Customer Reviews

Survivor: Season 1

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

In June 2000 the landscape of American television was starkly different than it is now; nearly all shows stopped production in the summer, and aside from a traditional game show fad that was beginning to subside, all programming was scripted fiction.

Then Charlie Parsons and Mark Burnett brought to CBS an idea that, while not entirely original in concept or design, was remarkably different than anything currently being aired in the United States. It was a "reality" show, based on the hit Swedish program "Expedition Robinson", in which a group of strangers were dumped on an island and forced to fend for themselves, and vote each other off one by one. They called their version "Survivor", and it kicked off a TV revolution that does not appear to be going away.

This first season of "Survivor" established all the rules which, eight seasons later, are considered gospel by fans and contestants alike: sixteen players are divided into two tribes where they must build shelter, find food, and compete in challenges. Lose the challenges and you face Tribal Council, where the tribe votes out one of its players, be they the weakest link, the bossiest leader, or the slimiest snake. Eventually the two tribes merge into one where the challenges become individual and the field is ultimately levelled to two remaining players who are judged by their fallen peers. One is left standing to claim the million-dollar prize and the title of Sole Survivor.

With these parameters, sixteen Americans volunteered to be the initial guinea pigs, and were marooned in Borneo. Some were there for the adventure, some for the fifteen minutes of fame, and some for the money. It was, in the end, a game, and those who sought the pot of gold proved the most ambitious. One of the only rules of Survivor is that you cannot conspire to share the prize money. The Pagong tribe, consisting of mainly younger players like Jenna Lewis, Colleen Haskell and Greg Buis, were quite content with this and opted to lay back and let the cards fall where they may. But the Tagi tribe (including Rudy Boesch, Susan Hawk, and, of course, Richard Hatch) discovered early on that you could bend the conspiracy rule without actually breaking it. If they all voted together as a bloc, they'd have the numerical advantage to ensure a slot in the final four or five. You could call it an arrangement, or agreement. They called it an alliance.

The alliance strategy ultimately proved the obvious way to go, and it was perhaps that one aspect of this first season which proved the most influential on the seasons which followed it; nearly every subsequent winner of the game has used a solid alliance to get them to the top. It is not always the ringleader, not always the strongest or smartest. No one person or personality is guaranteed victory in this wholly unique game, because the game is shaped by the people who play it, and no two people are the same. Survivor was an almost instant ratings smash, and the first season finale ranks among the most watched events in recent years, and this can be attributed not to its sex appeal or entertainment quotient, but its curiosity. Random people scheming and plotting to outlast each other in a democratic process. Survivor is, at its core, a microcosm of Western society and politics, a grand sociological experiment of the Pax Americana.

The DVD release of the complete first series allows many fans who have forgotten or did not see the original Pulau Tiga castaways to experience, or re-experience, the show that they fell in love with those four long years ago. And coming with the hindsight of eight sequel seasons (season nine is being cast as of this writing, and producer Burnett and host Jeff Probst are reportedly signed through season twelve), it is a real trip to go back and watch how it all started; when grubs were considered "gross food", sloppily-edited credits gave away future events (giving berth to the wild internet "spoiling" subculture), and "alliance" was considered a dirty word. Probst is shaky here; the job is new to him and there is no edge to his attitude. It is a new experience to him, as it is to everyone else. And all the great moments are here: Greg and his "coconut phone", Sean's alphabetical voting strategy, and of course Susan's infamous "snakes and rats" jury speech, often imitated but never duplicated.

Survivor fans will need a copy of Season One. Others may want to consider this as the perfect place to start catching up on what they've been missing.

I was impressed by this set. I ordered it on the 26th and got it on the 30th(due to super save shipping it was cheap)

I then watched it and could not stop after each episode. I only

took breaks after 4 or 5 in a row. This is the one season I had

never seen and am glad about my purchase. The back of the cases

are bad though as they reveal too much info and the cases are

soooooooooooooooooo small but I can live with that. The video

quality is astounding, but the special features are pretty

boring. The top 10 is okay and the LA to Borneo was useless.

However this collection is great and further ones can only get better.

