Despite naysayers' prayers and predictions to the contrary, televised reality shows have taken the airwaves.

They rule. They rock. And, according to Nielsen Media Research, they rate.

The top two of the Top 10 TV shows in the country last week were prerecorded tryouts -- tryouts, mind you -- for Fox's "American Idol."

"AI" is phenomenally popular, but "Survivor" is the mother of American reality shows.

Make that grandmother, given that the original "Survivor," which made its debut in 2000, has spawned more than a dozen tropically cutthroat competitions. Season 14, "Survivor: Fiji," premieres at 8 p.m. Feb. 8.

As it turns out, Virginians are pretty good at playing the game of outwitting, outplaying and outlasting . . . no matter how many naked beachcombers, greedy beauty queens or mosquito-bitten hustlers get in their way.

No natives, to our knowledge, have won the title of sole survivor. But half a dozen of the Old Dominion's finest have given viewers some prime island viewing time.

Pop the corn, gather the kids, sit back and find out whatever happened to . . . .

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RUDY BOESCH

Age 78; Virginia Beach

"Survivor: Borneo" (season one, 2000) and "Survivor: All-Stars" (season eight, 2004). Finished in third place in Borneo and voted off second in "All-Stars."

Rudy: A retired Navy SEAL, he was known for his crustiness as much as for his sparring -- but "not in a homosexual way, that's for sure" -- with ultimate first-season champion Richard Hatch.

"Part of the contract was that for three years, we couldn't write nothing about 'Survivor,'" says Rudy. "So they didn't mention that in the book."

In 2002, he hosted another Mark Burnett-produced reality series, "Combat Missions," for USA Network.

He and his wife Marjorie, aka Marge, just returned from Central Europe. "We do a little running around yet," he says.

So does Rudy keep up with other "Survivor" alumni?

"Not on purpose," he growls.

None of the old tribe? Really? "I do run into people now and again. We're going to have a soccer game in the spring. We play against a pro team to raise money. It's about 30 people, all 'Survivor' alums."

Paying the bills: " 'Survivor' was tying me up for quite a while, but it's starting to slow down now. It was seven years ago. I'm retired from the military, I get a pension from them. I get Social Security."

Don't hassle the Rudester: "Only a few of us are known by our first name. Elvis, me [laughing].

"It didn't change my life. But right after I did the show . . . I couldn't walk down the street without people knowing who I was. In Japan, the Japanese knew me. In Europe, the Europeans knew me.

"People still know who I am. I just autographed a picture and sent it to Australia. They must show that thing all over the world.

"Nobody bothers me, though. I used to be a SEAL and I've got people who take care of that."

It's all good: "They treated me real good on the show. CBS recommended I get an agent, so I did. I told my agent if you want me to go someplace, my wife goes or I don't go.

"Marge told me what to wear, and that was good, too.

"I had a picture taken with Doug Wilder. . . .

"I do what my agent tells me. [But] I can't make a speech, and I told them that. If somebody don't ask me a question, then it's going to get real quiet."

Will "Survivor" survive? "I still watch it. I like to know what's going on. They keep changing the situation. They have to, to keep people watching.

"Right now, they have about 20 reality shows.

"They just finished the 13th season, and I think they're going to do two more.

"The only thing that beat us out in popularity [the first season] was the Super Bowl."

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MARALYN "MAD DOG" HERSHEY

Age 58; Wakefield

"Survivor: The Australian Outback" (season two, 2001). Voted off third.

Mad Dog: An immunity-challenge stumble early on proved fatal to her future on the island. No worries, mate. Mad Dog's transition from retired Washington police inspector to sought-after talk-show guest was sealed with that husky chuckle and one-liners such as "Why did they really boot me off? I was the only female tribe member that wore a brassiere."

She lives with a full-on menagerie: her donkey, Cappuccino; horse, Dixie; goats, Boomerang and Beanie; two dogs and a cat.

