Despite its unprecedented 26-year run on CBS, it seems that new behind-the-scenes “Survivor” secrets continue to be revealed season after season.
While some secrets, such as those regarding castaways’ wardrobes and how much players earn for their time on the show, have been revealed by former contestants like Kelley Wentworth, the franchises’ milestone 50th season saw a massive contingency of press descend on Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands last summer to witness the first three days of “Survivor 50” live and in-person.
Now that the season has officially premiered, airing its historic three-hour debut episode on Wednesday (Feb. 25), PEOPLE’s Stephanie Petit has revealed a few of the behind-the-scenes secrets she witnessed first-hand while on-set.
Dozens of Cameras Means There are No ‘Do-Overs’ on ‘Survivor’
CBS“I’ve heard in interviews with reality TV contestants that production will sometimes shoot things a few times for different camera angles or soundbites,” Petit reported, adding, “I didn’t see anything like that in my three days on set of ‘Survivor.’”
Instead, to ensure that the production is as “real” as possible, “Survivor” production utilizes as many as 40 Ultra-High Definition (UHD) cameras to film challenges, camp life and Tribal Council ceremonies. The franchise similarly started employing the use of multiple DJI drone cameras to capture aerial footage in 2020, off-loading work that was previously accomplished solely by helicopter.
Assured that the multitude of cameras will catch anything and everything producers need to tell the story of any given season, Petit added that, “Everything from getting off boats to running challenges happened once – no ‘can we reset that’ or ‘let’s do it again.’”
Jeff Probst Doesn’t Use a Script, but He Does Curse on the Show
CBSWhile some reality TV hosts have their lines relayed to them via earpiece, teleprompter or old-fashioned ink and paper scripts, according to Petit, every word that comes out of longtime “Survivor” host Jeff Probst’s mouth is entirely off-the-cuff.
“Sure, Probst has been hosting the show since the very beginning, so the guy knows what he’s doing,” she reported. “But it was still amazing to witness Probst at the marooning (where he asked every one of the 24 cast members a different questions), the first immunity challenge (narrating the highs and lows of the performances, plus navigating a medical situation in real time) and the first tribal council (which went on much longer than you see on TV…) just doing his thing.”
Though the host has a veritable rolodex of “Survivor” catchphrases permanently etched into his vocabulary, including lines like “the tribe had spoken,” “Survivors ready” and “Come on in” – now minus the “guys” – Petit added that Probst’s monologues are oftentimes peppered with more colorful language as well.
“My interview with Probst contained a few swear words, and even during filming, there were moments where I thought, ‘Guess they’ll bleep that out,’” Petit revealed.
Yes, ‘Survivor’ Players Really Have to Find Their Own Food & Shelter
CBSWhile the “reality” of “Survivor” has been hotly debated for years, with a large contingency of viewers truly believing that the castaways are given food and proper shelter off-camera, Petit confirmed, as many others have before, that the show’s contestants really are isolated, not only the outside world, but also from the other tribes on the island.
“During my time in Fiji, we spent one day checking out the three starting tribe camps, with each requiring a decent boat ride to get to,” Petit reported, adding that, “Aside from a setup where the camera crews can hang out between shifts and store equipment, which players won’t stumble upon as it’s down a restricted path, there’s really nothing there.”
“The contestants really have to find their own food, build their own shelter from what they find and make their own fire,” she continued, revealing that the only provisions the castaways receive from production are items like medical supplies, hygiene products and a safety guide about potentially dangerous local plants and animals.
‘Survivor’ Challenges Undergo Intense Planning & Testing
CBSIn the vast majority of “Survivor” episodes there are at least two challenges – one offering castaways a reward, such as camp supplies, comfort or, more often that not, sustenance, and another offering the chance at securing Immunity and with it, guaranteed safety in the game.
These competitions, developed by the franchises’ longtime challenge producer John Kirhoffer, are meticulously tested – by the so-called “Survivor Dream Team” – and explained to the contestants before they are filmed.
“After a challenge is designed and built, the Dream Team members act as stand-ins for the castaways burning rehearsals,” Petit reported. “These test runs are important for production to make sure everything in the challenge runs smoothly, from checking the different elements to perfecting camera blocking. You can even spot some Dream Teams on the episodes, demonstrating the challenges as Probst introduces them.”
While the episodes show Jeff offer a brief overview of the challenges before giving the castaways a reprieve to strategize, Petit revealed that the host actually engages in a much more in-depth walk-through before the cameras start rolling.
“For the first immunity challenge of ‘Survivor 50,’ Probst took each of the three tribes individually through the obstacle course, explaining the different elements and answering any questions they had, sometimes conferring with challenge producer John Kirhoffer on the answer,” Petit revealed. “For example, one tribe asked Probst during the walk-through if they could use a rope from a previous element of the challenge to climb up the steep wall at the end. After a discussion, it was decided that they could not do so.”
Tribal Council is MUCH Longer Than it Seems on TV
CBSFactoring in Probst’s in-depth explanations ahead of Season 50’s first immunity challenge, filmed conversations with castaways, and the actual running of the challenge itself, Petit reported that, in total, the sequence took “about 30-40 minutes total, including the pause for medical attention” following Kyle Fraser’s devastating ankle injury mid-challenge.
“A lot was left on the cutting room floor,” she revealed, “Including Colby [Donaldson] and Jonathan [Young] both struggling to get up the wall.”
While the challenge was significantly shorter on screen, Petit added that the disparity was even larger when it came to the season’s first Tribal Council ceremony. From pre-vote discussions, to the vote itself, to Probst snuffing the first torch of the milestone season, Petit reported that the sequence took over an hour to film, compared to the maybe 10-15 minutes viewers saw on TV.
That being said, according to Entertainment Weekly’s Dalton Ross, the first Tribal Council of the season was likely longer than usual as Probst had to explain the logistics behind “New Era” twists like the “Shot in the Dark” to returning “Old School” players, as well as demonstrating proper talking volume while voting to avoid being overheard and showing eliminated castaways exactly where to stand when the time comes to have their torch snuffed.
“Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” returns to CBS next Wednesday, March 3 at 8:00pm ET.
