There are long-running reality competition shows, and then there's Survivor. Widely known as one of the best reality shows of all time, the show changed the TV world forever and is showing no signs of slowing down. Next up is Survivor 46, which filmed over the summer. But there's one thing that fans shouldn't expect in the next batch of episodes: another auction. And producer/host/showrunner Jeff Probst recently explained why the beloved auction is so hard to pull off.
Survivor's auction challenge was gone for years, after the cast of Worlds Apart basically broke the game's original version. Fans really missed it, which is why they were thrilled when it returned for Season 45 and Probst said it was here to stay. Unfortunately it won't be included in the 46th season, with Jeff explaining to EW why it's such a complicated challenge to produce. In his words:
That's a gigantic lift from production. It looks simple, but you’ve got a chocolate shake, and you've got a bag, and somebody pays with money. Now there are so many departments involved.
Points were made. While from a viewer perspective the auction seems easy to pull off, it's much more complicated in real life. Namely because Survivor (which is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription) shoots in a remote area of Fiji. So getting the prizes, cash, and refrigeration to keep the food fresh is easier said than done. And given how long he's been working on the show, Jeff Probst would definitely know this all too well.
Since Survivor has been on the air for so long, the logistical complications that filming this type of show are often lost on the audience. And changing things up with a big challenge like the auction requires manpower and resources that can be difficult to come by. In the same interview, Jeff Probst spoke more about the reality of the auction, saying:
We only have certain amount of days. And in those days, a certain amount of daylight hours. There are only a certain number of people on our team, and there are only so many little homes that people can live in. We can't get more crew. We have nowhere. It's just this complicated math problem.
This really helps to peel back the curtain on what it's like filming a season of Survivor from Fiji. And unfortunately another auction simply wasn't in the cards for the upcoming Season 46. In the meantime, fans can figure out how to stream Survivor 45 to re-watch the new incarnation of that fan-favorite challenge.
When the challenge finally returned it came with a number of new twists, including the cast searching for money around camp. It seemed like a no-brainer to follow suit for Season 46, especially since the cast didn't get to see the new auction on TV. Probst spoke about when it might return to the game, offering:
If we're going to do it again in the future, it has to be part of our overall design that we have time for it. Will we do it in 47 and 48? Probably one of the two. Maybe not both. But we do love it, fans love it, and I love that.
There you have it. While the Survivor auction has finally returned to the long-running series, fans shouldn't expect to see it play out in every season. Instead production will pick and choose when to include the challenge. So the cast and fans alike will be surprised.
Survivor 46 will premiere February 28th on CBS, and will be able to be streamed on Paramount the next day. While we not-so-patiently await the premiere, check out the TV premiere list.
