Jeff Probst has spent 25 years at the helm of “Survivor.” As the showrunner and host of the long-running reality television series, he has seen plenty of ups and downs. But he has now revealed what he considers his worst ever production mistake on the CBS show.
During multiple interviews in the run-up to the season 51 premiere of “Survivor,” Probst was asked about some of his biggest regrets. His answer was consistent throughout, citing the Change History Advantage that received a mixed reception from both fans and players.
Probst explained that he didn’t properly think through the idea and got excited about the name. This led to it being introduced before it was able to be tested thoroughly.
Jeff Probst Admits ‘Change History’ Didn’t Work
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Probst explained that he has made a number of mistakes during his tenure with “Survivor.” However, the one that sticks out the most is a more recent error. He then went on to reference the Change History Advantage, otherwise known as the Hourglass Twist.
“I think Change History is an obvious one that I don’t think we’d bring back. That’s all on me. It was an idea I knew didn’t work and I just shoved it into the game because I loved the name and the thought of it.”
In a separate discussion with Rob Cesternino on his “Rob Has A Podcast,” Probst also mentioned the same mistake. This time, though, he provided more information about why it didn’t work and the reason he pushed forward with it.
“Part of the reason is I had the name Change History but no innovative or revolutionary mechanic to go with it,” he explained. “For me, it was like Change History would be really interesting to do in a game where something’s already happened and you could go backwards.”
“But every time I would start working on it I would go ‘this is a terrible idea.’ The point of the game is they decide and then that’s it. When Season 41 comes around and the COVID-19 pandemic hits and we have some time to think. I have five whiteboards and I’m like ‘Change History. It’s time.'”
He added, “There was no reason to include it, I knew it was a bad idea and I shoved it into the show and then I remember the reaction. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m in quicksand and we’ve already got it on the schedule for [season] 42, so I’m going to do this twice.'”
Probst concluded, “So I think that was one where as a leader, I realized I got excited about something that I did not pressure test like we usually do.”
The Change History Advantage Explained
The mechanic itself was introduced in season 41 and remained in place for season 42 as well. It allowed a castaway to unilaterally decide to reverse the results of an Immunity Challenge. This effectively undid the results of the challenge and provided immunity to the other team.
This meant that the castaways who believed they had won immunity became vulnerable at Tribal Council, while the losing group became safe. It proved to be immediately controversial as it altered a fundamental aspect of the show and made previously safe players vulnerable.
Old advantages and twists are all in the running to return, while traditional formats and ideas may be abandoned or switched around.
