Survivor returns to CBS with a new season. Since its debut in 2000, the program has broadcast 42 seasons, kicking off the trend of adventure reality series. Season 43 of the sitcom premiered on CBS on September 21, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET, featuring a new cast of characters from the tropical island of Fiji. They must live in a distant area for 26 days on the bounty of nature.
Let’s look at some lesser-known facts about the program that grabbed America by storm and has remained one of the most popular reality TV series. Payouts, keepsakes, the Dream Team, and more – 5 Survivor facts you may not know
1) Everyone who takes part is compensated.
While adventure game programs like Survivor draw a large number of contestants, the large prize money plays an important role in generating this hype. The winner of each season receives a large sum of money from CBS, which has increased to a startling $2 million for Survivor: Winners at War. While the winners are rewarded handsomely, what about the other competitors, you ask?
According to EW, CBS compensates all Survivor contestants depending on how long they have been on the program. The first person removed earns $2500, the third person receives $85,000, and the winner receives a hefty $100,000. Participants who were previously eliminated and participated in the final reunion win an extra $10,000.
2) Players are permitted to bring in personal items.
Survivor’s main idea is that competitors must survive in a remote tropical environment with few resources while still producing food, shelter, and fire for themselves. While it is typical to survive on your own, the producers are aware of a number of threats that the players may experience. Participants are supplied with some basic conveniences in this respect.
They are given first aid medical supplies, sunscreen, and insect spray, all of which are essential in a tropical environment. A little bit of protection goes a long way. Participants are also permitted to retain a list of personal goods in an off-camera box in the woods, such as tampons and contacts.
3) The Ultimate Team
Survivor begins with contestants belonging to one of two tribes and then pits them against one other in competitive activities to escape elimination. These jobs may be excessively demanding if they are not properly managed or validated. As a result, the CBS production team comprises a group of individuals known as the Dream Team. In a behind-the-scenes video from the crew, presenter Jeff Probst noted that they were in control of the challengers’ safety and viability. They are often a group of 16-20 early twenties that are recruited each season and individually try out every task.
4) Players may get the Hidden Immunity Idol.
The structure of the program places contestants in competitive challenges and removes them based on Tribal Council votes. Producers created the notion of the Hidden Immunity Idol to offer a twist to the program. If played properly, this has the potential to reverse a verdict, but it is only valid in certain circumstances.
As a result, there have been instances when the idol was not played despite the presence of a participant. In these cases, the owner gets to retain the idol and keep it as a memento. Andrea Boehlke, a past contestant, said that after being voted off without having to utilize her immunity idol, she was permitted to take it home with her. While producers did request it five years later to repeat it on the program, they promptly returned it.
5) Interactions between the camera crew and the participants
The producers do not encourage the participants to engage with the production team, in keeping with the show’s premise. While it is obvious that the participants are mostly followed by a camera team, contact between the camera crew and the players is also limited.
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Radio quiet is, of course, impossible with the ever-present camera team. A variety of scenarios are also reenacted by the players in order for the cameras to capture a decent image. Former participant Karishma Patel detailed to Insider how they had to replay their trip to the tribal council many times so that the cameras could get various viewpoints.
