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Survivor is an American version of the Survivor
Survivor (TV series)
Survivor is a reality television game show format produced in many countries throughout the world. In the show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a system of progressive elimination, allowing the contestants to vote off other tribe...

reality television

Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson
Expedition Robinson
Sources-External links:* *...

originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons

Charlie Parsons

Charlie Parsons is a British television producer who created a number of notable television shows including Survivor. He also created The Big Breakfast and The Word....

. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

. It is hosted by veteran television personality, reporter and one-time game show emcee Jeff Probst

Jeff Probst

Jeffrey Lee "Jeff" Probst is an American game show host, executive producer and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show Survivor.-Biography:...

, who is also an executive producer, and also executive produced by Mark Burnett

Mark Burnett

Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...

and original creator Charlie Parsons.

The show maroons a group of strangers (as one or more tribes) in a desolate locale, where they must provide food, water, fire, and shelter for themselves, while competing in challenges to earn either a reward, or an immunity

Immunity (reality television)

Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...

from expulsion from the game in the next of the successive votes for elimination. While much rarer than elimination by vote, medical conditions, such as injury or infection, have eliminated several contestants. The last two or three survivors face a jury composed of the last seven, eight, or nine players voted off. That jury interrogates the final few, and then votes for the winner of the game, the title of Sole Survivor and a million dollar prize.

The American version has been very successful. From the 2000–2001 through the 2005–2006 television seasons its first eleven seasons (competitions) rated amongst the top ten most watched shows. It is commonly considered the leader of American reality TV because it was the first highly-rated

Nielsen Ratings

Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...

and profitable reality show on broadcast television in the USA, and is considered one of the best shows of the first decade of the 21st century. The series has been nominated for several Emmy Award

Emmy Award

An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...

s, including winning for Outstanding Sound Mixing in 2001, Outstanding Special Class Program in 2002, and subsequently four times for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program is a Primetime Emmy Award given out during the primetime telecast since 2003.The Amazing Race won consecutively every year since the category's inception until Top Chef ended its streak in 2010...

when the category was introduced in 2003. Jeff Probst has won the award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program was an award created in 2008. On July 27, 2008, it was announced that this category's 5 nominees would all co-host the 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards telecast.-2000s:2008: Survivor - Jeff Probst...

four consecutive times since the award was introduced in 2008.

The series is currently airing its 23rd season, with season 24 scheduled to premiere on February 15, 2012. It has been renewed for two more seasons (season 25 and 26) for the 2012–2013 television season, with Jeff Probst confirmed to return as host and executive producer.

Format and rules

The first U.S. season of Survivor followed the same general format as the Swedish series, but, since then, the show has introduced several twists on the core rules in order to keep the players on their toes and to prevent players from relying on strategies that succeeded in prior seasons. These changes have included tribal switches, seasons starting with more than two tribes, the ability to exile a player from a tribe for a short time, hidden immunity idols that players can use to save themselves at Tribal Council and a chance to return to regular gameplay after elimination through "Redemption Island".

U.S. Survivor seasons

The United States version is produced by Mark Burnett

Mark Burnett

and hosted by Jeff Probst

Jeff Probst

Jeffrey Lee "Jeff" Probst is an American game show host, executive producer and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show Survivor.-Biography:...

. Each competition is called a season, has a unique name, and lasts from 13 to 15 episodes. The first season of Survivor was broadcast as a summer replacement show in 2000. Starting with Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...

, there have been two Survivor seasons aired during each U.S. television season.

In the first season there was a 75-person crew. By season 22 the crew had grown to 325 people.

