Welcome, Jeff!
FORMING REGIONAL ALLIANCES
Alliances are formed organically during casting events in different cities.
Each Alliance consists of four people from each casting event/region.
Six Alliances of four (representing six different regions) are chosen for the season.
The Alliances must form naturally (former strangers) which will be verified after potential alliances are chosen.
While casting events will continue to be individuals pitching themselves before a camera, the networking aspect of the event will encourage people to find three others they connect with and all will submit their names as an alliance.
CHARITY
The first thing the chosen Alliance will vote on is the local/regional charity that will receive half the winnings if one of them should go on to win Survivor.
(Or perhaps the newly-formed Alliance hopefuls will have to submit a short written ‘pitch’ for their chosen charity right there at the casting event?)
FORMING TRIBES
At the beginning of the Season, Tribes are created by random draw, so that:
--each of TWO Tribes start off with two members from each of the six Alliances,
so 12 members on each Tribe
OR
--each of THREE Tribes starts of with two members from four of the Alliances,
so 8 members on each Tribe (each Alliance only represented on two Tribes)
Though you will see different regions represented at the sample promo website,
for cadence purposes, we recommend this season features Alliances from states beginning with a vowel. Since this is Survivor Civil War, as wide a swath of America as possible should be represented … here are the six suggested Alliances:
--Ohio Alliance
--Iowa Alliance
--Alabama Alliance
--Idaho Alliance
--Oklahoma Alliance
--Alaska Alliance
And since we’re being so presumptuous to submit this pitch to you:
The Ohio Alliance is made up of four strangers who became fast friends while standing in line at the Survivor Casting call in Westlake, Ohio:
--Molly Anders (29, RN and College Educator)
--Alex Roth (31, Chemical Engineer)
--Garin Kroll (54, newly retired Air Traffic Controller)
--Randy DeMuesy (53, Advertising Copywriter/Creative Director)
NEW TWISTS
Every other time a reward challenge occurs, one player at random from each of the winning and losing tribes is swapped until the immunity, allowing both tribes to gain intel on each other. If it's a combined reward/immunity, the swap doesn't happen.
Shortly after the Merge, a new, special hidden idol will be made available: The Abolishment Idol. Rather than act at as shield for one tribal council, this idol allows the owner to negate—or ‘abolish’—a certain number of votes over several tribal councils: that certain number of votes will be equal to the number of the other tribe mates left when the idol is found/won. So, if the player finds the idol when there are 7 other players left on the tribe, the idol can abolish 7 votes, allowing the owner to negate ALL 7 votes at one council (which would be like using it as a traditional Immunity idol) or just abolish, say, 3 votes … leaving him/her the power to abolish 4 more votes at later councils—although, at this point, the other players will be aware of the idol and it’s remaining power.
WHY CBS SHOULD CONSIDER ‘CIVIL WAR’ THEME AND FORMAT
The current culture and the positive message Survivor can provide: right now, there is a great sense of division in the US. This is an opportunity to remind us all that ultimately—even though we are sometimes opposed and fighting each other—we can each only advance another day with the help of others.
This Alliance format will further and fully leverage the value of the casting call event (PR aspect, increased social sharing, interest and participation aspect, etc).
Aside from the sale of that season’s items during the Reunion show, you have yet to fully promote survivor as a charity show, like Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy sometimes does. And this ‘even if I can’t win, my charity still can’ element will offer a whole new interesting strategy and fresh tension to the game. Plus, the local charity aspect reemphasizes the Alliance/togetherness aspect, while still giving the winner their own prize to assure the competitive aspect.
Survivor has yet to perform a regional divide on the show (you’ve done genders, ages, professions, personal back stories, family/friends, fans vs. favorites, race, but not place of origin).
You already have buy-in from watchers regarding the pre-game aspect of pre-made alliances, with the Blood vs. Water seasons. This is the next evolution of that idea. And since a charity is at stake, there is an added reason for some viewers to feel more personally involved.
We'll be waiting for your phone call, Jeff ... 440.227.5059