Survivor (American TV series)

Survivor is the American version of the international Survivor reality competition television franchise, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson created by Charlie Parsons which premiered in 1997. The American series premiered on May 31, 2000, on CBS. It is hosted by Jeff Probst, who is also an executive producer along with Mark Burnett and the original creator, Parsons. Survivor places a group of people in an isolated location, where they must provide food, fire, and shelter for themselves. The contestants compete in challenges including testing the contestants' physical abilities like running and swimming or their mental abilities like puzzles and endurance challenges for rewards and immunity from elimination. The contestants are progressively eliminated from the game as they are voted out by their fellow contestants until only two or three remain. At that point, the contestants who were eliminated vote for the winner. They are given the title of "Sole Survivor" and are awarded the grand prize of $1,000,000 ($2,000,000 in Winners at War). The American version has been highly successful. From the 2000–01 through the 2005–06 television seasons, its first 11 seasons (competitions) rated among the top 10 most-watched shows. It is commonly considered the leader of American reality TV because it was the first highly rated and profitable reality show on broadcast television in the U.S., and is considered one of the best shows of the 2000s (decade). The series has been nominated for 63 Emmy Awards, including winning for Outstanding Sound Mixing in 2001, Outstanding Special Class Program in 2002, and was subsequently nominated four times for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program when the category was introduced in 2003. Probst won the award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program four consecutive times after the award was introduced in 2008. In 2007, the series was included in Time magazine's list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time. In 2013, TV Guide ranked it at No. 39 on its list of the "60 Best Series of All Time". In May 2025, the series was renewed for the 2025–26 television season for its 49th and 50th seasons, continuing with 90-minute episodes. Season 49 premiered on September 24, 2025. Season 50 is set to premiere on February 25, 2026.