Fall Asleep While Learning About Survivor

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast,

Where I read random articles from across the web to bore you to sleep with my soothing voice.

I'm your host,

Benjamin Boster.

And today's episode is from a Wikipedia article titled,

Survivor.

This information comes from the Wikipedia page about Survivor,

Shared under the Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike License.

Survivor is the American version of the international Survivor reality competition television franchise,

Itself derived from the Swedish television series,

Expedition Robinson,

Created by Charlie Parsons which premiered in 1997.

The American series premiered on May 31st,

2000 on CBS.

It is hosted by Jeff Probst,

Who is also an executive producer,

Along with Mark Burnett and the original creator,

Parsons.

Survivor places a group of people in an isolated location where they must provide food,

Fire,

And shelter for themselves.

The contestants compete in challenges,

Including testing the contestants' physical abilities,

Like running and swimming,

Or their mental abilities,

Like puzzles and endurance challenges for rewards and immunity from elimination.

The contestants are progressively eliminated from the game as they are voted out by their fellow contestants,

Until only two or three remain.

At that point,

The contestants who were eliminated vote for the winner.

They are given the title of Sole Survivor and are awarded the grand prize of $1,

000,

000 $2,

000,

000 in winners at war.

The American version has been very successful.

From the 2000 to 2001 through the 2005 to 2006 television series,

Its first 11 seasons competitions rated among the top 10 most watched shows.

It is commonly considered the leader of American reality TV because it was the first highly rated and profitable reality show on broadcast television in the U.

S.

And is considered one of the best shows of the 2000s decade.

The series has been nominated for 63 Emmy Awards,

Including winning for Outstanding Sound Mixing in 2001,

Outstanding Special Class Program in 2002,

And was subsequently nominated four times for Outstanding Reality Competition Program when the category was introduced in 2003.

Probst won the award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program four consecutive times after the award was introduced in 2008.

In 2007,

The series was included in Time Magazine's list of the 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

In 2013,

TV Guide ranked it at number 39 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time.

In May 2024,

The series was renewed for the 2024-25 television season for its 47th and 48th seasons,

Continuing the 90-minute episodes.

Season 48 will premiere on February 26,

2025.

FORMAT AND RULES The first American season of Survivor followed the same general format as the Swedish series.

Sixteen or more players,

Split between two or more tribes,

Are taken to a remote island located usually in a tropical climate,

And are forced to live off the land with meager supplies for 39 days,

42 in the Australian Outback,

26 in post-COVID seasons.

Frequent physical and mental challenges are used to pit the teams against each other for rewards,

Such as food or luxuries,

Or for immunity,

Forcing the other tribe to attend Tribal Council,

Where they must vote off one of their tribe-mates.

Signaling the halfway point in the game,

Survivors from both tribes come together to live as one,

Making it to the merge.

At this point,

Survivors will compete against each other to win individual immunity.

Winning immunity prevents that player from being voted out at Tribal Council.

Most players that are voted out after the merge form the game's jury.

Once the group gets down to two or three people,

A final Tribal Council is held where the remaining players plead their case to the jury members.

The jury then votes for which players should be considered the sole survivor and win the show's grand prize.

In all seasons,

For the American version,

Excluding Survivor winners at war whose winner won $2,

000,

000,

This has included a $1,

000,

000 prize in addition to the sole survivor title.

Some seasons,

Particularly earlier seasons,

Have included additional prizes offered during the game,

Such as a car,

As well as fan-favorite prizes awarded at the finale.

All contestants are paid on a sliding scale based on the order they were voted out.

The first player voted out has been given $2,

500,

And the amount increases from there.

Some of the seasons that have featured returning players have increased these amounts.

Survivor All-Stars featured payouts starting at $5,

000,

While winners at war had a minimum $25,

000 payout.

All players are offered $10,

000 for participating in the finale show.

The American version has introduced numerous modifications or twists on the core rules in order to keep the players on their toes and to prevent players from relying on strategies that succeeded in prior seasons.

These changes have included tribal switches,

Seasons starting with more than two tribes,

The ability to exile a player from a tribe for a short time on Exile Island,

Hidden immunity idols that players can use to save themselves or others at Tribal Council,

Special voting powers which can be used to influence the result at Tribal Council,

The chance to return to regular gameplay after elimination through Redemption Island,

Edge of Extinction,

Or the Outcast Tribe twists,

Special advantages to help players in the game like an extra vote,

Steal a vote,

Idol nullifier,

Or a shot in the dark and a final four-making challenge as of Season 35.

Series Overview The United States version is produced by Mark Burnett and hosted by Jeff Probst,

Who also serves as an executive producer.

