Surviving Survivor
This is the third and final part of my write up about Survivor.
Click here to read Part 1 and click here to read Part 2.
Should Survivor end?
In 2020, Survivor will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. With that, it’s very likely that Season 40 will be another All Stars season. Given the way the show is now, perhaps Season 40 should be the show’s last season. I know some people don’t want to even think about Survivor ending. Survivor could probably go on for another couple of years. The show is still fairly successful.
Jeff Probst over explaining the final 6 tribal council in Cambodia.
If Survivor does stay on the air after Season 40, then something has to change. Perhaps the show can take a year off. Perhaps we should have a season a year. Personally, I would like to see the show scale down on all of the advantages and twists we’ve seen since Cambodia. Show us more of the contestants, who should be the stars of the show. Realistically, this is unlikely to happen. It might be hard to believe but a majority of viewers like the show in its current form.
What if the show did something different? Celebrity Survivor has also been talked about for years. Jeff Probst even mentioned that if this was done, it would be separate from the main show and be its own thing. Given that we’ve seen every personality type on the show, maybe it’s time for a celebrity version. However, the problem with Celebrity Survivor is the timing. Who would they get to do such a thing? Also with this much time passing without a celebrity version, interest in a show like this has certainly declined.
Jonathan LaPaglia, host of the highly acclaimed Australian Survivor revival/reboot that started in 2016.
Luckily, there are other versions of Survivor out there from other countries. Of them, Australian Survivor has been widely praised since its revival in the summer of 2016. While the show has an advantage over the US version in airing more than once a week, many of the players get to tell their stories. The casting for the show has been remarkable, giving viewers a whole other batch of characters to love. To a lesser extent, the current New Zealand and South Africa seasons of Survivor have also been good. With all of these foreign versions, they spend a good amount of time on almost everything: the characters, camp life and strategy. It’s all well done. Perhaps the show can continue on with these foreign versions of the show. Compared to the US version, the foreign versions understand the show much better.
So why am I still watching?
Some of you might be wondering why someone like me is still watching the show. Just from reading this, you might think that I don’t like the show anymore. I’d like to think that Survivor has a special place in my heart. I started watching the night that Marquesas aired after my grandmother simply asked me to watch it with her. Marquesas premiered in February 2002 and at that point in my life, I had lost my father just months ago. Along with my love for music, I’d like to think that Survivor helped get through some hard times. It was something positive and something to look forward to. Even after all of these changes to the show and game, I’ve continued to watch. Even if there was I season I wasn’t too crazy about, I still watched it.
Contestant David Wright finished fourth in Millennials vs Gen X
While I’ve been harsh about the recent seasons of the show, a contestant from one of them actually led me to writing for Pop Culture Beast: Millennials Vs Gen X contestant David Wright. David appeared on fellow PCB writer Pat Francis’ Rock Solid podcast shortly after David’s season ended, with Rock Solid leading me to PCB. Contestants like David are what keep me watching the show as well- whether they be funny, entertaining or someone I can relate to. Personally, David’s story hit close to home: he was an anxious guy trying to step out of his comfort zone. While he struggled in the beginning, David became one of the season’s top players and came very close to winning.
Simply put, I choose to still watch Survivor because I have nothing better to do on Wednesday nights. Keep in mind that on average, Survivor is one hour out of my week. I can’t think of anything else to do during that one hour. If anything, it give me something to do. While I think the show’s golden years are long gone, I will continue to watch Survivor when in returns in the fall for its 37th season, David vs Goliath.
In any case, Survivor has already left its mark on the history of television. Should the show continue pass Season 40, I’m asking that show changes something. While I’m not crazy about the current format of the show, I still like Survivor. Whether it be through the US or foreign versions, I’ll probably end up sticking with this franchise until its torch is snuffed.
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I'm a writer/journalist with a passion for music and pop culture. Having graduated from King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA in 2014, I've been looking for a platform in which I can share my passions. Since 2009, I've been posting to my own blog- The Walrus' Music Blog- via Blogger. I'm also the author of two self-published books, "The Camp: Stories from the Summer" and "The College: Stories from King's." Together, the two books cover the story of my life from 2004 to 2014. I've been lucky enough to interview several of my favorite musicians over the years and go to concerts from time to time. I'm also very devoted to the CBS reality TV show Survivor, which I started watching in 2002 when its fourth season started. I currently live in New Jersey.