Survivor may have entered a "new era" of the game, but host and executive producer Jeff Probst is still open to players from the past returning to compete again. During Survivor's hiatus in 2020, the producers had time to reinvent the game by making it shorter, adding new advantages, and casting players from more diverse backgrounds. A show that has been on the air for over 20 years is bound to need some tweaks to keep it alive, but that doesn't mean they don't have reverence for the seasons and players from the old-school game.
At one point, Jeff seemed to not be interested in having players from the Survivor back to compete. However, in a recent interview with EW, he adjusted his stance, explaining, "We are definitely open to returning players, from any era." While this may be exciting news for Survivor fans, Jeff did add a caveat, saying, "But we don't plan that far ahead." Survivor's most recent returning player season, Survivor: Winners At War, aired in 2020. Since the new era began, every cast has been filled with brand-new castaways.
Jeff Probst Excited By 'New Era' Casting Choices On Survivor
In Survivor's new era, the casts have been made up of many super fans from a wide background of life experiences. As a result of having a more diverse cast, the competition has been dedicated to showing more of the contestants' lives outside of Survivor. Jeff praised the casting producer, Jesse Tannenbaum, adding, "With his team, [he] has found some of the most electric, likable, diverse, layered players." Jeff's excitement for the recent casts has been palpable. Although he has said he is open to old-school players making a return to Survivor, he said of the new era players, "So many of them are on our list for a second shot at some point."
Jeff is not the only one who is excited by the new casting initiative. Many fans have lauded the new era seasons for their dynamic casts. While some have had issues with a few of Survivor's new twists, it seems the casts have been met with near universal praise. With that being said, it is encouraging to hear that Jeff isn't completely writing off the players who have come before. There's a reason Survivor has been on for 43 seasons, and many of the players from the earlier seasons still deserve a chance to come back.
All-Star seasons of Survivor have been some of the best seasons CBS has produced. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and Survivor: Micronesia both included past players and are two of the most adored seasons in the show's history. It would be fascinating to see some players from the old-school era adapt to the new game mechanics that the Survivor producers have created. Even some of Jeff's catchphrases have changed, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten where it all started.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
Source: EW