It's funny to see how this popular show started. Thank goodness they made some improvements during the following seasons.

As Survivor started this week with Fiji, you should go back to see how it all started. It was shot in many cases with one camera and things were done on the fly so to speak. In the out takes it explains the how the survivors revolted late in the series when the reward was minimal, and how the production team thought on their feet to fool the winner and provide a good reward.
The voice overs which are optional are good, I watch the series both ways, and sometimes the say something that just makes you laugh or stuns you that you did not think of it before.
This is the original, and worth the watch.

Very secvure pacakging and good shipping times, were pleased to be able to locate as we could not find in stores.

For those of you who don't know, Sturgeon's Law states that at least ninety percent of everything is crap. Except in the case of reality shows where the asymptote is bypassed and we have met perfection. Here, 100% of everything is crap. Reality programming is a vacuum in which quality cannot exist.

Reality shows have done the same thing for television that HIV does for the immune system - renders it diseased, depleted, and ultimately useless. Survivor may not have been the first of these cultural and intellectual parasites, but it blew the door wide open for quadrillions of other shows of its ilk. To make matters worse, it introduced the world to Johnny Fairplay and Richard Hatch (and not the cool guy from Battlestar Galactica who is gracious with his fans). For that, Mark Burnette needs to be tried for crimes against humanity.

One more gripe I have has to do with reality show "writers" claiming they are not as well paid as other TV writers. Does not the word "writer" imply a script, which means that reality shows are FAKE? And what do these hacks do that can be considered writing? Do they make people laugh like the writers for The Simpsons or Seinfeld do? Do they stimulate the intellect like the writers for Jeopardy? Do they ignite the imagination in the way that the writers for shows like The X-Files and Star Trek do? No to all the above. All they do is create crap.

Take that reality show writers - go home and walk it off!!!

This season was OK only because a person who didn't deserve the money won it. Kelly should of won hands down. Why did the jury vote Rich? OK Sue, Rudy and Greg had a reason. Wait a minute, Greg did the number thing. So that means that Sue and Rudy had the only good reason voting for Rich and against Kelly. Otherwise the season was very good.

There is no topping Season One of Survivor. Love him or hate him, Richard Hatch made the game of Survivor. Without him, who knows how long this series would have lasted. I've seen every single season of Survivor and I still think Borneo was the best. I enjoy the editing more and its so nice to not have Jeff commentating every challenge nonstop ("So-and-so has her first puzzle piece. Oh now, so-and-so is in the lead". Shut up already!) There wasn't any of that in the first season and I love it. The DVD set is nice, the only thing I wished for more of was behind-the-scenes stuff. I wanted to actually see people filming the castaways and see them doing some of the interviews while on the island. Oh well, still worth buying, that is for sure.

I am writing in regards to these tv series. They have the first season and the second, well I haven't seen all the rest of the seasons haven't came out. I am upset because they have all the other reality series out there and not all the complete survivor series. It's very frustrating. So I hope to see all the rest of the seasons come soon.

Take 16 castaways, maroon them on a deserted island in the middle of the South China Sea for 39 days, and watch as they try to outwit, outlast, and outplay each other for the title of Sole Survivor and a $1 million prize. Simple concept, huge result. This is the first season of the #1 reality show of all time, Survivor. This first crop of 16 hopefuls provided for the blockbuster of the summer of 2000. I did not get to see this when it was originally airing on television, but I bought the DVD when it first came out to finally see how this show I had come to love all began. I was not disappointed. While the first season obviously has some technical errors and editing differences, those are easily excusable because, after all, this was the first time. The players were not as savvy (the verb "Pagonging" came out of this show, but the members of the Pagong tribe practically Pagonged themselves), with the exception of the original alliance of Richard, Sue, Kelly, and Rudy. This season also had four to eventually compete in All-Stars, Richard, Sue, Rudy, and Jenna Lewis.

The biggest thing that's nice about this first season is that it's fresh. Along with Australia, it seems like a really new thing, even when you're watching it for the second, third, or fourth time and you already know how far Survivor has come since then.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FIRST YEAR: (spoilers in case you haven't seen it yet, be warned!!!!!!)

~ Rudy comes to be friends with Richard despite his reservations about homosexuals. (Rudy himself is a character highlight of the first year; his honest comments alone are enough to tune in)

~ There is no videotape from home for Jenna, resulting in one of the most emotional moments of the season, and perhaps the series.

