Survivor: Borneo is the first season of Survivor. It was originally broadcast under the name Survivor, but its official title has been changed to Survivor: Borneo to distinguish it from its future seasons. Prior to the change to Survivor: Borneo, the season was retroactively known as Survivor: Pulau Tiga. The change of name became official in Survivor: All-Stars.
Richard Hatch became the very first Sole Survivor, defeating Kelly Wiglesworth in a 4-3 vote. To date, this season has produced six returning players (Gervase Peterson, Jenna Lewis, Kelly Wiglesworth, Richard Hatch, Rudy Boesch, and Susan Hawk) for future seasons.
The show was released on DVD on May 11, 2004.
Production[]
Due to overwhelming interest in the show's format, more than 6,000 people applied for it. Eight hundred of them were interviewed in 16 cities. Forty-eight made it to the shortlist, which was whittled down to the final 16 players and 2 replacements.[2]
Format[]
- Tribe Composition: The sixteen castaways were divided into two tribes of eight.
- Summit: On Day 19, both tribes were tasked with selecting an ambassador to attend a summit. The ambassadors would have to choose which camp the merged tribe would live at, along with giving it a name.
- Merge: The merged tribe was composed of ten members.
- Final Tribal Council Format: Two finalists faced a jury of seven. The jurors individually addressed the finalists.
Castaways[]
Contestant | Tribe Affiliation | Finish | Votes Against | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Original Tribe | Merged Tribe | ||||
Sonja Christopher 63, Walnut Creek, CA Musician |
Tagi | 1st Voted Out Day 3 |
4 | ||
B.B. Andersen 64, Mission Hills, KS Real Estate Developer |
Pagong | 2nd Voted Out Day 6 |
6 | ||
Stacey Stillman 27, San Francisco, CA Attorney |
Tagi | 3rd Voted Out Day 9 |
6 | ||
Ramona Gray 29, Edison, NJ Biochemist |
Pagong | 4th Voted Out Day 12 |
6 | ||
Dirk Been 23, Spring Green, WI Dairy Farmer |
Tagi | 5th Voted Out Day 15 |
4 | ||
Joel Klug 27, Sherwood, AR Health Club Consultant |
Pagong | 6th Voted Out Day 18 |
4 | ||
Gretchen Cordy 38, Clarksville, TN Teacher |
Pagong | Rattana | 7th Voted Out Day 21 |
4 | |
Greg Buis 24, Gold Hill, CO Ivy League Graduate |
Pagong | 8th Voted Out 1st Jury Member Day 24 |
6 | ||
Jenna Lewis 22, Franklin, NH Student |
Pagong | 9th Voted Out 2nd Jury Member Day 27 |
11 | ||
Gervase Peterson 30, Willingboro, NJ YMCA Basketball Coach |
Pagong | 10th Voted Out 3rd Jury Member Day 30 |
6 | ||
Colleen Haskell 23, Miami Beach, FL Student |
Pagong | 11th Voted Out 4th Jury Member Day 33 |
7 | ||
Sean Kenniff 30, Carle Place, NY Neurosurgeon |
Tagi | 12th Voted Out 5th Jury Member Day 36 |
9 | ||
Susan Hawk 38, Palmyra, WI Truck Driver |
Tagi | 13th Voted Out 6th Jury Member Day 37 |
7 | ||
Rudy Boesch 72, Virginia Beach, VA Retired Navy SEAL |
Tagi | 14th Voted Out 7th Jury Member Day 38 |
8 | ||
Kelly Wiglesworth 22, Kernville, CA River Rafting Guide |
Tagi | Runner-Up | 0 | ||
Richard Hatch 38, Newport, RI Corporate Trainer |
Tagi | Sole Survivor | 6 |
Season Summary[]
The series premiere began with sixteen people divided into two tribes, Pagong and Tagi. After 18 days of competition, the tribes found themselves alternating in visits to Tribal Council. Initially, voting targets were chosen when tribe members established themselves as weak links or unable to fit in. On Tagi, Richard formed a voting alliance with Rudy, Kelly, and Susan, taking the docile voting climate to a new level.
