On February 25, Survivor season 50 aired. It is rare for any show to reach its 50th season, but to understand the importance of this year, we have to go back to the beginning.
After many American TV channels turned down the idea, CBS green-lit the show in late 1999. The game design is fairly simple: a group of strangers are marooned on an island and divided into tribes,where they are forced to compete in challenges and rely on each other to survive. They have to vote each other off the island, until two or three people remain, and then—in the aspect that makes the game so special—the very people who they vote out come together at the end to form a jury that then vote for the winner, or sole survivor. The way Survivor is set up is the foundation for many of the modern reality shows we know. Before Survivor, the concept of contestants voting each other out of the game was not widespread. In the 90s, reality shows were less gamified and more documentary or “fly-on-the-wall” style, like The Real World.
Then, on May 31, 2001, Survivor was born. Sixteen Americans were divided into two tribes and left for 39 days on an uninhabited island off the coast of Borneo, Malaysia. By the end, 125 million people tuned in for at least some portion of the finale to see Richard Hatch be crowned the sole survivor and be written a check for one million dollars. Survivor’s debut season finale viewership tied if not surpassed the average number of people who watch the Super Bowl each year, showing what a cultural phenomenon the show had already become.
Since that historic season, Survivor has gone all around the world, with seasons in Africa, Australia, China, Panama, Guatemala, the Cook Islands, and many more before finally settling in Fiji for the most recent seasons. Survivor 50 is one of six seasons to have a cast of all returning players. To remember and celebrate this show’s expansive legacy, this season brings players back from season one, all the way up to season 49.
One notable returning player includes Cirie Fields, a New Jersey nurse who famously decided to not just watch Survivor from her couch, but to get up and try it, serving as an inspiration and symbol that anybody can play Survivor. She is often hailed as one of the game’s most strategic and likeable players, and she returns to the game for a fifth time on Survivor 50. Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth, a waiter and surf enthusiast whose gameplay was marked by physical dominance in challenges, especially ones in the water, is also returning for a fifth time this year. Another returning player is Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, famous for her resilient gameplay as she was on the only tribe to ever dwindle down to one player.
On the highly anticipated premiere of the 50th season, Jeff Probst, the show’s host since season one, reflected with the players on the legacy and impact of the game. In a poignant moment, Cirie Fields said, “Survivor is like home for me, and there’s no place like home.” She continued, “[Survivor]’s given me the courage that I couldn’t find by myself on the couch.” As the camera pans, we see numerous other cast members nod tearfully in agreement. This moment in the premiere of its 50th season represents the life-changing impact Survivor has for both those who play and those who watch. Either way, it brings people from all over the country off of their couch and into the adventure of a lifetime, helping us see that ordinary people truly can do extraordinary things.