#	\|Name	\|Location	\|Original tribes	\|Winner	Survivor: Borneo Survivor: Borneo Survivor: Borneo is the first season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was originally broadcast under the name Survivor but its official title was changed to Survivor: Pulau Tiga to distinguish it from subsequent installments of the series, and then changed again to Survivor: Borneo to...	Pulau Tiga Pulau Tiga Pulau Tiga is one of a group of small uninhabited islands in Kimanis Bay off the western coast of Sabah, Malaysia. The islands were formed on September 21, 1897, when an earthquake on Mindanao caused a volcanic eruption near Borneo... , Sabah Sabah Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south... , Malaysia	Two tribes of eight	Richard Hatch	Kelly Wiglesworth Kelly Wiglesworth Kelly Wiglesworth is the runner-up on the original American version of the CBS reality series Survivor.-Survivor:...	4-3	Only season to have the winner revealed on location rather than live and in the U.S.
2	Survivor: The Australian Outback Survivor: The Australian Outback Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...	Herbert River Herbert River The Herbert River is a river located in Far North Queensland, Australia. The southernmost of Queensland's wet tropics river systems, it is named after Robert George Wyndham Herbert , the first Premier of Queensland... at Goshen Station, Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...	Tina Wesson Tina Wesson Tina Wesson won $1,000,000 as the winner of Survivor: The Australian Outback. A married personal nurse from Knoxville, Tennessee, Wesson outlasted 15 other players to become the first woman to win the $1 million prize in 2001. She did not have any votes cast against her at Tribal Council...	Colby Donaldson Colby Donaldson Colby Donaldson is an American television actor, best known as the runner-up on Survivor: The Australian Outback and as the host for the show Top Shot.-Personal life:...		4-3		First time a contestant was evacuated due to injuries. Filmed for more than 39 days, running 42 days.
3	Survivor: Africa Survivor: Africa Survivor: Africa is the third season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed during 2001 and aired from October 11, 2001 - January 10, 2002 on CBS. It was set in Kenya's Shaba National Reserve on the African continent....	Shaba National Reserve Shaba National Reserve Shaba National Reserve is a protected area in northern Kenya to the east of the Samburu and Buffalo Springs national reserves. Together, the three reserves form a large protected area.... , Kenya Kenya Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...	Ethan Zohn Ethan Zohn Ethan Zohn is an American reality television series contestant who won $1,000,000 on Survivor: Africa, the third season of the reality TV series Survivor. He also appeared on the All-Stars edition of the show. After winning Survivor he co-founded Grassroot Soccer, which uses soccer to raise money...	Kim Johnson		5-2		First season to feature a tribal swap.
4	Survivor: Marquesas Survivor: Marquesas Survivor: Marquesas is the fourth season of the United States reality show Survivor. Hosted by Jeff Probst, it aired from February 28 - May 19, 2002 on CBS. Thirteen episodes aired, plus a mid-season recap and live interview with Rosie O'Donnell...	Nuku Hiva Nuku Hiva Nuku Hiva is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It was formerly also known as Île Marchand and Madison Island.... , Marquesas Islands Marquesas Islands The Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W... , French Polynesia French Polynesia French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...	Vecepia Towery Vecepia Towery Vecepia Towery Robinson won $1,000,000 on the Marquesas edition of Survivor. She is the first African American contestant to win Survivor's top prize.-Survivor: Marquesas:...	Neleh Dennis		4-3		Featured the controversial "Purple Rock" tie breaker.
5	Survivor: Thailand Survivor: Thailand Survivor: Thailand is the fifth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in the summer of 2002 and aired from September 19 – December 19, 2002 on CBS. It was set on the island of Ko Tarutao in Thailand. Fourteen episodes aired weekly. The two initial tribes were Chuay...	Ko Tarutao, Satun Province Satun Province Satun is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Trang, Phatthalung and Songkhla... , Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...	Two tribes of eight picked by the two oldest players, Jake and Jan	Brian Heidik Brian Heidik Brian Heidik won $1,000,000 on the Thailand season of Survivor.In 2004 Heidik began writing Survivor commentaries for the National Enquirer tabloid.-Survivor: Thailand:...	Clay Jordan		4-3	First season to have a fake merge and a Mutiny offer where players could change tribes.
6	Survivor: The Amazon Survivor: The Amazon Survivor: The Amazon is the sixth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2002 and 13 episodes aired weekly in the United States on CBS from February 13 - May 11, 2003....	Rio Negro, Amazonas Amazon Basin The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela... , Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...	Two tribes of eight divided by gender	Jenna Morasca Jenna Morasca Jenna Morasca is an American actress, former swimsuit model and American reality TV contestant who was the million-dollar grand prize winner of Survivor: The Amazon and previously worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....	Matthew Von Ertfelda		6-1	Included the winner of the immunity necklace giving it to another player. First time the tribes were originally divided by gender.
7	Survivor: Pearl Islands Survivor: Pearl Islands Survivor: Pearl Islands is the seventh season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2003 and debuted in the United States on CBS on September 18, 2003....	Pearl Islands Pearl Islands The Pearl Islands are a group of 100 or more islands lying about off the Pacific coast of Panama in the Gulf of Panama.- Islands :... , Panama Panama Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...	Two tribes of eight	Sandra Diaz-Twine Sandra Diaz-Twine Sandra Diaz-Twine is the $1,000,000 winner of the seventh season of Survivor, Survivor: Pearl Islands and the winner of the 20th season in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains; she is the show's only two-time winner...	Lillian Morris		6-1	Featured the Outcast Tribe twist, and a player quitting the game. First time two seasons were filmed back to back at the same location.
8	Survivor: All-Stars Survivor: All-Stars Survivor: All-Stars is the eighth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2003 and debuted in the United States on CBS on February 1, 2004 after Super Bowl XXXVIII. It was set on the Pearl Islands of Panama, where the previous Survivor: Pearl Islands had just finished...		Three tribes of six returning players	Amber Brkich Amber Mariano Amber Joy Mariano is an American television personality and winner of Survivor: All-Stars, after appearing as a contestant on one of its predecessors, Survivor: The Australian Outback...	Rob Mariano Rob Mariano Robert Carlo "Boston Rob" Mariano is an American television personality, widely known for appearing in several reality shows, including Survivor, and The Amazing Race with his wife, Amber Brkich Mariano. Mariano won Survivor: Redemption Island and the $1,000,000 prize after competing on the show...		4-3	First and only time a season began with 3 individual tribes. Featured a second million-dollar prize awarded to Rupert Boneham Rupert Boneham Rupert Boneham is an American mentor for troubled teens who became known to reality television audiences in 2003 as a contestant on Survivor: Pearl Islands where he placed 8th. He later appeared on the All Stars and Heroes vs. Villains seasons of Survivor, placing 4th and 6th respectively... for being voted by the viewers as their favorite contestant. First time that former castaways returned.
9	Survivor: Vanuatu – Islands of Fire Survivor: Vanuatu Survivor: Vanuatu — Islands of Fire, also known as Survivor: Vanuatu, is the ninth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor...	Efate Éfaté Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national... , Shefa Province Shefa Province Shefa is a province of Vanuatu, including the islands of Epi and Efate and the Shepherd Islands. The name Shefa is derived from the initial letters of Shepherd and Efate. It has a population of 45,280 people and an area of 1,455 km²... , Vanuatu Vanuatu Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...	Two tribes of nine divided by gender	Chris Daugherty Chris Daugherty Chris Daugherty is the winner of Survivor: Vanuatu and won $1,000,000 on December 12, 2004. He also earned the title of "Sole Survivor" and was the first male contestant in two years, since the Thai fifth season in 2002, to win Survivor...	Twila Tanner		5-2	Featured the first amputee contestant.
