Author's Note: The newest S-C project, Survivor: Okinawa, begins airing episodes next week. And the greatest obstacle to this type of story is that I am writing about characters the audience has never met. These are all brand new characters and, while they are based on real people, they are still completely unknown to the readers. So if you want to enjoy this story, it will help if you get to know the cast BEFORE you read the episodes. Between this pre-show special and the official Okinawa website, please make an effort to study up on these people before you try to follow the story. It will just make it that much easier (and more satisfying!) Plus this is a kickass cast and kickass story. It's worth it. Trust me :)

Thanks,
Mario




------------------Early Show Okinawa Countdown Special----------------------



[Fade in to the Early Show. The Survivor theme music plays in the background-- the generic theme. The Okinawa theme has not been released yet. Julie Chen sits with Mark Burnett and Jeff Probst, as they are surrounded by faux Asian artifacts in the background. Two samurai swords hang on the wall.]


Chen: Welcome back... to our Countdown to Okinawa. And if you're just joining us, with me in the studio today are two men you probably know very well. We have the producer and co-creator of Survivor, Mark Burnett. [Mark smiles and gives a small nod to the camera.] And to my right is Jeff Probst, the host of Survivor. [Jeff nods, not smiling] And I just have to say to you both... welcome guys.


Burnett: Thank you very much, Julie. It's always great to be here.


Chen: Well I suppose the first question on everybody's mind is simple. So let's just jump right into it. What's with all the buzz I'm hearing about the new Okinawa season? Is it really that good?


[Mark laughs.]


Chen: I mean, people are going crazy about it. I've never heard anything like this in my life. What did you guys do out there??


[Jeff chuckles, but says nothing as Mark jumps right in and starts to hype away. As always, he is very animated when he talks.]


Burnett: Julie, this is simply an amazing cast. I couldn't have been any happier with our choices, and I think they did a phenomenal job. And I can guarantee you that... halfway through the first episode... you will be in love with more than one of them.


Chen: Halfway? That's pretty impressive.


Burnett: Forget halfway. More like... twenty minutes into the first episode! And I'm not exaggerating, Julie. This cast is special. This is the most diverse group of people we've ever had. A true cross section of America, if you will.


Chen: So has the season finished taping? Can you at least tell me that much?


Burnett: Yes. We wrapped last night, and it was a blast. A great party, and a fitting end to our best season of all time. I really, really believe that. The audience is going to love it.


Chen: [turning to Probst] So what about you, Jeff? What do you think of this season's bunch? How do they match up to past players?


Probst: [choosing his words very carefully] Julie, the thing with this cast is... and I don't really know how to put it... but these guys were different. And that's not a good or a bad thing, it was just a different "feel" to the game this time.


Chen: In what way?


Probst: It's kind of hard to put your finger on it... but to me it seemed that things were more personal than we're used to. You know, in most seasons, you have a handful of players who are there just for the experience. They're just there to prove something to themselves...


Chen: [nodding] Mmmm.. hmmm...


Probst: ... but not with these guys. These guys came, and they came to play. And that's really all I can say about it.


Burnett: Julie, the thing about Okinawa is that it was cast in a very particular way. And this is something we always wanted to do, but never had a chance to try before.


Chen: [smiling] And are you going to give us a hint?


Burnett: Ahh... now what kind of producer would I be if I didn't tease you just a little bit?


[Julie laughs]


Burnett: When you cast a show like Survivor, you look for a few things. You look for charisma, obviously, as well as general appeal to an audience. You want someone who they can cheer for... or root against, depending on what you're trying to do.


[Julie nods]


Burnett: But one of the most important things that stands out is a player's willingness to get their hands dirty. You can pick it out right from their application if you're looking for it. It's just a simple fact of life that some people will play ethically, and some will not.


Chen: [nodding] Right, and you want a good mix of the two.


Burnett: Absolutely. You have to have a good mix, otherwise there's no conflict. And our goal in Okinawa was quite simple. It was something I always wanted to try, just to see how it would turn out. [He pauses, and smiles] Why not put all of the nasties on the same team?


Chen: All the schemers?