By Day 20, the ten remaining castaways were merged into one tribe, Rattana, and began competing as individuals. Richard's alliance took control of the tribe by ousting the de facto Pagong leader Gretchen in a chaotic plurality vote. This was the start of the "Pagonging", or systematic elimination of the remaining Pagong members, as well as Sean, the only Tagi member who was not a member of the alliance. As the group of four neared victory, Richard, Rudy, and Susan saw Kelly as trying to look more favorable in front of the jury, which seats were filled by mostly former Pagong members. However, Kelly dominated in the Immunity Challenges, denying the three of any chance to vote her out.
On Day 37, Richard and Susan received two votes each, forcing a revote. As Kelly and Rudy voted again, Kelly switched her vote from Richard to Susan, and Susan became the sixth member of the jury. At the Final Immunity Challenge on Day 38, Richard voluntarily stepped out of the challenge on the assumption that whoever was to win would take him to the Final Tribal Council. After Kelly won immunity yet again, Richard's assumptions were proven correct when she voted Rudy to be the seventh and final member of the jury.
At the Final Tribal Council, Kelly was accused of being two-faced and manipulative, while Richard was barbed for his perceived arrogance and duplicitous gameplay for establishing an alliance. Susan delivered her "snakes and rats" speech which shed light on Richard's superior gameplay. With four votes to three, Richard's strategy won him the very first Sole Survivor title.
Episode | Air date | Challenges | Eliminated (Vote) |
Finish | Viewers (in millions)[3] |
Rating/Share (18-49)[3] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reward | Immunity | |||||||
1 | "The Marooning" | May 31, 2000 | Pagong1 | Sonja (4-3-1) |
1st Voted Out Day 3 |
15.51 | 6.1/20 | |
2 | "The Generation Gap" | June 7, 2000 | Pagong2 | Tagi | B.B. (6-2) |
2nd Voted Out Day 6 |
18.10 | 7.5/25 |
3 | "Quest for Food" | June 14, 2000 | Tagi | Pagong | Stacey (5-2) |
3rd Voted Out Day 9 |
23.25 | 9.4/29 |
4 | "Too Little, Too Late?" | June 21, 2000 | Tagi | Tagi | Ramona (4-2-1) |
4th Voted Out Day 12 |
24.20 | 9.8/33 |
5 | "Pulling Your Own Weight" | June 28, 2000 | Pagong | Pagong | Dirk (4-1-1) |
5th Voted Out Day 15 |
23.98 | 9.6/31 |
6 | "Udder Revenge" | July 5, 2000 | Pagong | Tagi | Joel (4-2) |
6th Voted Out Day 18 |
24.50 | 10.6/33 |
7 | "The Merger" | July 12, 2000 | None | Greg | Gretchen (4-1-1-1-1-1-1) |
7th Voted Out Day 21 |
24.50 | 10.4/34 |
8 | "Thy Name Is Duplicity" | July 19, 2000 | Greg | Gervase | Greg (6-3) |
8th Voted Out 1st Jury Member Day 24 |
26.15 | 11.4/35 |
9 | "Old and New Bonds" | July 26, 2000 | Colleen [Jenna] |
Rudy | Jenna (4-3-1) |
9th Voted Out 2nd Jury Member Day 27 |
27.18 | 11.9/36 |
10 | "Crack in the Alliance" | August 2, 2000 | Gervase | Richard | Gervase (5-2) |
10th Voted Out 3rd Jury Member Day 30 |
24.41 | 11.9/38 |
11 | "Long Hard Days" | August 9, 2000 | Sean [Richard] |
Kelly | Colleen (4-2) |
11th Voted Out 4th Jury Member Day 33 |
28.00 | 12.1/38 |
Colleen3 [all] | ||||||||
12 | "Death of an Alliance" | August 16, 2000 | Kelly | Kelly | Sean (4-1) |
12th Voted Out 5th Jury Member Day 36 |
22.67 | 12.7/38 |
13 | "The Final Four" | August 23, 2000 | None | Kelly | Susan (2-2; 2-0)4 |
13th Voted Out 6th Jury Member Day 37 |
51.69 | 22.8/54 |
Kelly | Rudy (1-0) |
14th Voted Out 7th Jury Member Day 38 | ||||||
Jury Vote | Kelly (4-3) |
Runner-Up | ||||||
Richard (4-3) |
Sole Survivor | |||||||
14 | "Survivor: The Reunion" | N/A | N/A | |||||
Notes: ^1 Combined Reward and Immunity Challenge.
