Survivor the show that started the reality TV craze is back with its latest installment, Survivor Season 11 the Maya Empire. CBS will be keeping with its tested and proven formula of abandoning contestants in remote locations where they will live, work, and compete together for 39 days to win the 1 million dollar prize.

For this season contestants will be sent to Yaxhá-Nakum-Naranjo National Park in the jungles of Guatemala. The site is an ancient Maya city complete with Mayan pyramids. Contestants will be split into two tribes the named Nakum and Yaxha who will compete against each other in weekly challenges. Producer Mark Burnett and SEG Entertainment will be returning along with popular host Jeff Probst. They have promised to keep the show interesting this season with not just one surprise but two.

The choice of the shows location was not without some controversy, originally set to be filmed in the South Pacific producers had to change the venue after the tsunami at the end of 2004. The producers eventually decided the offer from Guatemala was the best. The Guatemalan government and board of tourism are hoping for a boost in travel to for the country as result of the show.

Recently there has been a trend among reality TV shows to find ways to cast famous or popular celebrities, and Survivor is trying this as well. The most well known of all the contestants is ex Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Gary Hogeboom. Many fans wonder if his notoriety will work against him on the show. Another popular contestant is sports radio talk show host Danni Boatwright. In addition to being a broadcaster Ms. Boatwright is the ex-wife of Country Music Star Wade Hayes and was Miss USA Contestant and was Miss Kansas in 1996. Many longtime fans of the show are concerned that the shows popularity has attracted aspiring actors, actresses, and models to the cast who the show as way to help their careers.