What do you think the twist is for Survivor Palau?

[dr.strangelove]

They are starting with 20 Survivors instead of 16 or 18. What is the twist in the first 10 minutes that will shock us and change the way the game is played?

Will they use 2 tribes, 3 tribes, 4 tribes . . .? Will the game start without tribal immunity and go individual immunity from day one? Will there be a playoff to make it into the game?

What do you think?

[Piperay]

1. I read somewhere that

they were going to go directly to Tribal Council after challenge with no time in between for anyone to lobby or work out strategy. The only thing is that was supposed to be for this last season, maybe though it is for this next time instead. :shrug:

[mandyky]

2. I'm betting 4 tribes of 5 each

They need to shake the game up, it is getting too predeictable. There are gonna have to be a few times when more than 1 tribal council takes place - if the time frame is still 39 days. Why is it 39 days anyways!? LOL

[dr.strangelove]

3. I never got the 39 days

I think it has to do with getting 13 TV episodes. CBS wants 26 episodes a season, so two seasons of 13 each. But they could make it more or less days and still get 13 episodes. That is pretty strange.

I think you may be right about the teams. I hope it gets a big shake up.

[lazarus]

4. 39 days

is the time frame for the first Survivor, with a standard boot every three days, and the last two boots and Final Jury in three days.

In season 2, Australia, they stretched it to 42 days for some reason. Just stretched out the last bit, and it got boooooooring.

So they've tightened it up again.

Thing is, they haven't always done 13 episodes. A few seasons had 14. One or two went 15.

A lot of it has to do with sweeps. Starting Palau after the Superbowl means the season finishes up during the May sweeps. Big ratings, big ad charges, etc.

And much more than 39 days is asking a lot out of people physically and emotionally. You're already at about 6 weeks separation (travel, etc).

[dr.strangelove]

5. 13 real episodes

I think each season had 13 real episodes. they started to do the recapp episode during Outback, but it was just a recap of other episodes. I don't remember any season hitting 15.

The 42 day idea missed badly in Africa. Jeff Probst suggested 39 be the rule after Africa. Mark still does nto agree. He wanted to do 45 days for All-Stars, but Jeff talked him out of it. Also, Jeff had been on the islands for 4 months at that point. He got off one week between the prior season and all-stars. That is a lot of work for the staff.

[lazarus]

6. Africa was only 39 days

Australia was 42.

Probst tried to talk Mark out of All Stars to begin with, and I agree with him. It was never going to work.

Australia (S2) and Pearl Islands (S7) had 14 real episodes. Australia also had a recap episode.

Pearl Islands was stretched by the Outcasts, Australia was stretched by having F4 in its own episode.

All Stars had 15 real episodes. Thankfully no recap (horrid season).

Unless they do some double booting, Palau will have to have 17 episodes (16 single boots, then F4, F3, and the Final 2 in the last episode). That puts them smack in the middle of the May sweeps.

[Qanisqineq]

8. When in Palau starting?

"After the Super Bowl"... does that mean the same day or week of the Super Bowl or just sometime in the months after the Super Bowl?? I saw the previews for Palau but didn't see when it would start airing. I don't want to miss it!

[lazarus]

9. Day of the Super Bowl, I imagine

They tend to kick off the winter season that way for the ratings boost.

[skippysmom]

10. On the Early show they said February

n/t

[lazarus]

11. Superbowl starts in February

the 11th, I believe.

[skippysmom]

7. Multiple tribes

I'm thinking 4 tribes of 5, which after a while will merge into 2 tribes, and then into one. Perhaps multiple bootings -- the losing teams all vote someone out, or the bottom two vote someone out, or something like that.