Legendary “Survivor” host Jeff Probst has lifted the lid on the latest twist added to one of the game’s most iconic immunity challenges and explained why he doesn’t think it worked well. He also delved into why the show continues to try and mix things up and that testing them with real contestants is the only way to see if they actually work.
‘Survivor’ Host Explains Why Immunity Challenge Change Didn’t Work
With any show that has been on the air for more than two decades across 49 seasons, there has to be a degree of evolution. Nobody wants to tune in to see players take part in exactly the same format and challenges every single year. So fans are understandably accustomed to seeing some elements of “Survivor” change with each season as the show tries to stay fresh and relevant.
One of those modifications came in the latest episode of the reality television series when contestants took part in one of the classic immunity challenges. As is normal, the castaways had to spell out the word “immunity” while carrying large blocks as balancing them on an unstable table. This time around, though, everyone had a belt attachment that meant when they moved backwards and forwards the table also spun around.
The goal.was obviously to have the rotations make it even harder to balance the blocks but that’s not exactly what happened in the show, with several players completing it quickly with relative ease.
While discussing the challenge on the latest episode of the “On Fire With Jeff Probst” podcast with Jeremy Collins, Probst explained that it is important to try new things but that not everything works. “Even though we have classic challenges, if you can find a way to reinvent them that works, that’s great,” says Probst.
“We have failed a couple of times in that we have messed with a great challenge, and I don’t think it was better for the change. But the only way you know that is by trying it.”
‘Survivor’ Changes Have To Be Tested With Real Players
He also explained that it only becomes clear if changes are beneficial when genuine players try them out. He added, “You can test it with Dream Teamers and all that. But sometimes you just have to put it in the game and watch what the players actually do with it and then you go, ‘Yeah, we got it right.’ Or ‘You know what? Let’s go back to the original.’”
Speaking directly about the changes to the latest challenge, Probst said, “I’ll be honest, I think I like the original better. What was interesting about this was watching what the players would do with the pace. And that is hard to predict because sometimes we do a challenge where everybody slows down, and there’s nothing you can do about it. They’re just going to do a slow plotting sort of challenge. You’re hoping that somebody desperate infuses some life into it.”
“In this situation, I think I would say, ‘Let’s go back to the one that we know and we love,’” revealed Probst. “‘But let’s keep trying new things.’ None of us are perfect in this. We continue to try things in the same way that I ask questions and then sometimes wish I had phrased it a different way. You’ve got to try something. If it works, do it again. If it doesn’t, try something else.”