Survivors first season was classic TV. An original, unexpected trendsetter. Marc Burnett is a fantastic storyteller and the cast he selected is fantastic. Unfortunatly if you've already watched it on CBS watching it again is almost like watching old weather reports and frankly there isn't enough "plot" to sustain multiple viewings. The only reality show i'd probably buy is PARADISE HOTEL since it's format was more like a lightly scripted soap. As for Survivor all the media overkill has killed all joy in watching it more than once. EP

I have seen every single episode of Survivor since Survivor Australia. This first Survivor set the high standard which has made the series so popular. The format for all the series was determined in the first three days on Borneo. I haven't finished viewing all the Dvd's yet, the merge has just occurred however I am enjoying
the series more than I expected. The video quality is perfect and the extra commentary is interesting and amusing. Hindsight is 20/20 when you are viewing the show 3 years after you took part in it. None of the participants on the show had any idea how big it was going to be and how it would change all their lives. This is a well done, quality production.

I pondered long and hard if $40 was too much to pay for something I didn't know how many times I'd watch. The ultimate answer came after I spent it and realized it was well worth it. The sheer amount of hours in this, including the additional DVD is well worth it. Watching this show again just confirmed why I love the show in the first place and also shows how far it has come.
The players in this are all naive and only Rich seems to have anything planned. It's so interesting to watch again knowing all that I do about watching the series over it's many seasons. Season 1 still remains one of the best just because of how naive the players are.
It seems they already have the All Stars complete season planned for release in August, but I truly hope they plan on releasing the other seasons as well. I'd really love to see Survivor Amazon on DVD! In any case, this set is WELL worth it for any Survivor period.

I love this set. The only thing I did not like is the listing of who gets the boot on the back cover of each disc. The whole set was wonderfully done. The extra material was great. I really hope the remainder of the Survivor shows is put onto dvd. I plan on getting them when they come out.

One evening, I called my brother on the telephone and he blurted out that the Survivor final episode was on and he could not talk as he abruptly ended the call. I was quite offended, after all, it was just a tv show. It continued to be a sore spot with me until I was visiting him the evening the first episode of Survivor Thailand started and he forced me to watch it. I had no idea what the show was about and even after the first night, I had to admit, I was intrigued enough to promise to keep watching it. He swore it gets a lot better as the personalities and strategies develop. By about the 4th episode, nothing would keep me from watching the show and I have watched all of the subsequent seasons. I have wanted to go back and see the first few seasons. But, only clips of the previous seasons were available. That did not really interest me. Finally, the complete first season was released. After Survivor Allstars, I knew who the winner was and I was concerned that it would not be interesting knowing how it ends. I have not been dissappointed, it is fantastic! It is so much fun watching it without the commercials. Each episode gives a brief intro summarizing the previous episode so you remember where you left off. Unfortunately, it also gives you a glimpse of the next episode at the end which has lured me into watching it when I really did not have the time. My only advice, don't read the back of the cases as they tell you who is voted off in each episode. Otherwise, enojoy! I hope CBS continues to release additional Survivor seasons on dvd.

This DVD offers commentary by Richard, Rudy, Gervase and Jeff Probst during the 1st and final episodes. I found it very interesting to watch with the commentary and enjoyed listening to the 4 guys give their insight during the show. This Season of "Survivor" was my favorite because of it's freshness, and the originality of it and it a definite MUST GET for anyone, whether they've seen the show or not.

The only thing I didn't like is how they listed who gets voted off each episode on the DVD cover, but that's not enough to sway my vote to give this DVD 5 stars!!!!!

I'm looking forward to future seasons of "Survivor" to be released on DVD. Buy Season 1 - great entertainment and definitely something you'll appreciate to have years down the road.

I've been fascinated by Survivor since it's debut in 2000. The simple premise, 16 Americans stuck on an island, fending for themselves and subsequently devouring each other until only one top dog is left, is just extremely watchable.

This is the DVD box set of the complete first season. Even though I saw this when it aired on TV, it was still exciting even though I knew who won. It was just very neat to see everyone get picked off and alliances forming. If you've seen the latest seasons of Survivor, you may be shocked because of how low-key everything is. The editing and the repetitive music are kind of off-putting, especially in the first few episodes. But the castaways, the characters, are what makes this season especially fascinating. The rotund schemer, Richard Hatch, is the most interesting to watch as he develops from a whiny corporate leader to the master of island life.

I only give the DVD 4 stars because of a lack of bonus features. Other than two audio commentaries, there's just a retrospective interview, a David Letterman top 10 list, and an unnarrated and uncohesive look at the Survivors leaving L.A. for Borneo. Also available in this set is the "Greatest & Most Outrageous Moments" DVD, which is previously available, and is simply a highlight reel of the first series. It is uncensored, though, so if you want to hear salty language or see Richard Hatch's butt in all its glory, well, there you go.

As advertised. Simply put, the season as you would have seen it on tv. The box says all you need to know.