🚀 go-pugleaf

On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree to come
> back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the first to be
> targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might have raised the
> minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of earlier Survivor All-
> Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised the minimum for early boots
> to say $10,000, that might not be a bad deal.  You get flown to Fiji for
> free, enjoy the weather pre-game, play the game and get voted out 1st or
> 2nd, and then get to relax and enjoy the free food and drinks at
> Ponderosa or wherever they send you for sequestration.  If they paid
> them say $10,000 to help cover lost wages or whatever, that's not a bad
> little vacation.

S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for S50 I
can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in Miami? Her
~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for Kyle if he lives in
NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive based on a photo Eva posted
recently. He might need extra cash to recover from that.

With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings the show
has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the grand prize will be
$2 million. That possibility could be another reason why Kyle and Dee
agreed to play.

--
Brian

On 5/29/2025 5:19 PM, Rick wrote:
> On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree to
>>> come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the first to be
>>> targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might have raised the
>>> minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of earlier Survivor All-
>>> Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised the minimum for early
>>> boots to say $10,000, that might not be a bad deal.  You get flown to
>>> Fiji for free, enjoy the weather pre-game, play the game and get
>>> voted out 1st or 2nd, and then get to relax and enjoy the free food
>>> and drinks at Ponderosa or wherever they send you for sequestration.
>>> If they paid them say $10,000 to help cover lost wages or whatever,
>>> that's not a bad little vacation.
>>
>> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for S50
>> I can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in Miami?
>> Her ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for Kyle if he
>> lives in NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive based on a photo
>> Eva posted recently. He might need extra cash to recover from that.
>>
>> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings the
>> show has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the grand prize
>> will be $2 million. That possibility could be another reason why Kyle
>> and Dee agreed to play.
>>
>
> I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the belt-
> tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of why
> they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the Covid
> shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid but there was
> no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by 25% will also add to
> costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living costs, etc.  CBS is also
> going through a lot of trauma these days with the pending proposed
> Paramount sale and the lawsuit against CBS News.  I suspect the timing
> might not be right for the show to ask for that big an increase in the
> budget.
>
> Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing about
> that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out players just got
> sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't really get much of a
> vacation as they presumably will on S50.   Not sure what they did with
> Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent her on a tour or something.

You're forgetting that for S40 they flew out everyone's loved ones.
Ponderosa still existed as at one point players did get "booted" from
EE. There's Ponderosa videos that show loved ones visiting their person
at Ponderosa.

With Paramount getting more content from the show and better ratings,
upping the grand prize to $2 million for S50 is probably a wise
investment. After 25 years it's long past time to increase the prize
money to account for inflation.

--
Brian

On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree to
>> come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the first to be
>> targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might have raised the
>> minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of earlier Survivor All-
>> Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised the minimum for early
>> boots to say $10,000, that might not be a bad deal.  You get flown to
>> Fiji for free, enjoy the weather pre-game, play the game and get voted
>> out 1st or 2nd, and then get to relax and enjoy the free food and
>> drinks at Ponderosa or wherever they send you for sequestration.  If
>> they paid them say $10,000 to help cover lost wages or whatever,
>> that's not a bad little vacation.
>
> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for S50 I
> can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in Miami? Her
> ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for Kyle if he lives in
> NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive based on a photo Eva posted
> recently. He might need extra cash to recover from that.
>
> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings the show
> has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the grand prize will be
> $2 million. That possibility could be another reason why Kyle and Dee
> agreed to play.
>

I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the
belt-tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of
why they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the Covid
shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid but there was
no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by 25% will also add to
costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living costs, etc.  CBS is also
going through a lot of trauma these days with the pending proposed
Paramount sale and the lawsuit against CBS News.  I suspect the timing
might not be right for the show to ask for that big an increase in the
budget.

Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing about
that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out players just got
sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't really get much of a
vacation as they presumably will on S50.   Not sure what they did with
Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent her on a tour or something.
.

