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Morning News

Creator Mark Burnett Previews 'Survivor 2'

Aired January 25, 2001 - 9:40 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SURVIVOR 2")

JEFF PROBST, HOST: In the Australian Outback, this is a land so vast, so remote, that large portions of it aren't even charted. Certainly, majestic, stunning vistas, all sorts of exotic wildlife, but 39 days of in this environment is going to be harsh, the temperatures will be scorching. And unlike Borneo, the trees here provide very little shade, no relief from the heat. Not to mention the fact that there are all sorts of deadly creatures scampering about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, my goodness.

It's reality TV in the land down under. That's the setting for "Survivor 2." People can't seem to wait to see if the next set of survivors will survive its true reality: the ratings.

Joining us now live from New York is the show's creator, Mark Burnett.

Mark, good to see you. Good morning.

MARK BURNETT, CREATOR, "SURVIVOR": Hi, there. How are you doing?

KAGAN: I am doing well. So, who wins?

BURNETT: Me.

KAGAN: Well, you definitely are a winner. You are kind of the king of reality television right now. But I thought maybe you just want to give us a little exclusive scoop here on CNN this morning.

BURNETT: I would love to you who won right now, just so we can wreck the next 14 weeks, Daryn.

KAGAN: But it is done, the game's complete right? There is a winner out there?

BURNETT: Yeah, the game's complete, and we are in the middle of editing the series right now. And the first few shows are done and they look far better than the first few shows of season one. KAGAN: How is it different? How do things look different?

BURNETT: You know, the game is the same.

KAGAN: So, it's the exact thing. You didn't change any rules. The same exact setup.

BURNETT: The same setup. We didn't disallow alliances because I think that is part of life. The difference is the epic location, which is both beautiful, but very harsh and great suffering. And a great new cast of people who know how to play the game in kind of a mean way.

KAGAN: Ooh, a mean way.

BURNETT: Well, let's face it. It's quite a mean game, just like life is kind of a mean game. Everyone's out for themselves pretty much.

KAGAN: I would think that this time around it would be different because these people, they get it, and they know what the game is. Whereas the first time, the people really had no idea what they were in for, and that would make the people approach the whole situation differently. Did you find that with the people who are playing this time around?

BURNETT: That's a great question. Actually, they all came with preconceived notions of how they would play the game, and they would hold back and say little. But, in fact, within 24 hours, I saw exactly the same things happening on "Survivor 2" as on "Survivor" one, where people just couldn't change their spots. Leopards don't change their spots.

The pre-strategies really didn't play out. And it was pretty much the same politics and conniving as year one.

KAGAN: Now, what about the players you selected this time. How are they different, just in terms of characters and personality than on round one?

BURNETT: I went out of my way to deliberately not choose a new Rich, a news Rudy, a new Sue. I thought that the viewers deserve more than that, just like they deserve the new location. This new cast are equally interesting, but very, very different. A whole new bunch of people and new chemistry and a new melting pot, which makes a different kind of drama.

KAGAN: And we are going to get the first look right after the Super Bowl on Sunday night. That's a huge debut.

BURNETT: It's a great lead in, and I am looking forward to it. At least it should bring more viewers to the first episode, giving more sampling than we had in the first episode last year.

KAGAN: And then, it will be on Thursday nights, but is it the next Thursday night after the Super Bowl, or are you waiting a week? BURNETT: No it is the Thursday after the Super Bowl. So the first one -- the second one is four days after of the first one.

KAGAN: And then, of course, there has been a lot of story in the news about how NBC is so nervous about "Survivor" that they are going to extend "Friends" by 10 minutes. Do you kind of tip their hat in a "Survivor" style to them for playing that game of television ratings?

BURNETT: I think that they are doing exactly the right thing. I mean, it's business, it is big business. And were I NBC, I would have done exactly the same thing. The viewers will choose, and I think both shows will do very, very well. Because it seems like many viewers want to see both shows.

KAGAN: OK, you won't tell me exactly who won, but just tell me this, when you put together the original cast, you must have had kind of a gut feeling about who would win. Did your gut play out?

BURNETT: No, actually, I thought that Shawn, the doctor from Long Island, would win. And he got quite a long way in. But, clearly, Rich won. And I actually believed Rich would be the first person voted off the island.

KAGAN: Really? So it shows even the guy who created the game can't -- but what about the second time around? You had a pick? Did your pick win out?

BURNETT: No, I won't say who. But I will tell you afterwards. But I picked somebody, and yet again, I was wrong.

KAGAN: You were wrong. OK, well, that makes it fascinating. We will have to tune in and meet these new survivors and see who wins in the end. The prize, once again...

BURNETT: One million dollars.

KAGAN: A million dollars, not bad. Thanks so much, good luck with "Survivor 2."

BURNETT: Thanks, Daryn.

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