Thursdays and Survivor 7 Notes (MINOR SPOILER)

[Mark Holtz]

From Yahoo/AP (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=494&ncid=494&e=9&u=/ap/20030916/ap_en_tv/survivor_alumni): (Article reprinted in entirety because of short length)

Some 'Survivor' Players Seek Another Shot
Tue Sep 16, 1:20 PM ET

NEW YORK - Being a "Survivor" once doesn't mean a little lobbying is beneath you.

Host Jeff Probst says he's been getting tapes from past contestants on the CBS reality show who hope to compete again. Casting for the alumni edition of "Survivor" is happening soon and the series will air early next year.

Some of the game's indelible personalities may be in for a surprise, Probst said.

"The notion of 'just because you won entitles you to a shot' is, from my point of view, baloney," he said.

Meanwhile, the seventh edition of the show, from Pearl Islands, debuts at 8 p.m. EDT Thursday. It features the biggest whopper of a lie told by a "Survivor" contestant and a near drowning.

When a contestant started struggling during a water-based challenge, Probst was on shore telling antsy rescuers to wait and see if the person's teammates would come to the rescue.

"I was on the beach saying, 'Hold off, hold off,'" he said.

[Mark Holtz]

A more detailed story from Zap2It (http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|83558|1|,00.html). Some highlights
* Jeff Probst falls for the biggest lie told on Survivor, and "It's brilliant. It's brutal and it's brilliant and it totally suckered me," says Probst, who, naturally, won't divulge who told the lie or what its ramifications were. "My first reaction was 'Motherf----r,' and then my second reaction was 'Wow, that's amazing.' "
* The 16 players were told to dress for a publicity photo while on the boat to their destination. Instead, they'd be setting up camp with only the clothes they were wearing.
* The two tribes were also given 100 Balboas -- the equivalent of $100 -- to buy supplies in a small village before being taken to their camps. They could also barter using the few items of clothing they had with them.

And, of course, the obligatory "There's also a huge twist to come that this time next year we'll be talking about, and you'll have an opinion on whether you loved or hated it."