Survivor 'Psychic' Predictions in TV Guide Revisited

Last season, I reviewed “psychic” predictions from the Chicago Tribune that were supposed to have foretold the results of Survivor 2. As a quick summary: they didn’t. As a hint at just how bad it was in case you don’t want to go read the whole article (though I, of course, encourage you to do so), the great psychic said Tina would be out early and Debb would win.

This year, I didn’t see any specific “psychic” predictions of that nature about Survivor: Africa. However, as I mentioned in an article shortly after Survivor began, TV Guide did have four people who claim to be “psychic” make predictions about the Fall TV season (September 15 issue). Among those predictions were a Survivor: Africa one which we couldn’t answer at the time. Now we can.

The four so-called “psychics” were Shawn Robbins, Justine Kenzer, and Terry & Linda Jamison (the “psychic twins”). They were each asked what they saw happening on Survivor: Africa.

Robbins said somebody would be kicked off for being caught (and filmed) having sex with a crew member. In my previous article I pointed out that it was probably safe to say this would not come true because we likely would have already heard about it – even with Survivor’s legendary secrecy. I also noted that at least it would be easy to check at the end. Well, here we are at the end, and nobody was kicked off for anything other than having the most votes at the end of a Tribal Council. Yes, I know it’s surprising, but Robbins was wrong.

Kenzer had said a contestant would be bitten and poisoned – though not fatally – by a rare bug. She also added that she saw “strong female energy as the winner.” Let’s address the bug bite first, because it’s easy: It didn’t happen. We heard of dehydration, sliced-open hands, parasites and bacteria, etc. But no rare bug bites. OK, what about the “strong female energy” of the winner? Well, I doubt most people would consider professional soccer player Ethan Zohn to have a lot of “female energy.” While Kenzer tried to avoid making a specific prediction that it would be a woman, thus potentially being able to claim a correct prediction if, say, Brandon won, I still don’t see how anybody in their right mind could consider giving her this one. That’s not to say she won’t have her own excuses if asked, but it’s still a bit strikeout for her.

This brings us to the “psychic twins.” They said a female participant would be seriously injured from a fall. As with the rare bug bite, this simply didn’t happen. They also said something that seemed rather obvious at the time for any Survivor: “We see knock-down, drag-out fights among the contestants.” But what’s funny is that they didn’t really happen all that much this time. Sure, there was a cold war in Samburu between the elders and the kiddies, but I wouldn’t classify that as “knock-down, drag-out fights.” Of course, everybody could classify such things differently, but as I noted at the time, predicting fights on Survivor is not exactly a tough call.

I’d like to take a little space to revisit some of their other predictions. As you’ll recall, none of them predicted the September 11 attacks, even though it had a profound effect on everything in the U.S., including television. (Mind you, this didn’t stop at least some of them from claiming they predicted it. Take a look at this article I wrote about the various “psychic parasites” who have tried to use September 11 as a means to profit – included among them, indeed perhaps the worst of them, are the “psychic twins.”)

Some of their other predictions were that Robbins said something in Jason Alexander’s past would come out, forcing ABC to cancel his new series. While the series certainly was canceled, it was simply because it was bad. Want to bet if Robbins takes credit for getting that one right anyway, if ever asked? Meanwhile, the psychic twins said it would be a brilliantly funny show. Hmmm. Blew another one.

Robbins also said that Emeril Lagasse’s new show would be a classic along the lines of I Love Lucy. Yeesh. It, too, was canceled for being just plain bad. He also said Danny would be “big in the vein of Everybody Loves Raymond.” As I was just rereading this, I was thinking, Danny? I don’t even remember the show being on. And no wonder – it was canceled after two whole episodes. As yet another nail in Robbins’s coffin, he said 24’s star would demand that a new real-life love interest be written in to the story. Didn’t happen. As a final note, the twins predicted that fellow non-psychic John Edward’s Crossing Over would die quickly. I’ve never been so hopeful that a prediction would come true. Alas, it’s yet another one they got wrong.

So, all of this being true, when do you suppose we can expect TV Guide to publish a follow-up article addressing these failed predictions? If you are thinking “never,” then you are more psychic than any of the people who were mentioned in this article. Or, should I say, you are exactly as psychic as they are.

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