"I would love to switch places with Big Tom [Buchanan]," she says. "I love goats. They look right into your eyes. When you look into their eyes, you know somebody is in there. They are smart, they are capricious, they are wonderful. They loved to be spoiled and groomed."

She also lives a few minutes from her big sister, Amber Lanier, aka "Rabid Dog," and a couple of miles from a sign that proclaims Wakefield "Home of Maralyn 'Mad Dog' Hershey."

You can take the woman off the island but you can't take . . . Mad Dog's holiday phone message was as follows: " 'Tis the season to be jolly, I'm probably out back looking for holly. At the sound of the jingle, leave your name and number and I'll koala you later, gator."

And the beat goes on: "I haven't seen anybody from 'Survivor' in a month of Sundays. But I still get fan mail to Mad Dog and my real name. It's incredible.

Now and then I get a little itch to do something, to get out of the comfort zone.

"A friend of mine recently ran the New York marathon, 62 years old she is. I went to New York with her and her husband, waited for her across the line. She made it and nobody had to call and ambulance.

"By the way, she did not get this by lotto, she qualified.

"I've thought of that. It's kind of like, why not? I wouldn't climb Everest, I wouldn't do anything that requires oxygen. On or before my 60th birthday, I will run the New York marathon.

"It's been five years. I've got to shake things up here."

So what's next? "I've thought of going back to school.

"Every time 'Last Comic Standing' comes on, I watch it and I'm thinking some of these folks really are quite brilliant, but even some of those who are selected are really quite bad.

"I've thought of putting some stories together. I certainly have the material [from life].

"I'm getting ready to shake things up, it's coming, it's getting stronger.

"Jerri [Ryan] got about six figures for her Playboy spread. If Playboy would call me, I'd give'em a spread for about $57."

Hobbies? "I'm so boring, I'm painting the house.

"Over the holidays . . . boy, can I make a wreath.

"I give my wreaths to friends. They're so balanced, so harmonious. I spare no expense, I even light them. They come equipped with their own extension cords."

The current crop: "This last 'Survivor' [my sister] Amber and I felt was very good. I loved Cao Boi. He was my favorite. What an absolute free spirit.

"Early on, there were some breakout stars . . . so I think some of the folks in the earlier shows may have had more of a tendency to be starstruck.

"Did I have my starstruck period? Uh-huh.

"Now with the later 'Survivors' -- and they have been pumping them out like an assembly line -- they're viewed more as contestants than as destined for stardom. That's changed. They're always trying to mix it up.

"What I'd like for them to do before I turn 70 is to have another 'All-Stars' and to give me a part. Would I do it again? In a minute!

"That sign going into Wakefield, you know what that tells me? Mad Dog, she's alive, she's aliiiiive!

"A couple years ago, I participated in Polar Plunge in Virginia Beach for Special Olympics and found out I may be a lot of things, but I'm not polar material."

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"BIG TOM" BUCHANAN

Age 51; Rich Valley

"Survivor: Africa" (season three, 2001) and "Survivor: All-Stars" (season eight, 2004). Finished in fourth place in Africa and in fifth place in "All-Stars."

Big Tom: The big-grinnin', overall-wearing', goat-farmin' Tom was famous for slurring his speech just a tad, causing co-islanders to cock their heads and say, "Huh??"

His biggest claim to fame, he points out, is having played the game for the longest number of days. "That makes me the ultimate 'Survivor'!

"I had the survivorallstars.com Web site, and CBS' lawyers didn't like it. It was unbelievable the phone calls I got from their lawyers. So I took it down and forgot about it."

Life as a rock star: "The only thing that's changed about me is my bank account. We [he and his schoolteacher wife, Sandy] have about 1,000 head of cattle and about 250 goats.

"I really can't [complain] about anything. It was a wonderful experience. I've been to Carnegie Hall, New Zealand, Australia, all across the United States. For a little country boy who'd never been on a plane . . . it's great to be back on the farm . . . but thousands of air miles later, who'd have believed it?

"I can't believe people wanting my autograph. I said, 'I can't even spell Big Tom.'

