Probst Calls Panama Survivors “A Breath of Fresh Air”  2/1/06

Host provides sneak peak at this season’s contestants

In Guatemala , during what was perhaps the most contentious Survivor ever, host Jeff Probst admitted in a recent press conference “there were definitely times where I was more than frustrated.”  Not surprisingly, the names ‘Jamie’ and ‘Judd’ came up in the ensuing discussion.  Probst added “with all due respect to the Guatemala cast, because they had such a tough run of it….this group of people (the Panama cast) is such a breath of fresh air….they didn’t come out here grunting and groaning and fighting and bitching and moaning.  They came out and said, ‘what a great experience.’  And you’re going to see that on the show, you’re going to like a lot of people this season.” 

So who are these folks, and what did Probst have to say about them in his brief but candid sneak peak?  Probst calls registered nurse Cirie Fields “one of my top five people ever on the show…. Cirie represents every person that watches Survivor and sits on their couch and says, ‘I could do that’ but they never get up.  Cirie got up and that’s what makes me love Cirie.  She is the least likely person you’d ever expect to see make it on the show.  She’s like ‘I don’t like to build the shelter, because every time you tear down a branch whatever was living in there is looking to get even.’  She’s just wonderful.”  Probst added that Survivor’s casting director, who he calls the best in the business, fought to have Cirie on the show.

Another survivor who promises to deliver great TV moments is Bobby Mason, aka “Bob Dawg.’  Says Probst “we’ve got his guy, Bobby Mason, who, no lie, refers to himself in the third person more than anyone I’ve ever seen.  ‘Bob Dawg likes to do this.  Bob Dawg likes to do that.  Bob Dawg likes to say this.’  At a certain point, you’re kind of like, ‘you’re talking about yourself?’  ‘Yeah, Bob Dawg is me.  Bob Dawg is my alter ego.’  He’s got this big deep voice and the guy is huge.  Physically he’s an imposing threat but….he’s a funny guy.”

Terry Dietz and Dan Barry, at 46 and 52 respectively, represent the “older” men.  Probst compares Dietz to Tom Westman, who Probst calls the all time best Survivor.  “We’ve got a guy … Terry Deitz, who’s a fighter pilot and reminds me of Tom a lot in that he’s really athletic, he’s in his forties, he’s a dad.  He’s a hero, a guy who’s flown these jets.  Got a big target on his back.”  Barry is “an astronaut, did like three space walks.  Literally went up into space.  And … he kept saying that Survivor to him was very similar to the kind of model that you would use to train for a space walk in terms of getting along with people and the strategies involved.”

Then there’s “Misty, a rocket scientist and engineer, also a beauty queen…she’s a very bright person, but she’s not necessarily sure she’s going to let anybody know that.  She’s also been in beauty pageants, so she knows a little bit about that competitive angle that you have to take to win….to get along with people….Misty is a gamer.  She’s willing to go for it.”

Two of the young women are Danielle and Courtney.  Danielle puzzles Probst “because when we met her, she was the cockiest, smack-talking, I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do that, I’m an athlete.  And she got out there….she was somewhat quiet.  I was really curious about the real Danielle... maybe she’s playing the game of hiding in the middle somewhere which I’ve always felt is the best strategy if you can figure out how to do it.”  Courtney, a performance artist, “is a girl who firewalks, and is very spiritually based.  She sees a dead fish and she’s torn.  ‘Should we eat it, or give it a burial?’  Courtney is somebody that you will definitely remember.”

Probst calls Shane Powers a “homerun.” The guy that if he walked in every season and looked different, we’d put him on every season.  He opens his mouth, and what’s he going to say next?  This guy smoked for 20 years, three packs a day, and he goes cold turkey on day one.  Shane is going, “what the hell did I get myself into?”

Two from the “young” guys group are Austin and Aras .  Probst calls Austin “a very likeable guy.  I think women are really going to find Austin Charming… And he has a backbone that’s built on ethics.  His goal is ‘how far can I get and play in a way that my parents will be proud of me.’  And it’s not boring, it’s fascinating.”  Probst describes Aras , a yoga instructor, as “a really well-intentioned guy.  He wanted to do the right thing, and that’s not always easy to do on Survivor.  Aras really appealed to me…it’s a nice change of pace to see so many people try to play the game with integrity, still play heard.  But play with some sort of honor and decency…it made me feel good about humanity.”

Tina Scheer, 45, a self-described “Lumber Jill,” is one of Probst’s “emotional, sentimental favorites.”  Scheduled to be on Survivor Guatemala, her only child, son Charlie, was killed in a car wreck only six weeks before the start of the show.  Probst said “obviously she couldn’t do Guatemala , but we said we’re going to hold a spot for you next season, just let us know.  She thought about it and she said, ‘I’m packing my son up with me inside my heart and let’s go do it.’”  Probst describes Scheer as “a very likeable Sue Hawk….and she’s a hard worker and she’s good outdoors.”  Asked if Scheer’s tragic background comes into play in the game at all, Probst replied, “It comes into play, but I can’t tell you in what regard.”

Bruce Kanegai is a karate instructor and high school art teacher, and at 58 is the oldest player this season.  Says Probst, Bruce is probably the most emotionally honest person that’s ever played Survivor.  He just can’t help himself.  He’s gotta tell you how he feels and he’s gotta  tell you how her feels about you, and he’s gotta tell you what he’s doing and what it means to him while he’s doing it.  And it’s a tricky thing because that can be enjoyable for awhile, but it can be annoying if it goes on for too long.  Bruce’s dilemma is how does he stay true to himself and not bug people, because he’s a really nice guy.”

At 48, Ruth Marie is the oldest woman this season, and at 32 Melinda is also considered one of the “older” women.  Probst find Melinda “interesting because she’s the antithesis of what you normally see on the show in that she’s got her fingernails and her hair’s colored and she’s a singer and entertainer.  But she kept telling us, ‘Give me a chance.  Let me show you what I can do.’  And so we did and we will see.”  Says Probst of Ruth Marie, “She’s in really good shape, she’s a runner but she’s really lean.  We’ve seen that people who come in already lean, if they last long, it’s hard on their body. That’s what worried me about her going into this.”

Sally Schumann is a 27 year old social worker that Probst describes as “a smart woman for her young age, and she’s very composed.  She has a really appealing quiet confidence.  That’s something people sometimes forget about on Survivor.  They’re so quick to react, and I think Sally is one to sit back and let others act and kind of just assess and not panic.” 

Nick is in Financial Sales in Tempe , Arizona .  “Nick didn’t show a lot coming in,” remarked Probst.  “I couldn’t gauge him at all.  He’s an athletic guy, on the young guy’s tribe, and seems to be a really smart person, but very reserved.  I don’t always know if that’s a person’s true nature, or if they’re playing the game already.  People have gotten wise to the fact that I’m a part of the game.  So they only show me certain things as well.  Nick’s a big question mark for me.”

So there we have the roster of players, a little insight and a little background.  Probst’s rundown should make what promises to be a very entertaining and interesting season even more enjoyable for viewers.