On 5/29/2025 10:32 PM, Rick wrote:
> On 5/29/2025 8:09 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>> On 5/29/2025 5:19 PM, Rick wrote:
>>> On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>>> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree to
>>>>> come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the first to
>>>>> be targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might have raised
>>>>> the minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of earlier
>>>>> Survivor All- Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised the
>>>>> minimum for early boots to say $10,000, that might not be a bad
>>>>> deal.  You get flown to Fiji for free, enjoy the weather pre-game,
>>>>> play the game and get voted out 1st or 2nd, and then get to relax
>>>>> and enjoy the free food and drinks at Ponderosa or wherever they
>>>>> send you for sequestration. If they paid them say $10,000 to help
>>>>> cover lost wages or whatever, that's not a bad little vacation.
>>>>
>>>> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for
>>>> S50 I can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in
>>>> Miami? Her ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for Kyle
>>>> if he lives in NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive based on a
>>>> photo Eva posted recently. He might need extra cash to recover from
>>>> that.
>>>>
>>>> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings the
>>>> show has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the grand
>>>> prize will be $2 million. That possibility could be another reason
>>>> why Kyle and Dee agreed to play.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the belt-
>>> tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of
>>> why they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the Covid
>>> shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid but there
>>> was no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by 25% will also
>>> add to costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living costs, etc.  CBS
>>> is also going through a lot of trauma these days with the pending
>>> proposed Paramount sale and the lawsuit against CBS News.  I suspect
>>> the timing might not be right for the show to ask for that big an
>>> increase in the budget.
>>>
>>> Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing about
>>> that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out players just
>>> got sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't really get much
>>> of a vacation as they presumably will on S50.   Not sure what they
>>> did with Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent her on a tour or
>>> something.
>>
>> You're forgetting that for S40 they flew out everyone's loved ones.
>> Ponderosa still existed as at one point players did get "booted" from
>> EE. There's Ponderosa videos that show loved ones visiting their
>> person at Ponderosa.
>>
>> With Paramount getting more content from the show and better ratings,
>> upping the grand prize to $2 million for S50 is probably a wise
>> investment. After 25 years it's long past time to increase the prize
>> money to account for inflation.
>>
>
> I thought Edge of Extinction lasted until the final episode which was
> like Final Five.  So yes, Ponderosa might have been around for an
> episode or two, but most of the players were at the Edge through most of
> the game because they knew someone would return at Final Five (hello
> Natalie).  I believe only Sandra bailed early.

Ponderosa was there the entire time. They still had to pay the staff,
etc. I'm pretty sure that's where the loved ones stayed when they used
to do visits. For S40, the players showed up on Day 35. I'm not sure
what Day Sandra arrived.

--
Brian

On 5/29/2025 8:09 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
> On 5/29/2025 5:19 PM, Rick wrote:
>> On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree to
>>>> come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the first to
>>>> be targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might have raised the
>>>> minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of earlier Survivor
>>>> All- Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised the minimum for
>>>> early boots to say $10,000, that might not be a bad deal.  You get
>>>> flown to Fiji for free, enjoy the weather pre-game, play the game
>>>> and get voted out 1st or 2nd, and then get to relax and enjoy the
>>>> free food and drinks at Ponderosa or wherever they send you for
>>>> sequestration. If they paid them say $10,000 to help cover lost
>>>> wages or whatever, that's not a bad little vacation.
>>>
>>> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for S50
>>> I can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in Miami?
>>> Her ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for Kyle if he
>>> lives in NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive based on a photo
>>> Eva posted recently. He might need extra cash to recover from that.
>>>
>>> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings the
>>> show has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the grand prize
>>> will be $2 million. That possibility could be another reason why Kyle
>>> and Dee agreed to play.
>>>
>>
>> I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the belt-
>> tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of why
>> they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the Covid
>> shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid but there
>> was no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by 25% will also
>> add to costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living costs, etc.  CBS is
>> also going through a lot of trauma these days with the pending
>> proposed Paramount sale and the lawsuit against CBS News.  I suspect
>> the timing might not be right for the show to ask for that big an
>> increase in the budget.
>>
>> Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing about
>> that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out players just
>> got sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't really get much
>> of a vacation as they presumably will on S50.   Not sure what they did
>> with Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent her on a tour or something.
>
> You're forgetting that for S40 they flew out everyone's loved ones.
> Ponderosa still existed as at one point players did get "booted" from
> EE. There's Ponderosa videos that show loved ones visiting their person
> at Ponderosa.
>
> With Paramount getting more content from the show and better ratings,
> upping the grand prize to $2 million for S50 is probably a wise
> investment. After 25 years it's long past time to increase the prize
> money to account for inflation.
>

