JEFF PROBST
With its David vs Goliath theme, the 37th instalment of Survivor (begins Sept. 27 at 8.30pm on GO!) takes a similar approach to the current Australian season, but there will only ever be one Probst, 56, who teases what’s in store now and in the future.
How did players feel about the labels this time? As you might imagine, the David tribe was proud to be labelled underdogs, as that’s seen as honourable. But there were a few Goliaths who wanted to make it very clear they have to work hard for their success. The big twist this season is the idol nullifier, which can be used against someone who might play a hidden idol. Sounds confusing! It’s actually not as complicated as it sounds. The idol nullifier blocks the use of an idol, but only if played against the specific person being protected by the idol. It adds a really fun layer of strategy to the cat and mouse of tribal council. Some fans don’t like there being too many idols and advantages, like when Cirie was eliminated in Game Changers. What’s your view? I have to take a lot of responsibility for the number of idols and twists as it’s ultimately my decision. Our creative team talks about this a lot. We never want to go too far but we also need to keep players on their toes with new ideas and dilemmas. As far as Cirie, I hated seeing her go, but that’s what we hoped would happen – one “game changing” moment. But to be clear, we would not want that to happen every season. And the chances are extremely unlikely for it to happen again. There’s a lot of talk about Season 40 being a legends season. Can you confirm or deny? Well, Season 40 will be a big one for us but I can tell you the truth: we haven’t decided on anything yet. We have never given too much weight to what number season we are on, we really try to stay fluid. Right now we are focused on editing David vs Goliath and slowly beginning casting Season 39. Rumour also has it Season 40 will be your final one with the show. Do you have an end in mind? Yes, I’ve heard these rumours as well. We are only renewed one year at a time and that is always how I have approached the show – one year, two seasons at a time.