Survivor Is Letting Fans Vote On Some Huge Changes, But There’s No Word On The Change Fans Want Most Of All

We’re just days away from the premiere of Survivor 48, but as per usual, the main topic of conversation amongst the fanbase is once again about Survivor 50. The upcoming milestone season that’ll bring back former players has been a constant source of arguments and speculation, as fans have very different perspectives on who should get an invite and how the game should be structured. We still don’t have a ton of insight into the big casting question, but it turns out we’re all about to have a lot of say in that structure.

Over the weekend, longtime host and behind the scenes power producer Jeff Probst let everyone in on a little secret. The theme of Survivor 50 is In The Hands Of The Fans. In practical terms, that means fans are going to be allowed to vote and potentially change some key elements of the game. Now, the change fans have been clamoring for most wasn’t discussed, but a few other huge ones were. Let’s go over those.

When Survivor 48 premieres on February 26th, fans will gain access to a poll that will allow them to vote for what they’d like to see during Survivor 50. The first four questions are should the players get rice, should there be a final 4 fire-making challenge, should there be a live reunion or an immediate reunion in Fiji and what colors should the buffs be. That last one is an obvious throwaway, but the first three are extremely divisive arguments Survivor fans have been having for years.

Let’s start with should the players get rice. Survivor is supposed to be a physical grind. The earliest seasons of the show are mostly about watching the players try to literally survive. Over the years, the producers have taken different approaches, sometimes making access to rice and/ or a limited amount of food relatively easy and sometimes ensuring most of the contestants are surviving off very limited to no calories. Some fans prefer to watch the struggle. Others want to see the players well fed so they have more energy to be active and scheme. I’m on the fence on this.

The second question is around the final 4 fire-making challenge. Instead of doing a traditional vote when there are 4 players left, Survivor instead holds an Immunity Challenge. The winner gets to the finals and gets to choose one of the other players to take with them. The other two compete in a fire-making challenge with the winner going to the finals and the loser going home. The show did this so the players wouldn’t just eliminate the person most likely to win during the last vote, but there are some fans who feel they should have the opportunity to do that. Personally, I love the fire challenge and the excitement it brings, but some of my own co-workers vehemently disagree here at CinemaBlend.

The third and last question that matters is around the reunion show. Personally, I don’t care in the least about this, as the conversation after the show is over is probably the least interesting thing about Survivor to me, but I’m probably in the minority there. A lot of fans live for all the tea that gets spilled during these post-finale chit-chats, and they have very strong feelings about whether it’s better to just let the players immediately unload or it’s better to let them wait months and talk about it all in a more formal setting, as the show used to do. There are also many who want to see the more formal reunion come back, as it could mean Probst will bust out one of his elaborate and ridiculous entrances again.

I love this basic concept of giving fans the power to choose. Probst promised during his speech, which was recorded by journalist Mike Bloom, that there will be additional things for fans to vote on in the coming weeks. He teased that some of those questions will involve idols, but there’s been no mention of the one fans really want: the length of the game. Survivor trimmed the seasons from 39 days to 26 days during the so-called New Era starting with Season 41, and this change has been almost universally despised by fans.

It gives the players way less time to exist with each other and instead turns the game into a never-ending series of challenges and things they need to do. It also lessens the homesick element of the show, as there's a massive difference between missing your family for 26 days and 39 days. It’s quite obviously a worse game because of it, but I’m sure there are production and financial reasons why they prefer the shorter timeframe. Most fans are skeptical the show will let everyone vote on the length, but given the theme of the season, I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

You can check out the premiere of Survivor 48 on CBS this coming Wednesday evening when it hits the TV schedule. Then afterwards, you can hop on social media to make your voice heard on these first polls.