‘Survivor’ returns for a new season
Survive and thrive: With a dedicated fan base and an endless number of hopeful competitors waiting for their own turn, the mega-hit reality series “Survivor” is showing no signs of slowing down: the series’ 44th season premieres Wednesday, March 1, on CBS.
Filmed on Fiji’s picturesque tropical islands, Season 44 follows a new group of motivated players as they are divided into three “tribes” and face the ever-present dangers of their environment and the complex social game that, if they don’t play the right way, could get them voted off the island. Whoever has the chops “to outwit, outplay and outlast” all the others claims the title of Sole Survivor and wins the $1-million prize.
This year’s 18 brave survivors are: salon owner Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho (San Juan, Puerto Rico), security software engineer Matt Blankinship (San Francisco), security specialist Brandon Cottom (Newtown, Pennsylvania), law student Kane Fritzler (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), NASA engineering student Carson Garrett (Atlanta), barbershop owner Matthew Grinstead-mayle (Columbus, Ohio), elementary school teacher Lauren Harpe (Mont Belvieu, Texas), engineering manager Heidi Lagares-greenblatt (Pittsburgh), product manager Helen Li (San Francisco), research coordinator Frannie Marin (Cambridge, Massachusetts), firefighter Danny Massa (Bronx, New York), insurance agent Bruce Perreault (Warwick, Rhode Island), charity projects manager Maddy Pomilla (Brooklyn, New York), tech investor Claire Rafson (Brooklyn, New York), yogi Jaime Lynn Ruiz (Mesa, Arizona), management consultant Sarah Wade (Chicago), drug counselor Carolyn Tiger (Hugo, Minnesota) and surgical podiatrist Josh Wilder (Atlanta).
Don’t miss a second of the action, hosted, as always, by Jeff Probst. Season 44 of “Survivor” airs Wednesday, March 1, on CBS.
More El Moussa: One of reality TV’S favourite couples is taking viewers along for their biggest new adventure when the new docuseries “The Flipping El Moussas” premieres Thursday, March 2, on HGTV and discovery+.
Following newlyweds and real estate power couple Tarek El Moussa (“Flipping 101”) and Heather Rae El Moussa (“Selling Sunset”), the series sees the family face a landslide of exciting life changes, from a new working relationship to a baby on the way. While navigating ultrasound appointments and family time, Heather branches out from the luxury real estate market she knows so well and dives into the flipping world with Tarek, using her knowledge of the market to help make some major flips a huge success.
“We are ecstatic that we will flip some next-level homes in spectacular locations, all while getting to spend more time together as a family,” Tarek said.
“We’ll have some battles of budget versus design choices, but in the end, it will make us stronger in business and in life as we navigate our busy lives as we await our new baby boy,” Heather added.
To kick off the series’ 10-episode run, the couple takes on a massive project in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles with a jaw-dropping view but not much else in the way of charm.they’ll have to use all of their combined expertise to make the flip profitable, including a new floor plan and chic finishes.
Come along for the ride as Tarek and Heather build their lives (and more than a few houses) in “The Flipping El Moussas,” premiering on HGTV and discovery+ Thursday, March 2.
Curtains up: Season 8 of the weekly docuseries “The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth” premieres on Showtime and Paramount+ Sunday, Feb. 26.
Pulling back the curtain on American politics, the series goes “behind the scenes for an unbiased, inside look at the stories beyond the headlines” (per Showtime) as hosts John Heilemann, Mark Mckinnon and Jenn Palmieri dig into some of the biggest issues facing the American people and interviewing key players in the political game.
Mckinnon is a political strategist, reform advocate, media columnist and television producer. Having acted as the chief media adviser to five successful presidential primary and general election campaigns, he is also cofounder of No Labels, an organization dedicated to bipartisanship, civil dialogue and political problem-solving. Mckinnon has worked for a number of causes, companies and candidates, including President George W. Bush, Sen. John Mccain, Texas Gov. Ann Richards and Bono.
Heilemann is a co-founder of Recount Media, executive editor of The Recount, a video journalism company, the host of its Hell & High Water podcast, and is a national affairs analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. Heilemann is also co-author of the No. 1 New York Times bestsellers “Game Change” and “Double Down: Game Change 2012,” both of which were written with fellow political journalist Mark Halperin.
Last but not least, host Palmieri was communications director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and White House communications director for President Barack Obama. She has also authored multiple books, including the No. 1 New York Times bestseller “Dear Madam President” and “She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Man’s World.” She is also the host of the “Just Something About Her” podcast from The Recount.
Turn up the lights and let the show begin: Season 8 of “The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth” premieres on Showtime and Paramount+ Sunday, Feb. 26.