Jeff Probst reveals why he ‘loves’ After Show instead of Reunion Show

Survivor 44 is about to end with another After Show.

The After Show is what producers call the third hour of the season finale.

In past seasons, that third hour was reserved for a Reunion Show.

For Reunion Shows, the casts were brought back to a studio months after filming ended.

This allowed fans to see the castaways outside of the episodes.

It also led to some great moments as the players interacted with a studio audience, each other, and host Jeff Probst.

But the Reunion Show has been replaced with the After Show, which takes place in the jungles of Fiji.

Jeff Probst loves the After Show

“I do love the new after-show that takes place in the jungle because the conversations with the players are so pure and open and honest,” Jeff told Dalton Ross from Entertainment Weekly.

He is correct that the conversations are authentic, but it can also be jarring for people who make it to the end without winning the $1 million prize.

“Once a player returns home and begins to watch the episodes, their experience is often impacted by how the audience reacts to them,” Jeff elaborated.

This is also true. During the current season (Survivor 44), Carolyn Wiger has been interacting with fans, and that might not happen if she had to remain silent until a Reunion Show rolled around.

Maybe the Writers Strike could help the Survivor Reunion Show return

When EW presented Jeff with the idea of Survivor having an After Show and a Reunion Show, Jeff seemed excited about the possibilities.

“I love this idea because I know how much the players would love to get together for a reunion,” Jeff responded.

“And I know how much fun it is for the fans to see the players after they have returned home and had a chance to watch their season. So who knows, maybe that is something we will do down the road,” Jeff added.

With the ongoing Writers Strike, networks have been looking for more content from reality television.

The Survivor 45 episodes have been extended. So have new episodes of The Amazing Race.

And now there are rumors about Big Brother 25 getting delayed so that most episodes can air during primetime in the fall.

Maybe for Survivor 45, CBS could do the three-hour finale night and then have a Reunion Show air on a different night. This would give fans the best of both worlds and take an idea that works well for Bravo shows.

Five people are left on the Survivor 44 cast as the May 24 finale arrives.

Here is a breakdown of how the season finale will work, with someone getting named the Sole Survivor before the night ends.

A leak of the Survivor 45 cast has taken place, giving fans a look at who is playing the game next. More from that new season will be teased during the finale of Season 44.

Survivor 44 ends Wednesday, May 24 at 8/7c on CBS.

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