10	Survivor: Palau Survivor: Palau Survivor: Palau is the tenth season of the United States reality show Survivor. Its preview appeared during the final episode of Survivor: Vanuatu. Survivor: Palau premiered on February 17, 2005. The complete season, including the Live Reunion Show, was released on DVD by CBS Home Video on August...	Koror Koror Koror is the state comprising the main commercial centre of the Republic of Palau. It consists of several islands, the most prominent being Koror Island .... , Palau Palau Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...	A schoolyard pick of two tribes of nine, starting with Ian and Jolanda; two eliminated without a tribe	Tom Westman Tom Westman Tom Westman is the $1,000,000 winner of the tenth season of the reality show Survivor, Survivor: Palau. Westman is a husband, father of three, and former firefighter. Westman has a deaf daughter. He announced his retirement from the department effective August 8, 2005...	Katie Gallagher		6-1	The Koror tribe won all the immunity challenges and Stephenie LaGrossa Stephenie LaGrossa Stephenie LaGrossa was a contestant in Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala, and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. She was one of the most popular players ever to play the game, with her popularity peaking at 97%... , the last member of the defeated tribe, was simply absorbed into Koror. First time Exile Island was used. First season to begin the game without separate tribes, with two players, Wanda and Jonathan, being eliminated without ever joining a tribe.
11	Survivor: Guatemala – The Maya Empire Survivor: Guatemala Survivor: Guatemala — The Maya Empire, commonly referred to as Survivor: Guatemala, is the eleventh season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park near the more popular Tikal National Park, located in...	Laguna Yaxhá, Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park, Petén Petén (department) Petén is a department of the nation of Guatemala. It is geographically the northernmost department of Guatemala, as well as the largest in size — at it accounts for about one third of Guatemala's area. The capital is Flores... , Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...	Two tribes of nine, including two returning players	Danni Boatwright Danni Boatwright Danni Boatwright , a beauty queen and model from Kansas, won $1,000,000 on Survivor: Guatemala, the eleventh season of the reality television show Survivor...	Stephenie LaGrossa Stephenie LaGrossa Stephenie LaGrossa was a contestant in Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala, and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. She was one of the most popular players ever to play the game, with her popularity peaking at 97%...		6-1	Introduced the hidden immunity idol. First time new contestants played against returnees.
12	Survivor: Panama – Exile Island Survivor: Panama Survivor: Panama — Exile Island, also known as Survivor: Exile Island and Survivor: Panama, is the twelfth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Pearl Islands, off the coast of Panama. This location was previously used for Survivor:...	Pearl Islands, Panama Panama Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...	Four tribes of four divided by age and gender	Aras Baskauskas Aras Baskauskas Aras Baskauskas is the winner of Survivor: Panama. He is of Lithuanian descent, holding Lithuanian and American citizenship....	Danielle DiLorenzo Danielle DiLorenzo Danielle DiLorenzo is a medical sales professional and became part of the reality television show Survivor: Panama, finishing as runner up. She returned to Survivor to compete on the 20th season: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains as part of the Villains tribe, and finished in 7th place.-Early...		5-2	The first time a season began with 4 individual tribes.
13	Survivor: Cook Islands Survivor: Cook Islands Survivor: Cook Islands is the thirteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, having premiered on September 14, 2006...	Aitutaki Aitutaki Aitutaki, also traditionally known as Araura, Ararau and Utataki, is one of the Cook Islands, north of Rarotonga. It has a population of approximately 2,000. Aitutaki is the second most visited island of the Cook Islands. The capital is Arutanga on the west side.-Geography:Aitutaki is an "almost... , Cook Islands Cook Islands The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...	Four tribes of five divided by ethnicity: African American African American African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States... s, Whites White American White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa... , Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ... s, and Asians Asian people Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...	Yul Kwon	Ozzy Lusth Ozzy Lusth Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth is a reality show contestant who first appeared on Survivor: Cook Islands. He finished as the 1st runner-up in a 5–4–0 vote to Yul Kwon. Lusth later competed in Survivor: Micronesia as one of the returning favorites...	Becky Lee	5-4-0	First time the final vote included three contestants. First time contestants (Candice Woodcock Candice Woodcock Candice Woodcock Cody is an American doctor and is best known for being on the reality television show Survivor.-Biography:... and Jonathan Penner Jonathan Penner Jonathan Lindsay Penner is an American actor, writer and film producer known for starring in The Last Supper and the television series Rude Awakening and The Naked Truth, as well as for appearing on the television show Survivor.-Life and career:Penner was born in New York City... ) accepted a Mutiny offer to change tribes.
14	Survivor: Fiji	Macuata Macuata Macuata is one of Fiji's fourteen Provinces, and one of three based principally on the northern island of Vanua Levu, occupying the north-eastern 40 percent of the island. It has a land area of 2004 square kilometers.... , Vanua Levu Vanua Levu Vanua Levu , formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located 64 kilometres to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of 5,587.1 km² and a population of some 130,000.- Geography :... , Fiji Fiji Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...	Two tribes of nine divided by Sylvia, who herself joined Ravu after the first tribal council	Earl Cole Earl Cole Earl Cole is the $1,000,000 winner of the reality television series Survivor: Fiji. He is an entrepreneur, producer, philanthropist and former California advertising executive.-Survivor: Fiji:...	Dre "Dreamz" Herd	Cassandra Franklin	9-0-0	First time someone won in a unanimous vote. Only season to have an odd number of contestants (19)
15	Survivor: China Survivor: China Survivor: China is the fifteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 20, 2007. Host Jeff Probst claimed the show was the first full American TV series to be filmed entirely within China...	Zhelin Reservoir Zhelin Reservoir Zhelin Reservoir is a reservoir located between Yongxiu , Wuning and Xiushui county. All three counties belong to Jiujiang, a metropolis of Jiangxi province, China. It's 40 kilometers to the north of Nanchang, and 90 kilometers to the south of Mount Lushan... , Jiujiang Jiujiang Jiujiang , formerly transliterated Kiukiang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level city in Jiangxi province, the largest one being Nanchang... , Jiangxi Jiangxi ' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to... , China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...	Two tribes of eight	Todd Herzog Todd Herzog Todd Herzog is the $1,000,000 winner of the 15th season of Survivor, Survivor: China. He is also the second openly gay male contestant to win Survivor, following Richard Hatch's win in Survivor: Borneo.-Survivor: China:...	Courtney Yates Courtney Yates Courtney Yates is a waitress who became part of the reality television show Survivor: China in 2007, finishing second to winner Todd Herzog. In 2010, Yates returned to the series for all-star edition Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains...	Amanda Kimmel Amanda Kimmel Amanda Lee Kimmel is an actress, model and former beauty queen who has competed in the Miss USA and Miss Earth pageants. Kimmel gained international notoriety as a runner-up contestant on both Survivor: China and Survivor: Micronesia. She also competed on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains...	4-2-1	Introduced a twist involving kidnapping players from the opposing tribe to receive clues, replacing Exile Island. The kidnapped player had to share the clue with someone on the opposing tribe. One idol was hidden at each camp.
