Survivor is Preparing for a Landmark 50th Season

On May 31st 2000, 15.5 million people tuned into a brand new reality tv show on CBS called Survivor. Now, 26 years later, season 50 is right around the corner. Survivor 50, themed "In the Hands of the Fans" features the largest cast of players in American Survivor history with 24 returning players battling it out for a cash prize and the title of "Sole Survivor" on the beautiful beaches of Fiji.

The host and producer, Jeff Probst, has portrayed this season as a massive, emotional, and high-stakes season that will help shape the future of the show. “I think Survivor 50 will forever change how players embrace uncertainty... Because what you see during the season is that the players who lean into the uncertainty do really well, and the ones who fight it struggle,” said Jeff Probst in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. In another interview with Parade's Mike Bloom, Jeff also revealed the overall mood of the pep talk he gave the players before the game began. “Now I hope you’re all a little nervous. You should be. You have a chance to make history. And expectations couldn’t be higher. So play ... That’s how you make this season the season they’ll never stop talking about. My advice: Buckle up. Because all I want from you…is everything.”

The casting process for this milestone season was a difficult process. Even though this was the biggest cast in the show's history, plenty of fan and production favorites had to be cut from the cast. However, season 50 features plenty of familiar faces and first-time returnees alike. If you watched in season 1, you may remember Jenna Lewis who is making a return to the game after finishing in 3rd place in season 8 "Survivor All-Stars." Jenna was 22 years old the last time she played and now she returns to season 50 as a 48-year-old. In her interview with Mike Bloom, she spoke about her excitement and her potential as an under-the-radar player. “I'm feeling ready, man. I'm so excited for this because none of these people know me. I don't even have a blue check next to my name on any media anywhere, so they're like, 'Who's Jenna?' They probably think I'm Jenna Morasca... They have no idea who the hell I am, and this could be good and this could be very, very bad.”

One of the first "heroes" in the show's history, Colby Donaldson, is throwing his hat into the ring for this landmark season. After first appearing in season 2, Colby became one of the most popular reality show contestants ever. People even named their children after him. Colby went on to also play on "Survivor All-Stars" as well as the 20th season named "Heroes vs. Villians". After a couple of disappointing showings after his first season, Colby definitely has that in mind as he returns one more time. “I’m very proud of Australia. I’m not so proud of All-Stars and Heroes vs. Villains. And I’ll be honest, that was a driver for me coming back out here, to right some of those wrongs. And to finish this game the way I started it. There’s more to success than just winning the million bucks. At least for me, there is. And that’s not to say I’m not going to try my damnedest to pull it off and take home the money. I’m motivated by the money. But this season can still be a success for me, even if I don’t win the money. But I got to do things different than I did the last time.”

Cirie Fields, who also played with Colby on "Heroes vs Villians", is returning for a record 5th time. 6 Times if you count her appearance on the Australian version of the show. Cirie is considered by many as the best player to never win. It's safe to say she is as motivated as ever as she referenced in an interview with Parade. "I’m going to win Survivor 50 because it's my time. The stars are all aligning. The numbers are there.” Cirie does come in as a big threat because of her title of the best to never win. To add to the legend of Cirie Fields, she was even eliminated her last time out with 0... yes you read that right zero, votes against her because she just so happend to be the only person eligable to recieve votes in the tribal known as "advantage-geddon". It's a long story.

Along with some Survior legends, there are some fresh faces returning for a second time hoping to make their mark on Survivor history. The most recent player to return is Savannah Louie, a former newscaster from Atlanta, Georgia. Savannah won season 49, the most recent season of the show. After returning home following her winning game, she only had 9 days to prepare for season 50. Playing back to back has been done before however, this is the first time in Survivor history a winner has played in back to back seasons. “There is no situation where I would do a back-to-back season other than something as big as Survivor 50.” said Savannah in her interview with Mike Bloom. “But I think the hardest part about doing a back-to-back season, which most people don’t think about, is the mental and emotional strain that it can put on you.” Savannah comes into this season with a huge target on her back, not only because she is a winner but also because the rest of the cast never got to see her play.

Another recent, one time player to return for 50 is Q Burdette. Q is a former Ole Miss football player turned real estate agent who was known for his incredibly chaotic gameplay in season 46. This is what he had to say on his reputation coming in to the game, “So my first, I would say, however many days it takes, is going to be Q sitting on his hands a little bit. Trying to repair what they think is broken within myself, of being chaotic... They can forget about it. That’s when I’m gonna come out of my shell and start making the moves that I need to make.” He goes on to say, “You can't win the game in 17 days, but you can sure damn lose it.”

While the hype is high, this season has not come without some controversy among the fanbase. Many fans, including myself, had an issue with the amount of "New Era" players. New Era players consist of players from seasons 41-49. 12 of the 24 players are from the new era. It does follow the tendencies Survivor has for casting returning player seasons but most fans wanted a more equal representation of players from the entirety of the show's history. Even though the season 50 cast has a player from the very first and the most recent season, there is no player on this cast who first played from seasons 21-29. Another point of contention from fans stems from the first trailer for season 50 where Mr. Beast makes an appearance as well as mentions of Jimmy Fallon and some kind of "Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol." Many fans rolled their eyes at these celebrity appearances or mentions and the majority of Survivor fans worry that they are diluting the game for the sake of random celebrity appearances and advantages that will ruin the game. Jeff has addressed the fans' concern by saying that the advantages and celebrities “don't change the show in any way… it's still Survivor.”

Even with the concerns that myself and other fans have, I am incredibly excited for this landmark season of my favorite show. There are some very interesting storylines to follow and it is always fun to see a returning player season to see how they have learned from their last time playing and to see how they adjust. Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans premieres at 8pm eastern on February 25th on CBS and I am ready for every second of it.