‘Survivor’ fans audition

The newly opened CarMax dealership in Costa Mesa was buzzing Thursday with hundreds of people coming from across Southern California and from as far as Colorado.

They were not there to buy cars, however.

An estimated 700 people showed up to the open casting call for the 18th season of “Survivor,” the show many call the father of reality television.

“It’s great,” KCBS TV spokesperson Mike Nelson said. “Especially since we’re talking about the 18th season of a show.”

KCBS, otherwise known as Channel 2, sponsored the operation, which was held in the back lot of the CarMax on Harbor Boulevard.

Thursday’s casting call was the only one in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Prospective contestants began lining up as early as 5 a.m. in hopes of landing a spot on one of television’s best-known reality shows.

“Virtually everybody I know says I belong on the show,” said Doug Carey, 54, of Covina. “The opportunity presented itself, so I figured I’d give it a try.”

Many of the contestants professed to be faithful fans of the show, citing that as a main reason they decided to come out to the casting call.

“Out of all the reality shows out there, this is the most challenging,” Carey said. “You have to work the hardest. Of all the reality shows out there, it’s the best television.”

“Out of all the reality shows, it’s the most raw,” said Ashlee Soule, a 22-year-old Huntington Beach resident. “It’s the most real.”

Soule and Carey were certainly in the spirit of the show, joking that they had already formed an alliance as they stood next to each other in line.

The audition process featured a 10-page packet with questions ranging from “What would be the craziest, wildest thing you would do for a million dollars?” to “What is your favorite conversation at a dinner party?”

Candidates also filmed live video segments, two- to three-minute bits that gave them free reign to say or do anything to try and sway the “Survivor” casting committee in their favor.

Although the event attracted hundreds from across the Southland and even a few from out of state, the local area was still well-represented.

Andrew Durer, 30, is a Costa Mesa resident who has been an avid fan of the show for years. He was hopeful while waiting in line during the casting call.

“I think it’d be pretty cool to do something I never thought I could do before,” Durer said. “It’s amazing to be a part of those challenges and tasks to try and win a million dollars.”

The event was the result of a partnership between CBS and CarMax. The CarMax in Costa Mesa has been open for just a week, but General Manager Christine Montana was very pleased to see the crowd that was on hand.

“It’s good exposure for CarMax,” she said. “It’s attracted more people to our location.”

The 18th season of “Survivor” will shoot from October to December and will be broadcast sometime in 2009. The site of the show has not been announced yet.