'Survivor 15: China' - East Coast Update Post - 9/27

Keep returning here - I'll update this post as important events happen.

Reward challenge -- for fishing gear and a trip on a fishing boat. Fei Long wins.

Twist -- Fei Long kidnaps one member of the Zhan Hu tribe, they go for Jaime. Jaime received a note to read in private once she's at their camp.

The note contained a clue to the location of the hidden immunity idol -- Jaime isn't privy to its contents, but gets to choose who on Fei Long she wants to give it to. She chose Leslie because Leslie didn't seem to be in with the others on the tribe and might be more secretive (and appreciative).

Fei Long wins Immunity! At one point Zhan Hu was leading, but the puzzle threw them off.

Asley is voted out. Dave received one vote from Ashley, all the rest voted for her to leave.

TV Newsy Bits and Bloggy Stuff

The link to my TV Squad review of last night's Kid Nation is right here -- it hadn't posted yet when I mentioned it in my last entry.

As for tonight's Survivor 15: China blogging -- I'll be doing East Coast Updates on important events in the show (immunity and the boot), then my review will be posted over on TV Squad later in the evening. If you wish to discuss the show while it's airing, of course you can feel free to jump in the comments of the East Coast updates! I'll be listening ... er ... reading.

Don't forget, fans of Grey's Anatomy, there is a discussion post for you to talk about tonight's episode with your friends right here.

Someone asked in comments if I'll be deleting the build-up of comments in the DWTS discussion post. I don't like to delete comments because once gone, they can't be retrieved, plus some folks get upset when I do. Plus, it's very time-consuming on this end for me to delete tons of comments one by one. We'll see how things go. If it looks like things are getting unwieldy, I might post a new discussion post weekly or something.

Now to the real TV Newsy Bits!

I'm sure there are some folks out there who watch the NBC Thursday primetime block -- My Name is Earl, The Office, and E.R., right? If you're a fan of those shows, NBC has some big doings going on tonight online for them.

For My Name is Earl, after the special one hour episode 8-9 ET, there will be a 30 minute live blog chat with executive producer Greg Garcia. For The Office, after the special one hour episode 9-10 ET, there will be a 30 minute live blog chat with executive producer Greg Daniels starting at 10 PM ET.

ER airs from 10-11 ET, then is followed by a 30 minute live blog chat with star Parminder Nagra and writer/co-executive producer Dr. Joe Sachs starting at 11 PM ET.

TV Newsy Bits - 'Survivor' Interviews Online

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I'm looking forward to watching a new Cold Case tonight after roughly goofing off all day. I always give a sigh of relief, although I also miss 'em, when the live feeds for Big Brother end.

Today, I watched some of the rerun recently completed So You Think You Can Dance episodes on cable -- I still adore Hok! And, I watched the finish of the entire first season of The Wire on DVD. It makes me want to get out my Homicide: Life on the Street DVD set and go through that, too. Too bad there just aren't more hours in a day off, eh?

Oh, thinking of work, I completed the work project I had been putting off. Woowoo, I made a DVD. I'm not overly thrilled with it, but it's done and no longer a monkey on my back.

I did a bit of digging around online today and found some interesting Survivor interviews to share with you.

The first one is from Jokers with Yau-Man, perhaps my favorite castaway ever. No, scratch that. He IS my favorite castaway ever, no perhaps about it! While the whole article is worth reading, here are some key points:

• Yau-Man was recruited for the show. He said they were looking for older Asians because they have so few applying.
• The castaways are given a very brief safety course on what they can eat or not on the island (or other locales, too, I would think). I always wondered how Sue Hawk knew about tapioca!
• He hasn't talked to Dreamz since the NYC reunion show. He doesn't want the decision about the truck to ruin his life.
• He says Jeff Probst is only about his height -- he looks taller on the show.
• He said the pre-jury booted were kept in "Losers Lodge" - tents on the island until the last one came in, then they received a vacation.
• The jurors had to stay in Losers Lodge as they had to go back every three days for tribal council. The only entertainment they had were books.
• They can't talk about the show at Losers Lodge.