~ The formation of the first and original alliance.

~ Sue's infamous "rats and snakes" speech at the final Tribal Council.

These, of course, are only some. There are many more. Buy this DVD and share in the adventure on the island of Pulau Tiga in Borneo that resulted in a cultural phenomenon.

The people in this show are a lot more annoying than the Outback Season, but it's still an interesting watch. A large part of this is the politics that take place, but at the same time, I'm in awe of these people because I can imagine how hard it is.

Someone is mentioned that this isn't true "reality TV" because people are aware that they're being videotaped. I agree with that to some degree, but at the same time, I think people start to get real after they've spent about twenty days marooned on an island with the same people, no showers, electricity and they have to subsist mainly on rice. I don't think I would care too much about that stupid camera after awhile.

The first season takes us to Borneo. This is much more political concerning the constant scheming of Hatch, Susan, Rudy, Kelly. The second season focused more on the actual survival part of it, probably because the Outback survivors weren't able to procure as much food.

Definitely worth watching.

This 5 disc series allowed me to relive those special moments from the first "Survivor". Clearly a Survivor fanatic, I enjoyed the commentary from Rudy, Jeff, Richard and Gervis on the first episode. I also liked the "other" moments that didn't make the TV screen the first time around.
Because of the ease of ordering using Amazon.com, I'm thinking about ordering the Second Season: The Outback soon.

This was one of the first (if not the very first) of all the reality shows. It's definately the best of everything out there. Now that it's on DVD it's even better because of no commercials. Richard Hatch was coniving yet brilliant. He's one of the best players to ever have been in Survivor. The DVD comes with extra features and my personal fave extra feature is the David Letterman Top Ten read out by the players. CBS if you are reading this, please bring out the Africa and Amazon series which was the best out of all Survivors to date. You'll like this I'm sure.

I love this show. One of the original (if not the original) reality shows around. It's certainly the best. Now that this is on DVD it's even better. I love the special features including the David Letterman Top Ten. Richard Hatch was coniving yet brilliant and there's been nobody since with such audacity and his exact kind of smugness (certainly nobody with such a nudity obsession). I could watch these over and over again. It's really good. CBS if you are reading this, please bring out the Africa and Amazon editions. They were the best ever.

I completely enjoyed watching it even though I have seen it before. The quality was very good. I recomend it.

The Marooning- VOTED OFF: Sonja Christopher
The Generation Gap- VOTED OFF: BB Anderson
Quest For Food- VOTED OFF: Stacey
Too Little Too Late- VOTED OFF: Ramona
Pulling Your Own Weight- VOTED OFF: Dirk
Udder Revenge- VOTED OFF: Joel
The Merger- VOTED OFF: Gretchen
Thy Name Is Duplicity- VOTED OFF: Greg
Old and New Bonds- VOTED OFF: Jenna
Crack In The Alliance- VOTED OFF: Gervase
Long Hard Days- VOTED OFF: Colleen
Death of an Alliance- VOTED OFF: Sean
Season Finale- VOTED OFF: Sue, Rudy, Kelly (runner up)

Winner of Borneo- Richard Hatch

Special Features:
Disc 4-
Survivors Leave Los Angeles and Arrive In Borneo
Top Ten Featuring Survivors
A Look Back with Rudy, Gervase, and Richard
Disc 5-
Documentary
Episode Summaries
Survivors
The Island

I give the episodes 100% and the special features 12%.

So all in all, the episodes are great, but the special features real crappy loaded. All-Stars and the Outback have better features than this DVD. The challanges are way too easy in Borneo.

I really like this season, but the challanges and features is what I do not like.

I think many people will say that other seasons like Australia-Palau are the best which is there own opinion. But my opinion is that the reason is that this season will always be the best because this is the one that started it all it made a good series to many of people. which could make it even going into the 12th season Guatemala. Anyway it was a good season.

Survivor Borneo was an amazing television show that followed sixteen castaways (Richard Hatch, Kelly Wigglesworth, Rudy Boesch, Sue Hawk, Sean Kennif, Colleen Haskell, Gervase Peterson, Jenna Lewis, Greg Buis, Gretchen Cordy, Joel Klug, Dirk Been, Ramona Grey, Stacy Stillman, BB Anderson and Sonja Christopher.) who live in pulau tiga of borneo voting each other out every three days.

