NEW YORK — There was a time when Jeff Probst couldn’t imagine doing what he’ll do on Wednesday as host of the 44th season of “Survivor.”
That is due to more than just the transient nature of television, where a 44th season of anything, even a show that created a sensation when it first aired on CBS in the summer of 2000, is rare.
Probst had a restlessness about him in those early days. In 2001, he studied screenwriting, acted, and wrote and directed a well-received indie film. He experimented with a short-lived talk show. “I had a chip on my shoulder about being called a ‘host,'” he admits.
However, as series creator Mark Burnett began to step down, Probst added “producer” to his title and has since ascended to the level of “showrunner,” which means he’s in charge of everything.
He’s all in as a “Survivor” evangelist at 61.
“I have never been more excited to be a part of the show,” he recently told The Associated Press. “I hope it’s clear. “I hope it’s clear that I’m a big ‘Survivor’ fan.”
It is still a marvelously designed game that tests survival skills in a forbidding — if lovely — environment and social and scheming abilities to remain standing at the end and collect the $1 million prize. Even if one of the cast members is a stumbling block, “one of the show’s greatest strengths is that every season hits a reset button,” according to Dalton Ross, executive editor at large at Entertainment Weekly and a longtime fan of the show.
So it can handle a scandal, like a player being kicked off in 2019 after being accused of touching young women in an inappropriate way, or changes that don’t work, like the “fire tokens” that were tried for one season but didn’t work.
Other new ideas, such as a hidden immunity idol or the “David vs. Goliath” season that Probst adored, keep the show fresh while adhering to a basic structure.
CBS also directed producers to increase diversity, which Probst claims have added to the show’s richness. The new season’s 18 castaways include five Black contestants, three Latinos, and an Asian American.
“I think people who don’t watch ‘Survivor’ may mistake it for some sort of survivalist’s show or label it as just a reality show,” Probst said. “When, in reality, ‘Survivor’ is one of the most epic adventures you can ever embark on, as a player or a viewer.”
According to Ross, there was a clear difference in how Probst did his job onscreen as he became more involved in how the show was put together.
“Jeff began to inject more opinion and personality into his hosting,” he explained. “Until that point, it was more of a master of ceremonies role. You realized he could be the audience’s eyes and ears and speak for them. It was one of the most significant changes he implemented as a host. It made him a player the other players had to deal with.”
When asked who he thinks is the best player ever, Probst shrugs and admits that some seasons start to blur together.
After bouncing around for several years to different locations, “Survivor” has settled on Fiji as a permanent set. The jungle is a character in its own right. According to Ross, high-definition photography and drones make things more visually appealing than ever.
When asked who he thinks is the best player ever, Probst shrugs and admits that some seasons start to blur together. He claimed he’d lose a “Survivor” trivia contest.
“I’ll see an early cut of an episode and have no idea who was voted out, even though I was the one at Tribal Council who extinguished their torch,” he explained.
And, yes, he’s excited about the new season, calling it one of the most entertaining casts the show has assembled in a long time.
“It’s enthralling,” he said. “I believe that it’s one of the reasons we’re still on the air. If you watch the first episode of ‘Survivor 44,’ I don’t understand how you won’t watch the second. You’ll become addicted.”
Beginning Wednesday, Survivor Probst will co-host a podcast with show
Beginning Wednesday, Probst will co-host a podcast with show producer Brittany Crapper and fan Jay Wolff, which will air after each episode’s conclusion. According to him, “On Fire with Jeff Probst” will provide an inside look at how the show is put together.
He said that CBS wants to maintain the magic and strengthen its relationship with fans.
With broadcast television struggling to attract viewers, CBS’s “Survivor” is a consistent performer and one of the few families shows that people of all ages can enjoy. The show appears to be here to stay, and it’s difficult to imagine it without the man who is “not just the face of ‘Survivor,’ but the pulse of ‘Survivor,'” according to Ross.
When asked if he wants to stay with the show for as long as it is on the air, Probst initially dismisses the question as impossible.
Then he responds quickly.
“At this point,” he admitted. “Indeed, yes. Because I’ve built my life around Survivor and channeled all of my creative ideas through it. Every conversation, every book I read, every podcast I listen to, everything… will be filtered through my Survivor filter.”
SOURCE – (AP)
