“Survivor,” the granddaddy of reality shows, returns to CBS at 8 p.m. Sept. 23, with yet another reboot of the classic backstabbing show.
“Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance” features 20 former players — all losers, by the way — who were voted back into the game by the viewers. The cast includes an original member from the very first “Survivor,” as well as a couple from the most recent series.
Because players these days have had years to study the game and devise strategy, not to mention that they’ve all see each other’s games, “Survivor” is throwing in a few twists.
The two that have been revealed so far involve the immunity idols.
The hidden idols won’t resemble each other, which should create some confusion and allow some crafty survivors to make their own and try to pass them off as the real thing.
There also will be idols in plain sight at immunity challenges to test the players grit. Can they grab one while not falling behind in the challenge, and can they do it without everyone seeing it? Time will tell.
Meanwhile, here’s the list of lovable losers.
Bayon Tribe
Scottsdale, Arizona
Previous season: “Survivor: Worlds Apart”
Place: 10th
Why you should remember him: The bun-wearing super hero played a good social game and was great at challenges, but the numbers just got away from him.
Survivability: He’ll have a target on his back from the start. Strong, popular and good to have around camp — in other words, the type of player who goes quickly.
Foxborough, Massachusetts
Previous season: “Survivor: San Juan del Sur”
Place: 10th
Why you should remember him: Classic good guy firefighter who ended up having to win a challenge that sent his wife home. He’s still sad.
Survivability: He’s another with a target on his back. If he can form some quick, strong alliances — Joe would be a good one to team with — he might make it far into the game.
Salem, Oregon
Previous season: “Survivor: Blood vs. Water”
Place: Fifth
Why you should remember her: In the season that pitted loved ones against loved ones, she voted off her mom. But she felt bad about it.
Survivability: She flipped like a fish on a hot beach, and in the end that cost her. She’ll need to pick a side and be less uncertain.
New York, New York
Previous season: “Survivor: Tocantins”
Place: Made it to the finals
Why you should remember him: Stephen aligned himself with J.T., the ultimate winner, perhaps a little too much and in the end, his lack of creativity and leadership earned him zero votes from the jury.
Survivability: Stephen made flying under the radar an art form. He’ll need to be more his own man this time.
St. Louis, Missouri
Previous season: “Survivor: Cagayan”
Place: Sixth
Why you should remember her: Went on an immunity challenge winning tear, which also made her a huge threat.
Survivability: Tasha showed her ability to strategize and plot, and if she can repeat that with the players who already know she’s a physical threat, she could go far.
The Woodlands, Texas
Previous season: “Survivor: The Australian Outback”
Place: 12th
Why you should remember her: She talked a lot, was considered too bossy and became too invested in the chickens.
Survivability: This vegetarian rocked a food challenge after at first refusing to go against her life choices. She’ll need to keep her resolve up, however, to continue far into the game.
Tehachapi, California
Previous season: “Survivor: Cagayan”
Place: Made it to the finals
Why you should remember her: She was part of the Brains tribe, which wasn’t smart about winning challenges or anything else. Her repeated flipping on alliances to stay in the game ended up just irritating her fellow survivors, especially when she, literally, flipped off an ousted player.
Survivability: Chaos Kass needs to play a much smarter game this time around and keep her emotions in check.
Keithville, Louisiana
Previous season: “Survivor: San Juan del Sur”
Place: Fourth
Why you should remember him: Keith was a complete idiot. Well, when it came to knowing the game. He only signed up so his son, a huge fan of the game, could play. That he managed to come this close to the finals is nothing short of astounding.
Survivability: Keith’s social game didn’t go down well with the womenfolk, and that’s the main reason why. We don’t like being called womenfolk. He also needs to keep his mouth shut when it comes to revealing the top secret strategy of his alliance. We don’t think he’ll make it that far this time.
Queens, New York
Previous season: “Survivor: Samoa”
Place: Seventh
Why you should remember her: She played mind games on the master, Evil Little Troll Russell Hantz.
Survivability: As Russell is, wisely, not playing this season, she might make it far.
