This Saturday, May 31, 2025 marks the 25-year anniversary of the premiere of CBS’s Survivor.
This series changed the United States broadcast networks—and other forms of television—with what has been identified by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which administers the primetime Emmys, as Reality–Competition Programming.
Created by Mark Burnett, the series is hosted by Jeff Probst, and casts at least 16 “Castaways” who live on an island, in a real location (filmed on location), in efforts to “Outwit. Outplay. Outlast.”
The first edition of Survivor, which premiered on May 31, 2000, was titled Borneo. (Below picture is of its participating castaways.)
I was late to the series. I started with the second edition, which was broadcast in Spring 2001, titled The Austrian Outback.
Survivor won a top Emmy in 2001. Probst won four Emmys for Outstanding Reality-Competition Host.
I stopped watching Survivor after the Fall 2019 edition included a participant who inappropriately touched at least one woman, and wasn’t timely pulled from the game, but was finally taken out late in the game. That did it for me.
During the time I regularly followed, it was an intriguing concept to have people from different areas of the U.S. live together on an island, struggle, participate in competitions, and strategize to stay in the game to go all the way to the end. And win. That is Survivor.
I will be taking several weeks off from writing and publishing specific political topics in order to cover some entertainment and milestone anniversaries. This will apply to the last two weeks in May and throughout most or all of June.
This week addresses two of my latest television picks which I find entertaining and enjoyable. The first is a new series. The second is a nearly 125-year-old professional sports team returning to greatness.
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Open Gates
On February 24, 2025, CBS debuted Beyond the Gates, the first daytime soap launched in over twenty-five years by any of the traditional broadcast networks in the United States.
Beyond the Gates comes from the imagination of Sheila Ducksworth, who co-executive produces the series. The production boasts a cast of characters who are dominantly Black. It is the first such daytime soap on a U.S. broadcast network.
As one who took in plenty of the daytime dramas in decades past, it is not a genre which turns me off. Involvement in following such productions is more than what I usually want to give of my time. So, for the time being, I am giving Gates a chance.
I applaud Ducksworth, series creator and co-executive producer and head writer Michele Val Jean, and the production as whole for a very good reason. Most of the new daytime soaps I checked out, throughout many years, and just as they premiered, were not good. They were not in shape. They were not interesting. It would take at least a year to come to fruition. Sometimes more. Beyond the Gates is already strong.
Nicole is married to surgeon Ted (first played by Maurice Johnson; now played by Keith D. Robinson). Their adult children are Martin (Brandon Claybon) and Kat (Colby Muhammad). They also have adopted adult son Andrè (Sean Freeman). Revealed early in the series is that Ted years ago had an affair with a dangerous woman named Leslie (Trisha Mann–Grant), who has used aliases, and they produced daughter Eva (Ambyr Michelle).
Dani is divorced, after 30 years, from unethical attorney Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett). They have adult daughters Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) and Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla). Established from the first episode is Bill, divorced from Dani, engaged and newly wed to the young woman with whom he had an affair. She is Hayley (Marquita Goings), seemingly naive, who used to have a friendship with Naomi.
Martin, who is gay and a congressman, is married to journalist Bradley “Smitty” (Mike Manning). They have adopted children. Kat, who isn’t given a profession (but is analytical), has an antagonistic connection to Eva. They both seem interested in the same man, Tomas (Alex Alegria), who works for Bill at his law firm. Andrè, a photographer, is interested in unavailable nurse Ashley (Jen Jacob), who is in a relationship with fireman Derek (Ben Gavin).
Naomi, an attorney who helps her community, is married to police detective Jacob (JibreHordges). Chelsea, a former model who is launching a clothing design business, is bisexual and exploring. (One scene had Chelsea asking Martin about threesomes. That isn’t often on Network TV.)
The community, named Fairmont Crest, is also connected to realtor Vanessa (Lauren Buglioli). She is married to a surgeon with a gambling addiction. Vanessa has friendships with Nicole and Dani. She has the respect of Anita and Vernon.
The series, as I mentioned, has started out well. Ball is rolling. It does need to more effectively integrate Ashley and Derek, who are also friends with Naomi and Jacob, as their relationship is spiraling. I would recommend the same with the background of “Smitty.” I noticed actors Jacob and Manning look physically like they can play family members—cousins is more likely—while sending Derek to lonely and unfulfilled real-estate wife Vanessa can create surprising story.