Each competition is called a season,

Has a unique name,

And lasts from 13 to 16 episodes.

The first season,

Survivor Borneo,

Was broadcast as a summer replacement show in 2000.

Starting with the third season,

Survivor Africa,

There have been two seasons aired during each American television season.

Starting with the 41st season,

No subtitle has been used in promotion of the season.

Instead,

The show began following a number of formats similar to Big Brother and The Amazing Race.

In the first season,

There was a 75-person crew.

By Season 22,

The crew had grown to 325 people.

A total of 715 contestants have competed on Survivor's 47 seasons.

Production Concept The original idea of Survivor was developed by Charlie Parsons in 1994 under the name Castaway.

Parsons formed Planet 24 with Bob Geldof to produce the show and tried to have the BBC broadcast it,

But the network turned it down.

Parsons went to Swedish television and was able to find a broadcaster,

Ultimately producing Expedition Robinson in 1997.

The show was a success and plans for international versions were made.

Mark Burnett intended to be the person to bring the show to the United States,

Though he viewed the Swedish version as a bit crude and mean-spirited.

Burnett retooled the concept to use better production values,

Based on his prior Eco Challenge show,

And wanted to focus more on the human drama experienced while under pressure.

Burnett spent about a year trying to find a broadcaster that would take the show,

Retooling the concept based on feedback.

On November 24,

1999,

Burnett made his pitch to Les Moonves of CBS,

And Moonves agreed to pick up the show.

The first season,

Survivor Borneo,

Was filmed during March and April 2000,

And was first broadcast on May 31,

2000.

The first season became a ratings success,

Leading to its ongoing run.

Locations The American version of Survivor has been shot in many locations around the world since the first season,

Usually favoring warm and tropical climates.

Starting with season 19,

Two seasons have been filmed back-to-back in the same location to be aired on the same broadcast year.

Since season 33,

The show has been filmed in the Mamanuka Islands of Fiji.

From the Australian Outback to Islands of the Idols,

The show's run ended with a live reveal of the winner with votes read in front of a live studio audience,

Followed by a reunion show hosted by Jeff Probst.

Reunion shows for the first three seasons were hosted by Brian Cumble,

And the fourth season by Rosie O'Donnell.

Jeff Probst took over hosting of the reunion shows starting with the fifth season.

Between Africa and One World,

The reunion locations alternated between Central Park,

Madison Square Garden,

And the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City,

Home to the CBS's The Late Show franchise,

And CBS Television City,

Or the CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles.

The reunion show continued to be filmed at CBS Television City,

From Philippines to Island of the Idols.

The exceptions to the above-outlined live reunion were for Survivor Island of the Idols,

Which was filmed in front of a live studio audience,

But taped four hours in advance due to the controversy surrounding contestant Dan Spiel's behavior,

And Survivor Winners at War,

Where a videoconferencing event was used during the broadcast of the final episode due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The final episode of the latter did not include the live reunion,

Except for a brief moment at the beginning of the episode,

Where all 20 contestants appeared together on screen from their homes,

And promo for the upcoming 41st season,

Which had not filmed at that time.

As part of this,

Up through Survivor Kageyan,

The production of the last part of the recorded final Tribal Council,

Showed Probst taking the urn or container containing the votes and traveling with it by some means,

Transitioning this to the live show,

And suggesting a type of continuity between events.

For example,

Survivor The Amazon appeared to have Probst jet ski from the Amazon rainforest directly to New York City,

Where the live show was held.

According to Probst,

They had also filmed a similar sequence for the 29th season,

Survivor San Juan del Sur.

He had paddled out on a canoe from the location in Nicaragua,

And then paddling into Venice,

California from a nearby island.

Once on the beach,

He would have asked a teenager to borrow his skateboard in the same manner as the Hey Kid Catch Coke commercial with Mean Joe Green,

With Probst doing some tricks on the skateboard before tossing it back.

However,

Probst had no idea how to ride a skateboard,

And even after some basic training,

He could not complete the trick for filming.

Production opted to eliminate that transition for San Juan del Sur,

And they eliminated any similar transitions for future seasons.

Beginning with Season 41,

The winner was revealed on location during the final Tribal Council,

Which was previously done in the original season Borneo,

As the producers were unsure on the ability to have the live final due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vote reveal was then followed by a Survivor after-show special with the finalists and the jury instead of a live reunion.

Casting Early seasons of Survivor were limited to United States citizens,

And it required Canadian-American dual citizens to give up their Canadian citizenship to compete,

As in the case of Survivor China winner Todd Herzog.

