Survivor II: The Australian Outback

Think Baywatch without a script. Sounds good already. Unfortunately, the buffed, tanned, and overtly conniving crew this time around seems too sleek to match the raw tone of the first Survivor. Half the fun of voyeurism is seeing just how low we can go (cf. Jerry Springer). It’s hard to believe that this new team will really get that ugly.

As Survivor gets slicker, its sheen wears off. The “Tribal Council” set looks less Cast Away and more Polynesian snack bar. Is it still fun? Sure—there’s nastiness and speculation to spare, but this show’s another reminder that there’s nothing “real” on television.