Survivor was filled with many great moments and great people, like stacy eating the bugs, gervase receiving a note that his wife had had a child, sadly when gretchen got voted off, cry baby jenna, the beautiful colleen and of course the survivor winner Richard.

I higly reccomend this dvd because it is an amazing series, it is packed with speacial features and commentaries, it has a bonus behind the scenes disc and the presesntation is teriffic.

Defenetly deserves 5 out of 5 stars.

This was the first season, and one of, if not, the best. It had them getting stranded, compeating as Tagi and Pagong, Sean saying theirs no fish in Borneo (thre mineates later, Rich caught several fish), Pagong finding the mud Valcano, the birth of the Tagi allience, Gervese calling woman stupid, but getting Joel voted off, the first merge, Pagong trying to get Kelly on their side, but failling, Kelly winning four imunities (in a one on one between Kelly and Colby, who would win?) The final four, Sues rats and snakes speach, and Rich winning a million dollars. This is good T.V. Buy it, and have many happy moments with it.

I remember back in summer of 2000 (was it really that long ago?) reading about a little show that CBS was putting on their summer schedule. Since I've often thought about life abandoned on an island, I thought it would be interesting to tune in and watch. Little did I know what I was about to get hooked on.

This show was not so much about surviving the elements, and I almost tuned out. But I soon got caught in the political battle of surviving each other. Thanks to the fabulous editing, I tuned in each week to see who would be voted out next. And, as the season drew to an end, I hoped each week that the alliance would crack. And each week, I was disappointed. Still, Wednesday night, I never missed a show.

In many ways, this season defined this show. It has become all about alliances and whom you trust. If it hadn't been for Richard Hatch, who knows how this game would have been played in later editions. Speaking of Rich, he was the man we all loved to hate; yet he deserved to win since he was brilliant at playing the game. Of course, at the time, I was rooting for Kelly all the way. And you will never be able to top Sue's snake and hawk speech in the final tribal counsel.

This season of this show has done more to change the American TV landscape then any other I know. Not necessarily for the better ("Who wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire" or "Temptation Island" anyone?) Still, it entertains and sucks you in. While many seasons have come close, no season will ever top this season of the show because it was all-new then.

I finished watching Survivor Palau on Sunday night then spent all of monday watching all the Season1 discs..I had Survovor withdrawl :P
I started watching survivor at season 4 , and haven't missed an episode since, so even though I knew who won, I was still very interested in seeing all the previous episodes...This does not disappoint...Season 1 was soooo Great...it had never been done before and was just so worth watching ( Colleen Haskell is a Goddess btw)
To all the Survivor detractors I say: Before I started watching, I too thought it was all so dumb, But don't be all caught up in trying to put some "reality" tag on the show...who cares if camera's are always there...it is the interaction and drama and positioning and tactics Between the survovors that counts...Survivor is the greatest show on TV, and the Only show on broadcast television that I regularly watch, and I was once a naysayer myself...
Best Quote: From Colleen Haskell (the sexiest survivor ever !!)
This was right before they were going to play a gameshow like game...anyways Coleen says to Hatch "I was thinking how great it is, we get to play a game show, though I was never any good with the clicker, then I was thinking Waaaiitttt a second, we are ON a game show"

Hi. I am an original "Survivor" fan and watcher up to this day. Like the other reviewers said, this is the first and best season. I started watching this show at a friend's request at the second show when Sonja Christopher became the first ever Survivor casualty and I have been hooked ever since. I have checked the other reviewers and while people have asked the question that baffles many to this day (how did Richard Hatch win?), I point to episode 3 (which no one has mentioned) to be the turning point on the entire show and even the eventual finale!

As of this point besides being attractive, a bit cunning although a bit lazy, Stacy Stillman had emerged as a "mind" threat. Stacy and Rudy clashed as she exposed Rudy for what he was (a homophobic, anti-woman, closed minded man) and wanted him voted out right away. This episode saw the formation of the Rudy/Richard alliance which along with Sue lying and deceiving Stacy set the groundwork for this season and all others. Lying and deceiving would be part of all future survivors and not always the brightest players move on. Stacy who was a tribe hero for eating the bugs in episode 2 (pre- Fear Factor)was blindsided by Sue which allowed Rudy (who was nearly still voted off)to continue to nearly the end. For those who forgot and others who might be new to Survivor should note that Stacy would file a lawsuit after the show against the show's producers for allegedly telling the players who to possibly vote off early on. To this day Burnett, Probst, or even Stacy have never commented on the resolution of this. One thing is for sure, Stacy would have made a great opponent in Survivor All-Stars where Sue Hawk just wilted, but that is another review!

