This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Aaaarrrrrggghhhh! There be pirates on TV!
There's something about those swaggering swashbucklers. They're a hit in theaters ("Pirates of the Caribbean"), hot on the Internet (sites that teach you how to talk like a pirate) and the subject of their own holiday, Talk Like a Pirate Day. They could give Ninjas a serious run for their marketing money.
Now Mark Burnett, the godfather of reality shows who has hits with "Survivor," "The Apprentice" and "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?," is bringing buccaneers to the boob tube for CBS.
"Pirate Master," which debuts May 31 on KUTV Channel 2, has 16 wannabe scoundrels boarding a 179-foot ship to sail around the Caribbean area of Dominica for 33 days. The goal: to find $1 million in treasure.
That makes Burnett one of the busiest producers in show business with another reality series, "On the Lot," to debut on Fox May 22. That series, which he co-produces with filmmaker Steven Spielberg, has contestants making short films for a shot at a contract with Spielberg's DreamWorks studio.
From the sound of it, "Pirate Master" will be a mix of "Survivor" - with weekly challenges and a "Pirate's Court" in which someone is "cut adrift" each week - and "The Apprentice," in which a captain is assigned to each team every week to order the shipmates around on certain tasks.
It combines America's favorite obsessions - reality TV and the adventurous life of a sea dog - in one enticing package. This is likely to be another monster hit for Burnett.
You're fired! On the other hand, Burnett's other flagship offering, the once "greatest television show in the history of the world" known as "The Apprentice," has been tanking in the ratings like Krispy Kreme stock.
If NBC decides to yank the show, which the network should consider doing after a snoozer of a season in Los Angeles, Burnett promises he'll shop it to another network, according to the New York Post.
"If you think I'm going to let 'The Apprentice' end, even if it's not on NBC, that's not going to happen. Donald Trump is too big of a name," he told the Post.
You're hired! Meanwhile, that other Burnett property known as "Survivor," which is still holding its own as a sometimes-top-10 reality show, has picked China for its 15th excursion, according to Variety. (See story on Page E14.)
Maybe what Burnett should be concentrating on besides exotic locations - it certainly didn't work switching coasts for "The Apprentice" - is recruiting interesting cast members.
You're tired! Once on top, NBC has been in the ratings cellar since the departure of such stalwart series as "Friends" and "Frasier" several years ago.
Now the network can't get any lower.
Last week, NBC reportedly fell to its lowest average number of viewers in some 20 years, according to Nielsen Media Research, which tallies ratings for television.
That despite what I consider the best collection of series from a broadcast network, led by "Heroes," "Friday Night Lights" and "The Office." NBC is also the home of other critically acclaimed fare like "Scrubs."
That means the Peacock Network will be doing some serious shuffling of the schedule this fall and likely will have a bigger plate of new shows than the other networks, so don't be surprised if a favorite NBC series is moved to a different day next season.