Survivor needs more outright hostility and brutality.
In fact, screw all that voting people off crap. They need to either drive them off (shunning – more like Lord of the Flies) or just wear them down till they leave on their own. And all the game show contests? Come on. I want to see attacks by native tribesman, and by local fauna. More work on building better shelters (maybe wash them away in Monsoons every day or two). Robinson Crusoe never had to assemble f’n jigsaw puzzle pieces. And like Tom Hanks on castaway, I say just leave ’em out there for years and only check back now and then, unannounced. Don’t let them know they’ll ever get home. Last person to leave the island alive – gets the cash. If and when someone comes to rescue them.
I’m also thinking, instead of selecting a few camera-ready contestants, just let anyone play. You’ve got to get yourself to the pickup point – Honolulu or something – and then they take everyone out and drop them on the island. Bring whatever supplies you can carry (tho in the interest of prolonging the agony I’d disallow guns). No doubt it’d start with several thousand people, but they’d quickly taper off and form themselves into tribes. After a few weeks, massive numbers of people who shouldn’t have showed up in the first place, would be desparate to get home. Then as resources got scarce, the tribes would start warring on their own. Being a cameraman would probably be pretty hazardous duty as well. I know – have volunteer cameramen, too – provide them some food incentive, give ’em sturdy videocams and solar chargers, make ’em drop their tapes off on a regular basis.
Of course I won’t be satisfied till there’s outright cannibalism.