Burnett: [smiling and laughing] Why not? Just take a team of eight schemers, and let them rip each other apart! Or maybe they would work together? Who knows? But that is something we wanted to try with Okinawa, and you'll see soon enough what happened.


Chen: And so the other team, of course, would be eight non-schemers.


Burnett: Not non-schemers specifically... I mean, I doubt anyone who applies for Survivor by this point would be a non-schemer.


[Julie laughs again]


Burnett: But I would say more "team oriented" players.


Chen: So you're saying it would be the good guys versus the bad guys. Is that what you're getting at?


Burnett: Well, I wouldn't put it in such crude terms, but there's certainly an element of that...


Probst: [interrupting] It's an interesting experiment, Julie. But the game constantly surprises you with the way it unfolds. I've done nearly ten of these seasons now and I can say... there's just no way to predict what's gonna happen. You can divide the teams up any way you want, but there's no way to predict human behavior in this kind of situation. You just can't do it.


Chen: So did the experiment work?


Burnett: [coyly] Well, I guess we'll have to watch and find out. I know I'm excited.


Probst: I am just... dying... to see what happens.


Chen: You guys just never change, do you? [laughing] But for now, we have to take a quick commercial break. when we come back, the moment we've all been waiting for. We're going to meet the new cast! So stick around and we'll be right back.


[Fade to commercial as Burnett leans over to whisper something to her.]




------------



[Fade in from commercial. The Survivor theme plays in the background.]



Chen: Welcome back to our "Countdown to Okinawa." And now, it's that time, it's the moment you've all been waiting for. It's time to meet our sixteen castaways!


Burnett: A wonderful group, Julie. They truly are. This was our best cast yet, hands down.


Chen: Okay... what we're gonna do is just go alphabetically. We'll just go down the list and you guys can comment, okay?


Burnett: Right.


Chen: Our first castaway is Amy Twieg, age 27, from Madison, Wisconsin.


[A shot of a pretty woman with big blue eyes appears on the screen.]


Burnett: Right. Amy is a stay-at-home mom. She's very charismatic, very educated, very smart. So smart, in fact, that she's a certified genius. She belongs to Mensa.


Chen: Oh, wow.


Burnett: She's absolutely charming, has a bit of a temper, and the audience is going to love her. She's one of the most quotable people we have ever had on the show. A great player to watch.


Chen: So I imagine she's on the "good" team?


Burnett: Oh no. [He waves his finger at Julie, silently admonishing her.] You'll have to decide for yourself. Besides, not everybody comes off on paper like they do in person. You'll be surprised at some of the team choices, I'll just leave it at that.


Chen: Next we move on to Beth Sowles, age 43, from Kalamazoo, Michigan.


[A shot of a woman with glasses appears on-screen. She has a very sweet smile.]


Burnett: [smiling] Ahhh yes. I can't possibly say enough about Beth. She's a government worker from Michigan and was one of our favorite casting choices. We read her application and she was one of the first ones we cast. Totally, totally involved in the game, very dedicated, and a very competitive person. She's one of those "can't judge a book by its cover" types... and is quite different from any player we've ever had before. I really mean it.


Chen: Different? How so?


[Burnett smiles... but won't answer, so Julie moves on.]


Chen: Next we have Christopher Collins, age 30, from Santa Cruz, California.


[A young man is shown, smiling at the camera. He is very handsome and looks like a model.]


Burnett: [stifling a small chuckle] Christopher is possibly the most charismatic player you have ever seen on Survivor. He owns a theatre company and most importantly, he is an actor. He's constantly putting on a show for people. He's very flamboyant... very dramatic... and the man just owns the show any time he appears on-screen. Julie, he lists one of his favorite hobbies as "breaking people's hearts." [chuckling] He's just a great, great character all around.


Chen: [smiling] He sounds like one of your favorites.


Burnett: They're all my favorites, Julie. The Okinawan cast is filled with players I love very much. I truly mean it.


Chen: Moving on... we have Danielle Wheelis, age 19, from Pensacola, Florida.


[A shot appears of a young Asian woman. She smiles happily at the camera, showing off two large dimples.]


