Fifty seasons later, one of the key factors of “Survivor” remains the same: the show’s approach to diversity.
Longtime host Jeff Probst told The New York Times that despite Paramount rolling back its DEI initiatives to comply with Trump’s mandates in 2025, “nothing has changed” in the reality competition series’ approach.
He explained that diversity is integral to the functionality of the show. “And if you watch our show, you know we’re very diverse; it’s not just our skin color or our ethnicity. It goes much deeper than that. This is one of the biggest positive changes ever,” Probst said. “Our stories are much more interesting now because we have people from completely different walks of life.”
He continued: “I don’t feel any pressure. Nobody says, ‘Can you count the numbers again?’ It doesn’t say. But casting director Jesse Tannenbaum knows this: There’s no stopping just because we’re told to. This is what we need. We need diversity. It is for explanatory purposes. All of these differences become important in the story when you gather people together and force them to trust each other while plotting against each other. “The more diverse it is, the more interesting it will be.”
Although the show’s DEI initiatives remain the same, Probst explained how the cast has changed since the series began in 2000.
“The approach to casting and storytelling in the early seasons was different from the storytelling we do now,” Probst said. “You would choose based on the writing. And friction was part of where we were; we wanted friction in our storytelling, in our arguments, in our finger-pointing.”
Probst became more than just a host when he signed on as showrunner for the 51-season show in 2010, with the aim of making the series more cinematic.
“I’ve always viewed the play as a tool. So when I was given the reins, the three things I really wanted to do were make it more cinematic; I wanted it to delve deeper into Joseph Campbell’s ‘The Hero’s Journey’ and I wanted it to be a family show. I knew that would change the people we put on the show and the types of stories we tell.”