San Jose, California
Previous season: “Survivor: Pearl Islands”
Place: 10th
Why you should remember him: Andrew stunned everyone by holding 180 pounds of weights to win an immunity challenge for his tribe. He ran into trouble when a plot twist — allowing two players that had been voted off — to return to the game. The numbers then fell against him.
Survivability: We think he’s going to do well, unless he’s just the kind of guy that bad things always happens to.
Takeo Tribe
Santa Monica, California
Previous season: “Survivor: Blood vs. Water”
Place: 10th
Why you should remember him: Vytas has always been in the shadow of his older brother, Aras, who actually won “Survivor” and returned for “Blood vs. Water.” He had his moments, but could never get a plan together.
Survivability: Unless he’s still out to prove he’s better than his brother, he should be able to settle in and play a smart game. But that’s a big if.
Chicago, Illinois
Previous season: “Survivor: Cagayan”
Place: Made it to the finals
Why you should remember him: Spencer was doomed by his own intelligence, which landed him on the dysfunctional Brains tribe. He got further than we expected, but just couldn’t bring it home.
Survivability: He has the social game and isn’t seen as much of a physical threat, both of which should get him far into the game. Then he’ll have to rely on his brains to get him further.
Simsbury, Connecticut
Previous season: “Survivor: Panama”
Place: Third
Why you should remember him: He was felled by a little backstabbing in the final immunity challenge, but before that, he won five challenges in a row and found hidden idols in camp and on Exile Island.
Survivability: If he can get through the first few rounds, his challenge winning abilities could take him far.
Los Angeles, California
Previous season: “Survivor: Philippines”
Place: Fifth
Why you should remember her: Abi-Maria started off the game on all the right notes, forming a strong alliance at the beginning. But then she fell victim to raging paranoia and pretty much shot herself in the foot.
Survivability: She needs to rein in the paranoia if she wants to get very far.
Newport Beach, California
Previous season: “Survivor: Cagayan”
Place: Second
Why you should remember him: Woo played the game for the fun of being in the wild and challenging his body, which ultimately lost him the million. Instead of taking a player he could have beaten to the finals, he took his closest ally, who was more respected for playing the game for the money.
Survivability: We’d be disappointed if Woo is now in it for the money. The survivors might keep him around, however, knowing that he’s not a real threat to take the million from them.
San Francisco, California
Previous season: “Survivor: China”
Place: Fifth
Why you should remember her: Peih-Gee played a good social game, but her strong opinions and her fight to stay in the game made her too dangerous to keep around.
Survivability: She’s an excellent strategist, but she needs to learn to keep it to herself. In her season, she was labeled bossy, and she didn’t win any points with some of her tribe when it was learned she deliberately threw a challenge in order to vote off a weaker member.
San Francisco, California
Previous season: “Survivor: Worlds Apart”
Place: 8th
Why you should remember her: Parading around bottomless didn’t win her any fans, and neither did her personality, which seemed to spawn genuine hatred of her among most of the castaways. We later learned she’d been bullied and abused her entire life.
Survivability: We’re not sure anything has changed with Shirin, but we’re hoping this time she keeps her panties on.
Greensboro, North Carolina
Previous season: “Survivor: The Australian Outback”
Place: 10th
Why you should remember him: He played dirty but the winds of fate caught up to him when he gave up on an immunity challenge in order to eat peanut butter.
Survivability: As long as he’s not tempted by a jar of Jif, he might go far.
Seattle, Washington
Previous season: “Survivor: San Juan del Sur”
Place: 14th
Why you should remember her: She was pretty much an apologist for her father, Dale. And she had the unable to break into an alliance.
Survivability: As a solo player, she might have a better chance in the game, but we still don’t see her taking home the million.
Greensboro, North Carolina
Previous season: “Survivor: Borneo”
Place: Second
Why you should remember her: She came close to winning the first season of “Survivor” and was famously compared to a rat in Susan Hawk’s “rats and snakes” jury speech. Winner Richard Hatch was the snake.
Survivability: Kelly was just 22 when she joined the “Survivor” cast, and no one really knew what to expect. She did a fair amount of conniving, but it was her athletic ability that got her to the finals. Can she do it again, 15 years later? Maybe.
Join us here each Wednesday night for a recap of that evening’s episode, and all the snark we can muster (which is quite a bit, actually).
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