Burnett: [happily] And here we have sweet little Danielle. Julie, you could not find a more likeable person than Danielle Wheelis. She's just someone you're going to fall in love with.


Chen: So she's going to be the sweetheart.


Burnett: I try not to label people, Julie. Besides, Danielle is unique among all the players we have ever had before. They kind of broke the mold with her. Because as you can see, she's Filipino, but what you can't see is that she speaks with a southern accent.


Chen: Oh, wow.


Burnett: She speaks with a southern accent and she loves to be in control of people. What more do you want? She's a great player, Julie, one of our favorites.


Chen: Alright, moving along, we have David McDaniel, age 36, from Anoka, Minnesota.


[A shot on screen of a man smiling at the camera. He looks strong and tough, and has a large tribal tattoo around his right bicep.]


Burnett: David McDaniel was one of the last people we interviewed for the show, and one of the first ones we cast. He's just unbelievable, he's a survival story all by himself, Julie.


Chen: I can tell. He looks a bit scary.


Burnett: As well he should! He's been a bouncer, a bodyguard, a guardian angel... he's been in the Army... been to jail... and he's just a big, tough, strong guy all around. But don't be fooled, because he's not just a brute. David definitely has a strategic side as well. He knows this game inside and out and he is very, very charming.


Chen: Our sixth castaway is Elisabeth Marie, age 15, from Grand Rapids, Michigan.


[A shot appears of a young teenager, blonde, with a very coy smile on her face.]


Burnett: Elisabeth! Wait until you see her Julie, she is an angel. And I know you want to pick out a "sweetheart," so here you go. Elisabeth pretty much defines the word. I mean, she brought along a teddy bear as her luxury item!


Chen: [laughing] That's great! I like her already.


Burnett: Elisabeth volunteers at the Humane Society after school, and there's just no way you can dislike her. But the best thing about her is... she knows this. She is well aware of the image she gives off, and tries to use it to her advantage. In short... a very, very sharp player, one of the best athletes in the cast, and a fun player to watch.


Chen: Next we come to Henry Jenkins, age 22, from Cambridge, Massachusetts.


[We see a shot of a young man with short, spiky hair. His eyes look intelligent, but very mysterious.]


Burnett: Henry Jenkins is one in a million, Julie. He came into this game with a strategy unlike anything we had ever seen before, and it is going to blow you away. He is the first writer we have ever cast, and if you look at his pre-show materials, you can see what he is going to do with it. But the thing with Henry is, he is already somewhat well known. He writes for Survivor-Central under the name Ender and he knows the game as well as anybody.


Chen: He's Ender?


Burnett: Yes he is. And the thing with Henry is, he didn't try to hide that fact from anybody. He went right in as himself and said "This is who I am, let's win this thing." I totally respected that, he never tried to hide behind a fake persona. And I think you'll be impressed.


Chen: Next we have Hogan Mueller, age 16, from Overland Park, Kansas.


[A shot of a young man in an Eagle Scout uniform. He looks young but very mature.]


Burnett: Hogan Mueller is a player who I hand-picked for this cast, Julie. He is one of my "secret weapons," if you will. [He smiles.]


Chen: What do you mean by hand-picked?


Burnett: I mean that I specifically changed the rules just for him. Now, we normally have an age limit on Survivor. Normally we will not take players under eighteen years of age. But Hogan's application was probably the best of all seventy we received. And I mean that, it might have been the best.


Chen: [nodding] That's impressive.


Burnett: Hogan is one of the most mature and likeable teenagers you will ever meet-- very, very smart, very witty and more than a little bit cocky. He was the youngest Eagle Scout in the history of his state, and the honors just keep piling up. He's a debate champion... a great athlete... and a wonderful survivalist. We have great hopes for him out there, he's one of my favorites.


Chen: Next we have Isabella Smith, age 26, from New York City. [She pauses for a moment] Why does that name sound familiar to me?


[Mark and Jeff both chuckle, but neither one of them will comment.]


Chen: Where do I know her from?


Burnett: [chuckling] Isabella is the first player ever to come back and play the game a second time.


Chen: I knew it! She was on the Tonga season. The lost one!