According to Probst,

The limitation was due to the rights that Mark Burnett and CBS had on the Survivor format,

Limiting it to contestants with American citizenship.

The rules were changed mid-2018 to allow Canadian citizens to participate,

With Tom Laidlaw being as the first Canadian citizen cast for Island of the Idols.

When Survivor launched,

The minimum age requirement was 21 years old.

One exception was made for Michael Frosty Zernow,

Who competed on Survivor China while 20 years old.

In 2008,

The age requirement was reduced to 18 years old,

With Survivor Toucan Teens' Spencer Doom being the first 18-year-old to play.

The age limit was further reduced to 16-year-olds in 2020.

Reception,

U.

S.

Television ratings Survivor was consistently one of the top 20 most-watched shows through its first 23 seasons.

It has not broken the top 20 since.

Probst acknowledged that Kelly Call,

The current president of CBS,

Had been a significant proponent of the show.

When Survivor had launched,

Call,

Then vice president of scheduling,

Took a risk and moved the show's second season to Thursdays in competition with NBC's Friends.

Survivor won viewership numbers over Friends,

Giving Call significant sway with CBS to continue supporting Survivor.

Post-show auctions At the end of each American Survivor season,

From Survivor Africa onward,

Various Survivor props and memorabilia are auctioned online for charity.

The most common recipient has been the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Most recently,

Proceeds have gone toward the Serpentine Project,

A charity founded by Jeff Probst,

Dedicated to helping those transitioning out of foster care upon emancipation at 18 years of age.

Items up for auction have included flags,

Mats,

Tree mails,

Contestant torches,

Contestant clothing,

Autographed items,

Immunity idols,

And the voting urn.

Merchandise The success of Survivor spawned a wide range of merchandise from the first season.

While early items available were limited to buffs,

Water bottles,

Hats,

T-shirts,

And other typical souvenir items,

The marketability of the franchise has grown tremendously.

Today,

Fans can find innumerable items,

Including computer and board games,

Interactive online games,

Mugs,

Tribal-themed jewelry,

Beach towels,

Dog tags,

Magnets,

Multi-function tools,

DVD seasons,

Survivor party kits,

Insider books,

Soundtracks,

And more.

Home Media Releases Best Of DVD Name Season 1,

The Greatest and Most Outrageous Moments Release Date,

January 9,

2001 DVD Name,

Season 2,

The Greatest and Most Outrageous Moments Release Date,

September 25,

2001 Full Seasons Seasons 1,

2,

7,

8,

9,

And 10 were released in stores.

The remaining seasons have been released exclusively on Amazon.

Com through their CreateSpace manufacturer on-demand program.

Select seasons have also been released on Blu-ray.

DVD Name,

The Complete First Season,

Borneo DVD Release Date,

May 11,

2004 DVD Name,

The Complete Second Season,

The Australian Outback DVD Release Date,

Store Release,

April 26,

2005 Mod Release,

August 2,

2022 DVD Name,

The Complete Third Season,

Africa DVD Release Date,

October 5,

2010 DVD Name,

The Complete Fourth Season,

Marquesas DVD Release Date,

October 5,

2010 DVD Name,

The Complete Fifth Season,

Thailand DVD Release Date,

October 25,

2011 DVD Name,

The Complete Sixth Season,

The Amazon DVD Release Date,

November 22,

2011 DVD Name,

The Complete Seventh Season,

Pearl Islands DVD Release Date,

February 7,

2006 DVD Name,

The Complete Eighth Season,

All Stars DVD Release Date,

September 14,

2004 DVD Name,

The Complete Ninth Season,

Vanuatu,

Islands of Fire DVD Release Date,

December 5,

2006 DVD Name,

The Complete Tenth Season,

Palau DVD Release Date,

August 29,

2006 DVD Name,

The Complete Eleventh Season,

Guatemala,

The Maya Empire DVD Release Date,

May 22,

2012 DVD Name,

The Complete Twelfth Season,

Panama,

Exile Island DVD Release Date,

May 22,

2012 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirteenth Season,

Cook Islands DVD Release Date,

December 11,

2012 DVD Name,

The Complete Fourteenth Season,

Fiji DVD Release Date,

December 11,

2012 DVD Name,

The Complete Fifteenth Season,

China DVD Release Date,

January 27,

2014 DVD Name,

The Complete Sixteenth Season,

Micronesia,

Fans vs.

Favorites DVD Release Date,

January 31,

2014 DVD Name,

The Complete Seventeenth Season,

Gabon,

Earth's Last Eden DVD Release Date,

September 11,

2014 DVD Name,

The Complete Eighteenth Season,

Tocantins,

The Brazilian Highlands DVD Release Date,

August 5,

2014 DVD Name,

The Complete Nineteenth Season,

Samoa DVD Release Date,

November 18,

2014 DVD Name,

The Complete Twentieth Season,

Heroes vs.

