Jeff Probst Opens Up About ‘Survivor’s’ ‘Radical’ Transformation: ‘We Reimagined the Entire Show’

During its hayday, “Survivor” was continually recognized for its excellence in casting, hosting and cinematography by the Television Academy, earning the genre pioneer as many as 69 Emmy nominations and seven Emmy wins over the course of its 25 year history to date. During the 2010s, however, the show fell out of favor with Academy voters, who instead cast their votes for high-production reality competition series like “The Voice,” “The Traitors” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” instead. 

That trend changed last month, when “Survivor” recieved four Emmy nominations for its most recent season, “Survivor 48.” While the show’s longtime host, Jeff Probst, has already opened up about his pride following the recent nominations, he admitted that he’s not exactly sure what it was about the recent season that caught the Television Academy’s attention after so many years off their radar.

Probst Credits ‘New Era’ Changes for Renewed Awards Recognition

“Our history with the Emmys is kind of funny,” said Probst in an August 19 interview with Variety. “We won the very first one 25 years ago…but we’ve never won another one and we went nearly two decades without even being nominated, so it’s definitely nice to be back at the party.” 

Despite the series’ recent lack of awards recognition, Probst added that he feels like “Survivor” has been “rediscovered by a lot of people” since the franchise launched its “new era” in 2020. Commonly used to refer to seasons from “Survivor 41” onward, the “new era” has been defined by its shorter seasons, down to 26 days from the show’s original 39-day game. Additional format changes have included castaways starting the game without a food supply, the introduction of new twists like the Beware Advantage, and the loss of supplies for a tribe that loses a challenge. 

CBS

Speaking further on his motivations, as executive producer, to change the way “Survivor” is played, Probst continued: “Coming out of COVID we made a very intentional decision to shift the tone of the show. We wanted ‘Survivor’ to be fun, entertaining and joyful –something families could watch together, something inspiring for younger viewers, and something that reignited the sense of adventure that lies at the core of ‘Survivor.’ So we started from scratch and reimagined the entire show.”

Judging by the show’s four 2025 Emmy nominations,including nods for its outstanding casting, host, and cinematography, as well as for Outstanding Reality Competition Program itself, it seems like Probst’s alterations have paid off. According to Probst, the show’s resurgence in the awards space comes as a result of a “radical transformation in the new era.”

Changes in Casting Strategy Could Also Explain ‘Survivor’s’ Return to the Emmys

Probst similarly revealed that Emmy-winning CBS casting director Jesse Tannenbaum, who similarly pieces together showstopping casts for series like “The Amazing Race” and “Big Brother,” changed the way he recruits castaways for “Survivor’s” new era.

“We want people with layered lives, who had heart and depth, reflected the world as it is, had a strong sense of identity, a willingness to take on something incredibly demanding but truly transformational…oh, and also love ‘Survivor,’” Probst explained. 

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The new casting philosophy resulted in players like Eva Erickson, the first openly autistic person to play “Survivor,” being cast on Season 48 earlier this year. Erickson, who finished the competition in fourth place, was central to one of the season’s most vulnerable and moving moments that, for the first time in series history, brought Probst to tears. 

“There’s so many shows in this genre, a lot of people show up trying to be ‘good TV.’ But that’s not what we’re looking for,” Probst continued. “We’re looking for something much more specific and much more rare: truly authentic people who are ready and willing to be stripped of everything because that’s what ‘Survivor’ demands.” 

While the host admits that building the perfect cast poses a “massive challenge,” when it works, “it’s electric.”

“You’re watching real people push themselves to the edge – physically, emotionally, spiritually and somehow rise through it. And it’s in these moments that you’re reminded that this is the point of ‘Survivor.’ This is what you wanted. This is why you chose this adventure. And the audience feels it and lives vicariously through the player,” added Probst.  

Whether or not “Survivor” will score its first Emmy win since Probst took home the award for Outstanding Host in 2011 remains to be seen until the winners of the 77th Primtime Emmy Awards are announced on Monday, September 15, 2025.