Survivor vs. Castaways: Comparing reality competition to a documentary

This week, Castaways took 12 people and stranded them at sea in a string of islands in the South Pacific. Comparing it to Survivor, the two are different.

Anything that scratches the Survivor itch makes it easier for us to get through the long CBS offseason. Castaways is in a similar vein to Survivor but offers up a much more cerebral, slow-paced look at survival in the wild; one where companionship and togetherness help you thrive over adversity.

That said, there are some shallow comparisons, some pros and cons for either program and interesting ways Survivor can improve based on ABC’s production. That’s why we’re going to break down the Castaways premiere and how its documentary format helps and hurts its survival entertainment value.

Castaways is an individual “game,” until it’s not

Every season of Survivor sees players split up into two, three or sometimes four tribes, where players are marooned or sent to live in separate camps while coming together every few days for a challenge. Once enough people are eliminated, the “we” game becomes the “me” game, and it’s a fight until you’re one of the last few in the game and the jury picks you to win.

Castaways has players stranded throughout the Indonesian islands and must find supplies scattered throughout their starting locations. Backpacks might not even be theirs, tools might not come in handy, shelters might be more protective than others; it’s the luck of the draw. Furthermore, you’re stranded for an undetermined length of time until you quit or are rescued.

As such, most will search out others and help each other try to survive in the wild. One of the first big moments of the show is Robbie, a large man, overcoming his weight challenges to swim across a large body of water over to another castaway, only to stop midway at another abandoned shelter. He eventually meets up with Kenzi, who has his bag of stuff.

The chance meeting, the intrigue of the unknown; Castaways brings people together, while Survivor eventually separates one another.

Survivor paints a bigger picture; Castaways takes vignettes

Something that became immediately apparent is that this documentary approach to Castaways means focusing on the story of the week. Kenzi and Robbie getting together became so much of the focus that it presented its own narrative, with highlights from the other 10 participants here and there.

Survivor, as much as they have castaways that don’t get their fair share of camera time, does put every action into the context of the season, offering up the perspectives of many instead of narrowing down to just a few. It’s a game show, so it does need to focus on as many sources as possible to avoid painting too obvious a picture for the winner.

When Kenzi abandoned Robbie to cap off the episode, it became clear that the strength of Castaways’ narrative is on the smaller scale, checking on on the most dramatic moments week to week. Though it means not getting to know half the casts now, it should mean learning them all much better in the end.

Characters on Castaways, swindlers on Survivor

It’s been said a few times, but the two shows do not follow the exact same format. Both involve real people in a social experiment told to survive weeks at a time away from society, but only Castaways presents the characters as those with nothing to gain.

There’s a big focus on the people both on and off the island, presenting their drama and why they’re in Indonesia trying to become something else. Whether it’s to lose weight, overcome the struggles of an overbearing family, make a better life in the US or something else, you get to see a bigger picture behind peoples’ actions.

This narrow vision of each character is best illustrated with the journals, as the characters pour their hearts out to themselves while others read their inner-most thoughts. It helps set the stage while paving the way for more drama and character progression down the line.

Kenzi’s distrust of others may come from her dream of making it as a singer, but it permeates through her decision to abandon Robbie. However, her abandonment feeds into Robbie’s issues as someone who was abandoned as a kid, showing that there can be hero/villain dynamics in a show where everyone has a common goal.

Luck of the draw

Depending on where you start, where you go and what’s available, certain people in Castaways will have it easier or harder than others. Being in close proximity to others helps, especially when you’re younger and team up with another young adult to survive.

Only Survivor Fiji makes it unfair from the start which players have it easier or harder, as the “Have or Have-Not” twist made it easier for those in power to steamroll through to the end. Those on Castaways have to rely on what supplies wash up on shore, as well as who prepared well for the game.

Views from the Six (Indonesian islands)

One thing that Castaways has going for it so far, beyond the drama, are the visuals. The show is filmed in a more cinematic fashion, looking something out of a modern indie film that explores the human condition over a long-running reality competition machine slapped together in a factory-like assembly line.

Whether it’s overhead shots, panning shots over the trees, long-distance lens views or exposition, Castaways might be the most gorgeous show on television at the moment. There are even  It has us compelled and wanting more.