Survivor: Pearl Islands (also broadcast as Survivor: Pearl Islands — Panama) is the seventh season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2003 and debuted in the United States on CBS on September 18, 2003.
The show takes place on the Pearl Islands, off the coast of Panama, and had a pirate culture theme. The two original tribes were Drake (named for Sir Francis Drake) and Morgan (named for Henry Morgan). Eventually the two were merged into the Balboa tribe (named after the injured snake Rupert found).
Office clerk Sandra Diaz-Twine defeated Scoutmaster Lillian Morris in a landslide 6-1 vote.
Firsts for this season: (1) first time ever that previously eliminated contestants returned to the game, (2) first ever episode with two tribes attending Tribal Council, (3) first contestant ever to voluntarily remove him/herself from the game (Osten Taylor), (4) first season to have an episode begin with a Tribal Council (Episode 8, "What the...(Part 2)"), and (5) first contestant (Burton Roberts) ever to be voted out twice in a season.
The complete season, including the Live Reunion Show, was released on DVD on February 7, 2006.
Pearl Islands has been represented in three of the succeeding seasons that featured returning contestants. Rupert Boneham returned to the Pearl Islands for Survivor: All-Stars, placing 4th. Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton briefly participated in Survivor: Micronesia, before getting voted out in the first episode. While neither won either of these seasons, Boneham did win $1,000,000 in Survivor: America's Tribal Council, several days after the All-Stars finale.
Boneham again returned to Survivor with Pearl Islands winner Sandra Diaz-Twine to participate in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, the 20th season of Survivor. Boneham was a member of the Heroes Tribe and Diaz-Twine was a Member of the Villains' Tribe. Boneham finished 6th while Diaz-Twine was the winner, making her the first two-time winner of Survivor.
Read more about Survivor: Pearl Islands: Season Summary, Contestants, The Game, Voting History
Famous quotes containing the word pearl:
“For the first fourteen years for a rod they do whine,
For the next as a pearl in the world they do shine,
For the next trim beauty beginneth to swerve,
For the next matrons or drudges they serve,
For the next doth crave a staff for a stay,
For the next a bier to fetch them away.”
—Thomas Tusser (c. 1520–1580)