'Representation Matters': Jeff Probst Says CBS' Survivor Made A Mandate To Be More Inclusive, And It's Led To Significant Change
There are long-running reality shows, and then there's Survivor. Widely considered one of the best reality shows of all time, the acclaimed series is currently in the mist of its whopping 46th season on CBS (and streaming with a Paramount+ subscription). We're in a new era of the game, which includes longer episodes and all sorts of twists. Host/showrunner Jeff Probst says Survivor made a mandate to be more inclusive, and it's led to significant change.
When Survivor returned to the screen after the pandemic for Season 41, the cast was had significantly more people of color and LGBTQ+ contestants. That's continued every season since, including the current 46th season. Probst spoke to Deadline about why this occured, and how it's impacted the show, offering:
That will go down as one of the most positive and significant changes ever in Survivor. More people are applying now than ever, and it’s going up every season in every single category — African-American, East Asian, Middle Eastern, South Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic, Asian. it’s the perfect illustration of what we say all the time, which is representation matters.
There you have it. The power of representation has been seen by Jeff directly, as there's been a diverse pool of applicants trying to get on Survivor. Not only that, but there's more applications than ever... even though the show has been on so long. No wonder he's so psyched about this change in particular.
Fans who figure out how to watch Survivor 46 will definitely notice that the trend of having more diverse casts is continuing strong. This wasn't the case in the early years, which usually had overwhelmingly fit, white, young people. And that seems like one Survivor change that's here to stay.
Casting all sorts of people might be part of the reason why recent Survivor season have been so dynamic. And Survivor even earned an Emmy nomination recently after spend years without that type of accolade. And that was a reason with particularly wild characters like Carolyn and Yam Yam.
Despite the effort made by production for Survivor casts to be more diverse, there are still issues that naturally come up related to race, age, and sexual orientation. Back in Survivor 42, winner Maryanne Oketch changed her vote after two Black castaways in a row were sent it the jury. So the show is still a social experiment, but one that has a more diverse cast attached to it.
While Survivor will continue having more diverse casts, it should be interesting to see if other changes stick around. Some fans want the show to go back to being 39 days, rather than the abridged schedule that's been used since COVID.
Survivor airs new episodes Wednesday on CBS. In the meantime, check the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