I thought Edge of Extinction lasted until the final episode which was
like Final Five.  So yes, Ponderosa might have been around for an
episode or two, but most of the players were at the Edge through most of
the game because they knew someone would return at Final Five (hello
Natalie).  I believe only Sandra bailed early.

On 5/30/2025 1:37 AM, Brian Smith wrote:
> On 5/29/2025 10:32 PM, Rick wrote:
>> On 5/29/2025 8:09 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>> On 5/29/2025 5:19 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>> On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>>>> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>>>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree to
>>>>>> come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the first to
>>>>>> be targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might have raised
>>>>>> the minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of earlier
>>>>>> Survivor All- Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised the
>>>>>> minimum for early boots to say $10,000, that might not be a bad
>>>>>> deal.  You get flown to Fiji for free, enjoy the weather pre-game,
>>>>>> play the game and get voted out 1st or 2nd, and then get to relax
>>>>>> and enjoy the free food and drinks at Ponderosa or wherever they
>>>>>> send you for sequestration. If they paid them say $10,000 to help
>>>>>> cover lost wages or whatever, that's not a bad little vacation.
>>>>>
>>>>> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for
>>>>> S50 I can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in
>>>>> Miami? Her ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for
>>>>> Kyle if he lives in NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive based
>>>>> on a photo Eva posted recently. He might need extra cash to recover
>>>>> from that.
>>>>>
>>>>> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings the
>>>>> show has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the grand
>>>>> prize will be $2 million. That possibility could be another reason
>>>>> why Kyle and Dee agreed to play.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the belt-
>>>> tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of
>>>> why they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the
>>>> Covid shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid but
>>>> there was no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by 25% will
>>>> also add to costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living costs, etc.
>>>> CBS is also going through a lot of trauma these days with the
>>>> pending proposed Paramount sale and the lawsuit against CBS News.  I
>>>> suspect the timing might not be right for the show to ask for that
>>>> big an increase in the budget.
>>>>
>>>> Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing
>>>> about that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out players
>>>> just got sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't really
>>>> get much of a vacation as they presumably will on S50.   Not sure
>>>> what they did with Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent her on a
>>>> tour or something.
>>>
>>> You're forgetting that for S40 they flew out everyone's loved ones.
>>> Ponderosa still existed as at one point players did get "booted" from
>>> EE. There's Ponderosa videos that show loved ones visiting their
>>> person at Ponderosa.
>>>
>>> With Paramount getting more content from the show and better ratings,
>>> upping the grand prize to $2 million for S50 is probably a wise
>>> investment. After 25 years it's long past time to increase the prize
>>> money to account for inflation.
>>>
>>
>> I thought Edge of Extinction lasted until the final episode which was
>> like Final Five.  So yes, Ponderosa might have been around for an
>> episode or two, but most of the players were at the Edge through most
>> of the game because they knew someone would return at Final Five
>> (hello Natalie).  I believe only Sandra bailed early.
>
> Ponderosa was there the entire time. They still had to pay the staff,
> etc. I'm pretty sure that's where the loved ones stayed when they used
> to do visits. For S40, the players showed up on Day 35. I'm not sure
> what Day Sandra arrived.
>

My only point was that early and even later boots that season really
didn't get to enjoy the perks of Ponderosa. Other than Sandra, most had
to enjoy living in the wilderness for nearly the full 39 days.