I also found some Chicken interviews (the first boot on China) --

• Fans of Reality TV
• Reality TV World

The most interesting thing in those for me was the fact that Jaime, Sherea, and Peih-Gee had approached him to set up an alliance, then called it off fifteen minutes before the tribal council saying it was too early for alliances. They didn't show that on the show. Hmmm... he also says Ashley (the wrestler) was not only sick, but she's a physically weak person despite her profession. Hmmm...

The TV Squad 'Survivor 15: China' Post is Up

My TV Squad review of the show is up! I haven't read all of the comments yet, but wanted to mention one I saw -- I never did actually live-blog Survivor. I would do East Coast updates, then around this time of night there would be a review posted. I will continue to do the East Coast updates. I only did one on the boot tonight because I figured we didn't really know the tribes yet. Next week, I'll add Immunity and such.

Looks like NO ONE likes Courtney! Her eyerolls in the temple were as bad as Leslie leaving the ceremony! @@!

'Survivor 15: China' East Coast Update - Booted

Chicken is the first voted out.

Tonight's Survivor China Blogging

I have a spoilers post on the show up over on TV Squad -- beware of boot spoilers for this week and next! Please don't discuss the spoilers in the comments here.

For the season premiere tonight, I'll do an East Coast update on the boot, so check back for that post if you want to know or to talk about it. That should be up around 9 PM ET.

I'm reviewing the show for TV Squad, so my review won't be here. I'll zap a link to you once it's up.

Survivors ready?

More TV Squad Stuff!

Gee, I almost posted that title as TV Squid -- that would surely be a new take on things, huh?

My Kid Nation review is up over there. TVS isn't sure if they want it covered all season, but I'm hoping the traffic and response to the reviews will keep it going. I found the show almost on the refreshing side despite the obvious adult involvement in setting up things.

I also posted commentary on TV Tattler interviews with Dick and Daniele as well as Jeff Probst.

Please check them out and I'd love to hear your thoughts there! If you have problems posting comments on TV Squad, check the email address you're using -- one little typo and you won't get the confirmation mail. When you do get the confirmation mail, make sure you go to the link to activate the comment.

If you're having problems, let me know.

'Survivor 15: China' - My First Impressions on the Cast - Part Five

Welcome to the last installment of my Survivor 15: China cast introduction and my take on the new castaways! I've had to split this into several parts due to length. You can find the rest of the castaways in Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four. These will remain listed in my sidebar here for easy reference throughout the season. While I'll be doing the show episode reviews themselves over at TV Squad this season, I'll be talking about the show here, too. And, of course, I always welcome your comments both at TVS and here!

Continuing my alphabetical order by first name, it's Peih-Gee next to the plate. I was pretty impressed with her in her video on the CBS site although she seems to be being portrayed as a bit of a wild card in the promos for the show.

Looking at her CBS bio, I can't help but mention she has one of the longest, if not the longest, bios of anyone on the show this season. She has an extensive dancing background appearing in videos from many popular stars and MTV doings. She's well-traveled, too. Plus, she has a roughing it in foreign lands for extended periods of time experience. Not only that, but her educational background is impressive, too. Oh, my.

She says she's free-spirited, witty, spunky, assertive, optimistic, open-minded, outspoken, strong-willed and she thinks like a guy. She thinks her biggest strengths are having a good attitude, seeing the brighter side of things, and having the ability to focus all of attention to the task at hand. Oh, my.

It's off to her favorites! She lists Survivor amongst her favorite shows, good. WHAT? She lists NO cereal. She left the cereal section blank. I don't know what to make of that. This is a first. How can I judge her psychological game without knowing her cereal?

Her chances? I think she just could be the strongest all around player for the women. If she isn't too assertive and doesn't alienate the others, I can see her hanging in towards the end. Plus, she has two cats. I think I like her!

I see this season's show is back down to only a few persons of color. I kind of liked the more diversity in casting, but we'll see how this season goes down.

Sherea focused on her people-skills and herself on a whole in her video. She does seem to be a nice person and her background as a teacher will probably help her cope with the various personalities in the game. Her plan is to get along with everyone and keep focused throughout. She will play thinking of her mother who's a breast cancer survivor.