Burnett: Yes. As everyone knows, the Tonga season was filmed, but never aired. And we felt horrible about it. Especially for Isabella, because she would have been the star. She was simply the best player in Tonga-- or of most any season, for that matter.


[Jeff nods.]


Burnett: So we talked her into coming back and taking another crack at the game. And take a crack she did. Isabella was so excited about coming back that she becomes the first player in Survivor history to get a second chance. But she had a lot of pressure on her this time, so it was quite different than before.


Chen: That's amazing. Did she tell people who she was?


Burnett: Of course not! People might not know her face, but they would definitely know her name. She's considered the Richard Hatch of online gaming, with good reason. She'd be voted out in a second if people knew who she was. So she hid. She changed her appearance, hid behind an alias and an accent and... [he smiles] well, you'll see!


Chen: Oh, you're killing me, Mark!


[A shot of a teenage girl appears on the screen. She has dark hair and a coy little smile.]


Chen: Next we have Joni Newman, age 16, from Salt Lake City.


Burnett: Joni is incredible, Julie. I cannot say enough about this girl. She's a high school student, a dancer, and an actress. She's also Mormon. So going into this game she's got all these things that older players will look down upon, and she is well aware of it! She's not naive in the slightest and she's very, very charming when she wants to be. She's an actress for a reason, you know! [He smiles] She's like a mixture of Neleh and Jerri... and unlike our friend "Nick" in Tonga, she really is Mormon. She even brought the scriptures to prove it!


Chen: [laughing] Nick didn't come back too, did he?


Burnett: Um... no.


Chen: Next up, we have Lance McHale, age 27, from San Diego, California.


[A shot appears of a young man, looking very competive and intense.]


Burnett: Lance is sort of a standout in a cast full of standouts, Julie. And the reason he stands out is that he is our normal, everyday guy. He's not super dramatic, like Christopher. He's not super driven, like Hogan. He's not super evil like... well, some you will see later. He's just Lance. He's himself.


Chen: [nodding] It's almost refreshing in a way.


Burnett: Absolutely. Lance is a father and husband, has two adorable little children, prides himself on his honesty, and is one of the toughest competitors you will ever see. And like Henry, he is also well known in the Survivor fan community. He writes a column under the name "Survivor Sports Guy" at Survivor-Central.


Chen: Oh wow. I've read his stuff.


Burnett: So we're expecting good things from Lance. He should be one to watch.


Chen: Alright. Moving on... we come to Matt Carter, age 18, from South Pasadena, California.


[A shot appears of a very tall teenager. He has bright red hair, a grin from ear to ear, and holds a hockey mask in his right hand.]


Burnett: [laughing] Ah yes, we can't leave out Matt. [He starts to chuckle] Well, what you see with Matt is what you get. Just a big goofy kid who loves to joke around and loves to make people laugh.


Chen: Mark, I have to ask. What's with the hockey mask?


Burnett: Julie... I honestly have no idea. It's just something he wanted to bring along and said it would be part of his character. And it was. From day one, Matt would be walking around in that thing and... I think it scared people half to death.


Probst: The first time I saw it, I was scared of it, Julie.


[Julie laughs]


Burnett: But Matt is a lot sharper than he likes to let on. He's got a real mind for this kind of game. He's a student of psychology and, like Isabella, likes to keep this a secret. I cast him as a dark horse, figuring he would be underestimated and... I think people will enjoy watching him. I think he'll be a fan favorite.


Chen: Alright, we're almost to the end here. Next we have Michelle Kin-Fraley, age 31, from Nashville, Tennesssee.


[A shot appears of a woman with dark hair and dark eyes. Her picture glares at the camera, almost angrily. She looks very intense.]


Chen: Wow. What a picture.


Burnett: Michelle. Lovely Michelle. As you can see with Michelle, she's a fiery competitor who does not like to lose. She plays hard in every competition and will not go down without a fight. Without a doubt, one of the most competitive people we have ever had on the show.


Chen: Is she really as angry as her picture?


