I am – Hercules!!


If anybody deserves another shot at the million-dollar “Survivor” prize it’s Yao-Man Chan, who played masterfully but had victory snatched from him in the final episode by the deceitful Dreamz, who betrayed Yao after Yao gave Dreamz a new truck. The prize went instead to Yao’s partner, Earl, the first survivor to win by unanimous vote.

The other reason to watch “Survivor: Micronesia,” which premieres tonight, is the opportunity to gauge the mutual loathing shared by show host Jeff Probst and Jon “Fairplay” Dalton, a loathing both men confessed in a recent issue of TV Guide.

If you’re just tuning in, the theme this season is “Favorites Vs. Fans”: one tribe composed of vets; the other of starstruck viewers. A rundown of the “faves”:

FROM SEASON 7 (PEARL ISLANDS):
Jon “Fairplay” Dalton, 33, lying liar.

FROM SEASON 9 (VANUATU):
Eliza Orlins, 25, hot law student.
Ami Cusack, 34, Playboy model and barista.

FROM SEASON 12 (PANAMA):
Cirie Fields, 37, couch potato, fearer of leaves.

FROM SEASON 13 (COOK ISLANDS):
Jonathan Penner, 45, abandoner of Yul and Becky.
Ozzy Lusth, 26, challenge monster and porn star.
Parvati Shallow, 25, smiley cocktail waitress/boxer.

FROM SURVIVOR 14 (FIJI):
Yao-Man Chan, 55, betrayed by his Dreamz.

FROM SEASON 15 (CHINA):
Amanda Kimmel, 23, Amazonian former beauty queen.
James Clement, 30, bodybuilder/grave-digger.

Dalton is the only contestant who played prior to the 2004 All-Stars edition.

Newbies include a commercial builder, a business owner, a personal trainer, a writer/actor, a firefighter, a golf-course vendor, an ice cream scooper, and a beauty pageant coach. Four of the 10 newbies are in their twenties; seven are 34 or younger; the oldest newbie is 48.

Find video interviews with all the Micronesia contestants here.

8 p.m. Thursday. CBS.

The Second Five Episodes of Season Eight!!