"It's unbelievable the doors that one show opened me. I had cow manure up to my knees, then I'm at Carnegie Hall doing an awards show with Rudy [Boesch]. We got a standing ovation, and Ray Romano came up and wanted our photo to put on his Web site!

"I always say it was just a magical carpet ride."

Reading is fundamental: "I have a reading disability and third-grade spelling skills so didn't finish college. It's been a handicap all through my life.

"The biggest problem is I was too cool for school.

"I hid it till 'Survivor,' when I was going to vote out Clarence and couldn't spell it. I had to use the initials 'CB,' and 25 million people saw it [hence his post-'Survivor' literacy program, 'Reading Is the Key to Survival'].

"The good thing about it is I tell kids, 'Don't be like Big Tom. Learn to spell.'

"I traveled basically for four years and still have a couple of spokesperson contracts that are running out. My five minutes of fame has lasted four years, but now I'm just Big Tom.

"County schools come to my farm and have a farm day. A lot of kids don't even know where the egg comes from.

"The Chamber of Commerce has something posted that says I live here, but no roads named after me or nothing [laughing]."

Family matters: "[My son] Bucky Bo is a social service worker now and also works on the farm. He's on the PACT [Program of Assertive Community Treatment] team in Wytheville. Having him come on the show was a highlight."

Any chance of a Sue Hawk reunion? "Any woman that has hairy legs and bad breath . . . no, that's a train wreck there."

Otherwise? "[The other Survivors] are just a second family.

"It's such a good game. I still watch it. I'm a huge fan."

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JON "JONNY FAIRPLAY" DALTON

Age 32; Danville

"Survivor: Pearl Islands" (season seven, 2003). Finished in third place.

Jonny Fairplay: He entered "Survivor" as a professional wrestler and former art consultant. He left, according to polls, as the least popular player ever.

The biggest reason was "pants on fire," as in the lie-of-the-century strategy that had Jonny's teammates believing his grandmother had died while the Survivors were incommunicado.

He moved back to Danville in June but returns to L.A. at least once a month. "I took this summer to gain 20 pounds and get back into wrestling shape," says the man who now prefers Fairplay to Dalton.

If he ever has a child, he says, the child's last name will be Fairplay.

Highlights since the show: "In October, Fox Reality channel had its Reality Remix Really Awards. I was nominated for the most memorable reality performer and won the Golden Realitini with over 3 million votes. ["Flavor of Love's" Flava Flav and "Big Brother's" Dr. Will also were contenders.]

"I've spent the last few months focusing on appearances at nightclubs all over the United States and Canada. They advertise me as the biggest bad guy in the history of reality television.

"[Yesterday], I hosted an all-women's wrestling event in Bluefield, W.Va., and [in January] did some stuff with the Adult Video Awards in Las Vegas.

"On 'Judge Mathis," I was brought in as a character witness for the February sweeps. I'm captain of Team Fairplay, one of four three-man teams on 'Reality vs. Reality' on Fox Reality.

"In March, I'm doing a tour of Canada nightclubs. They pay anywhere from $2,500 to $7,500 for a single-night appearance. They advertise that Jonny is going to be at the club, bring me to the booth. I say I'll be getting drunk over at the lounge and they pay me!

"At the end of March . . . two months of TV taping for a wrestling promotion in the United Kingdom, looking at a possible return to TNA Wrestling on Spike TV and meeting with WWE."

Lowlights since the show: "I've received my fair share of death threats; I've had to change my [phone] number three times.

"I had a bad reputation for partying for a while.

"But I consider myself the most fortunate reality star ever. Even with some of the negative stuff surrounding me, if you look and see, it's a character. In real life, I'm one of the nicest guys I know."

Meanwhile, backstage . . . "The first time I met Rudy [Boesch] was at the "All-Stars" show finale. During his 'Survivor,' I heard [producer] Mark Burnett put a can of dog food near their stuff in the night.

"They open it, realize what it is and he's hiding in the bushes and laughing. Rudy looks over, grabs a knife, does the knife-across-the-throat thing and points right at him.