Burnett: No, no. Not at all. A lot of that is just for show. Deep down, she is an amazingly sensitive and sweet person. But as far as Survivor is concerned... she just isn't here to lose. She's a former college basketball player, a dynamite strategist, and is the type of person you want on your side, not against you.


Chen: Well, I certainly want her with me. [She chuckles] Okay, moving on, we come to Mike Ruff, age 40, from Rochester, New York.


[A shot appears of a tall, husky man with a mustache. He carries under his arm a large plastic garden gnome.]


Burnett: Mike Ruff is one of those totally unique individuals you get in each cast, Julie. When he showed up, we were just blown away. You look at the guy and you think... this guy is big. He's a news photographer, he carries a camera around all day, and he's probably the strongest guy we've had since Rupert.


[Julie nods]


Burnett: But when you meet him, the guy's one of the biggest teddy bears you will ever meet. He's extremely sensitive, often emotional, and can be moody if you catch him on the wrong day. But beneath it all, he's got this wickedly cunning mind that few people suspect. He can really catch you off guard if you aren't paying attention.


Chen: Let's see... [she counts off on her fingers] Big guy... sensitive... well liked... strong... moody. Mark, did you find yourself another Rupert?


[Mark laughs]


Burnett: Hardly, Julie. Mike is completely unlike anyone before him. And keep an eye on that garden gnome, because that's a big part of his strategy. The "gnome strategy," he called it. [He smiles] You'll have to watch to find out.


Chen: Okay, two more left. Next we come to Murtz Jaffer, age 26, the webmaster for Survivor-Central.


[A shot appears of a dark looking man looking down. His face is half-hidden in shadows and he looks more than a bit sinister.]


Chen: Oh wow. Tell me you didn't get Murtz to play this game.


Burnett: [proudly] I did.


Chen: That's incredible!


Burnett: Murtz Jaffer is someone who I don't think will be one of the more fan favorites. [He chuckles] And I don't really want to get into it too much... but let's just say he's got a bit of Johnny Fairplay in him.


[Jeff laughs now. Julie looks confused.]


Burnett: No, really, Julie. Murtz was one of our really dynamite casting choices. We were so glad to get him out there and see how he could do. Because you know he can talk a pretty good game. He knows his stuff, he knows the game as well as anyone ever before him. So we wanted to see how he would do when it counted. And really... the strategy he came up with will blow you away. It went beyond anything I ever would have dreamed of.


Chen: That good, huh?


Burnett: [chuckling] Well it depends on if you define good as "strategic", or as "ethical." Because it certainly wasn't ethical!


Chen: Oh my.


Burnett: But you'll just have to watch. Because Murtz should be quite a water cooler topic this season, I can almost guarantee it.


Chen: Well, we move on now to our last contestant. Ryan Rebez, age 24, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.


[A shot appears of an intense looking young man. He stares at the camera with eyes as blue as the sea.]


Burnett: And last but certainly not least, we have Ryan.


[He exchanges a glance with Jeff, who simply shrugs and raises his eyebrows.]


Chen: What, is there something wrong with Ryan?


Burnett: No no, certainly not. It's just hard to define Ryan in a few words. He is one of those who sort of defy explanation...


[He pauses for a moment to think, and then Jeff interrupts.]


Jeff: Ryan is a danger to himself and others.


Burnett: That's the phrase I was looking for. Ryan is a wild card. He's this great big loose cannon who just loves to stir up trouble and loves to cause chaos. He claims that Survivor is based on cruelty and only the most cruel will survive.


Chen: [Holding a hand to her mouth] Oh my.


Burnett: Not much more you can say about him. Except he's trouble. And to watch out.


[Jeff simply nods his head and looks down]


Chen: Well, I want to thank you guys for stopping by. Thank you for introducing us to the new cast. When does the season start again?


Burnett: Just before the New Year. We are aiming for December 30th.


Chen: Sounds great. Any last words before we cut to commercial?


Burnett: Yeah. We have no twists in this one.


Chen: No twists??


Burnett: [laughing] Like I'm going to tell you, Julie!


Chen: [laughing] Alright, alright. Thanks you two. And keep an eye out for Survivor: Okinawa, airing at Survivor-Central starting next week. Thanks guys.



[fade out]


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