Behind the scenes of “Survivor” Season 48

Divide 18 strangers into three “tribes”; drop them on distant islands with little meals and no shelter, and have them outwit and outplay each other till the final competitor standing is topped the winner of a $1 million prize. When the journey actuality sport present “Survivor” debuted on CBS in Might 2000, nothing prefer it had been seen on American tv earlier than.

Requested to explain the collection, “Survivor” host and showrunner Jeff Probst mentioned, “It’s a social experiment, in that it takes a bunch of people that do not know one another, and forces them to depend on one another, whereas enjoying this sport the place you vote one another out.”

Probst invited “Sunday Morning” to look at this experiment for ourselves, in Fiji, as he started taping Season 48, which premieres on CBS and Paramount+ this Wednesday.

Requested if he nonetheless will get nervous internet hosting the collection for the forty eighth time, Probst replied, “I do not get nervous on ‘Survivor.’ It is bizarre. I’ve by no means gotten nervous. I lean into it. I really like the uncertainty.”

And it is this uncertainty that is made “Survivor” some of the in style reveals on tv for 1 / 4 of a century. The present averages round 6 million viewers an episode. Up to now 24 years, followers have collectively watched ten-and-a-half billion hours.

“Once I knew ‘Survivor’ was going to be fascinating was the primary day of the primary season,” mentioned Probst, “once we deserted all people on the seaside, and Richard Hatch – who ended up profitable the primary season – bought up in an influence place in a tree. And he was trying down on everybody, and he mentioned, ‘I believe we must always all discuss!’  And Sue Hawk, a truck driver from Wisconsin, regarded up and mentioned, ‘The place I am from, we work whereas we discuss.'”

Whereas Probst had little question, “Survivor” virtually did not occur. Mark Burnett, the British TV producer behind hits like “The Apprentice” and “Shark Tank” (and now President Trump’s newly-appointed particular envoy to the UK), re-imagined a Swedish actuality collection (“Expedition: Robinson”) and took his concept to only about each U.S. TV community.

“And each community mentioned, ‘No. That is a loopy concept. We do not wanna do it,'” mentioned Probst. “However Mark will not be simply deterred. So, he went out and bought sponsors for the whole present.”

On the time, Probst hosted music reveals on cable TV (together with VH1’s “Rock & Roll Jeopardy!”). “I used to be actually the final individual employed,” he mentioned. “I heard Mark speaking about ‘Survivor’ on a radio interview. And he described the present. I knew after I heard it; I instructed all my associates, ‘That is my present, that is what I have been ready for.'”

Immediately, Probst (now additionally the showrunner) has his arms in each facet of manufacturing, together with combing by greater than 15,000 audition tapes that arrive every year. “I do know inside 30 seconds, actually, inside 30 seconds, I am fairly positive you are gonna be on the present or not,” he mentioned. “Some individuals are compelling instantly.”

Folks like Stephanie Berger, a technical product supervisor from New York Metropolis, and considered one of this season’s chosen ones. Requested in Fiji what her technique for the sport might be, Berger replied, “In my, like, day-to-day life, everybody will let you know that I get to be the alpha, like, I prefer to be in cost. I like management. And I do know that I can’t come out right here and do this.”

Kyle Fraser is a contestant from Roanoke, Virginia. “Once I first began watching ‘Survivor,’ I knew that this sport was for me,” he mentioned.

I requested, “Are you prepared to lie? Like, the place do you draw the road in your sport?”

“Pay attention, I’m gonna should lie,” Fraser mentioned. “You realize, I am not gonna inform individuals I am a lawyer.”

Contestants not solely must construct belief by any means attainable; they should win psychological and bodily challenges from the second they arrive, or threat getting voted off.

Probst says what we see isn’t staged or scripted, together with tribal councils, the place he grills contestants off-the-cuff, a ability he is developed over time.

I mentioned, “You are a pupil of psychology and anthropology.”

“With out the levels!” Probst laughed. “I’ve all the time cherished all of that. I simply by no means formally utilized it. I did not wish to be a psychologist; I needed to be a storyteller.”

What does make it on tv is rigorously chosen from 1000’s of hours price of video shot across the clock for 26 days, in what is without doubt one of the largest tv productions on Earth. “It is an incredible trick, as a result of once you’re watching ‘Survivor’ it does really feel intimate, and it’s,” Probst mentioned. “When the tribes are on the seashores, there’s only a small handful of crew there and producers. However once you get to a problem or tribal council, you understand, there’s cameras in all places. We now have roughly 400 individuals which might be our worldwide crew. Then we have now one other 400 Fijians who work with us as effectively. So, we’re near 1,000 individuals.”

Every season movies in the summertime, with crews arriving months prematurely, turning a resort right into a manufacturing village.

Roberta Limjap, who works within the artwork division, mentioned, “It is not solely work, it is household.”

All the supplies, tools and props are produced right here. “All the things is comprised of scratch,” she mentioned. “You may’t purchase this.”

Dozens of younger manufacturing assistants take a look at each element of the challenges whereas crews plot digital camera angles.

I had my probability. And sure, it is a lot tougher than it seems to be. And tribal members typically compete exhausted and hungry. They aren’t fed when the cameras are off.

I attempted my hand at survival. Opening up a coconut will not be straightforward. “You realize what I am afraid of? Taking off my thumb,” I laughed.

Co-executive producer Jimmy Quigley coached me by beginning a hearth, whereas on my first attempt with a spear gun, I caught a fish. Newbie’s luck!

What is not luck is “Survivor”‘s endurance. “That freedom to play is what retains us out right here in the course of Fiji,” mentioned Probst, who – after 47 seasons – is the last word survivor.

“It sounds such as you’re on this till the tip?” I requested.

“I am in it now,” Probst replied. “I haven’t got any ideas of not being in it. However I imply, yeah, when you’re saying at 86, I imply, perhaps I am too previous then! However I by no means actually have a look at it that means. I really feel like I am part of a workforce. And I’ve mentioned to the individuals I work with, ‘So long as you all hold displaying up, I am going to hold showin’ up.'”

Watch an prolonged interview with Jeff Probst:

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Story produced by Jay Kernis. Editor: Lauren Barnello.