Her bio is only about half as long as Peih-Gee's. She looks very normal, perhaps too normal to be on a reality show! Her educational background includes a Masters degree. She claims to be sassy, outspoken, and caring. I didn't think she seemed either sassy or outspoken in her video. She just came across as nice to me. What do I know, eh? She also considers herself to be competitive, outgoing, and a leader.

Going to her favorites, I see she lists Big Brother on her shows, but not Survivor! Ack, two very different shows! For cereals, she likes Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms. That tells me that, not only does she have a fun-loving side, she's seeking the luck of the Irish to be on her side throughout the season! (Trust me, I've studied Cereal Psychology for years.)

Her chances? I think I'm going to like her as a person on the show, but I'm not so sure how well she'll do swimming with the sharks. If she indeed befriends people, works those people skills ... she might do well. I'd like to be wrong, but I don't see her making it to the final four.

Todd has the dubious honor of being the last castaway on my list. In his video, he was a bit ... off ... or something. At one point he stopped for an extended period of time looking confused, then repeated himself. He thinks he will do well and everyone will like him. Um, okay.

In his bio on the CBS site, he starts off with the fact that he's an openly gay Mormon. Holy Osmonds, Batman! He's allergic to cats, rabbits, and shrimp. He describes himself as fantastic, amazing, awesome, and super-original.

Give me a break, kid. Keep this up and I'll want you not only booted but forced to jump from the Great Wall head first.

He goes on to say he'll do well because he's very positive, great at social skills and strategizing, and will gather wood and er, stuff. He thinks the Spice Girls are the most significant historical event of the past 100 years.

Is this guy a joke? Onto his favorites ... he does list Survivor in his favorite shows, but that's no surprise. For cereals he lists granola and Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch. Aha, he's living a contradictory kind of life! He doesn't know if he wants to go the healthy route or eat the least popular Cap'n Crunch in a childlike fantasy land! Very telling, indeed.

His chances? I think an early boot, but he might hang in for a while because I don't think the others will see him as a threat. I know if he pulls the "I make everyone happy" bit at the wrong time, he could certainly alienate the others.

'Survivor 15: China' - My First Impressions on the Cast - Part Four

Welcome to Part Four of my take on the new castaways! I've created a separate section for these on my sidebar (over there ---->) and you can get to all of my Survivor 15: China content by hitting the hyperlinked label at the bottom of any post about the season.

Keeping with my first name alphabetical order for these, it's James. He has one almost typical Survivor applicant job while his other job is something he really digs. You got it -- he's a bartender/security at nightclubs and weddings ... and a gravedigger! (Why can't I think of that profession and not think of the Dave Matthews song?)

The interesting part is, according to his video on the CBS site, he loves gravedigging. He started when he was ten years old working for his father, socialized very little while growing up. Being in the clubs has made him more social.

His bio itself is brief and to the point. In the bio, he mentions being athletically gifted, socially adaptive, and physically attractive. Hmmm ... with the exception of mentioning how strong he is ("Gravedigger, when you dig my grave...") in the video, he didn't mention anything about his looks. He thinks he'll adapt well.

Onto his favorites -- Ah, good. He lists Survivor amongst his favorite television shows. That always makes me feel better about a castaway. His outdoor activities include football, cooking, and drinking ... interesting, no? For cereal, he lists grits. I may be mistaken, but I don't think grits are a staple food in China.

My thoughts? Well, gee ... I don't know. He thinks he'll stay on well in the beginning because he's strong and they'll want him to win challenges. I think he's right. But, if he's that strong and does that well in challenges, that will put a huge target on his back going into the merge. I think I want to like him, but I don't think the others would let him get to the end.

Next up is Jean-Robert. Here's a guy with an interesting approach to the game. In his video he said he plans to approach it like a poker tournament (he's a professional poker player). He'll spend some time in the start analyzing his competition -- strongest, weakest, etc. Then he'll ally, but be ready to change his table.

He admits he's overweight and out of shape, but he thinks that the game is just as much, maybe more, of a mental game as it is a physical one.

