In a TV landscapes where stratospheric hits tend to burn quickly and brightly before burning out, the metamorphosis of Survivor from national obsession to blue-chip has been something to behold. After about a year of Survivor mania, America moved on–and rather than die off, Survivor kept chugging along for the die-hards. It mirrors nothing more than Desperate Housewives, a show that remained profitable enough to air and blissfully formulaic even as its greatest impact was seen in the shows it begat and not the content freshly airing each week. Anyway, a new season starts tonight some eleven years after the Australian Outback season, so watch it if you’re curious to see how it has aged and you’re in the mood for a new weekly hour of TV that feels both strange and weirdly familiar.
Set your DVR for CBS at 8pm.