^2 An unaired Reward Challenge was held on Day 4, where the tribes competed for a map to a closer water hole. ^3 According to the season's DVD release, an unaired Reward Challenge was held on Day 32. The winner, Colleen, shared her reward to the rest of the tribe. ^4 The vote resulted in a tie. Per Survivor rules, a revote would commence. |
Voting History[]
Original Tribes | Merged Tribe | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | |||||
Voted Out | Sonja |
B.B. |
Stacey |
Ramona |
Dirk |
Joel |
Gretchen |
Greg |
Jenna |
Gervase |
Colleen |
Sean |
Tie | Susan |
Rudy |
Kelly |
Richard | |
Vote | 4-3-1 | 6-2 | 5-2 | 4-2-1 | 4-1-1 | 4-2 | 4-1-1-1-1-1-1 | 6-3 | 4-3-1 | 5-2 | 4-2 | 4-1 | 2-21 | 2-0 | 1-02 | 4-3 | ||
► | Richard | Stacey | — | Stacey | — | Dirk | — | Gretchen | Greg | Jenna | Gervase | Colleen | Sean | Susan | None | None | Jury Vote | |
► | Kelly | Rudy | — | Rudy | — | Dirk | — | Gretchen | Greg | Sean | Gervase | Sean | Sean | Richard | Susan | Rudy | ||
► | Rudy | Sonja | — | Stacey | — | Dirk | — | Gretchen | Greg | Jenna | Gervase | Colleen | Sean | Susan | Susan | None | Richard | |
► | Susan | Sonja | — | Stacey | — | Dirk | — | Gretchen | Greg | Jenna | Gervase | Colleen | Sean | Richard | None | Richard | ||
► | Sean | Sonja | — | Stacey | — | Rudy | — | Colleen | Greg | Jenna | Gervase | Colleen | Susan | Richard | ||||
► | Colleen | — | B.B. | — | Ramona | — | Joel | Richard | Jenna | Richard | Sean | Sean | Kelly | |||||
► | Gervase | — | B.B. | — | Colleen | — | Jenna | Susan | Jenna | Richard | Sean | Kelly | ||||||
► | Jenna | — | B.B. | — | Ramona | — | Joel | Gervase | Greg | Richard | Kelly | |||||||
► | Greg | — | Ramona | — | Jenna | — | Joel | Jenna | Jenna | Richard | ||||||||
► | Gretchen | — | B.B. | — | Ramona | — | Joel | Rudy | ||||||||||
Joel | — | B.B. | — | Ramona | — | Jenna | ||||||||||||
Dirk | Sonja | — | Stacey | — | Susan | |||||||||||||
Ramona | — | B.B. | — | Colleen | ||||||||||||||
Stacey | Rudy | — | Rudy | |||||||||||||||
B.B. | — | Ramona | ||||||||||||||||
Sonja | Rudy | |||||||||||||||||
Notes: ^1 The vote resulted in a tie. Per Survivor rules, a revote was held where the castaways involved in the tie would not vote and the remaining castaways could only vote for those involved in the tie.
