Alex Carson
For 20 years now, Survivor has managed to keep the audiences entertained. In this day and age when television series struggle beyond one or two seasons, Survivor has managed to deliver 40 successful seasons, a big feat in itself. And now, let us reveal Survivor Secrets
The idea of a bunch of individuals living on an island, far away from the world they are used to. Adapting themselves to Mother Nature is an enticing one. However, while a good idea is a key element, it, alone, isn’t enough to make any show a success. What goes behind a successful show is the hard work of hundreds of crew members, proper planning and execution, and some cheating and romance. In this video, we will tell you some secrets about Survivor that will put into perspective the popularity of the show.
Facts Verse presents Survivor Secrets You Weren’t Supposed to Know. Before we start giving you the details, take a moment and like and subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon to stay updated about all the latest videos.
You Can Choose to Be an Intern on the Show and Travel the World
If you are worried about your summer internship, consider applying to be a part of The Dream Team. Every year, the makers of the show hire a bunch of college students to test the next season’s various challenges. This bunch of students, also known as The Dream Team, get to travel to various beautiful locations around the world. And as well as help with production preparation. Most importantly, all the interns are given a stipend. Now that’s an internship we would love to score!
The Creators Use Some Handy Tricks to Keep the Show Profitable
Survivor has gone on for twenty years now and has built a loyal following that has stayed with the show. However, one must wonder that it’s already been 40 seasons, how do the producers keep the show profitable every year. The show owes its financial stability to the millions of viewers who religiously follow the series. The makers of the show also often play smart and save money. For instance, to keep things well within budget, two consecutive seasons of Survivor are shot in the same location.
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The Eliminated Contestants Go on a Trip of a Lifetime
The format of the show revolves around progressive elimination. Those unable to complete challenges and win immunity are eliminated from the show. In the end, the sole survivor wins the grand prize of $1 million. Now you would imagine that those contestants who are eliminated from the show must head straight to home. The truth is every year, all the eliminated contestants are sent on an adventure of a lifetime to a new mystery place.
All the Contestants Take Home Some Money
The winner of the show wins one million dollars. The person who comes second wins $100,000 and the person occupying the third position takes home $85,000. However, not many people know that all the contestants take home at least something. More importantly, all the contestants are also paid $10,000 just to show up at the live reunion. Given that contestants devote many months of their life to the show, it is only fair that all of them take home at least some money.
The Jury Members Are Treated Well Too
While the eliminated contestants go an adventurous trip to an undisclosed location, the jury members have to stay back for shooting. However, the show makers ensure that the jury members also get their much-deserved break while shooting for the show. Every year, all the jury members stay at Ponderosa, a resort where they receive all the care and attention in the world. Moreover, at the resort, they get the chance to work alongside other eliminated contestants and decide which contestant deserves to go next.
Crew Members Get Their Separate Base on the Island
Watching the show may give you the impression that the Survivor contestants are the only people on the island. However, know that the show has a massive crew that stays on the island 24/7. In fact, all the crew members have a separate base where they spend time when they are not shooting. All crew members get comfortable accommodation and unlimited access to food and drinks.
During season 16 of the show, the contestants broke into the base of the crew members and stole food and other stuff. Since then, the crew members closely monitor all contestants and surveillance has become much stricter.
However, the Producers and Crew Members Are Not Allowed to Talk to the Contestants
Every time you see a Survivor contestant speaking their heart out on the camera, know that there are actually talking to a crew member. However, the crew members are told strictly not to talk back to the contestants. They must only listen to the contestants’ woes and rants and never give any advice in return.
The Tribal Council Always Goes on for Hours
In the edited version of the show that is served to the audiences, the tribal council usually does not last more than 10 to 15 minutes. However, in reality, the tribal council goes on for hours. Most of the time, the contestants sit for hours, answering one blazing question after the other from Jeff. In the end, the producers and the creators go through this entire video and choose the most sensational answers to be included in the final show.
The Challenges Also Go on for Hours
Like the tribal council, the challenges in the final, edited episode that airs on the television do not last more than 10 minutes. However, in reality, the challenges go on for hours. In fact, it takes hours to set up the challenges. First, crew members explain the challenge to each individual contestant separately. The contestants are then given the chance to ask questions and clear doubts. Once all the contestants have understood the challenge, they are made to undergo a physical and medical test to make sure they are fit to perform the challenge.
