No one realized the opportunity for this new reality television format more than Eco-Challenge producer Mark Burnett. Mark quickly went to work on a new series concept that he called Survivor. And he offered it to us. In a decision that is still debated within the halls of Discovery, we declined Mark’s invitation—and missed one of the great breakthrough series in television history. Why did we pass? The short answer is that although Survivor was, and still is, a masterful concept in pitting contestants against each other in dramatic situations, the series just seemed a bit too contrived for
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