Survivor

One of the cable networks is rerunning the first season of Survivor.

Clyde and I (and the rest of America) were mesmerized by this show when it first premiered. Now, several seasons and several hundred reality shows later, the early episodes of Survivor look almost quaint. Production values are low — it’s clearly shot on a shoestring budget. Graphics are kept to a minimum. Tribal council takes place in a compound made of a few bamboo sticks. Product placements are few and far between.

The first episode of every reality show on telelvision focuses on forging alliances … but here, in Survivor Season One, that tried and true strategy is just emerging. These days, we take alliances for granted, so it’s odd to see the importance of alliances dawn oh-so-slowly on the players who would, in fact, be the authors of that strategy.

(Tribal councils are, oddly, a lot more fun to watch. In pre-alliance days, instead of a vote split along “party” lines, many different people get votes.)

And the Survivors themselves! While we remember Richard and Susan, many of the players from five years ago are total strangers to us now. Who’s that guy who takes cell phones on coconuts? Who’s the woman everyone says refuses to do her share?

Knowing the outcome doesn’t spoil the fun — and adds to our interest, actually. We’re like time travelers who have studied the events of history: we know the big strokes, but we’re missing all the fine details. The result? We know where we’re headed, but the road to our final destination is filled with tasty little surprises.