"Burnett says maybe he won't be playing tricks on them anymore, maybe they're a little more desperate than he thought."

Gotta love life: "I'm considered a kind of 'Survivor' expert.

"In the week of this last 'Survivor' finale, I had eight flights. Nine-to-five [stinks].

"CBS stopped hosting 'Survivor' finales parties about four years ago, so now Ethan [Zohn] and I alternate years. I host a party in L.A., then Ethan does in New York. Previous Survivors, Amazing Racers, Real Worlders, a pretty good mix of reality celebrities attend.

"I've dated the most reality stars in the history of reality TV; my track record is public.

"I do a weekly audio update at myspace.com/dqfairplay and average about 50,000 listens every time. I blog, too, and have made $100,000, easily, in the last six months between T-shirt sales and personal appearances.

"I can safely say I pay more taxes than I should, but I'd rather pay it on the outside than not pay it from the outside."

What's up with the hair? "My hair is down to my shoulders now. But I'm going to get it cut. And I'm debating going to chocolate brown.

"The only problem is I have so many upcoming appearances, and they kind of expect it blond.

"Plus, I don't want anyone confusing me with Ethan!"

And . . . Grandma? "She passed away about two weeks ago. [Uncomfortable pause.]

"Nah. She's 70 and on husband No. 6. She's fine."

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ANH-TUAN "CAO BOI" BUI

Age 42; Christiansburg

"Survivor: Cook Islands" (season 13, 2006). Voted off sixth.

Cao Boi: One of "Survivor's" more colorful characters (example: the "headache pinch"), he arrived in America from Saigon at age 11 as a Vietnam War evacuee.

A Moose lodge prelate and manager for Super Regal Nails at Christiansburg's Wal-Mart, Cao Boi lives with his wife; two children, ages 10 and 13; and several pets.

"I am also nicknamed the camera doctor," he says. "I can fix any camera."

By the way, he's on the lookout for a Virginia Tech college pal, Jim Thorpe, who now lives in Richmond.

Life after the island: "The jury had to stay behind. We were babysat, sent off to [can't say specifically but] generally Australia. We got home in August.

"It was not a problem at all [to keep quiet]. You just think, wow, I have a secret of my own. The people on the cast were pretty decent.

"Going back [for the finale] was great. I doubled it up as a vacation, and the kids got to spend time with grandma and grandpa on their turf in California."

Life off the island: "My life is still the same. Everybody on the show seems to have gotten something; [producer] Mark Burnett is like the Wizard of Oz, you'll get your wish. But I haven't asked for anything.

"I just want to leave it wide open. Somebody said if you plan things, it might interfere with the divine plan.

"I was pretty well-known before. Now I'm more well-known. Children love me; it's important to be a role model.

"People come to the nail salon all the time and recognize me. If I go out of state, I'll be walking in a mall or airport, someone will say, Cao Boi! The recognizability factor is high, even in New York. They thought I was real interesting.

"You take it as it comes. These other contestants, whatever they did, they did. You can say I want to go more, further, but for now, it's just right. . . . It was quite a ride. Last year flew by the fastest ever."

Pushing the envelope: "I've been with the Moose, Montgomery County Lodge 1470, for a couple of years. It's a fraternal organization that performs services for the young, the old, each other. It's a really wonderful organization. I'm one of the first Asians.

"The guys on ['Survivor'] didn't really dispel any myths. They are hard-working and smart. The myth is that Asians are quiet, not joiners.

"I think I break that barrier. I go to a redneck bar; at first they look at you funny, then they're buying you a drink."

Food makes the man: "I was the only vegetarian. I only ate a little fish at the end. It looked really great, really fresh. I snuck the rest of it to my allies, like Ozzy [Lusth] and Flica [Smith].

"I fast when I need to research something. This time [right now], I'm doing 40 days. So far, two days and I'm not cranky [laughing].

"I cook a lot when I fast.

"I just use water, diluted juice to kickstart things, a little honey and ginger tea.