16	Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites Survivor: Micronesia Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites is the sixteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, being the show's third to include contestants from past seasons, after the all-returning contestant pool from Survivor: All-Stars, and Survivor: Guatemala in which...	Koror, Palau	Two tribes of ten: fans against popular past contestants	Parvati Shallow Parvati Shallow Parvati Shallow is the $1,000,000 winner of the reality television series Survivor: Micronesia after receiving votes from Eliza Orlins, Jason Siska, Alexis Jones, Natalie Bolton, and Cirie Fields. She had previously competed in Survivor: Cook Islands where she placed sixth, and later was the...	Amanda Kimmel Amanda Kimmel Amanda Lee Kimmel is an actress, model and former beauty queen who has competed in the Miss USA and Miss Earth pageants. Kimmel gained international notoriety as a runner-up contestant on both Survivor: China and Survivor: Micronesia. She also competed on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains...		5-3	Included two contestants, one from each tribe, being sent to Exile Island.
17	Survivor: Gabon – Earth's Last Eden Survivor: Gabon Survivor: Gabon — Earth's Last Eden is the seventeenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 25, 2008, with the first two episodes screened back-to-back....	Wonga-Wongue Presidential Reserve, Estuaire Estuaire Province Estuaire is one of Gabon's nine provinces. It covers an area of 20,740 km². The provincial capital is Libreville, which is also the national capital. The province is named for the Gabon Estuary, which is at the heart of the province.... , Gabon Gabon Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...	A schoolyard pick of two tribes of nine, starting with the oldest players, Bob & Gillian	Robert "Bob" Crowley Robert Crowley (Survivor contestant) Robert "Bob" Crowley is the $1,000,000 winner of the American television show Survivor: Gabon. On December 14, 2008, it was revealed that he had been voted the winner, receiving four out of the seven votes and thus beating out hairdresser Susie Smith and pin-up model Jessica "Sugar" Kiper...	Susie Smith	Jessica "Sugar" Kiper Jessica Kiper Jessica Michele Kiper is an American actress and singer. Kiper was also a runner-up contestant on Survivor: Gabon where she placed third. She was more commonly known to the viewing audience during her run on Survivor as Sugar. She returned to Survivor to compete on the show's 20th season:...	4-3-0	First time the show was shot and aired in HD.
18	Survivor: Tocantins – The Brazilian Highlands	Jalapão Jalapão Jalapão is a state park in eastern Tocantins, Brazil, about 250 kilometers from the Tocantins capital, Palmas. It occupies 34,000 km2, making it the largest state park in Tocantins... , Tocantins Tocantins (state) Tocantins is one of the states of Brazil. . The state was formed in 1988 out of the northern part of Goiás, and construction began on the capital, Palmas, in 1989, in contrast to most of the other cities in the state which date back to the Portuguese colonial period... , Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...	Two tribes of eight	James "J.T." Thomas Jr.	Stephen Fishbach Stephen Fishbach Stephen Fishbach was a contestant on the reality show Survivor. He participated in Survivor: Tocantins. Following his second-place finish to James "J.T." Thomas, Jr., Fishbach went on to write the Survivor column for People magazine. Fishbach attended Harvard-Westlake School before receiving a BA...		7-0	Featured two players (one from each tribe) being sent to Exile Island, where one would receive a clue to the location of a hidden immunity idol.
19	Survivor: Samoa Survivor: Samoa Survivor: Samoa is the nineteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season premiered on Thursday, September 17, 2009....	Upolu Upolu Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of... , Samoa Samoa Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...	Two tribes of ten	Natalie White	Russell Hantz	Mick Trimming	7-2-0	Exile Island was not used; instead, the tribe who won reward sent one of their castaways to accompany the losing tribe back to their campsite, observe them until the next immunity challenge, and receive a clue. One immunity idol was hidden at each camp. First time the show was aired in 5.1 surround. Second time two seasons were filmed back to back at the same location and began the trend of filming back-to-back seasons at the same location (19 & 20, 21 & 22, 23 & 24).
20	Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains		Two tribes of ten returning players, divided by "hero" or "villain" status	Sandra Diaz-Twine Sandra Diaz-Twine Sandra Diaz-Twine is the $1,000,000 winner of the seventh season of Survivor, Survivor: Pearl Islands and the winner of the 20th season in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains; she is the show's only two-time winner...	Parvati Shallow Parvati Shallow Parvati Shallow is the $1,000,000 winner of the reality television series Survivor: Micronesia after receiving votes from Eliza Orlins, Jason Siska, Alexis Jones, Natalie Bolton, and Cirie Fields. She had previously competed in Survivor: Cook Islands where she placed sixth, and later was the...	Russell Hantz	6-3-0	Featured a previous winner, Sandra Diaz-Twine Sandra Diaz-Twine Sandra Diaz-Twine is the $1,000,000 winner of the seventh season of Survivor, Survivor: Pearl Islands and the winner of the 20th season in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains; she is the show's only two-time winner... , winning for a second time.
21	Survivor: Nicaragua Survivor: Nicaragua Survivor: Nicaragua is the 21st season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. It premiered on September 15, 2010 at 8:00pm, moving to the Wednesday timeslot for the first time since Survivor: Borneo....	San Juan del Sur San Juan del Sur San Juan del Sur is a municipality and coastal town on the Pacific Ocean, in the Rivas department in south-west Nicaragua. San Juan del Sur is popular among surfers and is a vacation spot for many Nicaraguan families and foreign tourists.... , Rivas, Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...	Two tribes of ten divided by age	Jud "Fabio" Birza Jud Birza Judson John "Fabio" Birza , is an American male model, best known as the winner of Survivor: Nicaragua. At age 21, he was the youngest winner of the show. Birza is a native of Lake St...	Chase Rice	Matthew "Sash" Lenahan	5-4-0	Introduced the Medallion of Power which can be used to give an advantage in an immunity challenge. Once used, it is then transferred to the opposing tribe.
22	Survivor: Redemption Island Survivor: Redemption Island Survivor: Redemption Island is the twenty-second season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, which premiered on February 16, 2011. Applications were due in January 2010, and filming lasted from August to September 2010. The season was filmed in the vicinity of San...		Two tribes of nine, including two returning players	Rob Mariano Rob Mariano Robert Carlo "Boston Rob" Mariano is an American television personality, widely known for appearing in several reality shows, including Survivor, and The Amazing Race with his wife, Amber Brkich Mariano. Mariano won Survivor: Redemption Island and the $1,000,000 prize after competing on the show...	Phillip Sheppard	Natalie Tenerelli	8-1-0	Introduced Redemption Island.
23	Survivor: South Pacific Survivor: South Pacific Survivor: South Pacific is the twenty-third season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, which premiered on Wednesday, September 14, 2011. The season was filmed in the vicinity of Upolu, Samoa, which is the same filming location as season 19 and season 20, and it will...	Upolu, Samoa	Two tribes of nine, including two returning players

