XFINITY TV's Gordon Holmes (XFINITY)
NOTE: Voting for the 2015 “Survivor” Hall of Fame has ended. Be sure to check back Monday afternoon to meet the first new member of the Class of 2015.
ANOTHER NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: Second Chance” coverage. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Worlds Apart” faves Jenn Brown and Max Dawson, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.
As the Senior Chairman of the Executive Voting Committee, Gordon Holmes has an awesome responsibility. His vote (along with Host Jeff Probst, Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer and other “Survivor” luminaries) will make up 50% of the final tally for entry into the prestigious ‘Survivor’ Hall of Fame. The other 50% came from “Survivor” fans like you.
Gordon Holmes is a Managing Producer at Comcast and the lead “Survivor” guy for XFINITY TV. He’s been hooked on “Survivor” from the moment he first saw Jeff Probst kick sixteen strangers off a boat and into the sea back in May of 2000. Gordon has visited the set of “Survivor” on seven separate occasions (“Gabon,” “Nicaragua,” “South Pacific,” “Philippines,” “Blood vs. Water,” “Worlds Apart,” and “Second Chance”) and boasts an Ozzy-esque 8-1 immunity challenge record. He also ranks second behind Michael Skupin when it comes to injuries incurred in the Philippines.
Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”
Gordon Holmes’s 2015 Hall of Fame Ballot
Rudy Boesch – (“Survivor: Borneo” and “Survivor: All-Stars”): I said it last year, and I’ll say it again; some people vote for personalities, some people vote for season domination, I vote for icons.
And Rudy Boesch is an icon.
If you’ve never seen “Survivor: Borneo,” give it a watch. For those of you who have, it’s weird right? It’s almost like a documentary. Jeff Probst is providing weird narration. “Alliance” is a dirty word. It was a different world.
But the truth is, if Rudy Boesch and Richard Hatch hadn’t put a twist on TV’s classic “Odd Couple” formula, the show might not have captured the nation’s imagination and it might not have become a cultural phenomenon. The world might have never ever heard of Parvati Shallow, “Boston” Rob Mariano, or Russell Hantz.
Rudy has my vote every year until he’s enshrined in the “Survivor” Hall of Fame.
Jerri Manthey – (“Survivor: The Australian Outback,” “Survivor: All-Stars,” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”): Is it lazy to cut and paste my Jerri vote from last year? Totally. Am I OK with it because it’s one of my favorite “Survivor” pieces? Yes.
More so than any other long-time player, Jerri had the most satisfying character arc over her three-season run.
(OK, it’s weird to say a real person has had a character arc, but stick with me.)
From Marquesas to “Redemption Island,” Boston Rob matured and learned from his mistakes, but he’s pretty much the same guy. From Australia to “Heroes vs. Villains,” Colby seemed to become disillusioned with the game, but he’s pretty much the same guy. Rupert’s the same, Ozzy’s the same, Hatch is the same.
Jerri’s not the same.
She was the most hated player on the show’s most watched season during “The Australian Outback.” This notoriety earned her appearances on countless television shows, the cover of Playboy magazine, and more.
Years later during “All-Stars” it was clear that the negative sentiment had finally gotten to her when she left the stage after being booed at the reunion show.
Then finally she emerged during “Heroes vs. Villains” as a woman who was comfortable in her own skin. If you didn’t like her, that was too damn bad. And the funny thing was, everyone liked her.
And I like her too.
So to recap, hated caterpillar in Australia, retreats into her cocoon in “All-Stars,” beautiful butterfly in “Heroes vs. Villains.” And in my book, a Hall of Famer.
Tina Wesson – (“Survivor: The Australian Outback,” “Survivor: All-Stars,” and “Survivor: Blood vs. Water”): I was torn between three people for my final vote; Rupert Boneham, Colby Donaldson, and Tina Wesson. Rupert, because he for better or for worse is the face of “Survivor” for many people. Colby, because he’s the person most people think of when they remember the show’s most-watched season. And Tina, because of her win in Australia and her impressive run in “Blood vs. Water.”
So, I popped “The Australian Outback” in for some inspiration. And, a funny thing happened on the way to the voting booth…I realized that Tina was a lot better than I had been giving her credit for. For some reason I’d always been under the impression that it was Colby’s mistake that won it for her. But, I was very wrong. And then when you include how well she adapted to the modern game, you have a clear leader in the trio. Sure, I’ll vote for Colby and Rupert when I have more ballot space, but until then, I’m Team Wesson.
Visit the “Survivor” Hall of Fame for executive ballots from Jeff Probst, Parvati Shallow, Rob Cesternino, and others.
Follow @SurvivorHall on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates.
The “Survivor” off season is finally upon us. While for most people that means an extra hour free on Wednesday nights, for me it means a break from Power Rankings, episode recaps, and exit interviews. I hardly know what to do with myself.
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