Oh no doubt they are truly out there. I mean more the game. I don't think it's rigged but the producers are very well adept as getting the reactions they want.
Yeah, true. For Survivor I see it more of they pick the cast/change up the rules to get the script that they want.
For example when Boston Rob won, it was pretty much a bunch of mindless nobodies + Rob/Russel. It was a cake walk for him.
The living situations, the challenges, the drama all seem real to me. If I don't eat for a day I get cranky as F. I couldn't imagine how I'd be eating rice and random fish for 40 days.
Though with the challenges I do think they pick which challenges to do based on how good certain people are at them. For example if someone production wants to see go farther is good at puzzle challenges vs endurance challenges, they'll put in more puzzle challenges.