When Survivor first came on the air, it took everyday people and put them on an island together to compete for a $1 million dollar grand prize, and fans are wondering if the series will return to its original 39-day format. Since the start of the series, up until season 40, the show's production schedule ran for 39 days. However, when Survivor season 41 began production, that was changed to a short 26 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will remain that way for season 42 of the show as well. With the show now following a 26-day format, here is why host Jeff Probst is unsure if it will ever return to its original 39 days.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, viewers at home were without Survivor for a little more than a year. Although the show began filming again in the spring of 2021, it looked slightly different than it normally did. Upon arrival, the cast and crew had to abide by the COVID-19 protocols and quarantine for 14 days, to be as safe as possible. This forced the show to go from 39 days to 26 days and meant fewer reward challenges and less food for the contestants. Since Survivor 41 and 42 were filmed back to back, Survivor viewers can expect the same for the upcoming season.
According to TV Line, Jeff Probst had this to say about the format, "The 26 days came as a result of having to shoot two seasons back-to-back with no break, we knew we couldn’t do two 39-day seasons. So we spent a lot of time working to make sure that we could do a full season in 26 days and that the experience would still be satisfying to the players." He also stated that it is too early to figure out if the show will ever return to its 39-day format.
Before the 26-day format was put into play, Jeff did say that all the players agreed that the 26-day format would still give them the full Survivor experience, as if they were the island for the full 39 days. So, with that being said, it is possible that the show will keep following the 26-day format for the remainder of its time on the air. However, it seems like that may be a long time from now, as the series still seems to be doing well.
With the Covid-19 pandemic ongoing, it doesn't seem like Survivor will go back to the 39-day format anytime soon. However, if fans want to see old seasons that were the full 39 days, they can stream those Survivor episodes on Paramount+. Nevertheless, with the success of Survivor, it seems like viewers can see a lot more players outwit, outlast, and outplay to fight for the $1 million dollar grand prize, and the coveted Sole Survivor title.
Source: TV Line