In his bio, he certainly does seem to be a pro poker player as that's the majority of the bio. He thinks he's charismatic, fun, and loud. I found him a bit charismatic in his video, but hopefully he can control the loud aspect. If he's constantly loud at camp, they will get ticked off at him. He doesn't really list any qualities which would help him survive in wooded areas.

To his favorites -- Hmmm... no Survivor listed. His choices of cereal are Honeycomb and Corn Pops. That tells me he doesn't take things too seriously and enjoys life. (Remember, I have a degree in Psychological Cereal Indicators.)

His possibilities on the show? For some reason, he's reminding me a bit of Richard Hatch, but a smoother player. I actually like his approach and I'm sure we'll see his poker face and some bluffing along the way. I think he could make final four as long as he isn't too physically inept. He said he's overweight, but he doesn't look all that out of shape for me. He just might be my early favorite for the win. That may change down the line, but I'm gonna call it now.

Leslie has tried to get on the show for eleven seasons. I can't help but wonder why she didn't make it ten times and they took her on for this season.

In her video, I believe she mentioned she's a Christian at least eight times. That's not a really good sign for me. Although she said she's human and makes mistakes, she thinks it will give her an edge to have faith. Maybe, maybe not. She also thinks of herself as a professional interviewer which should help her get to know and get along with her fellow castaways.

Heading to her bio page, I see that she's probably very physically fit. She teaches fitness classes three times a week in addition to her radio host job. She thinks she energetic, passionate, and overwhelming. Overwhelming? That doesn't sound like a good quality to make it to the end when you're deserted with a bunch of strangers!

Over to her favorites -- Survivor is listed first and in caps, no surprise there! She enjoys camping, that's a good thing. Her cereal? Raisin Nut Bran. That tells me she likes to be regular. She might miss that being on the show.

I'm not getting Sole Survivor screaming at me about Leslie. I could be horribly wrong, but I don't see her making it to the merge. I predict an early goodbye to her, but at least she can boast she finally got on the show.

'Survivor 15: China' - My First Impressions on the Cast - Part Three

This is my third installment on the new castaways for Survivor 15: China. I know I'm rather slowly muddling through this, but I swear I'll have my cast thoughts up before the season premiere! Previous castaway thoughts can be found here. And here.

Let's get it started!

Oh, my. Erik has one of the longest bio sections I think I've ever seen for a contestant on the show. He's been a pauper, a prince, and a king! Er, okay. I made that up or stole it from an old song.

After reading his 1000 word (or more) bio, I come away with he's a rock musician, has done modeling, is a Christian, and was sidelined from his track star status due to a broken leg.

He thinks he's "genuine, honest, sensitive, competitive, a problem solver, athletic and sometimes, a perfectionist." Well, he does, does he? In his video on the CBS site, he adds another quality -- he's good-looking!

I don't know. I usually end up getting turned off when folks go on about how handsome or attractive they think they are. Yeah, when they do that, they often are attractive, but narcissistic ways are often a hint at other behaviors which annoy me.

So, let me move on to his favorites list. Maybe he can redeem himself with me and be something more than eye candy. He likes outdoor activities, always a good thing for Survivor, but he doesn't list the show itself. He enjoys The Beatles and Led Zepplin -- odd tastes for his age bracket. Hmm. For his cereal, he likes Cinnamon Toast Crunch. That shows he's young at heart, but thinking a bit beyond Froot Loops.

His chances? He's a puzzler to me. I think on the physical level, he'll do fine. But something just isn't sitting right with me about him. In his video he said he didn't want to come across as arrogant. Y'know, I think that just may be it. I think he might have an alpha male thing a'goin' on. I predict out before mid-pack targeted as a threat by the others. Of course, I could be wrong!

Next I'm taking a closer look at the youngest Survivor contestant ever, Frosti. I don't think you can understand how hard it is for me not to make Frosty the Snowman references. Dang, almost impossible.

First off, although he sounds good and seems very capable ... how did he get on the show? I thought the minimum age was 21 and he's only 20. Since his estranged father isn't on the show (keyword: Donato), I'm not sure how he's there, not at all.

