All that Paolo Bediones is asking is to have Internet connection on the remote island where the Philippine version of the US reality show “Survivor” will most probably be shot. Explains Bediones, who landed the coveted “Survivor” hosting gig on GMA 7: “I need e-mail, to keep in touch with my business partners in Manila (for such ventures as a dental clinic and a production house). If we can’t bring cell phones, a satellite phone would do. ”
Apart from those two urban luxuries, Bediones is ready to rough it.
“For 39 days, the staff and I will be living in conditions similar to those of the 16 castaways,” he notes.
He says he’s willing to make the same sacrifices as the contestants. “Some of them will need to quit or take a leave from their jobs. They won’t see their family for over a month.”
Same with Bediones who also has to give up several jobs. “My other show, ‘Tok! Tok! Tok! Isang Milyon, Pasok,’ will go on a break next month and resume airing in August,” he says.
Before embarking on the trip, Bediones and the 100-man crew will undergo survival training, as well as rigorous medical and physical examinations.
The contestants will also take the same battery of tests, says Bediones. “A psychologist will be on board to assess the castoffs. We want to make sure that they’ll be able to cope with the show’s physical and mental demands. We don’t want to cast a potential serial killer and literally turn the show into a game of survival.”
Criteria for host
Number one criterion for the host, says program manager Neil B. Gumban, is “physical fitness.” Since Bediones anchored the GMA 7 reality contest “Extra Challenge” for two and a half years, Gumban says the former model is “perfect” as host of the “world’s most unique social experiment.”
“‘Extra Challenge’ gave me the foundation, in terms of building credibility,” recalls Bediones. “On that show, I would often do the same stunts required of our celebrity-contestants—like rappelling down the GMA 7 building.”
Another requirement is the willingness to pore over the 169-page production bible of the world-famous franchise. “It was a chance to learn from a show that has become a worldwide success,” Bediones says. “It’s exciting to find out how they did it.”
He admits he’s a “big fan” of the US series hosted by Jeff Probst. “I’ve seen most of the episodes,” he relates.
He has no specific dream destination for “RP Survivor.” He points out, “Since we’re just starting, perhaps we should set it in familiar territory. It would be great to work in a tropical location with a beach where the contestants can perform the different challenges.”
At press time, GMA 7 has yet to decide whether to set it locally or abroad (which is the tradition).
Possibilities
According to executive producer Donna Medina, other international editions of “Survivor” have been shot in the Philippines. “Twice in El Nido, Palawan, and we heard ‘Survivor France’ was recently shot in Camarines Sur.”
The Philippines, says Medina, is the second Oriental “Survivor” after Japan. (Although there were also versions in Pakistan, Israel and the Middle East.)
Bediones asserts: “Perhaps in future editions, we can go to Africa and Australia. Or even Antarctica and turn it into a game of how many toes you can keep by the end of the show.”
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