The show has changed over the years...and not necessarily for the better. Watching the first season of Survivor, you can really see how the simpler, cleaner and more laid-back filming style worked wonders, turning a longshot reality show into the hottest series of the year.

Later editions, like Australian Outback and Survivor: Africa, tried to tinker with the format, adding more music and other bells and whistles...and eventually Survivor became what it is today (slick and processed). It lost the "edge" Survivor: Borneo displays, the unique feeling that you were staring reality in the face, and anything could happen at any given moment.

Also, back then the show focused on little things that meant nothing: people playing ukeleles, sitting around, swinging in hammocks. Today it seems as if every Survivor contestant's day is scheduled down to the minute. Episodes are edited to create fake crises and promote certain characters/storylines. Alliances are purposely covered up by the producers to keep viewers in the dark. With Survivor: Borneo, you get none of this.

I still like Survivor, and watch it every season, but season one is definitely the best. This DVD collection contains every minute of footage shown on TV, plus the "Greatest Moments" disc and some episode commentary. Well worth the money. Five stars!

P.S. Richard Hatch rocks! :)

Being a late-comer to the "Survivor" series (only starting with "Pearl Islands") I was thrilled to see that they had decided to release the earlier series on DVD. Of course, after watching "All Stars", I knew who everyone (Rich, Sue, Rudy & Jenna) was and who had won the first series, "Survivor: Borneo". BUT, this did not take from my enjoyment of it one bit! Firstly, to those of you reading who have never seen this series (And if not, why?)BEWARE OF THE PACKAGING! It's unfortunate that on the back of the box-set it reveals the winner's name. Furthermore, each of the four discs of the actual series gives a synopsis of each episode, and, also, the name of the person voted off at each tribal council. Obviously the set is directed towards people who have seen it and are reliving the magic. The fifth disc (Yes, there are five!) is a special previously released disc of the greatest moments from the series (an excellent touch) and is well worth a watch. The fourth disc contains a few special features ('Survivors leave Los Angeles', 'David Letterman-Top Ten' & a 'Look back with Rich, Rudy and Gervase') but they're nothing to go mad about. On the other hand, the documentary entitled 'Survivor: The Phenomenon' (on the fifth disc) is good, with a little insight into the making of the series. Compared to some of the later series, I was amazed at how remarkably similar some of the elements were (the initial marooning of the survivors, for example), though I'm extremely glad that the producers decided to get rid of that ever-so-cheesy gong at the entrance to tribal council. Some of the challenges are simple, yet all are enjoyable, and there's something ever so raw about the camera-work that really seems to...well...work. The picture and sound quality are of the highest degree and make it so much more enjoyable. With four episodes played on each of the discs (excluding the last two) I found it really difficult to tear myself away from the television after one sitting. I now sit here twiddling my thumbs, patiently awaiting the release of "Survivor; Austrailian Outback. For the mean time, I am very content to play "Borneo" over and over again. (Sorry, I couldn't resist: Isn't Colleen the hottest thing you've ever seen in those blue lycra shorts?!)

Yes, I'm a fan of Richard Hatch and I'm a gay as well and am not afraid to admit it. It was because of Rich's out-going personality in admitting that he's a gay and on national television at that, which helped me in accepting myself and living without any fear.
The last disc (disc 5, "The Greatest and Most Memorable Moments") features all the highlights of the episodes plus all the home videos and audition entries of the survivors (WOW!) in accordance with who was voted out first, second and so forth.
It also includes the footage the has been cencored before and here is a disc which can only be viewed by adults and appreciated by adults.

I was impressed by this set. I ordered it on the 26th and got it on the 30th(due to super save shipping it was cheap)

I then watched it and could not stop after each episode. I only

took breaks after 4 or 5 in a row. This is the one season I had

never seen and am glad about my purchase. The back of the cases

are bad though as they reveal too much info and the cases are

soooooooooooooooooo small but I can live with that. The video

quality is astounding, but the special features are pretty

boring. The top 10 is okay and the LA to Borneo was useless.

However this collection is great and further ones can only get better.

