Survivor: Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, hosting both Survivor seasons 21 and 22

Both of the next two seasons of Survivor will film back-to-back on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, in San Juan del Sur.
“The beaches on Nicaragua’s southern pacific coast will become the new … [location for] the 21st and 22nd seasons,” according to press release by PRONicaragua, which calls itself as “the Nicaraguan Investment Promotion Agency.”
Some people, who don’t understand that the production and network save money by setting up base camp and other infrastructure in the same place, have been insisting that the show would not once again do back-to-back episodes in the same place, but would instead move to another country, perhaps nearby, for season 22. But as I first reported in early January, the show is staying to its back-to-back season model, even if it’s much harder on the crew. Season 22 will likely have some kind of thematic twist, potentially involving all-stars yet again. That’s what happened this past year; both seasons filmed on the very same tribe beaches.
For Survivor Nicaragua, the show will use the “beaches of San Juan del Sur, in” Rivas, and “will have a big impact on Nicaragua’s tourism sector and its economy, generating approximately 200 jobs during the six month period in which it will be produced,” the press release said. San Juan del Sure is on the Pacific Ocean side of the country, the opposite side of the country from the international productions filming on and near the Pearl Cays and Big Corn Island.
CBS’ official announcement said nothing of the exact filming location, of course, and that makes even more sense because this location appears to be the most accessible of any in recent years. It’s surprisingly touristy, which suggests the production will actually use beaches nearby, assuming this whole press release—such a revealing, public statement is unusual, to say the least—isn’t some spectacular ploy on CBS’ part to deflect attention from wherever they are actually filming. Here’s a guide to the region; most of the photos of the area make it look like a pretty typical Survivor location. There is a whale watching point nearby.

CBS moves Survivor to Wednesdays

CBS is moving Survivor from Thursdays to Wednesdays at 8 p.m. after eight years of being on Thursdays, ever since it was moved there for its second season.
In its press release, CBS says Survivor Nicaragua will be “a potent lead-off hitter” for the 9 p.m. series, Criminal Minds, and a new series, The Defenders. In that timeslot this fall, it will face ABC’s The Middle and a new sit com, Better Together; Fox’s drama Lie to Me; and NBC’s new drama Undercovers, which is produced by JJ Abrams.
More significantly, if CBS doesn’t change its mind for the spring, Survivor will face off against the newly shortened half-hour results show for American Idol 10.
Shuffling the 21st season seems to be CBS’ attempt to using its strength and its fans to hurt shows on other networks; CBS’ successful comedy The Big Bang Theory and new comedy Shit My Dad Says (based on the Twitter account) gets the Thursday at 8 timeslot, which means CBS will have a block of comedies to compete against NBC’s.
This actually returns Survivor to its original timeslot from its first season in the summer of 2000. After that, CBS made a bold move, moving it to Thursdays to face Friends. That eventually paid off, and the show consistently won its timeslot for years, with occasional exceptions.

Survivor Nicaragua starts filming, will spend $6+ million in Nicaragua





Survivor Nicaragua started production last week, as press members were there for the first three days of filming, as usual, returning to the US just as Big Brother had its media day Friday for fan sites and whoever else would subject themselves to being locked inside for a day.
The show is filming seasons 21 and 22 back to back in San Juan del Sur, and the Tico Times reported that over the six month period that the production is there, “the 250-member crew of Survivor will inject more than $6 million into the local San Juan economy over the next six months, contracting some 200 locals and renting the equivalent of 20,000 hotel room nights in this small town.”
That impact is significant, but the promotional impact is even greater. “We don’t have the resources to even pay one TV ad that would reach that kind of audience,” Javier Chamorro, the executive director of ProNicaragua, told the paper.
The article erroneously says filming starts July 15, but it actually started last week. Perhaps that’s some misdirection on the part of producers, who actually talked to the newspaper, which is highly unusual. Last season, after all, the government of Samoa asked journalists to not report on Survivor. Executive producer Leisa Francis told the paper that “Survivor is a unique opportunity for a host nation to reach out to the world. … The promotional value is extraordinary.”
And challenge producer John Kirhoffer said, “For the 11 years I’ve been doing Survivor, I have never been as excited about spending six months in any other country. And San Juan del Sur is on the top of my list of favorite places in the world to be. I love great cigars, rum and beautiful people, so I’m not leaving.”

not so sure I like this concept. Especially considering how physical Survivor can be.


