Introducing The 'Short Stories' Blog

Hi there. I've started a blog on the subject of short stories. I was wanting to post them here but I decided they needed their own platform. They can be easily accessed by simply clicking on 'Short Stories' shown under 'Links to my other blogs', to the left. 

A new story will be posted each day, NZ time - 6am for the foreseeable future, for now to the end of September. They are designed to reflect real life and have a moral attached to them, without it being overly emphasised. 

The themes are varied and access is easy.  Anyway, have a look if you feel so inclined. Feedback welcome, here or on a specific article at Short Stories. And, no, you don't need to buy me a coffee.

The Hunt: Prey vs Predator

A new TV Series The Hunt: Prey vs Predator was run by Channel 4 in the UK. It was shown on NZ television by TV One and available on demand. I like The Traitors and it had some similarities so decided to give it a go. At first I felt frustrated as fast runners had a distinct advantage. However, I persisted and enjoyed it more as it progressed. 

An unnecessary negative for me is the producers didn't bleep out swearing. It wasn't outrageous but enough to make me consider giving up. Otherwise it's worth a watch. It didn't have the budget of The Traitors but that didn't worry me. 

Apparently there won't be another one as it didn't generate the viewer numbers hoped for in the UK. Maybe many people didn't know about it. I only stumbled upon it after several episodes in. The way of deciding who ultimately won was interesting. 

My Traitors TV Series History

For a couple who eschew reality TV shows, why we got into The Traitors I have no idea. Nineteen editions have been perused by us so far. More would have been viewed but not all are available or translated. 

Below is a chart showing the nineteen we've watched. The Faithfuls have won 42% with an average of 2.6 people sharing the spoils. The Trators have won 56% with a 1.4 persons taking home the loot.

Now the locations of what has been watched. I can't even remember all of the series now. One point of interest is Australia Season 2, when three traitors won and which is very unusual. Even more so is that none of them took home the money. So they won the show but didn't get the monetary reward.

The Traitors US Season 4

The fourth season of US Traitors had its usual celeb cast. I believe they may actually do a 'normal' persons one soon. Yay. Let's now look briefly at the latest edition. (Spoiler alert)

It was won by Rob, who was a good traitor with a dead pan face even in adversity. He wisely got rid of two female traitors early without raising suspicion. Then recruiting Eric, the two worked well together, covering each other's backs. 

The Faithfuls unravelled as they failed to foster any unity. A bad mistake was made by Tara, when taking out Natalie after they promised to vote together. This act swung the odds towards the traitors. 

Tara and close friend Johny worked out correctly who the two traitors were and needed to get Maura on side to get a 3 to 2 vote and banish them, one by one. Maura agreed, but then flipped and voted with the traitors to banish Johnny. Game over Faithfuls. 

Tara still wanted to work with ditsy Maura. Fat chance as she turned on Tara at the next vote. Maura then told Rob she wanted Eric out and Rob saw his chance to take all the money. In an unnecessary act of greed, turncoat Rob rounded on Eric and with Maura's vote guaranteed, got rid of his Traitor partner. 

Maura was convinced she would share the prize. In the most satisfying moment in Season 4, Maura was floored to find she had allowed herself to be played by Rob. Maura often said she wondered how she got that far. Simple. She was useless as a faithful but most valuable to the traitors.

I want to see the Faithful win but when they are unable to work together cohesively, their winning would be unfair. Rob played a better game than the Faithfuls and deserved to win. That said, the way he cut out Eric was a cheap shot. 

The Celebrity Traitors UK : 2025 (Summary & Spoilers)

The celebrity US versions had cliques based on their celebrity history and they got to keep the prize money. 

The UK version had a broader coverage of celebrities and all the winnings went to a charity. In that sense, it didn't matter so much who won because the prize would go to a worthy cause. 

That said, I'm a 'Faithfuls' supporter, so I always prefer it if they win. However, it became apparent very early on that the 'Traitors' were going to do well. 

They were a varied and a complimentary mix of personalities. The Faithfuls were very good at mistaking their own as traitorous, therefore banishing them.  

