[Televisionary]

In a summer filled with premature cancellations, I shouldn't really be surprised by any network pulling the trigger. That said, I was stunned to learn that CBS has canceled reality series Pirate Master , which had recently moved to Tuesday nights after launching a few weeks ago (and failing to find traction) on Thursday. Five unaired episodes of Pirate Master , from reality maven Mark Burnett, remain and will be burned off on CBS.com, with new episodes appearing every Tuesday at 3 am ET/midnight PT, beginning tomorrow. Pirate-themed reality series, which failed to find an audience this summer, will also be made available to the CBS Audience Network. Hmmm, maybe the pirates shouldn't have voted Joe Don off the ship after all.

Is anyone out there still watching Pirate Master ? I have to say that last night's episode of the, er, pirate-themed adventure show was a little better than the previous week's installment, if only because we got to see tyrannical captain Joe Don get booted from his position of authority and the power structure shift completely. (Of course, the crew is happy when you're making them equals, Azmyth!) But I was hoping for more conflict when the deposed despot was forced to join the rest of the crew in hard labor and penury. Instead, the contestants seemed to really pay him no heed and the new captain, Azmyth, and his officers didn't even give him a black spot. Additionally, I had hoped that this series would combine the scheming and treachery of Survivor with the sort of expeditions found on, say, The Amazing Race , but instead the "expeditions" are far too brief (I feel they should comprise the majority of the episode) and, well, rather lame. Find a skull in th...

I'm definitely enjoying Pirate Master , CBS's latest reality offering, but I do wish that, well, something would happen. I can't help but shake the feeling that the first two episodes of the series (especially last night's episode ) were glacially paced. The series definitely has a worthy villain in current ship's captain Joe Don, who seems incapable of realizing that, while he's off guzzling rum, eating enormous breakfasts, and sleeping in his luxe quarters, his crew is monumentally unhappy. (Not so unhappy they'll announce a mutiny and depose him, but more on that in a bit.) Coming from a military background, Joe Don has seized control of the ship with an iron fist, keeping his two officers above the fracas of life below-deck and making deals with one of the workers, automotive parts salesman Jay, to spy on his fellow crew members for $2K in gold. Of course, the only way that works is if you keep that little arrangement a secret, so I'm not entirely su...

Ahoy, mateys! CBS has officially unveiled the identities of the 16 men and women who will be competing on this summer's much anticipated reality series Pirate Master . As shown from the list below, Los Angeles is (naturally) over-represented but there seem to be some interesting characters already emerging (my favorite has got to be the scientist/Chippendale dancer; where else are you going to find that combo?) including a smokejumper, a dive master, and a glassblower, but I can't help but wonder if we really needed more than one bartender on this ship. (Yo ho, ho, and all that.) Christa DeAngelo (29) Hometown: Tamaqua, Pennsylvania Occupation: Ex-military Ben Fagan (23) Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts Occupation: Student/musician Louie Frase (43) Hometown: Fishing Creek, Maryland Occupation: Marina owner Kendra Guffey (38) Hometown: Los Angeles, California Occupation: Dive master Jay Hatkow (37) Hometown: Detroit, Michigan Occupation: Automotive parts salesman Azmyth Kaminski ...

Ahoy, maties. CBS has finally announced a launch date for their latest Mark Burnett-produced reality series, Pirate Master , which will set sail this summer on Thursday, May 31st at 8 pm. Personally, I can't wait for this series, a pitch perfect blend of pirate lore, high camp, and brutal elimination-style reality television. (A preview can be found here .) " Pirate Master breaks new ground in that it's the collision of fantasy and reality," explained creator and executive producer Mark Burnett. "This is a show where, in true pirate fashion, anything can happen with a group of people that live by their own set of rules and usually break them. It's adventure, excitement and loads of treasure. Anyone who ever wanted to be a pirate will love this show!" The series will follow 16 Americans as they search for $1 million worth of buried treasure on the high seas, around the Caribbean island of Dominica. Players will live and travel as pirates on a massive 17...