Getting past his age and his name, I checked out his bio page on the CBS website. He does seem to have quite a background for the mere child he is. Oops, I didn't want to mention his age again. He's smart, athletic, well-traveled, and more. That Parkour stuff (read at the bio link) might be a big plus for him in the game.

I checked his video and, except for him mentioning his age so much (oops), I thought he came across as eager and personable. In his bio he says he's creative, dynamic, and determined.

In his favorites, he doesn't mention Survivor as a TV show, but does mention Jack Kerouac as an author. Hmmm. He enjoys his Frosted Flakes, but I sort of suspected a cereal with a sugar punch for him.

I don't know. I kind of like this kid. He has spirit in his video and could have what it takes. A helpful hint for him -- don't go around talking about how you're the youngest castaway ever. I think he could last a long, long time.

Next is Jaime. Not to be catty, but I don't think I'll like her much on the show. When I watch an introductory video and the person goes on about how catty other girls are when it comes to her -- it sets off red flags in my mind. It comes across as an "I'm better and prettier than you could ever dream to be" state of mind. Perhaps she'll get together with Erik.

In her bio page, she looks better than in the video. She's a college senior on an academic scholarship (has the brights!) who works part-time as a waitress throughout the school year (has a work ethic). She thinks she's friendly, energetic, and candid. In the video she mentions that she tends to bottle up the frustration until she "goes redneck" on folks.

A look at her favorites reveal that she's a fan of both Survivor and David Letterman. I might have to change my opinion of her! A Letterman fan? Cool. Uh-oh. She lists multiple cereals -- Rice Krispies Treats, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch. She's fickle! Ack! Plus, they're all cereals geared to the child within.

Y'know, I'd love to say for the Letterman nod, I'll like her in the game. But I just can't do it. I think she may last a while, but I think that there will be issues with playing well with others or attitude.

'Survivor 15: China' - My First Impressions on the Cast - Part Two

It's time I got moving along with this, right? Part One can be found here. I'm going alphabetically by first name as I peek in on the cast for the upcoming season. You can find all of my Survivor 15: China content by clicking on the label link at the end of the post. Let's get it on!

Chicken is actually Steve Morris, a chicken farmer hailing from Virginia. He looks like he'll be our "out there" character for the season.

He's a single parent with three children, four dogs, and has raised a lot of chickens, too.

I'm a bit surprised at his age. He's not even 50, yet looks a lot older than that to me. He was born in 1959. I'm feeling so old, sigh...!

In watching his video on the CBS site, I can't help but think of Big Tom in a smaller package. He calls Survivor the "greatest damn game in history." He grew up in the woods, is driven by thought of winning the big bucks. I think if he makes allies, he will be loyal unless they give him a reason not to be.

While perusing his favorites, I see a man with basic tastes. He doesn't list Survivor as one of his favorite shows, instead listing NCIS and CSI. He likes brandy and Snickers bars, not necessarily at the same time. His favorite cereal is a generic "corn flakes." That tells me that he's into the simpler things in life -- he doesn't need the bells, whistles and frosting.

I think his outdoors-woodsy experiences are going to help him in the game. I also think others may not take him as a serious contender, but he could very well be one. My prediction on his chances of winning it all? I don't think he will, but I think he might make it to mid-pack.

Next up is a more traditional kind of casting choice -- a waitress named Courtney. Hopefully she's not as flaky as the Courtney who was the "performance artist." Um, wait ... I watched her video. "Like, we're talking, like, a coffee shop waitress, in, like, Union Square, like in Manhattan."

Oh, my -- it's a blonde BB8 Jen Gwen Stefani don't give a darn girl! She doesn't seem determined to win and, like, whatever!

In looking at her bio information, I see she sounds like an interesting enough person and is probably fairly intelligent. But it seems she doesn't have a lot in the aspirations or future goals kind of category -- she wants to experience life. That's not necessarily a bad thing, per se. However, it's not a great outlook going into a game where you have to Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast.