Don't ask me why I actually made myself sit through a few of these shows when they were on(I also watched Teletubbies for some unknown reason), perhaps I was feeling masochistic. It boggles the mind how popular this show is-it's 100% Grade A Crrrrrap. It's not a "reality show" if you know you're being filmed, pure and simple. Scare Tactics is more of a "reality show" considering the poor schmucks don't know they're being filmed till after the jig is up. With Survivor you're actually supposed to believe these moronic baboons are trying to survive on an island-yeah right. You wanna tell me there's no hotel on this island? If Survivor were my show, I'd see to it that there was malaria in the water, vicious wild animals and cannibal tribes inhabiting the island. That would be entertainment, but we have a ways to go until we see a show like that. Instead of buying this set, put your money through a paper shredder, bill by bill. That might actually be more fun. If you can't bring yourself to do that, then just go out and buy yourself a hat.

A majority of people cannot seem to differentiate between true realism, and the coined "reality" tv. Do you know what REALITY television is? It is when and ONLY when the subject does NOT know they are being filmed. Security cameras, hidden cameras, that sort of thing. But to call programs like this "reality" is to bastardize the language. Understand that what you're seeing is a PRODUCT of editing and musical score. A very telling photograph I saw featured the Survivor people with a phalanx of production crew in front of them - cameramen, boom mike ops, lighting crew. Now YOU tell me, YOU are just going to "be yourself" with all THAT going on around you? Hardly. No one who has a camera put in front of their face is truly themselves. A little bit of guard goes up, filtering true spontanaeity. And you have to think that producers of this garbage plan the arcs they'd like to see, certain "plot" elements fleshed out, all in the name of making "good tv". I feel certain that one day one of these "reality" participants will pen a tell-all down the road detailing just how phony this genre truly is. You KNOW the nets aren't looking forward to the day when - hopefully - this garbage ends, after all it is CHEAP to produce. Another tragic side to this garbage is how it has hijacked coverage on local news telecasts. Anywhere across the nation, by orders from corporate hq, news reporters do features on how the "hometown" contestant is faring. It is a disgrace.

Why or who would buy something like this...

Unless you need something kinda heavy to smack someone with, or something to fire at with a powerful gun, you should stay the hell away from these. Anyone considering buying this--don't. Why support the numbing of American entertainment standards? If this truely is considered entertainment, and has sold more than five copies to people who AREN'T from the south, then I'm gonna go have one long cry...I'm serious.

I once saw a lady driving down the freeway with one of those Survivor "BUFFS" wrapped tightly around her ignorant head. I PRAYED she was just a frilly robber or something, then I saw the "SURVIVOR" logo, and broke down...How did that one sell? Was she hooked in by the strong cheekbones of Jeff Probst? Doubtfully. No, I think she was just another victim of the Survivor craze. The very same craze that swept over Cujo and Old Yeller...Believe it. Don't buy these. Just don't.

No question, the most memorable moment of "Survivor: Borneo" was during the final tribal council when Sue Hawk unloaded on Kelly Wigglesworth. When Sue told Kelly "if I were ever to pass you in this life again, and you were laying there, dying of thirst, I would not give you a drink of water. I'd just let the vultures take you, and do whatever they want with you, with no ill regrets," everyone watching had their jaws on the ground. When Sue finished her speech and made her plea for the contest to end the way Mother Nature intended it with Richard the Snake eating Kelly the Rat, I can remember thinking that they can do "Survivor" until the end of time and they will never top that moment. Every time one of the jury members tells Jeff Probst that they want to make a statement rather than ask a question, they get judged against the Sue Hawk standard and they fail (It is like lighting the Olympic flame; no one will top using the archer at Barcelona).

However, when I watched "Survivor: The Complete First Season" again on DVD what was confirmed for me was that the most pivotal moment in the show came in the tribal council at the end of Episode 7. This was not only when the road was paved for Richard Hatch to be the sole Survivor, but also when the course of American popular culture changed. This is because once Hatch won the million dollars, his strategy of alliance and deception became the template for how future competitors would attempt to outwit, outplay and outlast the others on "Survivor" but on "Big Brother" and virtually every other reality game show. But what people forget is that at the turning point in the series MOST of the castaways were playing the game quite differently.

