'Survivor' Down Under: Preview To Sequel

You're outta the outback, mate!

SURVIVOR II

Sneak peek at "Survivor II." The Sole 'Survivor' Is ... Rich

Viewers watching the "Survivor" reunion hosted by Bryant Gumbel Wednesday, received a sneak peek at the sequel to the immensely-popular show.

The first series shot on the tropical paradise Pulau Tiga, an island in the South China Sea. The second "Survivor" will plunk 16 contestants down in the middle of the Australian Outback.

I can hear the intro music now -- didgeridoo honks and Aboriginal chants replacing the familiar conch shell blare and island singing of the original "Survivor" theme.

"Survivor II: The Australian Outback" begins filming in the next few months and premieres Jan. 28, 2001 after the Super Bowl.

Host Jeff Probst explained that the conditions in the Outback will be just as harsh as those on Pulau Tiga. In some cases, they will be worse. The climate is dry and hot, with less respite available from the shade of trees.

The tribal council will take place atop a roaring waterfall, on a vast rocky cliff.

Setting for new Tribal Council

The 16 stranded contestants must survive the conditions and play the game according to the same rules that governed the original "Survivor," notably: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast.

Richard Hatch, the winner of the first "Survivor" contest, had expressed interest in hosting the second series, but those duties will be filled again by Probst.

Producers have already wading through hundreds of thousands of applications from poeple wanting to take part in "Survivor II." They will decide on their semi-finalists within the next few weeks.

More than six times the amount of people applied to be on the show this time than did for the original series.