Fox's American Idol has been the summer's big hit, but on Sept. 19,
CBS brings back its reality powerhouse, Survivor, for a fifth edition.
This time, the 16 survivors will have to brave the wilds of Koh Tarutao, a
remote island off the southern coast of Thailand, during monsoon season.
The 16 lucky contestants were announced Thursday on CBS' The Early
Show, and they are: Jake Billingsley, soon-to-be 61, a land broker from
McKinney, Texas; Erin Collins, 26, a real estate agent from Austin, Texas;
Stephanie Dill, 29, a firefighter from Fayetteville, Ark.; Jan Gentry, 53, a
first-grade teacher from Tampa, Fla.; Helen Glover, 47, a Navy swim instructor
from Middletown, R.I.; Brian Heidik, 34, a used-car salesman from Quartz
Hill, Calif.; Jed Hildebrand, 25, a dental student from Dallas; Shii Ann Huang,
28, an executive recruiter from New York; Ghandia Johnson, 33, a legal
secretary from Denver; Clay Jordan, 46, a restaurant owner in Monroe,
La.; Penny Ramsey, 27, a pharmaceutical saleswoman from Plano, Texas; John
Raymond, 40, a pastor from Slidell, La.; Ted Rogers Jr., 37, a software-development manager from Durham, N.C.; Ken Stafford, 30, a police officer from
Brooklyn, N.Y.; Tanya Vance, 27, a social worker from Gray, Tenn.; and Robb
Zbacnik, a bartender from Scottsdale, Ariz.
Jeff Probst again will host.
Last season saw two editions of the show, Survivor: Africa and
Survivor: Marquesas, both of which placed in the top five in total viewers
and fifth and sixth in adults 18 through 49.
