Survivor season 42 has been delayed after Fiji extends its ban on all international fights. The crew is in the middle of filming season 41 of the long-running reality competition series, which was delayed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Under normal circumstances, Survivor would have filmed both of these seasons back-to-back last year and then aired them last fall and this spring, respectively. But due to strict health and safety protocols brought on by the pandemic, the crew wasn't allowed inside Fiji for several months.
Survivor only recently began production on season 41, with host Jeff Probst confirming the news on social media back in March when he said, "I am thrilled to tell you all that Survivor is going back into production and I will see you on the island for Survivor 41!" The reality series debuted back in 2000, with two seasons airing every year. Once Survivor was finally able to start production on a new season, it looked like that twice-a-year plan was back on track.
According to Inside Survivor, though, Fiji has extended its ban on international fights, which will delay production on Survivor season 42. Even though some countries have been able to get coronavirus under control, India is currently experiencing a massive surge in cases. This is a big reason why Fiji has made their latest decision on flights. The ban is currently set to end on May 9 but may not be lifted until the surge is under control.
Since everything is up in the air at the moment, it is unknown when Survivor season 42 can begin filming. The contestants were recently supposed to fly into Fiji and quarantine for 14 days leading up to the start of filming at some point in May. Those flights never happened, though. But it's not just season 42 that'll likely be affected. Filming on season 41 is set to end soon. But if the ban on international flights has not been lifted by that point, the current group of contestants won't be able to fly back home.
It's very disappointing to hear that Survivor is experiencing more delays, after fans got their hopes up recently. If the players competing in season 41 are stuck in Fiji for a while, that will likely add to the production costs. Maybe Survivor should have brought both groups into the country at the same time. The producers obviously didn't know at the time that they would experience another delay, and it likely wouldn't have been the most feasible option for the contestants themselves, since they would have to be away from their families for even longer.
A couple fans noted in the comments section of the Inside Survivor article that Survivor should just film season 42 in the United States, possibly in Hawaii. The series has never filmed domestically, so it's an interesting idea. (After all, survival show Naked and Afraid has filmed some episodes within the U.S.) But the problem is that the flight ban means not even Probst or the crew would be able to leave Fiji to head back to the States. Literally every person who has a role on location is stuck; it's not just the contestants. Hopefully, the ban will be lifted soon so Survivor can proceed again. More important than that, lifting the ban will also mean the outbreak is under control, and that would be great news for the health and safety of everyone in India and other countries around the world.
Source: Inside Survivor