U.S. television ratings

Survivor has consistently been of the top 20 most watched shows through its first 18 seasons.

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of the United States version of Survivor on CBS

CBS

.

Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

Survivor: Borneo
Survivor: Borneo
Survivor: Borneo is the first season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was originally broadcast under the name Survivor but its official title was changed to Survivor: Pulau Tiga to distinguish it from subsequent installments of the series, and then changed again to Survivor: Borneo to...

doesn't have a ranking because it aired in the summer of 2000. It would have ranked #2 in the 1999–2000 U.S. television season, assuming it would have attained the exact same viewership numbers as it did in the summer of 2000.

Season	Timeslot (ET Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... )	Premiered		Ended			TV season	Rank	Viewers (in millions)
Season		Date	Premiere viewers (in millions)	Date	Finale viewers (in millions)	Reunion viewers (in millions)	TV season	Rank	Viewers (in millions)
Survivor: Borneo Survivor: Borneo Survivor: Borneo is the first season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was originally broadcast under the name Survivor but its official title was changed to Survivor: Pulau Tiga to distinguish it from subsequent installments of the series, and then changed again to Survivor: Borneo to...	Wednesday 8:00 pm	May 31, 2000	15.51	August 23, 2000	51.69	36.70	1999–2000	#2	28.30
Survivor: The Australian Outback Survivor: The Australian Outback Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...	Thursday 8:00 pm	January 28, 2001		May 3, 2001	36.35	28.01	2000–2001	#1	29.80
Survivor: Africa Survivor: Africa Survivor: Africa is the third season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed during 2001 and aired from October 11, 2001 - January 10, 2002 on CBS. It was set in Kenya's Shaba National Reserve on the African continent....		October 11, 2001	23.84	January 10, 2002	27.26	19.05	2001–2002	#8	20.69
Survivor: Marquesas Survivor: Marquesas Survivor: Marquesas is the fourth season of the United States reality show Survivor. Hosted by Jeff Probst, it aired from February 28 - May 19, 2002 on CBS. Thirteen episodes aired, plus a mid-season recap and live interview with Rosie O'Donnell...		February 28, 2002	23.19	May 19, 2002	25.87	17.89	2001–2002	#6	20.77
Survivor: Thailand Survivor: Thailand Survivor: Thailand is the fifth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in the summer of 2002 and aired from September 19 – December 19, 2002 on CBS. It was set on the island of Ko Tarutao in Thailand. Fourteen episodes aired weekly. The two initial tribes were Chuay...		September 19, 2002	23.05	December 19, 2002	24.08	20.43	2002–2003	#4	21.21
Survivor: The Amazon Survivor: The Amazon Survivor: The Amazon is the sixth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2002 and 13 episodes aired weekly in the United States on CBS from February 13 - May 11, 2003....		February 13, 2003	23.26	May 11, 2003	22.29	17.65	2002–2003	#9	19.97
Survivor: Pearl Islands Survivor: Pearl Islands Survivor: Pearl Islands is the seventh season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2003 and debuted in the United States on CBS on September 18, 2003....		September 18, 2003	21.50	December 14, 2003	25.23	21.87	2003–2004	#7	20.72
Survivor: All-Stars Survivor: All-Stars Survivor: All-Stars is the eighth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2003 and debuted in the United States on CBS on February 1, 2004 after Super Bowl XXXVIII. It was set on the Pearl Islands of Panama, where the previous Survivor: Pearl Islands had just finished...		February 1, 2004		May 9, 2004	24.76	23.92	2003–2004	#3	21.49
Survivor: Vanuatu Survivor: Vanuatu Survivor: Vanuatu — Islands of Fire, also known as Survivor: Vanuatu, is the ninth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor...		September 16, 2004	20.06	December 12, 2004	19.72	15.23	2004–2005	#10	19.64
Survivor: Palau Survivor: Palau Survivor: Palau is the tenth season of the United States reality show Survivor. Its preview appeared during the final episode of Survivor: Vanuatu. Survivor: Palau premiered on February 17, 2005. The complete season, including the Live Reunion Show, was released on DVD by CBS Home Video on August...		February 17, 2005	23.66	May 15, 2005	20.80	15.48	2004–2005	#5	20.91
Survivor: Guatemala Survivor: Guatemala Survivor: Guatemala — The Maya Empire, commonly referred to as Survivor: Guatemala, is the eleventh season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park near the more popular Tikal National Park, located in...		September 15, 2005	18.41	December 11, 2005	21.18	15.21	2005–2006	#8	18.30
Survivor: Panama Survivor: Panama Survivor: Panama — Exile Island, also known as Survivor: Exile Island and Survivor: Panama, is the twelfth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Pearl Islands, off the coast of Panama. This location was previously used for Survivor:...		February 2, 2006	19.20	May 14, 2006	17.07	11.65	2005–2006	#11	16.82
Survivor: Cook Islands Survivor: Cook Islands Survivor: Cook Islands is the thirteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, having premiered on September 14, 2006...		September 14, 2006	18.00	December 17, 2006	16.42	13.53	2006–2007	#13	15.75
Survivor: Fiji		February 8, 2007	16.68	May 13, 2007	13.63	11.43	2006–2007	#15	14.83
Survivor: China Survivor: China Survivor: China is the fifteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 20, 2007. Host Jeff Probst claimed the show was the first full American TV series to be filmed entirely within China...		September 20, 2007	15.35	December 16, 2007	15.10	12.22	2007–2008	#8	15.18
Survivor: Micronesia Survivor: Micronesia Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites is the sixteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, being the show's third to include contestants from past seasons, after the all-returning contestant pool from Survivor: All-Stars, and Survivor: Guatemala in which...		February 7, 2008	14.02	May 11, 2008	12.92	10.84	2007–2008	#11	13.61
Survivor: Gabon Survivor: Gabon Survivor: Gabon — Earth's Last Eden is the seventeenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 25, 2008, with the first two episodes screened back-to-back....		September 25, 2008	13.05	December 14, 2008	13.77	11.74	2008–2009	#15	13.81
Survivor: Tocantins		February 12, 2009	13.63	May 17, 2009	12.94	11.59	2008–2009	#19	12.86
Survivor: Samoa Survivor: Samoa Survivor: Samoa is the nineteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season premiered on Thursday, September 17, 2009....		September 17, 2009	11.66	December 20, 2009	13.97	11.68	2009–2010	#26	12.34
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains		February 11, 2010	14.15	May 16, 2010	13.46	10.65	2009–2010	#25	12.60
Survivor: Nicaragua Survivor: Nicaragua Survivor: Nicaragua is the 21st season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. It premiered on September 15, 2010 at 8:00pm, moving to the Wednesday timeslot for the first time since Survivor: Borneo....	Wednesday 8:00 pm	September 15, 2010	12.23	December 19, 2010	13.58	11.19	2010–2011	#11	13.61
Survivor: Redemption Island Survivor: Redemption Island Survivor: Redemption Island is the twenty-second season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, which premiered on February 16, 2011. Applications were due in January 2010, and filming lasted from August to September 2010. The season was filmed in the vicinity of San...		February 16, 2011	11.17	May 15, 2011	13.30	10.97	2010–2011	#18	12.59
Survivor: South Pacific Survivor: South Pacific Survivor: South Pacific is the twenty-third season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, which premiered on Wednesday, September 14, 2011. The season was filmed in the vicinity of Upolu, Samoa, which is the same filming location as season 19 and season 20, and it will...		September 14, 2011	10.74	December 18, 2011			2011–2012

