Surviving the Coup

Posted by Deanna Couras Goodson Dec 14, 2006

Commodore Frank Bainimarama has just overthrown the government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase in Fiji. You might be wondering why we're discussing this here at the Reality TV site. Well, Survivor's 14th installment is currently being filmed in a remote island in Fiji, where the coup took place.

Uh-oh! Does this mean our "Survivors" might be in danger?

There's no need to worry. Most of the action related to the coup was limited to Suva, Fiji's capital. It's on the island of Viti Levu. The castaways are not there. They're on Vanua Levu, about a 30-minute flight away.

CBS has pulled out some production staff from the capital. There have also been some problems with travel and delivery of supplies, but otherwise the series hasn't been affected.

"Our producers on location have been assured by the Fiji military that we are safe on the remote island where we are filming and that our cast and crew will be permitted to leave the country safely when the show wraps production," said CBS spokesman Chris Ender.

Of course, "Survivor: Fiji" could face different issues. Multiple landowners in Labasa, the largest town on the island of Vanua Levu, have accused the Native Land Trust Board of negotiating a terrible deal with the show's crew. They maintain that filming has occurred in 'taboo areas' and the shoot is violating the villagers' ancestral lands.

Locals say it's gonna cost a lot of money to perform rituals to get rid of the 'bad vibes' from the shoot.