On 5/29/2025 8:09 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
> On 5/29/2025 5:19 PM, Rick wrote:
>> On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree to
>>>> come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the first to
>>>> be targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might have raised the
>>>> minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of earlier Survivor
>>>> All- Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised the minimum for
>>>> early boots to say $10,000, that might not be a bad deal.  You get
>>>> flown to Fiji for free, enjoy the weather pre-game, play the game
>>>> and get voted out 1st or 2nd, and then get to relax and enjoy the
>>>> free food and drinks at Ponderosa or wherever they send you for
>>>> sequestration. If they paid them say $10,000 to help cover lost
>>>> wages or whatever, that's not a bad little vacation.
>>>
>>> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for S50
>>> I can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in Miami?
>>> Her ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for Kyle if he
>>> lives in NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive based on a photo
>>> Eva posted recently. He might need extra cash to recover from that.
>>>
>>> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings the
>>> show has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the grand prize
>>> will be $2 million. That possibility could be another reason why Kyle
>>> and Dee agreed to play.
>>>
>>
>> I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the belt-
>> tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of why
>> they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the Covid
>> shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid but there
>> was no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by 25% will also
>> add to costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living costs, etc.  CBS is
>> also going through a lot of trauma these days with the pending
>> proposed Paramount sale and the lawsuit against CBS News.  I suspect
>> the timing might not be right for the show to ask for that big an
>> increase in the budget.
>>
>> Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing about
>> that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out players just
>> got sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't really get much
>> of a vacation as they presumably will on S50.   Not sure what they did
>> with Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent her on a tour or something.
>
> You're forgetting that for S40 they flew out everyone's loved ones.
> Ponderosa still existed as at one point players did get "booted" from
> EE. There's Ponderosa videos that show loved ones visiting their person
> at Ponderosa.
>
> With Paramount getting more content from the show and better ratings,
> upping the grand prize to $2 million for S50 is probably a wise
> investment. After 25 years it's long past time to increase the prize
> money to account for inflation.
>

That's not really how business works.  They had to double the prize on
S40 because they needed all winners and they had to make sure they could
get enough players, as there was a limited pool to choose from.  This
time they can literally choose from anyone who ever appeared on the
show.  And with so many ex-players moaning they weren't selected, they
clearly have potentially way more willing players than they need.
Because of that, there is literally no business need to increase the
final payout for S50.  I agree they may do it eventually, but with CBS
going through all it is going through right now, I just don't think they
need to increase the top prize at this time.  And if they have decided
to increase the prize, I'm certain we would have heard about it and it
would be part of the pre-show hype

On 5/30/2025 5:30 AM, Rick wrote:
> On 5/30/2025 1:37 AM, Brian Smith wrote:
>> On 5/29/2025 10:32 PM, Rick wrote:
>>> On 5/29/2025 8:09 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>>> On 5/29/2025 5:19 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>>> On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>>>>> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>>>>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree
>>>>>>> to come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the
>>>>>>> first to be targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might
>>>>>>> have raised the minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of
>>>>>>> earlier Survivor All- Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised
>>>>>>> the minimum for early boots to say $10,000, that might not be a
>>>>>>> bad deal.  You get flown to Fiji for free, enjoy the weather pre-
>>>>>>> game, play the game and get voted out 1st or 2nd, and then get to
>>>>>>> relax and enjoy the free food and drinks at Ponderosa or wherever
>>>>>>> they send you for sequestration. If they paid them say $10,000 to
>>>>>>> help cover lost wages or whatever, that's not a bad little vacation.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for
>>>>>> S50 I can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in
>>>>>> Miami? Her ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for
>>>>>> Kyle if he lives in NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive
>>>>>> based on a photo Eva posted recently. He might need extra cash to
>>>>>> recover from that.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings
>>>>>> the show has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the
>>>>>> grand prize will be $2 million. That possibility could be another
>>>>>> reason why Kyle and Dee agreed to play.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the belt-
>>>>> tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of
>>>>> why they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the
>>>>> Covid shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid but
>>>>> there was no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by 25%
>>>>> will also add to costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living costs,
>>>>> etc. CBS is also going through a lot of trauma these days with the
>>>>> pending proposed Paramount sale and the lawsuit against CBS News.
>>>>> I suspect the timing might not be right for the show to ask for
>>>>> that big an increase in the budget.
>>>>>
>>>>> Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing
>>>>> about that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out
>>>>> players just got sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't
>>>>> really get much of a vacation as they presumably will on S50.   Not
>>>>> sure what they did with Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent her
>>>>> on a tour or something.
>>>>
>>>> You're forgetting that for S40 they flew out everyone's loved ones.
>>>> Ponderosa still existed as at one point players did get "booted"
>>>> from EE. There's Ponderosa videos that show loved ones visiting
>>>> their person at Ponderosa.
>>>>
>>>> With Paramount getting more content from the show and better
>>>> ratings, upping the grand prize to $2 million for S50 is probably a
>>>> wise investment. After 25 years it's long past time to increase the
>>>> prize money to account for inflation.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I thought Edge of Extinction lasted until the final episode which was
>>> like Final Five.  So yes, Ponderosa might have been around for an
>>> episode or two, but most of the players were at the Edge through most
>>> of the game because they knew someone would return at Final Five
>>> (hello Natalie).  I believe only Sandra bailed early.
>>
>> Ponderosa was there the entire time. They still had to pay the staff,
>> etc. I'm pretty sure that's where the loved ones stayed when they used
>> to do visits. For S40, the players showed up on Day 35. I'm not sure
>> what Day Sandra arrived.
>>
>
> My only point was that early and even later boots that season really
> didn't get to enjoy the perks of Ponderosa. Other than Sandra, most had
> to enjoy living in the wilderness for nearly the full 39 days.