CBS pits youth against age on next `Survivor'



LOS ANGELES — "Survivor" is going to exploit the generation gap.
CBS says the upcoming edition of the CBS reality show "Survivor: Nicaragua" will divide contestants into two tribes, young vs. old — with "old" defined as starting at 40 for the so-called Espada Tribe.
The La Flor Tribe will be made up of people 30 and younger. The elders will have the chance to demonstrate that their experience and knowledge can help them best the "youth and vitality" of the younger crew, CBS said Wednesday.
"Survivor: Nicaragua" will debut 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 15, returning to the time slot in which "Survivor" first premiered in summer 2000.

'Survivor: Nicaragua': New cast and new twists revealed!

by Dalton Ross



Image Credit: Monty Brinton/CBS

Two-time Super Bowl winning coach Jimmy Johnson headlines the new cast of Survivor: Nicaragua when it premieres Wednesday, September 15 on CBS. The former coach (who also won college championships as both a player and a coach) and current Fox football analyst will join nine other contestants over the age of 40 on the Espada tribe to take on 10 contestants 30 and under in Survivor‘s second old vs. young battle (Survivor: Panama was split into four tribes divided by both age and gender). The younger La Flor tribe features Survivor‘s second amputee contestant, Kelly Bruno, who lost her right leg to a birth defect when she was six-months old (Survivor: Vanuatu also featured a contestant with an artificial limb, Chad Crittenden). “We don’t really look at Kelly as ‘let’s do another amputee,”’ Jeff Probst told EW.com while on location during filming. “When Kelly came in, it wasn’t that she had [an artificial] limb. It was that she was so charismatic. I hope Kelly lasts a long time because that’s somebody I would want in my foxhole with me.”
The old versus young division is not the only twist this season. At the very opening, Probst will reveal to the contestants a brand new item: the Medallion of Power. The Medallion can be used by a tribe to give itself an advantage in an immunity challenge, but once used, it goes over to the other tribe to use when it sees fit. “The Medallion of Power is designed to give you power at challenges,” explains Probst. “And our job is to make sure that the advantage is enough to tempt you — not so much that it’s a landslide, but enough that you go, ‘I’m not sure we should take it. Maybe we should, maybe we shouldn’t.’”
Also, expect fewer hidden immunity idols to be played on Survivor: Nicaragua, or at least expect them to be a bit harder to find. “This season we have made changes to the hidden immunity idol,” says Probst “The only way you’re gonna find it is to decipher these cryptic visual clues. So it’s a bit like a visual riddle, and the audience will get to play along. And the first set of four clues is very difficult. The next set will be a little easier, and then by the third set, you should find it.”

Other contestants beyond Jimmy Johnson and Kelly Bruno include a former NFL cheerleader, a fire captain, an ER doctor, and a goat rancher.

Saw Jimmy Johnson on the commercial last night. I still can NOT believe he's on Survivor! WOW!

tj2377 wrote:

Saw Jimmy Johnson on the commercial last night. I still can NOT believe he's on Survivor! WOW!

It's very surprising!! I just don't see what about the show would appeal to an uber rich, uber famous guy like him...

From the one episode that's been aired, I like most of the Survivors. The only two who rubbed me the wrong way were Marty and Jimmy T. It will be interesting to see how well the oldsters do in the challenges against the youngsters. Hopefully it won't be all one-sided.

Looks like Shannon's mouth is what got him evicted tonight. He should have kept it shut.