Survivor Tocantins: Preview

Running on the TV Guide Channel about 4 times a day, and hosted by Sugar from last season (looking lovely in her 50's style best!), it's time for the Survivor Tocantins preview!

It's a mountainous dessert region, unlike the Amazon area. It's very hot, but very gorgeous. There were a lot of fires (and Jeff said that Tribal Council almost burned down!).

The season opens with a four hour trek to their camps, but before they get started, someone will be voted "out," but according to Jeff, that's not a bad thing - that person will be airlifted to the camp, and will either be able to start prepping the camp, or look for the hidden immunity idol. There will not be time for both. So, will the person be able to work on changing the first impressions, which got them voted out? It's a dilemma.

Exile Island has a new twist this year, too. The winning tribe will choose someone from the losing tribe to go, and that person will choose someone from the winning tribe to go with them. Once there, they will each get one of two "eggs" - A clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol, or a chance to mutiny, and join the other tribe.

I think I like that twist. Very neat.

Jeff said that he loves the cast this year.

Sandy, 53 year old bus driver, is a self-described Tom Boy, and she looks like a hoot. She is also a potty mouth, but Jeff said that her cursing is almost charming. She also has a tramp stamp tattoo, which actually says Tramp Stamp on it. I think I love her.

Joe, 26 year old from Texas, doesn't like dramatic people, and I just say good luck with that. Jeff says the problem with him is that he knows he's good looking, and he looks like a threat in challenges, but Jeff has big hopes for him.

Erinn, 26 year old hair dresser, gets compared to Parvati. Jeff says she looks high maintenance, but he thinks she's a pretty tough chick.

Steven, 29 year old corporate consultant, thinks he is a complete clutz, and I found that charming. He is not planning on telling people he went to Yale, and worries that his glasses might make him stand out. He seems funny, and I kind of like him, I think. We'll see.

Jerry, 49 year old Afghanistan Vet, is not planning on telling his fellow castaways about his specific background. He worries that he might be a bit domineering in his leadership. Jeff thinks that Jerry would keep everyone in the game longer, so he hopes he sticks around.

Carolina, 27 year old bartender, had a rough early childhood, including an outhouse. She says she will work hard, but will have her own amount of sass. I want to watch her.

Brendan, 30 year old from Colorado, co-founder of Bare Naked, is here partially to check out girls, it seems. He loves camping and hiking and roughing it. He is a multi-millionaire, so who knows if people will keep him in. I don't think I'd keep him around.

Sydney, 24 year old model and design student, is drop dead gorgeous. She has a boyfriend, but told him that she plans on flirting like crazy to get through the game. She lost her sister in a car accident, and that gave her resilience. Looking forward to seeing how she plays.

A break in the introductions, as we get a preview of Tribal Council. There's some fantastic local artwork, and it's big and wide and open. They apparently lost a couple locations before they settled on the third one, and the second one they were looking at burned down, so it was all for the good. The vote reading podium was carved just for them, as was the snuffer, and as was the voting area. Jeff wrote down his own name just for kicks.

Spencer, 19 year old youngest player ever, thinks it's cool to be the answer to that specific trivia question. He says he gets along well with other people, and even Jeff is rooting for him. The biggest problem he thinks is going to be the not eating. Jeff worries that he thinks too much about what he's seen before, and needs to focus on the now.

Debbie, 46 year old middle school principal, is kind of goofy according to herself. Jeff wonders if people will see her as older, or as a pretty younger contestant. It's going to be a challenge for her.

Candace, 31 year old former lawyer, is also a part-time actress and former beauty queen. She worries that her personality might come off too strong, but she is willing to flirt with men or women. Jeff thinks she's in trouble off the bat.

JT, 24 year old cattle rancher, is accustomed to extreme temps and climes. He is the first in his family to get his bachelor's degree, but says he'll milk the Southern gentlemen thing. Jeff put on his best Southern accent saying "Maybe he'll find himself a wife out here, I don't know, but I like him." I think I do, too, Jeff.

Since this season will also be in HD, the art department had to work extra hard again. They factored in the indigenous tribes in their design. They've got members from all over the world, and kind of accumulate people from each place Survivor has been. They also have a lot of translators on staff. Shipping from Africa to Brazil was tough, but they managed to get everything there.

The in house photographer is Monty, and he's been there for all seasons. He is a silent shadow for Survivor, and appreciates that he's been all around the world with the show. He almost crashed in a helicopter in Season 5, and was attacked by a pelican (a pelican!!) in Season 7. The environment also takes a toll on equipment, which must be frustrating. He also says that his initial pick for winner is pretty much always wrong.

Taj, 37 year old singer (in SWV), NFL Wife, thinks that people might think she's slow and fat, but says that she's got a lot of muscle under that, so she's not weak. She says even if people don't think she deserves the money, because of her background, she wants it, and that should be enough. I don't know how long she'll last, but I can't wait to see her gameplay.

Ben "Coach", 37 year old soccer coach, has spent 6 months in a kayak, and says he was captured by natives in the Amazon, and been attacked by sharks. Jeff says that he is fascinatingly arrogant, almost to Richard Hatch status. He thinks that Survivor has become Survivor of the weakest, the ignoble, and wants the Final 4 (and Final 8) to come down to tough people. That might be cool.

Sierra, 23 year old fashion student and model, moved to Taiwan when she was 15 and became a model. She doesn't like the bugs so much, but says she's a "female with balls."

Tyson, 29 year old pro-cycler, lived in the Phillipenes as a mormon missionary in the past. He idolizes Johnny Fairplay, so I don't know about them. Jeff says he's a villian that you love to hate, and called him a much better version of Ace. Tyson said that he's "too pretty to do hard labor," so yeah, I hate him. Whether I will love to hate him or not remains to be seen.

A look at some of the Challenges, including "A River, Run Through It," that some press members and the Survivor Dream Team on Staff got to try out. It looks like a totally tough one, including physical parts, and a very neat table maze. (The Press won the test run).

Now I'm totally ready for the new season! Who do you want to see more of? (And did you also love seeing Sugar again?)