The guaranteed minimum of $25K probably made enjoying a tropical beach a
lot easier.

--
Brian

On 5/30/2025 7:59 AM, Rick wrote:
> On 5/29/2025 8:09 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>> On 5/29/2025 5:19 PM, Rick wrote:
>>> On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>>> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree to
>>>>> come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the first to
>>>>> be targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might have raised
>>>>> the minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of earlier
>>>>> Survivor All- Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised the
>>>>> minimum for early boots to say $10,000, that might not be a bad
>>>>> deal.  You get flown to Fiji for free, enjoy the weather pre-game,
>>>>> play the game and get voted out 1st or 2nd, and then get to relax
>>>>> and enjoy the free food and drinks at Ponderosa or wherever they
>>>>> send you for sequestration. If they paid them say $10,000 to help
>>>>> cover lost wages or whatever, that's not a bad little vacation.
>>>>
>>>> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for
>>>> S50 I can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in
>>>> Miami? Her ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for Kyle
>>>> if he lives in NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive based on a
>>>> photo Eva posted recently. He might need extra cash to recover from
>>>> that.
>>>>
>>>> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings the
>>>> show has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the grand
>>>> prize will be $2 million. That possibility could be another reason
>>>> why Kyle and Dee agreed to play.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the belt-
>>> tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of
>>> why they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the Covid
>>> shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid but there
>>> was no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by 25% will also
>>> add to costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living costs, etc.  CBS
>>> is also going through a lot of trauma these days with the pending
>>> proposed Paramount sale and the lawsuit against CBS News.  I suspect
>>> the timing might not be right for the show to ask for that big an
>>> increase in the budget.
>>>
>>> Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing about
>>> that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out players just
>>> got sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't really get much
>>> of a vacation as they presumably will on S50.   Not sure what they
>>> did with Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent her on a tour or
>>> something.
>>
>> You're forgetting that for S40 they flew out everyone's loved ones.
>> Ponderosa still existed as at one point players did get "booted" from
>> EE. There's Ponderosa videos that show loved ones visiting their
>> person at Ponderosa.
>>
>> With Paramount getting more content from the show and better ratings,
>> upping the grand prize to $2 million for S50 is probably a wise
>> investment. After 25 years it's long past time to increase the prize
>> money to account for inflation.
>>
>
> That's not really how business works.  They had to double the prize on
> S40 because they needed all winners and they had to make sure they could
> get enough players, as there was a limited pool to choose from.  This
> time they can literally choose from anyone who ever appeared on the
> show.  And with so many ex-players moaning they weren't selected, they
> clearly have potentially way more willing players than they need.
> Because of that, there is literally no business need to increase the
> final payout for S50.  I agree they may do it eventually, but with CBS
> going through all it is going through right now, I just don't think they
> need to increase the top prize at this time.  And if they have decided
> to increase the prize, I'm certain we would have heard about it and it
> would be part of the pre-show hype

No one knew about the $2 million pre S40 including the players. Yes, a
lot of players are moaning about not being selected for S50. But some of
the players the show wanted turned them down so there is a business case
to sweeten the incentives to play.