Sometimes, Body Doubles Are Used
While the contestants do most of their stunts, sometimes body doubles are used. However, the use of these body doubles should not be seen as cheating as the body doubles are used for basic tasks, such as taking aerial shots of contestants (using the body double) before the challenge actually takes place. Similarly, the crew members sometimes also use body doubles to recreate scenes from the challenge that they missed to capture. So, who are these body doubles? Well, didn’t we tell you about the dream time at the very beginning?
Every Contestant Gets a Personal Camera Operator
The show becomes interesting when people with different mindsets and personalities come together. Thus, the producers go through thousands of applications every year, in the end selecting the most diversified lot. Even after being selected, contestants have to go through elaborate auditions to convince the makers that they are the right choice for the show and before they make it to the final list.
Once the contestants are finalized, every contestant is given a personal camera operator, whose core job is to capture every move of the contestant. The camera person leaves the contestant only when they are using the bathroom. Well, that does not sound like too much fun.
A Medical Team Is Present 24 X 7
The Survivor is not an easy show, which is what makes it so interesting. However, injuries and medical emergencies are quite common on the show. Therefore, the makers of the show keep a team of medical doctors to attend to sick contestants, as and when needed. It is highly appreciable that the Survivor team takes the health and wellbeing of the contestants so seriously.
Contestants Are Given Birth Control Products
Though the Survivors are expected to arrange for their food and shelter, the crew provides them with few essential items. Given that romance between contestants is an integral part of most reality shows, the makers of the show provide birth control products to make sure there are no Survivor babies in the end. Other than birth control measures, the contestants are also given other essential products, such as feminine hygiene products, insect repellants, and medication. However, they are not allowed to use other essentials, such as toothbrushes and razors. Now you know why all the men on Survivor have those scary beards.
Jeff Probst Has a Larger Role than Just Being the Show’s Host
Jeff Probst has been a member of the Survivor team for 20 years nowand was making $4 million per season in 2017. He also has the coolest job and gets to deliver Survivor’s catchphrase: The tribe has spoken. It is time for you to go. However, Probst is not just the host of the show but also an executive producer. It is believed that it was Probst who convinced creator Mark Burnett that the series would be a smash hit and that is how he landed the gig. Other than hosting the show, Probst also works in close coordination with the crew members to ensure everything, including all challenges, goes smoothly on the sets.
Jeff Probst Became an Executive Producer in 2008
One thing that has remained constant since the inception of the show is Jeff Probst. However, in 2008, Jeff decided to resign from the show. He did not give any elaborate answers in support of his decision but simply said that as the host of the show who has been with the team since the very start, he felt disappointed and unfulfilled. We do not know what happened after that, but Jeff came back not just as the show’s host but also its executive producer.
Contestants Have Cheated in the Past
Contestants are not allowed to bring anything other than the essential stuff with them. However, contestants have cheated in the past and smuggled props that weren’t allowed. In season 31 of the show, Peih-Gee, one of the contestants, smuggled fish hook earrings to help with fishing. She even managed to smuggle flint to the sets. During the first season of the show, Jeff Probst accused Richard Hatch of smuggling matchboxes to the set. In any case, the surveillance team has upped their game now and no such incidences have been reported during the past few seasons.
Many Survivor Couples Are Still Going Strong
Survivors often find love on the island. Well, it isn’t very surprising considering love makes everything unbearable a little less unbearable. Elisabeth Beisel and Jack Nichting; Jenna Bowman and Sebastian Lowe; Erik Huffman and Jaime Dugan- Huffman; Keith Tollefson and Whitney Duncan; and Tyson Apostol and Rachel Foulger are some of the Survivor couples still going strong. However, Amber Brkich and Rob Mariano continue to be the most famous Survivor couple. Together they won a million dollars on the show. Rob then came back in another season and won another million dollars. This married couple is now parents to four beautiful daughters.
Are you a Survivor fan? What makes the show so interesting to you and which season was your favorite? Please let us know in the comments section. That apart, if you know any other secrets about the show, please share it with us.
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