The season premieres of Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...

and Survivor: All-Stars
Survivor: All-Stars
Survivor: All-Stars is the eighth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2003 and debuted in the United States on CBS on February 1, 2004 after Super Bowl XXXVIII. It was set on the Pearl Islands of Panama, where the previous Survivor: Pearl Islands had just finished...

each aired after a Super Bowl

Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

. Survivor seasons (competitions) broadcast in winter/spring have had episodes moved to Wednesdays at 8:00 pm to avoid conflicts with broadcasts of the first two weeks of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

. For Survivor: Marquesas
Survivor: Marquesas
Survivor: Marquesas is the fourth season of the United States reality show Survivor. Hosted by Jeff Probst, it aired from February 28 - May 19, 2002 on CBS. Thirteen episodes aired, plus a mid-season recap and live interview with Rosie O'Donnell...

and every competition beginning with Survivor: The Amazon
Survivor: The Amazon
Survivor: The Amazon is the sixth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2002 and 13 episodes aired weekly in the United States on CBS from February 13 - May 11, 2003....

, the finale was broadcast Sunday at 8:00 pm. In addition, for the spring Survivor season (second competition of the television season), this finale has almost always coincided with Mother's Day

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...

in the United States (except 2009 onwards).

Locations

The American version of Survivor has been shot in many locations around the world since the first season, favoring warm, tropical climates.

Continent	Locations (Season number)
Africa	Kenya Kenya Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east... (3), Gabon Gabon Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west... (17)
Asia	China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... (15), Malaysia (1), Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the... (5)
Oceania Oceania Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...	Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... (2), Cook Islands Cook Islands The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand... (13), Fiji Fiji Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island... (14), Marquesas (4), Palau Palau Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a... (10, 16), Samoa Samoa Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in... (19, 20, 23, 24), Vanuatu Vanuatu Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was... (9)
Central America Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...	Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast... (11), Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean... (21, 22), Panama Panama Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The... (7, 8, 12)
South America	Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... (6, 18)

Since The Australian Outback, the final tribal councils have been broadcast live in front of a studio audience; alternating between the Ed Sullivan Theater

Ed Sullivan Theater

The Ed Sullivan Theater, located at 1697-1699 Broadway between West 53rd and West 54th, in Manhattan, is a venerable radio and television studio in New York City...

in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

(home to CBS' Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...

) and CBS Television City

CBS Television City

CBS Television City is a television studio complex located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of North Fairfax Avenue...

or the CBS Studio Center

CBS Studio Center

CBS Studio Center is a television and film studio located in the Studio City district of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. It is located at 4024 Radford Avenue and takes up a triangular piece of land, with the Los Angeles River bisecting the site...

in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

Post-show auctions

At the end of each U.S. Survivor season from Survivor: Africa
Survivor: Africa
Survivor: Africa is the third season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed during 2001 and aired from October 11, 2001 - January 10, 2002 on CBS. It was set in Kenya's Shaba National Reserve on the African continent....

onward, various Survivor props and memorabilia are auctioned online for charity. The most common recipient has been the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing pediatric HIV infection and eliminating pediatric AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs...

. Most recently, proceeds have gone toward The Serpentine Project, a charity founded by Jeff Probst, dedicated to helping those transitioning out of foster care upon emancipation at eighteen years of age. Items up for auction have included flags, mats, tree mails, contestant torches, contestant clothing, autographed items, immunity idols and the voting urn.

Controversies and legal action

In February 2001, Stacey Stillman
Stacey Stillman
Stacey Stillman was a contestant of the first season of the CBS reality television series Survivor, which aired in 2000 and was set in Borneo.Before Survivor, Stillman was an attorney in San Francisco, California...

filed a lawsuit claiming that producers interfered in the process of Survivor: Borneo
Survivor: Borneo
Survivor: Borneo is the first season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was originally broadcast under the name Survivor but its official title was changed to Survivor: Pulau Tiga to distinguish it from subsequent installments of the series, and then changed again to Survivor: Borneo to...

by persuading two members of her tribe (Sean Kenniff and Dirk Been) to vote her off instead of Rudy Boesch
Rudy Boesch
Rudy Boesch is a former Navy SEAL. After his honorable discharge, he was the oldest competitor on Survivor: Borneo at 72 years of age, where he finished in third place. He set the record again when he competed on Survivor: All-Stars at 75. He currently lives in Virginia Beach.-Military...