--
Brian

On 5/30/2025 2:31 PM, Rick wrote:
> On 5/30/2025 2:58 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>> On 5/30/2025 7:59 AM, Rick wrote:
>>> On 5/29/2025 8:09 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>>> On 5/29/2025 5:19 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>>> On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>>>>> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>>>>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree
>>>>>>> to come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the
>>>>>>> first to be targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might
>>>>>>> have raised the minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of
>>>>>>> earlier Survivor All- Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised
>>>>>>> the minimum for early boots to say $10,000, that might not be a
>>>>>>> bad deal.  You get flown to Fiji for free, enjoy the weather pre-
>>>>>>> game, play the game and get voted out 1st or 2nd, and then get to
>>>>>>> relax and enjoy the free food and drinks at Ponderosa or wherever
>>>>>>> they send you for sequestration. If they paid them say $10,000 to
>>>>>>> help cover lost wages or whatever, that's not a bad little vacation.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for
>>>>>> S50 I can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in
>>>>>> Miami? Her ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for
>>>>>> Kyle if he lives in NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive
>>>>>> based on a photo Eva posted recently. He might need extra cash to
>>>>>> recover from that.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings
>>>>>> the show has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the
>>>>>> grand prize will be $2 million. That possibility could be another
>>>>>> reason why Kyle and Dee agreed to play.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the belt-
>>>>> tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of
>>>>> why they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the
>>>>> Covid shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid but
>>>>> there was no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by 25%
>>>>> will also add to costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living costs,
>>>>> etc. CBS is also going through a lot of trauma these days with the
>>>>> pending proposed Paramount sale and the lawsuit against CBS News.
>>>>> I suspect the timing might not be right for the show to ask for
>>>>> that big an increase in the budget.
>>>>>
>>>>> Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing
>>>>> about that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out
>>>>> players just got sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't
>>>>> really get much of a vacation as they presumably will on S50.   Not
>>>>> sure what they did with Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent her
>>>>> on a tour or something.
>>>>
>>>> You're forgetting that for S40 they flew out everyone's loved ones.
>>>> Ponderosa still existed as at one point players did get "booted"
>>>> from EE. There's Ponderosa videos that show loved ones visiting
>>>> their person at Ponderosa.
>>>>
>>>> With Paramount getting more content from the show and better
>>>> ratings, upping the grand prize to $2 million for S50 is probably a
>>>> wise investment. After 25 years it's long past time to increase the
>>>> prize money to account for inflation.
>>>>
>>>
>>> That's not really how business works.  They had to double the prize
>>> on S40 because they needed all winners and they had to make sure they
>>> could get enough players, as there was a limited pool to choose from.
>>> This time they can literally choose from anyone who ever appeared on
>>> the show.  And with so many ex-players moaning they weren't selected,
>>> they clearly have potentially way more willing players than they
>>> need. Because of that, there is literally no business need to
>>> increase the final payout for S50.  I agree they may do it
>>> eventually, but with CBS going through all it is going through right
>>> now, I just don't think they need to increase the top prize at this
>>> time.  And if they have decided to increase the prize, I'm certain we
>>> would have heard about it and it would be part of the pre-show hype
>>
>> No one knew about the $2 million pre S40 including the players. Yes, a
>> lot of players are moaning about not being selected for S50. But some
>> of the players the show wanted turned them down so there is a business
>> case to sweeten the incentives to play.
>>
>
> Let's wait and see who's right about this. The S40 reveal to the public
> occurred about a month after filming was completed, so by that timing we
> should know for sure in a couple of months.

I'm not going to be looking for spoilers. If that info comes out I hope
it doesn't involve any game-related stuff.