She's very thin and tall, and even says she's not going to be a strong competitor in physical challenges. She says she's brutally honest (could be described as "bitchy") and sarcastic.

In her favorites she doesn't list Survivor, but goes for So You Think You Can Dance, Flava Flav, and American Idol. Her outdoors activities include sunbathing and eating al fresco. Her cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Not a bad cereal, but I expected her to be more of the Count Chocula type.

Her chances? I'd say snowball in hell. Prove me wrong, Courtney.

Next is Dave, another more typical job category we often see on the show -- former model. He's currently a bartender and construction worker. Now, you can't get more typical Survivor casting than that, can you?

Well, after being like, turned off by Courtney's video on the CBS site, I'm very impressed with Dave's video. He's well-spoken, comes across as a decent guy, yet has his eyes on a win. He's also lived in Africa and says there are two types there -- The AfriCANs and the AfriCAN'Ts. He was an AfriCAN.

So, it's to his bio info! He's well-traveled, but not all that into the kind of activities which would help in in the show. I mean, snowboarding and frisbee golf aren't quite translatable to Survivor, I don't think. He does say he loves to camp, is a good motivator and a team player, though. That's good.

In looking at his favorites, he's yet another without Survivor on the list. But he has Dexter! Whoa ... we're talking a serious cereal eater here -- Kashi Granola. That tells me he's health conscious and serious.

I think we have a contender here, folks. I predict Dave Cruser will cruise well towards the Final Four. I also predict I'll enjoy watching him do so, win-win for me!

Next, and the last one for this entry, is Denise. Now, I didn't think much of her at first glance -- a school lunch lady with a mullet. Not too impressive. But, after watching her video, she's the only one so far who has given me a chuckle, not as good as a guffaw, but a chuckle and perhaps even a snicker. "When my hair gets too long, it hurts my head."

She also seems to have a plan -- get the "middle group" and they target the stronger ones, then the weaker ones and she's the last one standing.

In looking at her bio information, she's more of a physical sort than I would have expected. She has a black belt in Karate. Ohhh! She's a mom of three who's been married for sixteen years. She describes herself as determined, outgoing, competitive, and strong-willed.

Jumping over to her favorites, she likes Stephen King. Yay! She also lists Survivor in her favorite shows. Her cereal is Frosted Flakes, that's a g-r-r-eat choice indeed!

I think I'm really going to like this woman and I definitely was a bit turned off just by her photo. If she doesn't try to run things, I think she's going to be another contender for the Final Four or, at least the latter half of the season. I think she's going to add some humor, too.

I will post the next installment as soon as I can get to it! What do you think of this bunch?

'Survivor 15: China' - My First Impressions on the Castaways - Part One

I'll be blogging review/recaps of the new Survivor season over on TV Squad this year, but I want to let you in on the cast members and, more importantly, my impressions and predictions for each of them right here! Since there are sixteen of them, I'll be posting on just a few at a time until I finish. I'm going alphabetically by first name from the official website information. Ready?

First up is Aaron. Now, I watched his video on the CBS site and he turned me off right away by mentioning how hunky he is. But I'll try to forget that as I read about him on his bio page.

Well, at least he doesn't say how "hunky" he is on the bio page! He likes to surf and cook. In addition to being a surfing instructor, he manages a tapas restaurant and bartends. That sounds typical for a reality show contestant, doesn't it?

He's a Fruity Pebbles fan and has varied tastes in music and foods. He doesn't mention Survivor in his favorite shows list, but mentions Top Chef a few times on the page.

He thinks his strengths are his cooking knowledge and how to make edible things tasty, plus he thinks he's witty and fun (in addition to saying he'll be a show hunk in the video). A weakness? Well, he just might be too nice.

Oh, my.I'm just not getting good vibes from Aaron. No, I'm not wincing like I did when I read "Boston" James' page last season, but I think he might be a bit too full of himself. I could be reading him totally wrong, but that's my first impression. Physically, he looks like a contender.

Next we have Amanda. While she's into outdoors activities, she's also been modeling since she was sixteen and is leaning towards the show biz aspect, I think.

