Season 40 of Survivor was the first-ever season featuring solely former winners of the popular series that takes reality competition shows to the next level. Fans were more excited than ever to see what Survivor season 41 would bring, but production has been halted for over a year due to COVID-19 precautions. During lockdown, two of the most popular seasons of Survivor (Season 20: Heroes vs. Villains and season 28, Survivor: Cagayan), became available on Netflix for the first time, drawing more fans into the show’s 21-year legacy.
When will Survivor season 41 air?
Although Jeff Probst and the Survivor producers were hopeful to have the next season air in Fall 2020, filming was postponed several times due to travel restrictions. Finally, on March 22nd, CBS announced that Survivor is filming this Spring. Based on the typical filming and editing schedule, we can expect Survivor season 41 to air in Fall 2021 (yay!)
I am thrilled to tell you all that @survivorcbs is going back into production and I will see you on the island for #Survivor 41! @CBS
Originally tweeted by Jeff Probst (@JeffProbst) on March 22, 2021.
Where is Survivor season 41 filming?
The next season of Survivor will be played on the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji. This has been the consistent filming location for the last few years, as the Fiji climate is great for the game of Survivor. CBS has also built a great relationship with the local government, and often hires Fiji residents to help with production.
Fiji’s border has remained closed to nonresidents to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, FBC News recently announced that the country would be open to allowing the Survivor crew to enter in February, with filming beginning in March.
Who will play on the next season of Survivor?
We don’t have a cast list yet, but rumor has it that the next season will feature all new players, given that the last three seasons featured Survivor veterans. Since the original set of participants was set to embark in March 2020, it is likely that there will be some replacements given the delay in filming.
It is also rumored that the next season of Survivor will have more of a focus on diversity. After being inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Black alumni of the show spoke out about the challenges they faced while competing as minorities. They formed the “Soul Survivors Organization”, consisting of contestants from seasons 1 to 40, and released a petition that calls for the producers to take several anti-racist initiatives, including hiring more BIPOC crew members, casting BIPOC as 30% of the cast, and offering mental health resources after the season wraps.
“The entire culture is in a beautiful upheaval,” Jeff Probst remarked about the petition, “and our job is to respond to it to make sure that Survivor continues to reflect our culture and our behavior and how we’re interacting with each other. Everything that’s happening is going to inform the future of Survivor.”
What time does Survivor come on?
Survivor usually airs at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on Wednesdays on CBS.