--
Brian

On 5/30/2025 2:58 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
> On 5/30/2025 7:59 AM, Rick wrote:
>> On 5/29/2025 8:09 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>> On 5/29/2025 5:19 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>> On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>>>> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>>>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree to
>>>>>> come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the first to
>>>>>> be targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might have raised
>>>>>> the minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of earlier
>>>>>> Survivor All- Star seasons.  If, for example, they raised the
>>>>>> minimum for early boots to say $10,000, that might not be a bad
>>>>>> deal.  You get flown to Fiji for free, enjoy the weather pre-game,
>>>>>> play the game and get voted out 1st or 2nd, and then get to relax
>>>>>> and enjoy the free food and drinks at Ponderosa or wherever they
>>>>>> send you for sequestration. If they paid them say $10,000 to help
>>>>>> cover lost wages or whatever, that's not a bad little vacation.
>>>>>
>>>>> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for
>>>>> S50 I can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in
>>>>> Miami? Her ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for
>>>>> Kyle if he lives in NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive based
>>>>> on a photo Eva posted recently. He might need extra cash to recover
>>>>> from that.
>>>>>
>>>>> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings the
>>>>> show has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the grand
>>>>> prize will be $2 million. That possibility could be another reason
>>>>> why Kyle and Dee agreed to play.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the belt-
>>>> tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of
>>>> why they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the
>>>> Covid shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid but
>>>> there was no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by 25% will
>>>> also add to costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living costs, etc.
>>>> CBS is also going through a lot of trauma these days with the
>>>> pending proposed Paramount sale and the lawsuit against CBS News.  I
>>>> suspect the timing might not be right for the show to ask for that
>>>> big an increase in the budget.
>>>>
>>>> Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing
>>>> about that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out players
>>>> just got sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't really
>>>> get much of a vacation as they presumably will on S50.   Not sure
>>>> what they did with Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent her on a
>>>> tour or something.
>>>
>>> You're forgetting that for S40 they flew out everyone's loved ones.
>>> Ponderosa still existed as at one point players did get "booted" from
>>> EE. There's Ponderosa videos that show loved ones visiting their
>>> person at Ponderosa.
>>>
>>> With Paramount getting more content from the show and better ratings,
>>> upping the grand prize to $2 million for S50 is probably a wise
>>> investment. After 25 years it's long past time to increase the prize
>>> money to account for inflation.
>>>
>>
>> That's not really how business works.  They had to double the prize on
>> S40 because they needed all winners and they had to make sure they
>> could get enough players, as there was a limited pool to choose from.
>> This time they can literally choose from anyone who ever appeared on
>> the show.  And with so many ex-players moaning they weren't selected,
>> they clearly have potentially way more willing players than they need.
>> Because of that, there is literally no business need to increase the
>> final payout for S50.  I agree they may do it eventually, but with CBS
>> going through all it is going through right now, I just don't think
>> they need to increase the top prize at this time.  And if they have
>> decided to increase the prize, I'm certain we would have heard about
>> it and it would be part of the pre-show hype
>
> No one knew about the $2 million pre S40 including the players. Yes, a
> lot of players are moaning about not being selected for S50. But some of
> the players the show wanted turned them down so there is a business case
> to sweeten the incentives to play.
>

Let's wait and see who's right about this. The S40 reveal to the public
occurred about a month after filming was completed, so by that timing we
should know for sure in a couple of months.