Amanda was Miss Montana USA in 2005 and Miss Earth in 2006. Me? I didn't even know there was a Miss Earth contest. Did it have mud wrestling? That would be earthy indeed! (I know. I'm bad. I'm just so not into beauty pageants.)

But then there's the physical aspects to this young woman. On paper (er, computer monitor), she's looking very good. She's into rock-climbing, hiking, all kinds of woodsy-related outdoor activities.

She thinks she's motivated, competitive, and determined. And, most important, she never leaves home without her cowboy boots. In looking at her favorites list, I see she lists Survivor first amongst her favorite shows. She's a Grape-Nuts cereal fan. (I always do my own psychological profile based on their favorite cereals, y'see.) That tells me she has common sense and is health-conscious, but doesn't go overboard.

I didn't watch her video yet, but I think she could very well be a strong female in the game. I predict at least the final half, probably further, for Amanda.

Okay, and then we have Ashley, the wrestler. This could be an interesting group of very physically strong women if we keep up the trend started by Ashley and Amanda.

Reading through her bio page, it looks like a lot of name-dropping going on. I'm really not sure on a personal level if admitting you were on Danny Bonaduce's show is a good thing at all.

She went to the same college as I did (SUNY), but it doesn't list the location. Let's see if she can do the SUNY system proud. I wasn't too keen on the last Survivor contestant who went to my location of the school -- Sean Rector from the Marquesas season.

Ashley thinks she's spunky, quirky, optimistic, happy, resourceful, creative, adaptive, and relentless. (Yikes, sounds like Jen of BB8 describing herself.) From her favorites, I see Survivor made her show list after two wrestling things, 24 and South Park, but at least it's there. Her favorite cereal is Kashi. Nothing against Kashi, but it tells me she's power hungry for power cereal and will most likely snub her nose at Fruity Pebbles eaters.

Her chances? Hmm ... physically, she looks good. But something tells me she may rub folks the wrong way. I haven't watched her video, so I could be totally off base, but there's something there. I predict mid-pack or less for her.

Do you have any predictions for these three?

'Survivor 15: China' Website Live and Press Release

This season I'll be writing my Survivor 15: China show recap/reviews over on TV Squad. But I'll still be doing the East Coast Updates right here on this blog, linking the TV Squad reviews, as well as other miscellaneous show doings. I'll also be reviewing/recapping Kid Nation over there.

Today CBS released the cast news and updated the website. I've been working on editing photos and will be posting my takes on the cast (with photos!) over the next few days.

Here's the press release from CBS:

CBS today announced the 16 new castaways who will compete in SURVIVOR: CHINA when the 15th installment of the Emmy Award-winning series premieres Thursday, Sept. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

SURVIVOR: CHINA will feature a cast of 16 Americans who will begin the series amid the bustle of downtown Shanghai before moving to HuangPu Mountain’s Mi Tuo Temple for a Buddhist ceremony where they will be instructed to leave all of their worldly possessions behind. The castaways will then be marooned with the clothes on their back at two separate islands on Zhelin Lake (translation: the Land of 1,000 Lakes) located in the Jiangxi Province. They will split into two tribes, Fei Long (translation: Flying Dragon) and Zhan Hu (translation: Fighting Tiger), and will each be given a copy of Sun Tzu's The Art of War for tribe motivation and assistance throughout the game.

SURVIVOR: CHINA will once again afford each tribe the opportunity to obtain a Hidden Immunity Idol which may save someone from elimination at a future Tribal Council. This time, two Hidden Immunity Idols will be in plain sight (one at each camp), although the castaways will not realize this at the start of the game. Each week, the winning tribe of the Reward Challenge will be allowed to kidnap someone from the losing tribe. The person who is kidnapped will receive a note from host Jeff Probst before departing for the enemy camp and will be instructed to give it to one member of the enemy tribe (the kidnapped victim will decide who receives it) in private. The clue will inform this person of the Hidden Immunity Idol located somewhere at their camp. This person must then decide if they wish to share the information with their tribe or keep it to themselves. The kidnapped victim will return to their original tribe at the following Immunity Challenge.

The website is located here.