Viewers may have minimal details about what’s happening in season 50 of “Survivor.” Luckily, season 48 of is right around the corner.
Host Jeff Probst recently sat down with “CBS Mornings” to talk about the show’s past and present. He particularly notes the audience’s effect on “Survivor’s” relevancy.
“[The audience will] give you permission to try new things,” Probst said. “They tell you when they don’t like it. But they don’t abandon you.”
Contestants Playing Mind Games
“CBS Mornings” host Gayle King pointed out Probst is still having a lot of fun. She added “Survivor” is a study of human behavior.
“[Survivor] is a complicated adventure,” Probst told her.
He also noted the psychological aspect in a separate feature done by “CBS Sunday Morning” contributor Jonathan Vigliotti.
Probst referred to the venerable reality competition series as a social experiment that “takes a group of people who don’t know each other and forces them to rely on each other while playing this game where you vote each other out.”
“Survivor’s” Beginnings Were Pretty Simple
Probst also revealed to the hosts of “CBS Mornings” where his iconic safari shirt style came from. “Survivor” creator and producer Mark Burnett told Probst to “go out and get something that looks like an adventure outfit.”
So the newly minted host would purchase the first season’s shirts in Malaysia. He struggled at first with having to wear a uniform but has since grown into them.
Probst had to Sell Himself as the Host Before the Show was Made
Probst heard Burnett talking about “Survivor” on a radio interview. He knew immediately the host role was meant for him.
Probst was so confident that he pitched himself to Burnett after their initial meeting.
When the future host had not heard back from the producer, Probst wrote actual messages in a bottle featuring ficitonalized quotes from CBS news personalities Bryant Gumble, Dan Rather and others saying “this show has changed the face of television forever.”
Probst says he knew the show would be interesting when, during the first episode of the first season, Richard Hatch propped himself up a tree to deliver a declaration to the group before fellow contestant Sue Hawk said working while talking was the better solution.
The Show is Already Looking Forward to Season 50
“Survivor” has a big team to help shoot the thousands of hours of footage. Since the 33rd season in 2016, the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji have been home to the show’s some 800 crew members made up of international and Fijian workers. Probst has stated in the past that he wants the show to shoot in Fiji permanently.
As the showrunner, Probst has his hands in every aspect of the show from sets to casting. He told Vigliotti he knows in the first 30 seconds of an audition tape if that person will fit in on the show.
Of course, any viewer has a chance to be cast in new seasons – including the upcoming season 50. While specifics have not been given on the milestone season, Probst indicates the show team is “working on it still in this moment.”
Season 48 of “Survivor” premieres February 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Past seasons can be streamed on Paramount+.
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Jeff Probst on the Staying Power of ‘Survivor:’ “We’re all in this together”