Episode 7 was the first tribal vote after the merger and you probably remember that Gretchen, who was the most popular of the contestants and the one we thought personified the skills of a true Survivor. But Gretchen was voted off because she had four of the ten votes cast. The four who voted for her were (surprise, surprise), Richard, Kelly, Sue, and Rudy. But do you recall the rest of the votes? Greg voted against Jenna, Jenna voted against Gervase, Gervase voted against Susan, Sean voted against Colleen, Colleen voted against Richard, and Gretchen voted against Rudy (remember, nobody ever voted against Kelly). In other words, the other six all voted for six different people. But not only did the former members of Pagong all vote for different people, instead of targeting a member of Tagi, but Greg and Jenna both voted against Pagong teamamates. All together now: What were they thinking?

Well, in retrospect, I think it is clear that what the former members of Pagong were thinking when they mereged with Tagi into Rattana, was that they really were now one tribe. Needless to say, this is not a mistake that has been made since that day. Consequently most "Survivors" since then have featured a reshuffling of the tribes before the merger, just to keep things interesting. Unfortunately the commentary for these episodes on DVD is quite limited (but insightful for the first and last episodes), because I would have liked to have checked my hypothesis, which is that it was Gretchen herself, by word or deed, who propagated the idea that doomed first her and then the rest of the former Pagong players one by one by one.

My thesis is that this was an event of great cultural significance. If Pagong had decided to target any one of the Tagi players, whether it was Rich or not, that would have been five votes to four and the steamroller would have been on their side. I do not think they would have voted for Rich, because he was providing food, and since Gretchen voted for Rudy that would be consistent with the Pagong approach of getting rid of the member of the tribe who was contributing the least. Play that token out to the end and Gretchen wins. Given who would have won (most qualified) and how they won (voting off the weakest and not the strongest member), the course of popular culture and American civilization would have been changed and, more importantly, changed for the better. Face it. This country was not built on the idea of taking out the strongest or the best. That is the goal, not the objective. Make Richard Hatch the role model and we are heading for a bizarre dystopia no one ever would have expected.

The other thing that rewatching the original "Survivor" confirms is that Mark Burnett did a marvelous job of creating suspense when there was not any. After Episode 7, which was furiously debated around the nation's "watercoolers," the consensus was that unless the rest of the castaways wised up, the alliance of four was going to run the table. Which they did. But Burnett, aided by some the release of some computer alterred photographs, cut these episodes so that there was always a slim reed of hope that the alliance would be derailed. But it never happened. Who went home when the tribe spoke each week might have been a surprise, but it was never one of the alliance until they were the only ones left and started eating their own.

I almost always like to watch movies twice because I like to see how the end game is set up, and that same approach is what makes watching "Survivor: The Complete First Season" interesting. Knowing the outcome informs your enjoyment and understanding, not only of how the game was being played that first time around, but also how it was editing for maximum effect. One suggestion when you watch these episodes again: After each one go check out the CBS web site for "Survivor: Borneo" because they are all still up, and you can still access all of the information and extras, such as polls and stuff. Frozen there for Internet eternity right now are the online poll predictions for the finale. Rudy was the overwhelming favorite with 53.47%, with Kelly second at 22.54% and Susan third at 12.22%. Richard Hatch was sitting at 11.75% and he ends up being the one with the million dollar check. Now we know how he did it and what it has meant.

Being a huge Survivor fan, It's great to have this ground-breaking series on DVD. Even after you know what happens, it's still interesting to watch over and over. Included are commentary by Jeff Propst and some survivors as well as a highlights DVD with extra footage. I must say some interesting facts were revealed through both features. Unfortunately they fell short when it came to making this entire set uncensored, as the highlights DVD was. Instead you're only left with commentary for the first and last episodes to give you anything more revealing about what happened on the island. Giving more in depth information on the survivors would have also been a very nice feature, but it was left out. Maybe it will get better with the next series...

Having only picked up on Survivor for the screening of the Season One Grand Finale, I have been regaled ever since with stories of how groundbreaking and astounding the first series was. I was thrilled when the complete season one was released on DVD and even happier to discover, living in Australia, I could actually play the discs thanks to my trusty karaoke machine!

On first glance, the most striking thing about Survivor: Borneo is the actual look of the show. It seems so much more fresh and I don't know whether that's because of the way it was shot or because of the way it's been produced on DVD. But it sure looks snappy!

It's been great to get see to some of the legendary players from the first season - Gretchen, whom I understand was highly favoured by American viewers, Colleen, the so-called sweetheart (she seems like your average college kid to me) and Greg the total whack job (what the... ?). It's interesting to note Jenna (Lewis) who, having recently returned in the All-Stars series, was a heck of a lot less jaded first time around. Dare I say she even seemed cute! Rudy is an absolute classic, but his screen time sure doesn't live up to his hype. Never the less, we've been going round saying "He's fat, but he's good" whole lot lately.

