‘Survivor’ season 50 features returning players and fan voting

“Survivor” returns for its 50th season with an all-star cast.

The upcoming landmark season will feature contestants from previous seasons dating back to the show’s first season, which aired nearly 26 years ago, primarily focusing on seasons 45-49.

Returning to the series this season is fan-favorite former contestant Mike White, who went on to create the hit HBO Max drama “The White Lotus.” as well as Aubry Bracco, who appeared in seasons 34 and 38.

“It’s different when you’re Cirie or Colby or Aubry and you’re an iconic ‘Survivor’ player,” host Jeff Probst told The Hollywood Reporter. “But bringing someone back for the second time is saying, ‘We think of you as something special.’ So when it came to New Era players, we definitely spent a lot of time asking ourselves, “What is this person’s rationale?” Why are they suitable? The same way we did with the older players. »

Probst explained how they went about casting the 50th season of “Survivor.” (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for SCAD)

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The show has brought back former contestants to compete a second, and sometimes third, time, several times in the past, including in season eight for the all-star season, season 20, dubbed “Heroes vs. Villains”, and most recently in season 40 for the Winners at War season, which only featured former winners.

While it’s not a new concept, Probst promises the outcome will be different.

“There are players that we’ve looked at and spoken to, and they’re great. They’re upset because they think they didn’t make it through,” he said. “Really, it wasn’t that. It was about how many spots do we have and what does each person bring to that spot? What we really wanted was a chart. It’s not ‘Heroes vs. Villains,’ it’s not ‘Game Changers’ or ‘Fans vs. Favorites.’ It’s a little bit of everything.”

In addition to bringing back 24 contestants from previous seasons, this season also engaged fans in a new way, leaving some elements in the hands of viewers via a voting system.

Contestants from previous seasons return for the 50th season of “Survivor.” (Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images)

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This twist allowed fans to vote on 11 key categories throughout the game, including tribe colors, number of twists and challenges and others, and those who voted won’t know the voting results until the show airs.

“But because we’re right there, we don’t know the impact,” he added. “I know the results from the fans and it speaks to the kind of game they ultimately want. I was curious because I met a lot of people who were like, ‘No idols, no twists, no advantages’. I was like, okay, maybe that’s what people really want. I’m excited about it. I think the fans are going to have a big impact this season.”

The host said the fan vote brought a level of “uncertainty” to the game and hoped a contestant would use this to their advantage, saying if they were in the game “I would start spreading rumors”.

Probst has been with the franchise for all of its 50 seasons and recently told Entertainment Weekly that he doesn’t have a contract, saying, “I don’t have any deal. We just do it.”

Probst hasn’t thought about leaving “Survivor.” (Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images)

“I’m telling you right now, I have no idea about leaving,” he told the outlet. “I love where the show is. I love our team. I love the type of people who are applying. It’s in every category of ethnic diversity. Every category is up, and everyone says it’s because ‘I see myself reflected and represented on the show, so now I want be in the show. That excites me, in addition to seeing young people come up and say, “I want to play this damn game!” It’s really exciting.”

Although he has no plans to resign, Probst says he “100 percent knows[s] this show will go on without me” due to its format.

White, who first appeared on season 37 of the series in 2018, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter in February about his decision to return to the series, saying he was “thrilled to be here.”

Mike White first competed on “Survivor” in 2018. (CBS via Getty Images)

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“‘Survivor 50’ is a true cultural milestone for anyone who ever loved ‘Survivor,’ played ‘Survivor,’ or made ‘Survivor,'” he said. “So I feel very honored to have received the Golden Ticket, the exclusive invitation. If it had happened at any other time in the last five years, I don’t think I would have been able to do it. But it just happened to fall into a good place for me. So I felt like maybe it was just what the doctor ordered.”

In addition to giving him a positive experience to look back on, White admitted that his experience on the show inspired him when it came to creating “The White Lotus.”

“The White Lotus” follows a new set of characters who stay at a luxury hotel in a different location each season, with each season exploring a different theme. He told NPR in December 2022 that “‘Survivor’ isn’t that different” from the show.

“A lot of times people don’t care who’s tending the fire or they’re hungry because they haven’t eaten anything. But then the music makes it seem like it’s going to end badly for someone,” he said. “And then you have these transitions of sharks in the water. And I was like, we’re doing that in ‘White Lotus.’ …I have to accept that I’m influenced by “Survivor” and these shows where you have a device that makes it feel like it’s a built-in cliffhanger. “

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White has said in the past that he took inspiration from “Survivor” when creating “The White Lotus.” (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Aside from the inspiration he gets from his time on the reality show, he also enlists several of his “Survivor” castmates to appear on the hit HBO Max show.

“Survivor 50” is scheduled to premiere on CBS on February 25.

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