Diehards of Survivor are thrilled that their favorite show is finally returning to CBS after the pandemic drastically delayed production, but host Jeff Probst said they shouldn't expect to see any of their favorite players returning anytime soon. As viewers awaited the premiere of season 41 over the past year, they were made aware of several major changes, including the shortening of time on the island from 39 days to 26, and the ditching of a theme, such as Heroes vs. Villains and Exile Island. However, Jeff's most recent announcement is hitting a nerve with fans and past players alike.
Throughout Survivor's impressive 40 seasons, it was common for the most beloved and hated contestants to be brought back every few years. This was seen in Heroes vs. Villains, which pitted players known for playing a "clean" game, such as Rupert Boneham, against those who were deceptive, like the first two-time winner Sandra Diaz-Twine. For the 40th anniversary, Winners at War featured all past winners, including Boston Rob Mariano, Ethan Zohn, Parvati Shallow, and the second two-time Ultimate Survivor Tony Vlachos. Sandra and Boston Rob even returned for Island of the Idols to serve in a mentorship capacity.
Long-time followers of Survivor loved seeing such strong personalities and game strategies unite, but Jeff recently revealed that all-star seasons are a thing of the past...at least for the time being. In an interview with Variety, he provided a breakdown of the simplistic upcoming season, which he said goes "back to the very basic idea of a group of strangers, forced to rely on each other to survive while voting each other out." Jeff added, "For right now, where 'Survivor' needs to go is with fresh faces, fresh voices, players who are of the moment, players who can let us watch them and learn."
Soon after the Variety interview went public, fan favorite Ethan shared the above portion on Instagram and wrote, "WHAT?!" across it. Ethan captioned the post, "No more Parvati? No more Boston Rob? No more Tyson? Since they are never having anyone back again, who are you going to miss the most? Besides me." He then tagged Big Brother to inform producers that Survivor alums are available to compete. Comments on the post were largely upset at the prospect of never again seeing the "old school" crew outwit, outlast and outplay each other. One fan said, "ARE YOU KIDDING! Like I understand that they need new faces in the returning seasons, but at least throw in a few legends here and there!"
While this new era of Survivor will have many changes that fans are hesitant to adapt to, it's likely they'll put that hesitancy aside once the season gets underway on Sept. 22. After not witnessing ever-changing alliances, grueling challenges, heartless backstabbings and Jeff's age-old line, "The tribe has spoken," it'll be like reuniting with an old friend. It's also likely that viewers will fall in love with this new cast. Boston Rob, Parvati and other big names in Survivor history were all fresh faces at one time. Maybe the next batch of heroes and villains is about to be born.
Source: Variety, Ethan Zohn/Instagram