The Survivor 50 voting has begun, giving fans control over many aspects of the season.
During the Survivor 48 season premiere, a commercial alerted fans to a new voting opportunity.
The producers have given the fans control of much of Survivor 50, letting the viewers decide on key components.
The Survivor 50 voting includes deciding whether or not the Fire-Making Challenge stays in place and if the show returns to a live reunion show in Los Angeles.
Social media has been abuzz with excitement about the voting, and there have also been requests for information about upcoming votes.
The Survivor 50 voting is done in batches, with four categories available during the first week. More categories to vote on will be presented as Survivor 48 progresses.
Survivor fans request a 39-day season again
Many Survivor fans want the show to return to 39-day seasons. That’s how long the castaways used to play the game before the New Era began. Now they do 26-day seasons in Fiji, limiting the food the castaways get to make the game more challenging.
Host Jeff Probst has previously spoken about how the producers are content with the 26-day format, but Survivor fans still hope they get to vote on extending it back to 39 days.
Below is a sampling of the online comments from fans (and an alum).
“I wish we had the option to make it 39 days again,” wrote one Survivor fan.
That person was responding to a post from Survivor Alum Russell Hantz.
“I think 39 days is the most important question to ask! Why the rice vote? So you’re saying 26 days and rice @JeffProbst ?? Survivor is soft now and the casting shows!” Russell wrote.
“Idea for Survivor 50 Make it a retro, or throwback. Make it season 1 all over again. In Borneo, with 16 castaways, for 39 days, same challenges, same everything except new people. No advantages, or idols. It would be epic !” another fan posted.
One fan feels that not having a 39-day season for Survivor 50 spells doom.
“Not to be dramatic but no 39 days on Survivor 50 kinda feels like the end of US Survivor for me. This really felt like the shows last chance to course correct,” they wrote.
But not everyone wants 39 days.
“I’ve never understood why are people so insanely mad about 26 days… like… i understand it feels more “deep and epic” when it’s 39 but it’s truly not that deep… #Survivor #Survivor48,” wrote one Survivor fan.
Jef Probst responds to 39-day requests
Even with many fans asking for a 39-day season, the Survivor 50 voting won’t feature it as an option. It’s simply not in the cards.
Dalton Ross from Entertainment Weekly broached the topic with Jeff, and Jeff’s answer was specific: “No.”
“It’s simply a production situation,” Jeff told EW. “We like this game and I can tell you that even if we wanted to, we already have our leases, our land agreements with Mana Island. 39 days isn’t even an option.”
Don’t let the length of the Survivor 50 season impact your viewing enjoyment. There is still much excitement ahead.
Previous seasons of Survivor are streaming on Paramount+.
Survivor airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.
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