the stock market (although Sue thought he didn't know anything), and before he left, he gave each person a care package from their loved ones, which rejuvenated their spirits. At the immunity challenge, Rudy fell off first. Rich attempted to annoy people off the planks by singing "99 bottles of beer on the wall"...until he fell off at 64 bottles of beer. On the beach, Rich thought it was funny that Colleen was really trying to win immunity when she had no chance of going home tonight because they were going to blindside Kelly. Sean was third to go, followed almost immediately by Sue. Colleen fell off after 2 hours and 54 minutes, giving immunity to Kelly and foiling the Tagi alliance plans. At tribal council, Sean was grilled for taking Rich on the reward instead of Kelly. Colleen, the last remaining member of Pagong, was voted out 4–2.
Episode 12: "Death of an Alliance"
- Reward Challenge: Under a time limit of five minutes, tribe members dove into a mud pit and covered their body with as much mud as they can, then raced back and scraped it off into a bucket. They could not carry mud in their arms or in their hands, only their body. The buckets are then weighed, and the heaviest bucket won.
- Reward: A cold beer, then picked up, blindfolded and taken to a mysterious bar to watch the first five minutes of this season.
- Immunity Challenge: "Survivor Witch Project": Jeff told the castaways a story about Borneo folklore. Once he was done, the castaways went out to the woods (where the masks with questions on them were scattered) with a video camera to record their answers. The first person to get back to the start with all of the masks and the questions right on tape won immunity.
With only Tagi tribe members left, the two people that felt vulnerable were Kelly and Sean. Kelly mentioned that she didn't trust Rich, while Rich conspired to get Kelly off next. Sean thought he was stuck with the most conniving people ever. Tempers flared at camp as Kelly and Susan had a fight about their alliance since Kelly didn't vote with them again, and Sue said that Kelly made them all look like idiots. Richard attempted to smooth things over, although he said that the fight played to his advantage. Sue got stung by a ray and her hand swelled up. On day 34, all of the castaways talked about how they missed home. Kelly collected 15.9 lbs at the reward challenge, followed by Sean (15.4), Susan (15), Rich (12.4), and Rudy (10). After the reward challenge, Susan and Kelly rekindled their friendship. Kelly went with Jeff to watch the first 5 minutes of episode 1 and talked to Jeff about how the game was going for her. On day 36, Kelly and Susan agreed to keep civil with each other, although Susan told Kelly she didn't want her in the final 3 because she was such a threat. Sean knew he needed to win immunity and attempted to exploit the Kelly-Susan friendship. Kelly won her third challenge in a row. Sean said he was definitely winning this thing even though it would be an uphill battle. Rich tried to decide whether he would be voting for Sean or Rudy, although Rudy was confident that it would be him and Rich in the final 2. While everyone spoke of voting for different people, in the end the original Tagi 4 stuck together and Sean was voted out 4–1.
Episode 13: "Season Finale"
- First Immunity Challenge: Jeff asked 10 questions about the jury members. The person who got the most the questions right won immunity.
The remaining 4 reflected on how much their bodies have changed, and how the game was played by them and by others. Kelly said she felt like the odd man out and was stressed because she didn't feel safe. She said that she was now playing for herself. Richard, Rudy, and Sue were planning to vote out Kelly if she didn't win immunity. At the challenge, Kelly and Sue were tied after 10 questions, but Kelly got the tiebreaker question correct, giving Kelly won her fourth challenge and third immunity in a row. Directly after at tribal council, there was a 2–2 tie between Richard and Susan. During the revote in which only Rudy and Kelly voted, Kelly changed her vote and Susan was voted out 2–0.
- Second Immunity Challenge: Each tribe member held on to the immunity idol while standing on a small log. The person who lasted the longest wins immunity.
At 4:00 am on day 38, the remaining 3 were awoken by Jeff, told to put on something comfortable, and took a long boat ride to their rite of passage and final immunity challenge. For their rite of passage, they covered themselves with mud, walked through palm fronds held by locals, passed the torches of their fallen comrades, then passed through a bamboo curtain and walked barefoot through a fire pit. After two hours of holding on the idol, Jeff tempted the three with oranges. After 2 hours, Richard gave a speech, said he wouldn't be able to outlast Kelly, and stepped down voluntarily. He said that it was a game of odds and he didn't know what the winner would actually do. After three hours, the two left switched positions while keeping their hand on the idol and were to do so every half hour. While the two were still standing on the pole, Rich addressed the alliance to Jeff and how he wasn't surprised that Kelly changed her vote. After 4 hours, 11 minutes, Rudy took his hand off the idol while switching spots, and Kelly won immunity yet again. Rich and Rudy both said it was in Kelly's best interest to keep themselves. At tribal council Kelly voted out Rudy because she thought she might have a better chance of winning against Richard.
At the final tribal council, Gervase asked if there was one, two or three things they would change about their time on the island, if anything at all (Rich said trusting people so easily; Kelly said making an alliance). Jenna asked who they would put in the final 2 and why (Rich said Rudy and Greg; Kelly said Sonja and Gretchen). Sean had no questions, but congratulated the two and thanked Kelly for being capable and keeping camp afloat, and told Rich that he enjoyed his company although he played the game differently. Colleen asked what three character traits got them where they are and are essential to get future players to the finals (Kelly said faith, strong will, and likability; Rich said self-awareness, observation of relationships, and ethics). Rudy said he had nothing to say to those two, but felt dumb after the mistake he made yesterday. Greg had them choose a number between 1 and 10 (Rich said 7; Kelly 3). Sue gave her famous "rat and snake" speech. In the end, Rudy, Sue, Sean, and Greg voted for Rich and Jenna, Gervase, and Colleen voted for Kelly. With that, Richard Hatch became Survivor's first millionaire by a vote of 4–3.
