NPR story on Survivor's game challenge provides a great preview of tonight's show

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2009

For me, it would be like enduring "enhanced torture techniques" as a career move.

But I have been consistently astounded by friend and Stetson University professor Andy Dehnart's boundless capacity for watching and analyzing reality TV shows. Today, he outdid himself with a really wonderful report on National Public Radio about CBS' Eveready bunny of an unscripted adventure competition, Survivor: Samoa.

Coming back tonight for an astounding 19th cycle, Survivor remains a potent part of CBS' Thursday night lineup -- attracting just enough fans to perform well in the timeslot, though the audience is greatly diminished from days when the show was a network TV phenomenon.

In this report, which I heard today on NPR's Morning Edition, Andy outlines the painstaking process of developing Survivor's contestant challenges -- involved, often grueling contests designed to push the show's isolated participants to the limit. it also hap[pens to be a great preview for the show, which stats at 8 p.m. tonight.

Click here to check it out, or click here to read the story..

Posted by at 3:21:32 pm on September 17, 2009 in

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The best TV shows, the worst shows, TV news, media issues and debates ... it's all here at the Feed, a blog on TV, media and modern life by Tampa Bay Times TV/media critic Eric Deggans. Possibly the most critical guy at the Times, he has served as music, media and TV critic at various times over 10 years.

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