.
During a reward trip on Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...

, Colby Donaldson
Colby Donaldson
Colby Donaldson is an American television actor, best known as the runner-up on Survivor: The Australian Outback and as the host for the show Top Shot.-Personal life:...

removed corals from the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...

and in the same trip, a helicopter involved with the production crew flew around protected sea bird rookeries. Both of which violated Australian law and the incidents could have resulted in fines up to AU
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...

$110,000. Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...

, the executive producer, issued an apology on behalf of Donaldson and the Survivor production team.
At the tribal immunity challenge for the final four players on Survivor: Africa
Survivor: Africa
Survivor: Africa is the third season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed during 2001 and aired from October 11, 2001 - January 10, 2002 on CBS. It was set in Kenya's Shaba National Reserve on the African continent....

, host Jeff Probst
Jeff Probst
Jeffrey Lee "Jeff" Probst is an American game show host, executive producer and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show Survivor.-Biography:...

asked which female player in their season had no piercings. Kim Johnson answered Kelly Goldsmith, got the point, and went on to win the challenge, which put her through to the final three and ultimately (after winning another immunity challenge) the final two. Unbeknownst to the producers, another contestant on Africa, Lindsey Richter, also had no piercings. Lex van den Berghe's answer had been Lindsey, but the show did not award him a point, which could have significantly changed the outcome of the challenge and the overall game. CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

later paid van den Berghe and Tom Buchanan, who had finished in fourth place, a settlement.
In an attempt to win a reward challenge on Survivor: Pearl Islands
Survivor: Pearl Islands
Survivor: Pearl Islands is the seventh season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2003 and debuted in the United States on CBS on September 18, 2003....

, contestant Jon Dalton conspired with his friend, Dan Fields, before the show even started, in what Probst has described as the greatest lie on Survivor to date. Fields told Dalton that his grandmother, Jean Cooke, had died, in order to win sympathy from his tribemates and subsequently win the reward. In reality, Cooke had not died, a fact that only emerged to his tribemates once the episode had aired. After the challenge, Dalton admitted in a confessional that his grandmother was alive and "probably watching Jerry Springer
The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...

right now". When the show's producers learned of Cooke's alleged death, they called Dalton's family to offer their condolences, only to have Cooke herself answer the phone. On the Pearl Islands reunion show, Probst had a short interview with Cooke, who was indeed alive and well.
In the fifth episode of Survivor: All-Stars
Survivor: All-Stars
Survivor: All-Stars is the eighth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in 2003 and debuted in the United States on CBS on February 1, 2004 after Super Bowl XXXVIII. It was set on the Pearl Islands of Panama, where the previous Survivor: Pearl Islands had just finished...

, a naked Richard Hatch
Richard Hatch (reality TV)
Richard "Rich" Hatch is the $1,000,000 winner of the first American Survivor series, and was a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice 4.-Early life:...

came into contact with Sue Hawk after she blocked his path during an immunity challenge. Hatch was voted out that day for other reasons, but Hawk quit the game two days later as a result of what had happened. Hawk considered filing a lawsuit against the parties involved, but appeared with Hatch on The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...

the morning after the sixth episode aired, stating she opted out of legal action because CBS had helped her "deal with the situation".
Rupert Boneham
Rupert Boneham
Rupert Boneham is an American mentor for troubled teens who became known to reality television audiences in 2003 as a contestant on Survivor: Pearl Islands where he placed 8th. He later appeared on the All Stars and Heroes vs. Villains seasons of Survivor, placing 4th and 6th respectively...

, a contestant on Pearl Islands and All-Stars, was extremely popular with television audiences, but finished eighth and fourth, respectively, in his appearances on the show. As part of a special on the All-Stars reunion (Survivor: America's Tribal Council
Survivor: America's Tribal Council
Survivor: America's Tribal Council was a special edition of the TV show Survivor: All-Stars, which followed the Survivor: All-Stars finale in which Amber Brkich won the million dollar prize...

), a contest for the 18 players was created, where the winner would be selected by the viewing audience to receive a $1 million prize. Boneham unsurprisingly won this prize, with more than 80% of the votes cast. Many fans of the show saw this as a way of diluting the overall concept of the show, that instead of outwitting, outplaying and outlasting your fellow tribe members to win the game, a player could now play specifically just to gain popularity with the show's audience, regardless of how well they played the game, and still be rewarded with a large prize.
In January 2006, Richard Hatch, the winner of the first season of Survivor, was charged and found guilty of failing to report his winnings to the IRS
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...

to avoid taxes. He was sentenced to four years and three months in prison.
In the beginning of the 13th season, Survivor: Cook Islands
Survivor: Cook Islands
Survivor: Cook Islands is the thirteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, having premiered on September 14, 2006...

, the tribes were grouped according to their race. Probst claimed the choice came from the criticism that Survivor was "not ethnically diverse enough", but several long-term sponsors, including Campbell's Soup, Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....