^2 Richard and Rudy did not vote as they could only vote for each other. By virtue of winning the Final Immunity Challenge, only Kelly voted. |
Trivia[]
- This is the first season in which both tribes alternated winning immunity before the merge. This would happen again in The Amazon and South Pacific.
- This was the first season in which all the jury votes were revealed immediately after being cast at the Final Tribal Council, rather than months later in front of a live television studio audience. This process was brought back as a routine beginning in Survivor 41.
- However, in Ghost Island, all of the original ten jury votes were revealed immediately after being cast but resulted in a tie. Laurel Johnson's tiebreaker jury vote was revealed months later, in front of a live television studio audience.
- Borneo was the only season to air on Wednesdays until Nicaragua.
- In 2006, Richard Hatch was found guilty of tax evasion connected with his $1,000,000 prize and sentenced to 51 months in prison. Because of this, he was unable to participate in seasons such as Micronesia, Heroes vs. Villains, and Redemption Island for which he was considered.
- The Borneo finale received the highest ratings of any Survivor episode to date, with more than 50 million viewers.[4]
- This season is tied with Worlds Apart for the record of the fewest eliminations by a unanimous vote, with one. Coincidentally, in both seasons, the only unanimous vote happened at the final five Tribal Council.
- This is the only season to have castaways who were born in the 1930s (B.B. Andersen and Sonja Christopher).
- It is also the only season to have a first-time castaway who was born in the 1920s (Rudy Boesch).
- In a poll that was taken during the Reunion Show asking viewers who they would've voted for to win, 45% of the people said Rudy, 42% said Kelly Wiglesworth, 11% said Richard, and 2% said Susan Hawk.
- The font used for the tribe flags is "Template Gothic."[5]
- Borneo was referenced numerous times in the Disney show Lizzie McGuire. In one episode, the tribe names Pagong and Tagi were used as team names at an outdoor camp. In another episode, Lizzie's mother claims she knew Richard Hatch would win the series.[6]
- After Kelly was voted out on Cambodia, all of the castaways from Borneo have been voted out at some point.
- It is the first season to gain this distinction. It would be followed by Cambodia, Heroes vs. Villains, Game Changers, and Guatemala.
- This season is one of three to have all final four contestants return in future seasons. The other two are Panama and Cagayan.
- This season is the only season to air in a single calendar year. This would be followed by Winners at War and Survivor 41.
References[]
- ↑ http://www.eonline.com/news/40895/survivor-sequel-takes-on-friends
- ↑ http://www.eonline.com/news/39549/cbs-survivor-welcome-to-the-jungle
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.spottedratings.com/2011/12/spotvault-survivor-cbs-summer-2000.html
- ↑ http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.survivor/browse_thread/thread/1cc03d896fa831eb/9054cb6ca2952f77?lnk=st&q=%22Survivor+Finale+Racks+Up+Phenomenal+Ratings%22&rnum=1&hl=en#9054cb6ca2952f77
- ↑ https://www.myfonts.com/fonts/emigre/template-gothic-ot/bold/
- ↑ http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~lpitcher/Survivor/seasons.html
Survivor (U.S.) Seasons |
---|
Borneo • The Australian Outback • Africa • Marquesas • Thailand • The Amazon • Pearl Islands • All-Stars • Vanuatu • Palau • Guatemala • Panama • Cook Islands • Fiji • China • Micronesia • Gabon • Tocantins • Samoa • Heroes vs. Villains • Nicaragua • Redemption Island • South Pacific • One World • Philippines • Caramoan • Blood vs. Water • Cagayan • San Juan del Sur • Worlds Apart • Cambodia • Kaôh Rōng • Millennials vs. Gen X • Game Changers • Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers • Ghost Island • David vs. Goliath • Edge of Extinction • Island of the Idols • Winners at War • Survivor 41 • Survivor 42 • Survivor 43 • Survivor 44 • Survivor 45 • Survivor 46 • Survivor 47 |