Voting history
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Richard and Susan were not eligible to vote in the second Tribal Council vote.
Production
In 1998, CBS offered Mark BurnettMark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
the chance to present his idea of this reality show to producers. In October 1999, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
held a casting call for a new reality show concept. The idea was Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
, in which sixteen people would be stuck on an island 20 miles (32.2 km) away from the mainland of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. Ten main cameras were set on the island that would film the castaways every day. Every three days, a Tribal Council would be held in which one castaway would be voted off the island. The last castaway to be on the island would win $1 million.
Over 6,000 people applied for the show; 800 were then interviewed in sixteen cities. 48 people were then chosen, and after background checks and psychological evaluations done by the producers, the final sixteen contestants and two alternates were picked.
As the survivors awaited the game's start, Survivor crews prepared the island for reward and immunity challenges, removing any harmful items, checking for any harmful animals in specific locations, and building a Tribal Council set. Camera and other crews were sent to the island three weeks in advance for testing. On the opposite side of the island from the tribes, headquarters were set up for the producers, and crew to live in on the island. This facility included many traditional trailers with running water, televisions, and one phone line. The Tribal Council set was built two hundred yards from the crew's facility. The Tribal Council set was 30 by with no walls and only a platform. In the middle of the set was a fire lava pit providing fire for the torches, which represented the castaways' life in the game.
On March 7, 2000, the contestants were flown to Los Angeles, then to the city of Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
in Malaysian Borneo. From there, they were taken by boat to their island. Contestants were not allowed to speak to one another until they got on the boat headed towards their beaches. The two tribes shared the island of Pulau Tiga
Pulau Tiga
Pulau Tiga is one of a group of small uninhabited islands in Kimanis Bay off the western coast of Sabah, Malaysia. The islands were formed on September 21, 1897, when an earthquake on Mindanao caused a volcanic eruption near Borneo...
, which was divided by over 20 miles (32.2 km) of forest. The castaways were surrounded by wildlife such as pythons, kraits, adders
Venomous snake
"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...
, monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
s, monitor lizard
Monitor lizard
Monitor lizards are usually large reptiles, although some can be as small as in length. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. Most species are terrestrial, but arboreal and semiaquatic monitors are also known...
s, and white-bellied sea eagle
White-bellied Sea Eagle
The White-bellied Sea Eagle , also known as the White-breasted Sea Eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related to Sanford's Sea Eagle of the Solomon Islands, and the two are considered a superspecies...
s. The show was set to air in the summer of 2000.
Reception
Survivor: Borneo received mixed reactions in the media. Bill Carter, a writer for The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
stated that Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
has "clearly begun to emerge as part of the wider culture, with news and discussion about the show widespread on television and radio talk shows and coverage increasing in newspapers." On the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
began a segment titled, "Top 10 Things That'll Get You Thrown Off the Survivor Island." During the first season, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
held coverage of the show as if it were a sporting event, listing which participant was voted off. USA Today also held a poll
Voting
Voting is a method for a group such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion—often following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. It is often found in democracies and republics.- Reasons for voting :...
to see who viewers would have voted off. With 26 percent, Susan Hawk
Susan Hawk
Susan "Sue" Hawk was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo and Survivor: All-Stars...
won the poll, although it had no effect on the game, as Sue made it to 4th place. CBS's
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
held an interview with each contestant the day after the episode in which they were voted off aired. By the second week, the show had already gained over 18 million viewers, beating out ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US game show)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television quiz show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering 14 consecutive multiple-choice questions of random difficulty. Until 2010, the format required contestants to correctly answer 15 consecutive questions of increasing...
in ratings. After the season finale, Carter said that Survivor "built over a 13-week run to what was expected last night to be the biggest single television audience ever assembled for a summer television series, far eclipsed every expectation the network had when it acquired the rights to the show last year." Leslie Moonves
Leslie Moonves
Leslie Moonves is President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation.Moonves served as co-president and co-chief operating officer of Viacom, Inc., the predecessor to CBS Corporation, from 2004 until the company split on December 31, 2005...
, the president of CBS Television said that "it has beaten our expectations by about double." The finale of Survivor was watched by 51.7 million viewers, the second-highest viewership of any American television episode during the first decade of the 21st century, exceeded only by the finale of Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. The finale had higher ratings than the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
finals, N.C.A.A.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
men's basketball finals, and Grammy Awards of that year. CBS was able to make the cost of commercial advertisers up to $600,000 during the season finale.
Survivor: Borneo was criticized by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
(PETA) in response to footage showing the contestants trapping rats on the island, initially for fish bait but later for human consumption.
Susan Hawk's
Susan Hawk
Susan "Sue" Hawk was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo and Survivor: All-Stars...
"snakes and rats" speech given during the final Tribal Council has been considered one of the greatest and more memorable speeches in the show's history,
U.S. Nielsen ratings
| Episode | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|
| "The Marooning" | 15.5 |
| "The Generation Gap" | 18.1 |
| "Quest For Food" | 23.3 |
| "Too Little Too Late?" | 24.2 |
| "Pulling Your Own Weight" | 24.0 |
| "Udder Revenge" | 24.5 |
| "The Merger" | 24.5 |
| "Thy Name is Duplicity" | 26.2 |
| "Old and New Bonds" | 27.2 |
| "Crack in the Alliance" | 27.4 |
| "Long Hard Days" | 28.0 |
| "Death of the Alliance" | 28.7 |
| "The Final Four" | 51.7 |
DVD release
The DVD release of season one was released by CBS Home Entertainment in the U.S. on May 11, 2004, after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including commentaryAudio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
, interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
s and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
| The Complete First Season | ||||
| Set details | Special features | |||
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| May 11, 2004 | May 11, 2004 | |||