The greatest mystery to me is Richard Hatch. We've just finished watching Episode Eight. If he's got a grand scheme, I can't see it. He seems no more a puppet master than Johnny Foreskin (oops!) I mean Fairplay. I'm disappointed to discover through an internet search that Burnett may have interfered with some of the voting outcomes of the first series. That makes it easy for me to believe Hatch might have been assisted in his machinations.

Whatever, if you're a fan of Survivor, this DVD collection is a must have. It's back to basics without a doubt and is a great way to understand the game more and expand your appreciation at the same time.

I admit that I did not understand the 'Survivor' hype when it first hit and never saw an episode. My review is for those, like me, who would like to take in the series, post-hype, and see for themselves.

It's hard to belive that this first aired in 2000 and the Mother of the reality-tv blitz that's available today. It certainly is one of the classier entries. It started off slow for me but once you hit the third episode, you're starting to anticipate the tribal councils and starting to figure out how the myriad 'alliances' between players will play out (or not).

Watching the show four years later you start to see how the press coverage of notable contestants took hold. Rich: the not so duplicitous (to me, anyway) and frank corporate-guy-turned-castaway. Susan Hawk, the Fargo-voiced salt mama who don't take no crap, ay? [Her infamous dress-down of Kelly put's Al Pacino's 'You're out of order!' speech in 'And Justice For All' to shame]I thought she went way overboard, but just getting to that moment is worth watching for. Colleen, the cute island sprite who talks like your loopy but fun cousin from summers past. Rudy, the Midwestern drone who does most of his on-screen commentary up to his neck in the sea but is rarely spotted, uh, working. Kelly, the Everygirl who doubts the convenience of alliances and thinks for herself at a time when nerves are fraying and things are getting more personal.

The four disc set and bonus DVD are a worthy purchase if you want entertainment, pseudo-travelogue and interest in how these people lived 39 days on an island to win a million dollars. Knowing who the winner is of this first series, as most do, will not detract from how that comes to be. I enjoyed the set and it definitely interested me in further editions. Credit is due to excellent production values and the stamina of the players. You'll feel good to pause the DVD and be able to get a sandwich and remember you have food to eat! Last note: As other reviewers have stated, be aware that the backs of each DVD cover list each player booted off per episode. Do not look at the back cover. If you missed this all on tv, you'll be as surprised as the original audience until the end.

Survivors first season was classic TV. An original, unexpected trendsetter. Marc Burnett is a fantastic storyteller and the cast he selected is fantastic. Unfortunatly if you've already watched it on CBS watching it again is almost like watching old weather reports and frankly there isn't enough "plot" to sustain multiple viewings. The only reality show i'd probably buy is PARADISE HOTEL since it's format was more like a lightly scripted soap. As for Survivor all the media overkill has killed all joy in watching it more than once. EP

I have seen every single episode of Survivor since Survivor Australia. This first Survivor set the high standard which has made the series so popular. The format for all the series was determined in the first three days on Borneo. I haven't finished viewing all the Dvd's yet, the merge has just occurred however I am enjoying
the series more than I expected. The video quality is perfect and the extra commentary is interesting and amusing. Hindsight is 20/20 when you are viewing the show 3 years after you took part in it. None of the participants on the show had any idea how big it was going to be and how it would change all their lives. This is a well done, quality production.

I pondered long and hard if $40 was too much to pay for something I didn't know how many times I'd watch. The ultimate answer came after I spent it and realized it was well worth it. The sheer amount of hours in this, including the additional DVD is well worth it. Watching this show again just confirmed why I love the show in the first place and also shows how far it has come.
The players in this are all naive and only Rich seems to have anything planned. It's so interesting to watch again knowing all that I do about watching the series over it's many seasons. Season 1 still remains one of the best just because of how naive the players are.
It seems they already have the All Stars complete season planned for release in August, but I truly hope they plan on releasing the other seasons as well. I'd really love to see Survivor Amazon on DVD! In any case, this set is WELL worth it for any Survivor period.

I love this set. The only thing I did not like is the listing of who gets the boot on the back cover of each disc. The whole set was wonderfully done. The extra material was great. I really hope the remainder of the Survivor shows is put onto dvd. I plan on getting them when they come out.