"Grate the ginger fine till you have a thumb-size lump, put it in a cup, add some honey, squeeze a little lime in there. It gives it electrolytes. It's delicious.

"That's why these guys are so miserable the first few days. Yul [Kwon] hated me from the beginning. I'm running around going, 'Ha!'

"He apologized to me later: 'I'm sorry, I thought of you as a crazy kook.'"

And those headache treatments? "You have to be able to diagnose them. Bad wind or sinus or blood pressure. I picked it up from my travels.

"I've been everywhere, met people from all walks of life."

The 13th-season race card: "I figured it out because I sat at the airport and counted [the people]. I said, 'Oh-oh, here it comes!'

"We've gotta push limits. I think this season it's going to be socioeconomic."

The boob tube: "I never watched 'Survivor.' I don't watch TV, I don't have a TV.

"I saw a couple of episodes of the first season.

"Somebody said they're coming to Blacksburg. My passport had expired, I didn't have a video camera, but for the first time in my life I auditioned and tried out for something. My friends said, oh my gosh, you're perfect for it.

"People underestimate you, but this time everyone said, you're perfect.

"I thought they weren't going to call. Out of all these Asian people in L.A., New York, Atlanta . . . it's interesting."

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ADAM GENTRY

Age 28; Los Angeles

"Survivor: Pearl Islands" (season 13, 2006). Finished in fifth place.

Adam: The best PR Virginia Tech has seen in a while, Hokie-cap-wearing Adam was born in Virginia Beach, grew up in Fredericksburg, graduated from Tech, worked at American Family Fitness in Richmond, then moved to San Diego, where he worked in digital duplicator sales.

Following his "Survivor" stint, he's headed for sunny L.A.

On the move: "After the finale Dec. 17 in Los Angeles, I flew to Key West to spend time with the family, then to Virginia, then to the West Coast. I've lived in San Diego almost five years now.

"[Before that], the farthest west I'd been was New Orleans. I quit my job, not even a year after I graduated, just started driving and made it to San Diego where I had a couple of acquaintances.

"I could stay on their couch, so I picked San Diego! I worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, then in outside sales in business telephone systems, then digital duplicators.

"Then I quit that to go on 'Survivor.'"

The real thing: "The show was a great experience. It teaches you not to take things for granted. I'd never really been camping before, and it's completely real.

"They don't help us with anything. . . . It's real to the extent that you know that you won't die out there, [but] they let things go pretty far.

"Just for water . . . it takes a couple of hours to collect the firewood, then to get the fire going, then to collect the water, then to let the water boil. And then you have a glass of water.

"[When it was over], I ate a bunch of food. You appreciate things. I ate pizza, brownies. I drove around and went to fast-food restaurants and listened to music. I went 37 days without listening to music!"

How'bout that Candice? "I had a romantic relationship on the show. Right now, we're really good friends.

"During the show, it was real, but shortly after, it deteriorated, mainly because I'm on the West Coast and she's on the East Coast at Georgetown University.

"It was good because we could trust each other. . . . I talk to her all the time. I care a lot about that girl."

Up next: "I'm currently pursuing both acting and modeling, and I do want to get back into outside sales, pharmaceutical or medical sales. I don't want to be like all those people out here waiting on tables and waiting for a big break.

"I haven't done any acting or modeling before.

"They keep saying I've done modeling. I've been recruited but never followed through before. But now, with some exposure, I'm going to pursue it."

Bicoastal, baby: "I love the East Coast; that's where my family is. [His dad lives in Richmond, his mother in Fredericksburg.] But I'm pretty settled on the West Coast.

"The family loves this whole experience, that's for sure.

"I guess I'm going to learn Los Angeles pretty soon. San Diego's more laid-back, not quite as congested. It has some beautiful beaches, but I'm ready for some change.

"I'm meeting with some agents next week. . . .

"I know more people in L.A. and I'm meeting new people. A lot of people I know from "Survivor" are in L.A. I hung out with Nate [Gonzalez] last night and Parvati [Shallow], picking their brains.

"This is the place to be."