Survivor 41 brings back the reality show loved by millions of viewers — though, the game as they know it will undergo an extreme makeover.
CBS announced the 18 cast members for Survivor season 41 and released a teaser trailer featuring host/executive producer Jeff Probst. And the longtime Survivor mainstay is promising new twists and changes to the game.
For the first time since perhaps season 1, Survivor won't have a titled theme by location, tribe divisions or other facets of the game. Instead, this season is simply known as Survivor 41.
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The other big change is the shortening of play from 39 to 26 days. "Survivor 41 is birthing a new era, starting with a much more dangerous 26-day game,” Probst explains in the video. "So that means it is a very fast pace. It does force the players to make bigger decisions. So there will be new advantages and there will be some controversial twists.”
Probst also notes that fans usually hate new twists at first, "going to back to season 3 when we did the first tribe swap." This season will bring more and different advantages that he acknowledges may prove controversial.
The changed game is meant to keep players on their toes and not rely on their knowledge of past seasons.
As Probst told Parade, "The tribes are not given any daily food staple, and Reward Challenges are scarce. This had a tremendous impact immediately as their mental and physical energy is instantly challenged.
"And votes are often at risk, which means you can’t ever rely on how many votes your alliance will have at any Tribal Council. And advantages now often come with massive risks. In order to earn an advantage, you have to successfully navigate something risky. This is a new version of Survivor. There is no way to compare past seasons.”
The video preview also introduces a "Game Within the Game" for fans watching at home. Every week, they can find and decode puzzles hidden within the episode. Eventually, the answers will connect directly to what's going on with the players in the show.
Survivor 41 release date
CBS has set the Survivor 41 release date for Wednesday, September 22 at 8 p.m. ET.
New episodes will drop weekly on Wednesdays, then likely be available on Paramount Plus the day after.
Meet the Survivor 41 cast
The cast of Survivor season 41 consists of 18 players, ranging from age 20 to 52. include an ex-NFL player, a neurosurgeon, flight attendant, rancher, grocery clerk pastor and several college students.
They will be divided into three tribes of six.
Here are the Survivor 41 cast members and their basic info.
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