Villains DVD Release Date,

February 22,

2011 DVD Name,

The Complete Twenty-First Season,

Nicaragua DVD Release Date,

November 18,

2014 DVD Name,

The Complete Twenty-Second Season,

Redemption Island DVD Release Date,

October 7,

2015 DVD Name,

The Complete Twenty-Third Season,

South Pacific DVD Release Date,

October 7,

2015 DVD Name,

The Complete Twenty-Fourth Season,

One World DVD Release Date,

September 23,

2016 DVD Name,

The Complete Twenty-Fifth Season,

Philippines DVD Release Date,

September 23,

2016 DVD Name,

The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season,

Caramon,

Fans vs.

Favorites DVD Release Date,

October 26,

2017 DVD Name,

The Complete Twenty-Seventh Season,

Blood vs.

Water DVD Release Date,

November 13,

2017 DVD Name,

The Complete Twenty-Eighth Season,

Cagayan DVD Release Date,

December 22,

2017 DVD Name,

The Complete Twenty-Ninth Season,

San Juan del Sur,

Blood vs.

Water DVD Release Date,

October 15,

2018 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirtieth Season,

Worlds Apart DVD Release Date,

November 13,

2018 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirty-First Season,

Cambodia,

Second Chance DVD Release Date,

November 13,

2018 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirty-Second Season,

Khao Rong DVD Release Date,

November 21,

2018 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirty-Third Season,

Millennials vs.

Gen X DVD Release Date,

November 21,

2018 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirty-Fourth Season,

Game Changers,

Mamanuka Islands DVD Release Date,

February 22,

2019 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirty-Fifth Season,

Heroes vs.

Healers vs.

Hustlers DVD Release Date,

May 9,

2019 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirty-Sixth Season,

Ghost Island DVD Release Date,

June 12,

2019 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirty-Seventh Season,

David vs.

Goliath DVD Release Date,

July 17,

2019 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirty-Eighth Season,

Edge of Extinction DVD Release Date,

January 31,

2020 DVD Name,

The Complete Thirty-Ninth Season,

Island of the Idols DVD Release Date,

December 15,

2020 DVD Name,

The Complete Fortieth Season,

Winners at War DVD Release Date,

April 13,

2021 DVD Name,

The Complete Forty-First Season DVD Release Date,

April 12,

2022 DVD Name,

The Complete Forty-Second Season DVD Release Date,

August 23,

2022 DVD Name,

The Complete Forty-Third Season DVD Release Date,

March 28,

2023 All seasons are available on Paramount+,

ViacomCBS's over-the-top subscription streaming service in the United States and Australia.

Seasons of Australia and Survivor were also added to Paramount+,

In the United States and Australia,

After CBS acquired Network 10 in 2017.

Survivor was added to Pluto TV,

ViacomCBS's free internet television service,

As a stand-alone channel on September 1,

2020.

The 2001 PC video game Survivor the Interactive Game,

Developed by Magic Lantern and published by Infogrames,

Allows players to play and create characters for the game,

Based on the Borneo or Australian Outback cast members.

The game also includes a character creation system for making custom characters.

Gameplay consists of choosing Survivor's skills,

Fishing,

Cooking,

Etc.

,

Forming alliances,

Developing relationships with other tribe members,

And voting off competitors at tribal council.

The game was very poorly received by critics.

GameSpot gave the game a terrible score of 2 out of 10,

Saying,

If you're harboring even a tiny urge to buy this game,

Please listen very carefully to this advice.

Don't do it.

Likewise,

IGN gave the game a painful 2.

4 out of 10,

Stating,

The game was the recipient of GameRevolution's lowest score of all time,

An F-.

On November 4,

2009,

It was announced that a second video game adaptation would be released for the Wii and Nintendo DS.

The game would require players to participate in various challenges,

Like those in the reality shows,

In order to win.

Various soundtracks have been released featuring music composed by Russ Landau,

Including soundtracks for Season 9 through 27,

With the exception of Season 14.

The tiki-twirl thrill ride at California's Great America in Santa Clara,

California,

Was originally called Survivor The Ride.

The Ride includes a rotating platform that moves along an undulating track.

Riders can be sprayed by water guns hidden in oversized tribal masks.

Theme elements included drums and other familiar Survivor musical accents playing in the background,

Survivor memorabilia throughout the queue,

And other merchandise for sale in nearby gift shops.