Product Description

Twenty Americans are stranded in Palau, the South Pacific paradise some call the 8th natural wonder of the world, where colorful wildlife, dense jungles and an underwater world beyond belief are haunted by the wreckage and remnants of World War II. From the beginning, the game will be changed in a dramatic way: everything the Survivors have come to expect will be wiped out in the first 10 minutes. Who will outwit, outplay, and outlast all others in Palau?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7429 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2006-08-29
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: .70 pounds
• Running time: 60 minutes

Amazon.com
Broadcast in early 2005, Survivor Palau was the tenth season of the kingpin reality show, and one of the best. The challenges were often brutal, and the cast was diverse and interesting: Tom, the NYC firefighter, one of the most dominating competitors in the history of the show; gangly dolphin trainer Ian; commanding Jolanda; tattooed fireball Angie; Southern gentleman Bobby Jon; towering Coby; redneck James; Vegas showgirl Janu; schoolteacher Wanda, who wrote her own lyrics for, and didn't stop singing, Survivor-themed songs; and arch-eyebrowed Stephenie. Before the season was over, there would be a setting of teams using a "schoolyard pick" system that eliminated two of the 20 contestants right off the bat, some romance, a shark kill, the first appearance of Exile Island (which would be a bigger factor in later seasons), a marathon final-three challenge with a surprising ending, and a contestant who some fans considered the best female competitor ever and others considered the most overrated.

Each season of Survivor has its signature moments, and in Palau two challenges stood out. One was the two tribes marching in a circle in the surf, each carrying weights while trying to catch up to the other tribe. The other was a slugfest in which contestants from the two tribes stood on a small platform and tried to knock each other into the water. Two of the contestants turned out to be popular enough to make a return appearance in a later season. On the DVDs are 45 minutes of featurettes with new interviews of Tom, Ian, Stephenie, Bobby Jon, Katie, Jen, Gregg, and Caryn remembering highlights of the season. The eight then broke into two groups of four to record spirited and nostalgic commentary tracks on a total of five episodes. In a well-meaning statement of the obvious, the menu warns against listening to the commentaries if you don't already know who won. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Awesome!
I am so glad this season is getting released on DVD. It is one of my favorites, with one of the most beautiful locations the show has ever gone to. In addition, this season had a great cast of people with a lot of great challenges. However, what this season is best known for is its "firsts." I won't go into details for the sake of spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen it, but if you like exciting Tribal Councils, an out-and-out war between two tribes (fitting for a location and season that had war as its central theme), one of the most popular contestants of all time (Stephenie), and fun, exciting challenges, then you can't beat Palau. The location itself represents, as Jeff Probst points out in his opening monologue, the war wreckage scattered throughout the island and the water around it provide a haunting reminder of man's violent past and nature's power to reclaim. Palau represents everything about Survivor that we love, so buy this DVD set, sit back, and enjoy! You won't be sorry!

It's in the upper half.
This is at the bottom of the "quality" seasons of Survivor. The reason why - sheer dominance. Koror beats Ulong in almost every challenge pre-merge; and every immunity challenge. After merge, Tom and Ian take every immunity challenge. Never was such a show of dominance seen in Survivor.

On top of that, the season had the most deserving winner of any season. I won't spoil who it is, but you can probably guess from the DVD cover.

Why Palau? Cuz It's One of the Finest Survivor Tales Ever Told
If "Survivor" seasons were novels, "Survivor: Palau" would be considered one of the finest volumes in the series. Why? Amazing, bigger-than-life characters wrapped in a suspenseful storyline that has a satisfying ending!
The first half tells the tale of a tribe who, through no obvious fault of their own, are seemingly cursed. All these years later, I still remember Bobby Jon as a heartbreaking tragic character. In mid-story, the heroine slips through the jaws of doom... we cheer! But, will she survive? I think that Stephanie is still, to this day, the most popular woman ever on "Survivor".
The "matter of the heart" as we near the climax is an unexpected twist, but totally works in context. And then, finally, FINALLY... the player who dominates the story wins in the end. Having found myself feeling cheated many times before by juries that could not rise above their own hurts and acknowledge the obvious (Colby in "Outback" and Boston Rob in "AllStars" come to mind) here credit is given where credit is due. Three cheers!
The producers are doing those who haven't seen "Survivor" a favor by releasing them in the order that they have: they've skipped over a number of seasons because, quite truthfully, they just aren't very good seasons. "Survivor: Palau" totally justifies its release. 4 stars only cuz I haven't seen the DVD release yet. Let's hope the technicals are as good as the superior storyline.