
Jeff Probst has seen his fair proportion of tribal councils since Survivor premiered 23 years in the past — and it hasn’t gotten outdated.
“There’s a phrase I stated to myself years in the past that stayed with me — which is among the issues I realized from Survivor — everyone has a narrative,” Probst, 61, solely shares within the latest situation of Us Weekly. “As soon as you recognize their story, their life is smart. So when any person’s appearing in a bizarre means, ask a few questions, possibly you’ll discover out they’re having a bummer of the day and you may assist them.”
The Emmy-winning host of the longtime actuality collection has had a “front-row seat to human conduct” for the reason that present premiered in 2000. Over the course of 45 seasons, Survivor has outwitted, outplayed and outlasted as its castaways try to be the Sole Survivor and take house the $1 million money prize. Whereas the present has maintained a robust following, Probst confessed that he knew that the sport wanted to evolve since its debut.
“I don’t suppose we’d’ve recognized in season one what we’d be needing to do in season 45,” Probst, who additionally serves as an govt producer, displays to Us. “However once you look again on it, I feel it’s the sport design.”
When Survivor first premiered, the sport was easy and didn’t have many twists or mechanics apart from surviving the pure components. Throughout Survivor: Guatemala, which aired in 2005, the Hidden Immunity Idol was launched and the talisman has been a staple on the competitors present since. Following the success of Hidden Immunity Idol, new benefits have been launched together with the Steal A Vote, Data Is Energy, Security With out Energy and extra.

Jeff Probst promoting ‘Survivor’ props and memorabilia for charity in 2002 Theo Wargo/WireImage
“We’ve put loads of emphasis in placing twists and totally different benefits and issues within the sport, however they’re solely to create uncertainty in order that we are able to get again to what gamers had been coping with within the early seasons,” Probst explains. “As a result of at first of Survivor, [castaways] didn’t know what was coming subsequent. After just a few seasons, they begin to know what’s coming subsequent. So our job is to get again to that uncertainty.”
Together with the brand new benefits and twists, season 45, which premiered in September, has given the viewers what they’ve been begging for — longer episodes. CBS introduced in September that the most recent season of Survivor was getting 90-minute installments each Wednesday evening.
“90 minutes is enjoyable as a result of we knew upfront, so we designed the sport for longer episodes and that allowed us to place just a few extra enjoyable components in,” Probst tells Us whereas sharing how they’ve elevated hidden immunity idols this season. “They’re very elaborate this yr. They take much more work, much more ingenuity. You’re most likely going to wish any person that can assist you look out for canopy, however we’ve the time to indicate it. So followers are going to essentially take pleasure in watching the method play out.”