On 5/30/2025 4:59 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
> On 5/30/2025 2:31 PM, Rick wrote:
>> On 5/30/2025 2:58 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>> On 5/30/2025 7:59 AM, Rick wrote:
>>>> On 5/29/2025 8:09 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>>>> On 5/29/2025 5:19 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>>>> On 5/29/2025 5:57 PM, Brian Smith wrote:
>>>>>>> On 5/29/2025 12:07 PM, Rick wrote:
>>>>>>>> I've been wondering why recent winners Kyle and Dee would agree
>>>>>>>> to come back so soon, knowing they would likely be among the
>>>>>>>> first to be targeted.  Then I started wondering if they might
>>>>>>>> have raised the minimum pay for S50 as they did for a couple of
>>>>>>>> earlier Survivor All- Star seasons.  If, for example, they
>>>>>>>> raised the minimum for early boots to say $10,000, that might
>>>>>>>> not be a bad deal.  You get flown to Fiji for free, enjoy the
>>>>>>>> weather pre- game, play the game and get voted out 1st or 2nd,
>>>>>>>> and then get to relax and enjoy the free food and drinks at
>>>>>>>> Ponderosa or wherever they send you for sequestration. If they
>>>>>>>> paid them say $10,000 to help cover lost wages or whatever,
>>>>>>>> that's not a bad little vacation.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> S40 guaranteed everyone a minimum of $25K. If that's the case for
>>>>>>> S50 I can see it being a bit of a no-brainer. Doesn't Dee live in
>>>>>>> Miami? Her ~$600K probably didn't go that far and same goes for
>>>>>>> Kyle if he lives in NYC. Kyle's wedding also looked expensive
>>>>>>> based on a photo Eva posted recently. He might need extra cash to
>>>>>>> recover from that.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> With the big deal they're making about S50 and the good ratings
>>>>>>> the show has been getting the last few years, I wonder if the
>>>>>>> grand prize will be $2 million. That possibility could be another
>>>>>>> reason why Kyle and Dee agreed to play.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I kind of doubt they will increase the main prize given the belt-
>>>>>> tightening they've done the last few years, which is a big part of
>>>>>> why they cut back to 26 days.  They lost quite a bit during the
>>>>>> Covid shutdown as many permanent employees still had to be paid
>>>>>> but there was no income coming in.  Increasing the cast size by
>>>>>> 25% will also add to costs, with extra airfares, pre-game living
>>>>>> costs, etc. CBS is also going through a lot of trauma these days
>>>>>> with the pending proposed Paramount sale and the lawsuit against
>>>>>> CBS News. I suspect the timing might not be right for the show to
>>>>>> ask for that big an increase in the budget.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Regarding the increase in the payouts for S40, the ironic thing
>>>>>> about that season is there was no Ponderosa, since voted out
>>>>>> players just got sent to Edge of Extinction. So early boots didn't
>>>>>> really get much of a vacation as they presumably will on S50.
>>>>>> Not sure what they did with Sandra when she quit - maybe just sent
>>>>>> her on a tour or something.
>>>>>
>>>>> You're forgetting that for S40 they flew out everyone's loved ones.
>>>>> Ponderosa still existed as at one point players did get "booted"
>>>>> from EE. There's Ponderosa videos that show loved ones visiting
>>>>> their person at Ponderosa.
>>>>>
>>>>> With Paramount getting more content from the show and better
>>>>> ratings, upping the grand prize to $2 million for S50 is probably a
>>>>> wise investment. After 25 years it's long past time to increase the
>>>>> prize money to account for inflation.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> That's not really how business works.  They had to double the prize
>>>> on S40 because they needed all winners and they had to make sure
>>>> they could get enough players, as there was a limited pool to choose
>>>> from. This time they can literally choose from anyone who ever
>>>> appeared on the show.  And with so many ex-players moaning they
>>>> weren't selected, they clearly have potentially way more willing
>>>> players than they need. Because of that, there is literally no
>>>> business need to increase the final payout for S50.  I agree they
>>>> may do it eventually, but with CBS going through all it is going
>>>> through right now, I just don't think they need to increase the top
>>>> prize at this time.  And if they have decided to increase the prize,
>>>> I'm certain we would have heard about it and it would be part of the
>>>> pre-show hype
>>>
>>> No one knew about the $2 million pre S40 including the players. Yes,
>>> a lot of players are moaning about not being selected for S50. But
>>> some of the players the show wanted turned them down so there is a
>>> business case to sweeten the incentives to play.
>>>
>>
>> Let's wait and see who's right about this. The S40 reveal to the
>> public occurred about a month after filming was completed, so by that
>> timing we should know for sure in a couple of months.
>
> I'm not going to be looking for spoilers. If that info comes out I hope
> it doesn't involve any game-related stuff.
>

Yeah spoilers are going to be a problem, especially if the fans vote to
have the final vote reveal done right on-site after Final TC.  That's
really the one advantage of the old style live reveal