New online venture. . .

Hey folks,

As you know, I considered hanging them up last fall. Though I reconsidered after realizing that Pat's Fantasy Hotlist had been a very important part of me since 2005, I've been aware for the last couple of years that I needed something new, something different.

For a long time I believed that it would be in the political field, as I received a number of invitations to join forces with other political bloggers/analysts. I also knew I wanted to do something that would allow me to blog in French as well as in English.

When I boarded that plane bound for Bucharest in June, I knew that I needed to make up my mind before my return. There were two alternatives I was juggling inside my mind. Enter the political field, which would have been very interesting. Yet I also wanted to have fun putting together this new online venture. So my second alternative ultimately won me over. If you rank among my Facebook friends, then you are probably aware that I've created a new blog last month. And after toying with the layout and a number of ideas, on July 20th it became official.

Most of you know that I'm a huge fan of the reality show Survivor since it first aired in the spring of 2000. After spending the last two years commenting and debating each new season on various online venues, I've decided to devote a little corner of the internet to my favorite TV show. In addition, since I fell in love with the French adaptation of Survivor last summer, I'd love to introduce English-speaking francophiles to Koh-Lanta.

Fear not, I won't shut down the Hotlist. This new blog is sort of an experiment for me, to see if I can "make it" reviewing another medium. A bilingual blog is also a first, I think, and some have mentioned that it might be a bit too ambitious of me to go down that road. But what do I have to lose??? Without any connections and resources, I somehow managed to make Pat's Fantasy Hotlist one of the most popular SFF blogs on the internet. So I'm game to try to do it again!

This little experiment of mine will be conducted throughout the fall season. I'll cover both Survivor: South Pacific and Koh-Lanta: Raja Ampat in tandem (as they'll run simultaneously) and see where it goes from there. They are currently shooting the 24th season of Survivor in Samoa, which will be aired in January or February 2012. Rumor has it that a new Koh-Lanta All-Stars will also be aired in the winter of 2012. Hence, if I'm having fun and people enjoy the site, I may cover those seasons as well.

As I did with the Hotlist, I want to try to make things interactive with the new blog, and I'll try to get former castaways for interviews and/or guest blogs. Time will tell which way the wind blows. . . As usual -- and I've already begun -- I'll post related news regarding both TV shows.

In order to find my new "voice," I began a rewatch of Survivor: Borneo, the very first season of Survivor. My reviews of the first four episodes have already been posted. I've done the same with Koh-Lanta: Vanuatu, first aired in 2006, which featured the first love story of the show. Yes, my review of the first episode is much longer than my Survivor reviews, but Koh-Lanta episodes last twice as long as their American counterparts.

After two back-to-back crappy seasons of Survivor and the worst Koh-Lanta season to date, the networks are promising great things for both Survivor: South Pacific and Koh-Lanta: Raja Ampat. Let us hope it will be the case. . .

So feel free to go have a look and chime in with your own two cents! You can find Redemption Island here: www.redemption-island.blogspot.com.