‘Survivor’ start strong

As MTV gears up to air its eight billionth edition of”Real World-Road Rules Challenge,” CBS’s”Survivor” entered the all-star game with the premiereof its new season after the Super Bowl Sunday.

But while the former network is guilty of creating this weirdlimbo-world where it’s reality show graduates can exist inperpetuity by signing up bi-annually for these goofy reunion shows,CBS held out for seven seasons before corralling past players tohead back to the islands again.

This hesitancy is typical for the network that is perhaps theclassiest player in the reality TV game. While MTV provides anendless stream of T&A, Fox sinks lower and lower until thepremiere of “Will You Be My Parents?” and NBC seeks tohurt as many people as possible in one twist-after-twist season,CBS has remained true to the original driving force behind realitytelevision: put a group of humans in a contrived situation, and lethuman nature do the rest. (OK, let’s try and forget about”Big Brother.”)

It’s this formula that have made shows like”Survivor” and “The Amazing Race”consistently classy and engaging.

Sure, at times “Survivor” has fallen into thepitfalls of other reality television shows such as casting bycup-size, but after one shot of trucker Susan Hawke’s flabbywhite thighs Sunday, the casting directors prove they’rethinking with their brains and genitals simultaneously.

But this season of the show doesn’t have that slightlysickening air of a support group for reality TV graduates withnowhere else to go. Aside from a few exceptions (**cough** JerriManthey **cough**), everyone seems to have moved on with theirlives.

Because these people are better adjusted than “The RealWorld” set, their return to the game means more than just afew more fleeting seconds tacked onto their 15 minutes of fame.

For Dallas-native Colby Donaldson, it’s a second chance towin the $1 million he gave up to Tina Wesson in the Outback season— a decision I’m sure he’s still receiving guffabout.

For actress Jerri Manthey, it’s a chance to reshape her TVimage. During her season, she achieved reality TV infamy with hercatty interviews taped while reclining in a mud puddle.

For Amber Brkich, it’s an opportunity for her to prove topeople that she really was on “Survivor” before.

Also interesting, is the way that a number of Survivors havechanged their game-playing strategies for the second timearound.

Burly provider Rupert Boneham from the “Marquesas”season seems to be laying low this time after being voted offduring his season because his tribe mates perceived him as themajor contender for the million-dollar prize.

Then, there are the ones that came so close to winning theprize, only get kicked out before their strategies had playedout.

Players like tattooed Lex Van Den Berghe, muscle-bound AliciaCalaway and our very own Colby Donaldson harbor a hungry look ofgreed in their eyes. These are the ones to watch out for; these arethe ones playing the game with a sharpened eye.

But “Survivor” has always been an unpredictablegame, so it’s hard to make any solid predictions.Circumstances can change over night and alliances are alwaysshifting. Nevertheless, here’s my forecast for the threetribes of all-stars:

• Chapera: Aside from being the only tribe without aprevious “Survivor” winner, we might rename this oneTeam Self-Destructive. Let’s take a look at their players.From Alicia the Attitude to the two most abrasive Survivors ever— Susan Hawk and “Big Tom” Buchanan,there’s way too much attitude in this camp. Throw in schemerRob Mariano, who always claims he’s pulling the strings,while his teammates seem oblivious to his presence, andyou’ve got enough egos to fill a season of “TheBachelorette.”

Contenders: Alicia and possibly Rob M. are the only ones fromthis tribe I can see making it very far.

• Saboga: While we’re renaming tribes, let’schange this one to Tribe Love Fest. Aside from the catty MissManthey, these are all the lovable players that loved everyone intheir tribe and all of America loved them. From the crotchetyformer Navy Seal, Rudy Bosch, to the easy-going and easy on theeyes, Ethan Zohn, look for these guys to cry every time they getsent to Tribal Council.

Contenders: My money’s on Rupert and Jerri. Rupert’slovable enough to get along with everyone and seems to be playingit low so as not to be perceived as a threat. He can provide andhide. Good strategy. Jerri’s hungry. She’s come backolder, wiser and willing to keep her yap shut. She just might gofar.

• Mogo Mogo: I don’t know what to call it, but thistribe is probably in the direst need of a new name. Tribe WildCard?

You’ve got an interesting mix of people here withuber-Survivor Richard Hatch. Shii Ann Huang and KathyVavrick-O’Brien are smart women that under differentcircumstances could have gone far in their game. Lex came veryclose to the final two in the Africa season and Colby gave theprize away.

Contenders: I would say this is the strongest tribe of gameplayers. I hope their numbers don’t get whittled down in theearly episodes. These are the strategists who will make it untilthe end. I’d keep my eye on Shii Ann, Kathy, Lex and Colby.They’ve all got a fighting chance.