The action with Beyond the Gates, with what especially works, is with the Duprees. Dani is a fiery. Nicole is regal. They have experienced cheating husbands. But the bedrocks are Anita and Vernon, wise and relatable parents and grandparents, who lead and protect their family whenever necessary.
This is a fine cast. Three performances already stand out as meriting Emmy nominations in 2026: Tunie, whose role was specially created for her, is divine. Also recognized for her work as a medical examiner on NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Tunie is an actress who does not come across acting. … Mosley, at times bitter and other times alluring, has stood out right from Episode One. … Mann–Grant is terrific and fearless, and not over the top, as her character is clearly deranged.
Three of the Gates cast members have had major awards recognition. Though she was never Emmy-nominated for her work on the former CBS soap As the World Turns, Tunie won a 2007 Tony Award as one of the producers for Best Musical Spring Awakening. Davis was recognized, in 1972, with nominations for both a Grammy (1971 R&B Song for “Never Can Say Goodbye” recorded by Jackson 5) and a Tony (Best Actor in a Musical for Best Musical winner Two Gentleman of Verona).… Manning, who has been with other daytime soaps, won two Emmys—his first as a producer; his second as a performer—for the Internet-based serial The Bay.
Last week, and in time for this publishing date, CBS renewed Beyond the Gates for a second season.
Following is an interview with Ducksworth, Duplaix, and Tunie from The Paley Center for Media.
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Roaring Tigers
Last year was not just luck.
After clawing their way into the 2024 Major League Baseball postseason, the 2025 Detroit Tigers are leading not only their American League Central division. With the games of Sunday, May 18, 2025, Detroit Tigers leads the entire AL with a record of 31–16 and .660. If that isn’t enough…Detroit Tigers also have the best record in all of MLB. Currently in battle for the best record in the National League, and tied 29–18 and .617, are the NL East New York Mets and the NL West Los Angeles Dodgers.
So I am now into following Detroit Tigers. I am watching via the FanDuel Sports streaming app.
I was amazed by last week’s three-game sweep, at Detroit’s Comerica Park, of Boston Red Sox. It was due to one player from Game #02, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. In extra innings, bottom of the 11th, centerfielder Javier Báez hit a three-run, walk-off homer that won Tigers the game with 10 to 9 runs. It was not just that moment. The 32-year-old Baez (who won the 2016 World Series with Chicago Cubs and was co-winner of the 2016 National League Championship Series MVP) had another three-run homer earlier in the game. He alone drove in 6 of his team’s 10 runs.
The pitching is excellent. Last November, 28-year-old ace Tarik Skubal, above, won the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s 2024 AL Cy Young award with unanimous No. 1 votes by all 30 of the AL sportswriters. He also won the pitching triple crown: Wins-vs.-Losses (18-4), Earned Run Average (2.39) and Strikeouts (228). The left-hander is a pleasure to watch. Tigers are lucky to have him.
Following is “Game Highlights: Javier Báez Three-Run Walk-Off Home Run | 5/13/25” published to YouTube by the channel of Detroit Tigers.
Music legend Stevie Wonder turns 75 on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
He was born May 13, 1950.
Wonder was born in Saginaw, Michigan. (Side note: Given most of the content here is about politics…Saginaw is the county seat and most-populous city in Saginaw County, a state-level bellwether county in bellwether state Michigan.)
My favorite Wonder album is 1976’s Songs in the Key of Life. The LP, one of his three Grammy winners for Album of the Year, includes “As,” “I Wish,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” “Sir Duke,” and “Summer Soft.” And I am partial to “Knocks Me Off My Feet.”
I will post, in the Comments, some music I like from Stevie Wonder.
It is now a full three-plus months since Donald Trump returned to the office of President of the United States. (This week’s publishing date also marks six months since Election Day 2024.)
There has also been an acknowledgment that 100 days have passed.
I will give my two-cents on his performance.
In the 2024 United States presidential election, the No. 1 issue—for most people—was Inflation. It still is. This is the No. 1 issue to deal with.
Trump is avoiding Inflation.
That, right there, and before delving into even more issues, is enough for me to write off Trump Part II.
I write off the second term of Trump because—given the wasted time on DOGE and the inappropriate involvement with Elon Musk, the tariffs, the censorship, the continued deference to a foreign country—there isn’t a thing which has me impressed.