, Home Depot, Coca Cola, and General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...

dropped their support of the show shortly after this announcement, leading to speculation that the decisions were in response to the controversy. Each company has either denied the link to the controversy or declined to comment, although the decision for General Motors to discontinue their sponsorship had been made months prior to the announcement of the racial split, and was thus purely coincidental.
The program once again faced controversy when it was revealed that the majority of the cast of Survivor: Fiji, were players recruited into the casting possibilities instead of people who sent in applications. It was revealed that Gary Stritesky (who ended up being medically evacuated from the game) was the only contestant who applied for the show, while the rest of the players on the show were recruited. Probst defended the process, citing finding diversity of cast as a reason.
At the Survivor: China
Survivor: China
Survivor: China is the fifteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 20, 2007. Host Jeff Probst claimed the show was the first full American TV series to be filmed entirely within China...

reunion show, Denise Martin told producers and the audience that she had been demoted to a janitor
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...

from a lunch lady due to the distraction she was to students from her appearance on the show. Because of her misfortune, Burnett awarded Martin $50,000. But Martin would later recant her story after the school district she worked for publicly stated that she had taken the custodial position before appearing on the show. Martin then decided to donate the $50,000 to charity.
A brief uncensored shot of Marcus Lehman's genitals during the premiere episode of Survivor: Gabon
Survivor: Gabon
Survivor: Gabon — Earth's Last Eden is the seventeenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 25, 2008, with the first two episodes screened back-to-back....

led to the show and network being asked to apologize for the incident.
Jim Early, who was a user on one of the fan forums for Survivor, was sued by Burnett, his production company, and CBS in August 2010, for allegedly releasing detailed spoiler information for Survivor: Samoa
Survivor: Samoa
Survivor: Samoa is the nineteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season premiered on Thursday, September 17, 2009....

and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. Early revealed that he was getting his information from Russell Hantz, a contestant on both seasons, through both phone calls and emails. Early complied in the lawsuit by providing such evidence, eventually leading to its dismissal in January 2011. Although legal action has yet to be taken against Hantz, the contract for a player in Survivor includes a liability of up to $5 million for the premature revealing of a season's results. Hantz has stated that the claim is false.

Merchandise

The wild success of Survivor spawned a wide range of merchandise from the very first season. While early items available were limited to buffs, water bottles, hats, t-shirts, and other typical souvenir items, the marketability of the franchise has grown tremendously. Today, fans can find innumerable items, including computer and board games, interactive online games, mugs, tribal-themed jewelry, beach towels, dog tags, magnets, multi-function tools, DVD seasons, Survivor party kits, insider books, soundtracks, and more.

DVD releases

Best of

DVD name	Release date
Season One: The Greatest and Most Outrageous Moments	January 9, 2001
Season Two: The Greatest and Most Outrageous Moments	September 25, 2001

Full seasons

DVD name	Release date
The Complete First Season: Borneo	May 11, 2004
The Complete Second Season: The Australian Outback	April 26, 2005
The Complete Third Season: Africa	October 5, 2010
The Complete Fourth Season: Marquesas	October 5, 2010
The Complete Fifth Season: Thailand	October 25, 2011
The Complete Sixth Season: The Amazon	November 22, 2011
The Complete Seventh Season: Pearl Islands	February 7, 2006
The Complete Eighth Season: All-Stars	September 14, 2004
The Complete Ninth Season: Vanuatu – Islands of Fire	December 5, 2006
The Complete Tenth Season: Palau	August 29, 2006
The Complete Twentieth Season: Heroes vs. Villains	February 22, 2011

Complete seasons on iTunes

Currently available
Season 9: Vanuatu – Islands of Fire
Season 10: Palau
Season 11: Guatemala – The Maya Empire
Season 12: Panama – Exile Island
Season 13: Cook Islands
Season 14: Fiji
Season 15: China
Season 16: Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites
Season 17: Gabon – Earth's Last Eden
Season 18: Tocantins – The Brazilian Highlands
Season 19: Samoa
Season 20: Heroes vs. Villains
Season 21: Nicaragua
Season 22: Redemption Island
Season 23: South Pacific

Video games

In the 2001 Survivor video game for PC, developed by Infogames, it allows players to play and creates characters for the game based on the Pulau Tiga

Pulau Tiga

Pulau Tiga is one of a group of small uninhabited islands in Kimanis Bay off the western coast of Sabah, Malaysia. The islands were formed on September 21, 1897, when an earthquake on Mindanao caused a volcanic eruption near Borneo...

or Australian Outback cast members. The game also includes a character creation system for making custom characters.

Game play consists of choosing survivors' skills (fishing, cooking, etc.), forming alliances, developing relationships with other tribe members, and voting off competitors at tribal council.

The game was very poorly received by critics. GameSpot

GameSpot

GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...

gave the game a 'Terrible' score of 2.0 out of 10, saying "If you're harboring even a tiny urge to buy this game, please listen very carefully to this advice: Don't do it." Likewise, IGN

IGN

IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

gave the game a 'Terrible' 2.4 out of 10, stating "It is horribly boring and repetitive. The graphics are weak and even the greatest Survivor fan would break the CD in two after playing it for 20 minutes." The game was the recipient of Game Revolution

Game Revolution

Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...

's lowest score of all time, an F-. An 'interactive review' was created specially for the game, and features interactive comments like "The Survival periods are about as much fun as" followed by a drop-down menu, "watching paint dry/throbbing hemorrhoids/staring at air/being buried alive."

On November 4, 2009, it was announced that a second game based on the show would be turned into a video game. The game would require players to participate in various challenges like those in the reality shows in order to win.

Soundtracks

Various soundtracks have been released featuring music composed by Russ Landau

Russ Landau

Russ Landau is an American composer of film and television scores and themes including Survivor, Fear Factor, and Pirate Master for which he won an Emmy in 2008.-References:...

, including soundtracks for seasons 9 through 22 (with the exception of season 14).

Online games

During the first Survivor seasons many online games based on forums were created. These are often referred to as "ORGs" (an acronym meaning Online Reality Games). More specific Survivor online games appeared later, such as Tengaged developed to simulate all the Survivor experiences where several online participants form tribes which will compete with each other. Participants compete for immunity to avoid being evicted while trying to get food, water and supplies for their tribes.

Thrill ride

One of the more novel merchandising items has been the interactive Survivor: The Ride thrill ride at California's Great America in Santa Clara

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...

, California. The ride includes a rotating platform on which riders are divided into one of four "tribes." As the ride moves along an undulating

Undulatory locomotion

Undulatory locomotion is the type of motion characterized by wave-like movement patterns that act to propel an animal forward. Examples of this type of gait include crawling in snakes, or swimming in the lamprey...

track, riders can be sprayed by water guns hidden in oversized tribal masks while drums and other familiar Survivor musical accents play in the background. Other theming includes Survivor memorabilia throughout the queue line and other merchandise for sale in nearby gift shops.