‘Survivor’: Jeff Probst Is Bringing His ‘Cutthroat Energy’ Back in Season 46

The Tribe Has Spoken

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Forty-six seasons in, and we’re still not sick of Survivor. Jeff Probst has been hosting the smash-hit reality competition series for its entire run, and it’s gone through many facelifts through the years while maintaining its core essence.

The current Survivor era is the shortest format in the show’s history. It’s 26 days of gameplay (13 in quarantine) instead of the previous 39, and with each season since Season 41, there have been frequent tweaks to the show’s format. But not this season.

Survivor Season 45 was so fun, Probst tells TV Insider they felt no need to make major changes to the game’s format in Survivor Season 46. However, fans can expect the return of some long-missed features. Probst says he’s heard the message loud and clear: No more Mr. Nice Host!

We asked Probst the big-picture questions about Survivor Season 46. Here are his answers. Don’t miss the two-hour season premiere of Survivor this Wednesday, February 28, at 8/7c on CBS.

Seasons 44 and 45 had some of the best casts in recent memory. How does the Season 46 cast compare?

Jeff Probst: I agree that we’ve been on a roll with finding entertaining and compelling players to take on Survivor, and that streak continues with Survivor 46! This group of players is one of the most eclectic of the new era! There will definitely be some fan favorites and they provide some memorable Survivor moments. You can’t ask for more from a group of players.

The cast of Survivor Season 46 (Robert Voets/CBS)

We feel the shortened format really hit its stride in Season 45. Do you agree?

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I’m glad you feel that way! We agree that with each new season, the game play is ramping up as the players are getting more familiar with this version of Survivor and how to use it to their advantage.

When we designed this new, faster, dangerous version of Survivor, we anticipated that, initially, players would be overwhelmed by all the changes and uncertainty. But we also believed that once they settled into the idea of expecting the unexpected that this new game design would lead to some tremendous gameplay. And you’re gonna see more of that this season!

What do you think was the best improvement?

I don’t think you can reduce it to one thing; it’s a completely different game. Small tribes, no food, limited supplies, fast pace, dangerous advantages. This new game forces action. You cannot sit on your hands if you want to win. You must play because even if you make it to the end, the jury won’t respect you if you play safe. The good news for a player is this should free you up to play big because the alternative is a dead-end street.

You were said to have been amazed by the editing changes on display last season. Can we expect more montages and flash-forwards, or other new and eye-grabbing edits, in Season 46?

I know I’m bragging, but from where I sit, there is no question that the Survivor editing teams are the best in our genre. We take a lot of pride in our storytelling, and our editors know they have the freedom to try any idea they want! But it goes even deeper than that. We make this show as a team, and that starts long before we shoot a single frame of footage. Even during pre-production, when we are discussing new twists or new ways to tell our stories, we will often run ideas past our editors to get their input so that when we do get out to Fiji, we have a game plan that we know we can pay off when we get back home and into the edit bays.

We have a synergy that is infectious, and I think that’s what you’re feeling when you watch an episode and are surprised by an editing choice. But form always follows function. Our editors won’t make a choice simply for the fun of it; there is always a purpose behind it. So whether it’s a funny Top Gun montage or a flashback idol find, it’s all about storytelling and character development.

Robert Voets/CBS

With the success of last season’s format, did you feel the need to make any structural changes? If so, in what aspects of the game can we expect to see them?

No, we are very happy with this new game and want to keep playing it and let the players tell us where it should go!

Seeing you stab a bag of rice was one highlight of Season 45. Will we see more of this “cutthroat” energy from you this season?

Yes, I’ve definitely heard the call that I’ve become too “nice” post-Covid and need to get some of my cutthroat energy back! The truth is I really enjoy those kinds of “playful with an edge” moments and will be looking for more opportunities in the future. A lot of it starts with the players and our banter during a season. I love it when they try to negotiate with me or take a light-hearted shot at me, it makes me feel like I’m part of the fun!

JEFF PROBST HAS A KNIFE WHAT IS GOING ON #Survivor pic.twitter.com/hhm97vE2TH

— Mike Bloom (@AMikeBloomType) November 16, 2023

When I think about my favorite Survivor moments, I remember the Season 6 finale when you rode a jet ski from the Amazon “all the way” to NYC to deliver the votes at the live finale event. Do you ever miss making those action scenes, and do you want to make them again?

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Those were so fun to do!  That jet ski skit was one I will never forget because, in addition to the Amazon, it required us to do a big shoot in the Hudson River. The Hudson River is absolutely freezing, but I couldn’t wear a wet suit because I had on my Survivor wardrobe. The boat captains warned me I would be cold, but I really didn’t think it would be that big of a deal, so we started shooting. I was zipping around on the jet ski for eight hours! I started getting extremely cold and felt my feet starting to go numb, but then something weird happened. I noticed I was feeling less cold but more tired.

I didn’t know it at the time, but that was hypothermia taking over. By the time we finished, the lower half of my body was completely numb. I’m talking dead feet. It took many hours and many blankets for them to finally thaw out. But totally worth it. I still remember being at the Ed Sullivan Theater as the finale was playing and our live audience was watching. It was just after 9/11, and when we passed by the Statue of Liberty on that silly jet ski, the response was very thunderous and very powerful. So yes, I do miss doing them, and maybe one day we’ll come up with an idea so good we have to bring it back!

I know you prefer the current finale and after-show format because it gives us the players’ real-time reactions. Last year, you were asked if you would do a hybrid model of the immediate after-show plus a live reunion special. What’s the latest on that front?

I totally understand the desire from a player and fan point of view to have a reunion that discusses the show after it’s already aired. I really do. There’s a lot of fun to be had, because now you know the truth about what everyone said and did, plus it’s fun to see the players in their fancy clothes with sharp hair and makeup! It’s really more of a CBS question in that they would have to decide if it made sense on the schedule and if there was enough interest from fans to do our After Show in Fiji and then a Reunion show back in Los Angeles.  Who knows, maybe we’ll do both at some point!

Survivor, Season 46 Premieres Wednesday, February 28, 8/7c, CBS