At one point, I thought the three traitors were going to go the whole way but later on the Faithfuls did get one before returning to form and the ill directed carnage continued. When you know the truth, it can be frustrating to watch.

With five remaining, two of the three original traitors were still there. A second traitor was despatched but at this point the departing player cannot reveal their role in the game. So how many were left? 

The last traitor and three Faithfuls left. One faithful had it sussed and expected to remove the last traitor. He didn't defend himself at the last vote when accused by the last traitor of being such. That failure meant the two other faithful turned on him.

They all voted to end the game and split the winnings for their respective charities. Eh, no. The traitor took the prize pot for his charity as per the rule that any traitor not voted off wins. I was happy the two last Faithfuls missed out as I didn't think they simply didn't deserved to win. 

PS. I have watched 16 series of The Traitors, the 'Faithfuls' have won seven and the 'Traitors' nine. When Faithfuls win, there will be between two and four winners, When the Traitors win, there will be between one and three. When the Faithfuls have won those shows, the average number of winners is nearly three. When the traitor wins, they are most likely alone. 

The Celebrity Traitors UK : 2025

The show is back and this time with celebrities from the UK. I know some of them but not others. Living in NZ we get UK TV shows so I only know those that might appear on them. That doesn't matter as we soon get to know them all. 

I've seen four episodes so far. Don't worry, if you haven't seen the show yet I won't let out any spoilers. In NZ, it is featured on TV3, twice a week and 12 hours after the UK viewing. I find it an interesting show and I'll explain why. 

Picking liars. Most people think they are good at that but a convincing liar is hard to pick unless they put their foot in it. Even then, some are good at putting it right.

Catching traitors. It is frustrating not to catch them but even if they are exposed, another is recruited. The main thing is they don't win. 

The daily challenges. They are good at team building but some of the team will soon be plotting to remove a faithful member of the team. I couldn't be a traitor.

Historical comparison. The first traitor ever got the first woman to believe him and used that trust against her best interest and by extension that of the whole human family. That original traitor also became the first liar and the father of the lie. Lying is an essential tool of a traitor, if they wish to succeed. 

Lesson: Appearances can be deceptive. We should never overestimate our ability to detect a lie. In The Traitors it is hard to gather the information necessary to detect the deceiver. 

In life generally, when it comes to information we receive, accurate knowledge of a subject can be a protection. It can expose those wishing to trick us or who are twisting the truth. If in doubt, be careful and try to get accurate information before believing anything. Beware of those who are traitors to the truth.  

The Traitors TV Series (Updated)

The TV franchise series De Verraders (The Traitors) started in the Netherlands and has quickly expanded to encompass many countries. I got into it rather late as I never watch reality TV programmes and it is of that genre. 

The premise is that about two dozen individuals meet at a large castle or house. Then on the first evening three or four are secretly selected to become the Traitors and the rest are classified as the Faithful. 

Each evening the faithful try to banish a Traitor while the Traitors work together through the day and at banishment in an attempt to put them off the scent. 

Then at midnight, the Traitors gather to 'murder' a Faithful. So each day two players are sent home. Occasionally there are no banishments or murders for various reasons. 

One of those reasons is recruitment, as the Traitor number needs to be replenished if and when some are banished. So a Faithful can suddenly find themselves on the other side of the game, playing a very different role. Effectively one Faithful is lost.

The prize money grows each day as tasks are assigned for the whole group to work together and the better they do the more money they earn. At the end of the game, there can be no fewer than two players left but maybe one or two more. If any of the survivors are Traitors, they collect all the money, if there are only Faithfuls left, they divide the prize pot between them. 

I've recently binge watched three UK series, three US series, one Australian (S1), one NZ (S2) and one Canada (S2). The format is stuck to quite closely so there isn't a huge difference between them. Despite that, they have some differences. This is how I'd rate them. 

Australia: The budget is more limited than the others. The facility used is more modest, they drive their own cars to assignments and the missions are not quite as elaborate. The people are of the everyday sort and they don't know each other. The responses of those who left the game were not given much or any airtime. The host does well enough but underplays his role. Rating 7/10.

