posted 02-17-2006 08:36 AM               

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Retired Astronaut "Survives" First Week on Reality TV Show

"Exile Island", the 12th and latest entry in CBS's "Survivor" reality TV series debuted Thursday night with retired three time space shuttle astronaut Dan Barry among the castaways.

Separated into gender and age grouped teams, Barry's older men "La Mina" camp got off to a strong start, finishing the first challenge before the other three "young women," "older women" and "younger men" tribes of four people each.

Between the initial contest that began the show and Survivor's trademark "immunity challenge", which decides which group would have to vote someone "off the island", Barry and fellow La Mina castaway Terry Deitz bonded as Dan shared he was an astronaut with the former F-14 turned American Airlines pilot. Barry's space flight experiences - including flying twice to the International Space Station - are a secret to the other 14 castaways.

The older men ended the episode by coming in second, which earned their immunity, leaving Barry to "outwit, outplay and outlast" until next week's show.

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Former Astronaut Wrangles Snake, Wins Immunity On "Survivor"

Four tribes became two as the castaways faced a schoolyard-style pick at the start of the second episode of "Survivor Panama: Exile Island," which aired Thursday evening on CBS.

Retired three-time space shuttle astronaut Dan Barry was second to the last man selected but he ultimately returned to the "La Mina" camp from where his prior tribe of "Older Men" was based.

In an attempt to expand upon an alliance begun last week, Dan and former F-14-turned-airline pilot Terry Deitz reached out to new team members Nick Stanbury and Austin Carty, but the two "younger men" hadn't the time this episode to decide their strategy.

Terry and Dan wrangled the award — fishing gear — for their tribe by finding the last two of six wooden snakes in the first challenge. During the second contest, La Mina was literally pulled by Terry to an early lead, securing their, and Dan's immunity for another week.

On CBS's Survivor website, prior season castaway Dr. Scout Cloud Lee wrote that Dan's performance surprised her. "He's a tough competitor and is smart enough to keep his mouth shut and simply celebrate successes. I think he'll make it to the merge [of tribes] for sure."

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"Lots of Space" for Retired Astronaut on "Survivor"

The "La Mina" camp shelter, where three-time Space Shuttle astronaut Dan Barry resides on "Survivor Panama: Exile Island", became a whole lot roomier this week, as the tribe won "home improvement" supplies but was also forced to vote out one of their own.

By catching five slingshot-launched balls (while balancing on beams over the water) before the other team, Dan's La Mina castaways claimed victory in the Reward Challenge, taking home a kerosene lantern, blankets, pillows, water canisters, rope and a tarp. Using the latter to fortify their roof, Dan could not have been happier with the tarp's fit.

"We have a nice domed interior as opposed to [one] slumping so there's lots of space inside," he said.

Victory turned to defeat however during the Immunity Challenge, where the tribes wrestled each other (literally) for the right to stay. Facing the Tribal Council for the first time since arriving, Dan and the members of his self-started alliance voted as an all-male block, eliminating Misty Giles, a "smart as hell" 24 year old engineer from Dallas, Texas.

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posted 02-24-2006 02:59 AM               

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Barry's Balance Lost on "Survivor"

Three-time Space Shuttle astronaut-turned-castaway Dan Barry lost more than his footing during the fourth episode of "Survivor Panama: Exile Island," which aired Thursday on CBS.

Dan's "La Mina" tribe lost both of this week's Reward and Immunity challenges, the latter due in part to Dan falling off a balance beam as he raced to finish a water bucket brigade.

Facing his second consecutive tribal council, Dan found himself balancing the desires of his self-started all-male alliance — to vote off South Carolian shopping center developer Ruth Marie — with his own pledge to protect her, which he offered at the start of Thursday's show. Instead, he urged his fellow tribesman to vote off stronger but less loyal, Sally.

"I don't think Sally feels like a part of this team," said Dan, "and I think when a merge [of competing tribes] comes, she will drop us like a stone. But with Ruth Marie, I think she'll stay with that group of five all the way to the end."

Ultimately, Dan honored his word and voted for Sally, but could not convince the others to act accordingly and Ruth Marie's torch was extinguished. Meanwhile, La Mina's leader (and the first person Dan revealed he was an astronaut) Terry followed the clues to the only Immunity Idol hidden away on the title-inspiring "Exile Island".

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posted 03-03-2006 01:37 AM               

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Astronaut Dan Barry's Bumpy Path To "Survivor" Success

After two consecutive weeks losing immunity and voting off tribe mates, three-time Space Shuttle astronaut-turned-castaway Dan Barry and his "La Mina" teammates found themselves the victors this week on CBS's "Survivor Panama: Exile Island."

In the wake of their last Tribal Council that sent Ruth Marie home — a vote that went against Dan's word to Ruth and advice to his alliance — La Mina's 'spared' Sally floundered in the Reward Challenge, repeatedly failing to catch a slimy fish tossed by Dan, costing her team the bounty.

Facing the Immunity Challenge with illness-weakened teammates and once again losing Terry to the show's title-inspiring Exile Island, La Mina rallied as Dan, Nick and Terry dove to the ocean floor to free coffin buried skull puzzle pieces. Despite a bump to the head suffered after rising to the surface under the boat, Dan and the two La Mina men returned their skulls with time to spare.

Back on the beach, Sally and Austin assembled the skulls into a pyramid before the competing tribe Casaya, winning immunity and another week to "outwit, outplay and outlast" on the show.

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posted 03-10-2006 02:53 AM               

Astronaut forced out Survivor's airlock

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Entering his fourteenth day as a contestant on the CBS network's reality TV show, Survivor Panama: Exile Island, retired astronaut-turned-castaway Dan Barry was feeling pretty good about his situation.

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posted 03-10-2006 11:25 AM               

Do you think revealing your were an astronaut damage you from being vote off?