Survivor is one of the many shows that fans have been keeping an anxious eye on as the coronavirus shutdown continues to impact filming. Survivor enthusiasts already knew the reality competition would not be returning this fall. What fans didn't realize is that they're going to have to wait a bit longer for the show to return.
Following the full-blown shutdown, television has slowly begun to restart production, and Survivor is among those to be on the slower side. Now comes news that no fan wants to hear. Inside Survivor reports that filming on Season 41 has been postponed until 2021 due to Fiji keeping its borders closed to non-citizens, a development that puts the new season's premiere a lot further down the road.
At this point, filming on Season 41 and Season 42 will reportedly begin in April 2021 and run through July in Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands. When Survivor could get these episodes for TV is up to speculation. Next fall is an ambitious window with the realism of a spring 2022 release being a worst-case scenario. Remember, production is only said to begin next year.
That makes Survivor returning in 2021 incredibly tight, and that's, of course, assuming that things actually happen as planned. In case you were wondering, filming in the United States was reportedly out of the question due to the generous tax rebate from Fiji and Survivor’s pre-existing Fiji setup. Survivor’s perennial host, Jeff Probst, is also said to have indicated he is against the idea, which I find perplexing.
The Bachelorette is also notably forgoing international travel for its upcoming season to get the show back up and running. Understandably, Survivor fans are used to contestants making alliances and plotting for the win on an island. That said, a tropical side of the United States could have possibly served as a substitute. Is Hawaii out of the question? At the very least, it could have gotten Survivor back on television sooner.
In these times, you would think change is a necessity. Hopefully, Survivor adds more episodes to help offset what fans will be going without in the meantime. There was already a bit of a call for more episodes before this hiatus, and I can only imagine that it will grow with the show's fall absence.
In related news, let’s hope that whenever Survivor returns, there are plenty of safety measures in place to protect participants. Other television shows have found a way to get back to work utilizing social distancing, pod production, and good ole’ mask use.
If the worst comes to worst and Fiji still does not have its borders open by next spring, it will be interesting to learn what Survivor does. Losing momentum by not airing during its regular timetable is a considerable gamble, albeit Survivor has a devoted 20-year audience to rely on to return.
I mean TV fans are used to waiting as long as a year for new seasons of shows on streaming services. So there is the potential that waiting could make fans’ hearts grow fonder.
A return date for Survivor has not been announced yet, so stay tuned. The show’s traditional timeslot will be occupied by The Amazing Race, which will air on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. While you wait for the drama of tribal council to come back, check out what this fall’s premieres have in store for you.
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