I remember watching Survivor: Australia. I've heard of the original Survivor, but oddly never got around to watching it. It was amazing to see sixteen people deal with the elements, left to fend for themselves... and play for a million dollars. As time passed the way I watched the show changed--sure, I skipped a few seasons in between, but the show's influence still grew, and it also visibly evolved, from a straightforward reality competition to a fascinating case study of human dynamics.

It's been ten years. Really, ten years.

Next week, twenty of the show's most iconic players are reunited for Survivor's landmark 20th season, Heroes vs Villains. Before that, though, we'll take a look at the show that revolutionized television since it began in 2000, with new interviews with ten of the show's best, through the one-hour special Surviving Survivor.

Some of these people are part of the upcoming season: James Clement, Colby Donaldson, Cirie Fields, Russell Hantz, Stephenie LaGrossa, Jerri Manthey, Parvati Shallow, Benjamin "Coach" Wade and Tom Westman. They're also interviewing the show's very first winner, Richard Hatch, since troubled by the law and stuck in house arrest. They'll all be looking back at their experiences of the show, breaking down the things that made Survivor tick.

And, of course, the other updates in between. Ethan Zahn and Jenna Moresca, for one, they who met in Survivor: All-Stars and have since had a beautiful love story. Elizabeth Hasselbeck--yep, it's been a while since we saw her on the Australian outback, something some might not realize when they watch her on The View. Rupert Boneham and Yul Kwon also get their requisite updates.

Surviving Survivor airs tonight from 8pm on CBS. And then, next week, the two-hour premiere of Survivor: Heroes vs Villains...


(Image courtesy of CBS)