1 of 1- RadioActive
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How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
I have a confession to make - I hate the show "Survivor." It has never appealed to me in any way, and the fact that it spawned a slew of other awful cheap "reality" shows that have taken the place of decent scripted television still galls me.
But the one thing I can't say is it hasn't been a huge hit. Those who love "Survivor" have been watching it for all or some of its 50 seasons over a quarter of a century. So you can't argue with success. As it hits the big 5-0, some are ready to celebrate the show - and many of them are Canadians who actually appeared on it.
"Now, 25 years and hundreds of contestants later, the show will air its 50th season on Feb. 25, which will include Canadians Kamilla Karthigesu, originally from Toronto and now living in California, and Genevieve Mushaluk from Winnipeg.
“As I go through each stage of the [season] 50 process, you know through casting, through the marooning, through actually playing the game, it sort of hits me a little more and more each time where I kind of understand how big this is,” said Karthigesu, who came close to winning in Season 48, but was the last person voted out, finishing fourth."
The latest version begins Wednesday and features cast members from previous seasons.
Survivor changed reality TV. Now it’s celebrating its 50th season
- mace
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
I watched the first season of Survivor. It was cetainly different than what was generally available on primetime network television in 2000. Then 9/11 happened. Now that was Reality Television. I could never go back to what was essentially a bunch of people playing a "survival" game on National TV.
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
Here's another reason not to like "Survivor." It was brought to North American TV by a British producer named Mark Burnett. It's his biggest hit, but not his only one. Among the shows he contributed to U.S. network television was a competition he devised called "The Apprentice." That's the program that first brought one Donald Trump into American living rooms every week.
There are some pundits who credit those appearances with getting his persona out there and making him a household name. We all know what happened after that.
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Thread Starter- paterson1
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
I also watched and enjoyed much of the first season of Survivor. After around four weeks I had the feeling the show was staged and fake. It felt like the participants were being coached and encouraged how to react. Also I thought it was a bit unbelievable that there wouldn't be any intermingling on the island of the large crew and the participants when the cameras were turned off. The first season was entertaining at the beginning because the show was different. After a while my interest waned in the personalities and conflicts. Soon my time spent watching Survivor dwindled to zero.
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
I think this is the problem with a lot of so-called "reality TV." It's rarely real, with input from producers designed to make it more dramatic in a way that would never happen without them. But they never acknowledge this manipulation and that makes it more like a scripted show than anything else. That's one of the many things that turns me off a lot of these shows.
You only see what goes on the screen, not all the background interference to ensure the show isn't a dud. And sadly, that's too often the reality of reality TV.
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Thread Starter- SpinningWheel
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
Don't get the '50' part but reality TV was never my passion in the first place. I remember friends in 2001 or so tuning in and being excited, it was appointment TV back then. The closest thing to Survivor I've liked was Gilligan's Island, so call me a 'Pioneer"
Last edited by SpinningWheel (February 22, 2026 7:08 pm)
- Fitz
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
SpinningWheel wrote:
Don't get the '50' part but reality TV was never my passion in the first place. I remember friends in 2001 or so tuning in and being excited, it was appointment TV back then. The closest thing to Survivor I've liked was Gilligan's Island, so call me a 'Pioneer"
Yes the 50 part was perplexing.. I do remember the first few episodes. I guess they had two seasons per year ?
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
Yes, it's confusing. They did two a season for 25 years, so that's how they got to 50 so fast. Seems a little specious to me, but then I'm not a fan of the show or its arithmetic.
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Thread Starter- Easily Amused
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
Here's another reason not to like "Survivor." It was brought to North American TV by a British producer named Mark Burnett. It's his biggest hit, but not his only one. Among the shows he contributed to U.S. network television was a competition he devised called "The Apprentice." That's the program that first brought one Donald Trump into American living rooms every week.
There are some pundits who credit those appearances with getting his persona out there and making him a household name. We all know what happened after that.
Maybe they can get ICE to seize and deport Burnett? 🤔
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
Here's another reason not to like "Survivor." It was brought to North American TV by a British producer named Mark Burnett. It's his biggest hit, but not his only one. Among the shows he contributed to U.S. network television was a competition he devised called "The Apprentice." That's the program that first brought one Donald Trump into American living rooms every week.
There are some pundits who credit those appearances with getting his persona out there and making him a household name. We all know what happened after that.Maybe they can get ICE to seize and deport Burnett? 🤔
Actually, he's already been "deported" in a sense. The Orange Man realized what a contribution he made to his high profile, so he named him the U.S. Special Envoy to the United Kingdom in 2024.
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Thread Starter- Easily Amused
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
Actually, he's already been "deported" in a sense. The Orange Man realized what a contribution he made to his high profile, so he named him the U.S. Special Envoy to the United Kingdom in 2024.
Aren't you just a beacon of good news. 🤨
- Binson Echorec
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
Re: Season '50'...It's confusing because we've long been conditioned to having only one television season per year. Summer used to be a wasteland of reruns but that is changing.
I've always preferred the British approach of using 'Series' instead of 'Season'. Fawlty Towers had two series of 6 episodes each. If they used 'Seasons', a North American would be inclined to think they ran in consecutive years.
Last edited by Binson Echorec (Yesterday 12:51 pm)
- alangee
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
Here's another reason not to like "Survivor." It was brought to North American TV by a British producer named Mark Burnett. It's his biggest hit, but not his only one. Among the shows he contributed to U.S. network television was a competition he devised called "The Apprentice." That's the program that first brought one Donald Trump into American living rooms every week.
There are some pundits who credit those appearances with getting his persona out there and making him a household name. We all know what happened after that.
I will always despise Burnett for his contribution to the dumbing down of popular media. But I will give him credit for understanding how mindless many North American viewers are.
- Hansa
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Re: How "Survivor" Changed Television As It Turns 50
I too watched the first season only and haven't bothered watching since.