Arguably television's first monster hit in the reality genre, another British import that found its proper home in America, a cultural phenomenon in its first two years, "Survivor" may have evolved into a cruel double entendre: After a decade on the air, "Survivor" describes not only the cast's situation but also the show's stubborn capacity for hanging on to its place in the CBS line-up by the slimmest of slim threads. "Survivor" is the MySpace of its niche: Do people still go there? Dropped into exotic wilderness settings"”places where their handhelds get absolutely no bars"”contestants vie for cash and prizes. The last survivor goes home with a cool million American dollars. As the physical, psychological, emotional, and intellectual trials and tests develop, contestants vote one another out of the competition. For the first half of each season, would-be survivors compete in teams; in the second half, they go solo in a full-on destruction derby. Observant viewers discern "Survivor" depends more on workplace treachery than anything anyone might have learned in Boy Scouts or Campfire Girls. Tribes, challenges, alliances, and immunities prove the wilderness differs very little from everyday life in major American corporations"”except the dress code encourages fashionable swimwear.

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