Canada: (Spoiler alert) Again it was similar at many levels. The pictures on the wall play a less prominent role here, with the host not touching and therefore not dropping them. The level of the Faithful's efforts to find Traitors was abysmal. Right at the end, they were still voting each other off. One cunning Traitor versus incompetent Faithfuls! The host was very good and would not be out of place on a catwalk. Rating 7.5/10.

NZ: Very much like Australia's version in scale, with everyday people involved. One slight difference is I prefered the host. In my opinion, he played the role better. I also enjoyed the tasks and general interactions as bit more. (I recently watched Series 1 and it was really good). Rating 8/10.

USA: A bigger budget, a grand castle in Scotland and they are driven to assignments. What I think undermines it is using reality celebrities as contestants. They form into cliques and I don't think that is helpful in their traitor hunting. It could also be confused as a botox seminar. 

The host is a Scotsman who pretends it is his castle they are using. His flamboyance is almost over the top but he does project a somewhat sinister indifference to those who depart, throwing their pictures on the ground dismissively. In season 3 a couple of contestants repeatedly used foul language. Rating 8/10.

UK: For me, this show has the best of both of the above. The contestants are everyday people although there is a celebrity show planned in 2025 along with a regular people one. The Scottish castle is used as with the US series. The host strikes a nice balance, sometimes cold and on other occasions a hint of warmth is manifest. Rating 9/10. 

Summary: The show creates an environment where lying and deceit are essential qualities for the Traitors. The large pot at the end of the show is an incentive to do what is necessary to win. Those who talk too much usually draw unwanted attention to themselves and the better players are aware of that. 

Once into a series, it's compelling viewing but the moral aspect of lying stops me from scoring any show ten. It surprised me that most contestants are accepting of being lied to. They presumably realise they would do the same if they were given the role of a Traitor. 

Alone.....

I've noticed over the past years a steady stream of 'Alone' themed shows. It involves testing one's resolve against a harsh environment. A favourite is Alaska for obvious reasons but there are many other places that can also do similar. Recently, a group of Australians were sent into a remote part of New Zealand's South Island and individually had to survive.

I've decided I want in...but I'll be selective where I'm going. I'm waiting for the 'Alone Island Resort' challenge. It could be located in the Mediterranien or Caribbean Seas. the Indian or Pacific Oceans too. I'm not fussy. 

It would involve contestants being dropped at a top rated resort but not allowed to interact with each other...very often. Their tasks would involve getting to the buffet before 8am and taking sufficient supplies to last the day. Then assignments would be handed out, ensuring each one goes in a different direction. 

It could include water or para skiing which could freak out some. A sea biscuit option could be available for those not game for the former two. Scuba diving and surfing would be other aquatic challenges. Horse riding, beach walks and assisted rock climbing among terrestrial endeavours. You get the idea.

As evening approached, contestants would return to the resort for a necessary cleanup before sharing happy hour drinks together. Then back alone as each would go to different tables to choose their dinner from the finest quality fare listed on the menu. Finally on to their resort accommodation for a well earned rest before another hectic day to come. 

I could do this. Even the incentive of a reward for the one who endured the longest is not necessary. Sometimes competing is the reward in itself. So I'll bide my time until a lateral thinking tv executive gives such a show the green light. If you wonder which one is me, I'll be the one with the biggest grin. 

Picture source: COMO Laucala Island, Fiji. 

"Our Zoo" (in Chester)

A picture of the zoo when I visited some years ago

In New Zealand we are about to finish viewing an excellent television series, Our Zoo. Set in Cheshire UK, it is about a man who fights to establish his own zoo that will be humane to the animals, without bars and the animals given fair treatment. Unfortunately some of the locals are anything but fair in trying to stop him. I must say the BBC did a wonderful job in the production of this drama. I won't say more in case you ever see it.

I was there some years ago and visited the zoo as I had relatives in the area where I stayed. It is well worth a visit if in the north east of England. You can see more about the zoo by clicking here. The series is viewable on YouTube at present. The preview is viewed by clicking here and series one by clicking here. The latter isn't great size or quality but OK.

Przewalski's Horse. Notice how nicely they can be viewed