Reality Check: 'Ghosts' unveils 'Survivor' commentary videos
‘GHOSTS’ IN THE MACHINE Given the TV habits of the ghosts on CBS’ “Ghosts,” it seems reasonable they would be fans of “Survivor,” not-so-coincidentally also on CBS. And for living fans of either show, a new series of weekly online videos offer the ghosts’ commentary “about big moments and contestants specific to that Wednesday’s original ‘Survivor’ episode,” the network said in a news release.
The initial two spots went online last week. In the first of the 30-second videos, “Hetty’s New Obsession,” dead scoutmaster Pete (Richie Moriarty) and dead Viking warrior Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long) are watching an episode of “Survivor” when 19th-century socialite Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) walks into the room.
“What's this? Another one of your reality TV trifles?” she sniffs. As Thor and Pete begin explaining why they like the show, Hetty suddenly notices host Jeff Probst’s dimples. “Can he be eliminated?” she asks. When told no, she allows that, “Perhaps I'll watch just this once.”
If it isn’t already clear she’s been sucked into the show, we see her sitting attentively beside her two compatriots in a second spot, “Surviving on Nothing But Sven.”
“Oooh, merge coming up!” chirps Pete of the traditional joining of the show’s two tribes after enough eliminations have taken place. “You know what that means — merge feast!”
“Thank heaven,” replies Hetty. “Some of these poor souls have been surviving for days on but a mouthful of crab.” Thor then reminisces about having been shipwrecked for a month centuries ago, and who — er, what — he had to eat to survive.
The spots will air weekly through the season finale of “Survivor” in December. Additional “Ghosts” characters will appear as the season continues.
The idea for the spots came from Wisocky, “a longtime fan of ‘Survivor’ [who] helped inspire this campaign while chatting about the show with CBS Marketing staffers while at San Diego Comic-Con for ‘Ghosts’ this past summer,” the network said. “The idea was fleshed out by CBS and by ‘Ghosts’ executive producers Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, who are writing the scripts and filming the cast members for these videos on their ‘Ghosts’ set.”
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