The tribe has spoken: Why Ten thinks there’s still plenty of life in Survivor

Before launching into this article, it’s important to note that I am a diehard Survivor fan. And it was my love for the show that informed my trepidation when Ten announced it was bringing the format back for 2016, after Nine took a run at it in 2002 and Seven in 2006. There’s a reason neither of those iterations made it past a single season. Somehow they didn’t manage to capture the magic of the American version, which has run for an insane 38 seasons with iconic host Jeff Probst at the helm.

But I, along with many Australian fans, needn’t have worried. The show was different when it came back in 2016, more aligned to the beliefs and values of the format. With Jonathan LaPaglia in the hosting role, the show hit the ground running, pulling 1.082m for its first finale, with Kristie Bennett taking the crown after a nail-biting final vote.

The 2019 Australian Survivor tribe

Last year, the show took another turn. It unveiled the Champions vs Contenders format. This gave Ten a couple of advantages. Firstly, it was able to add some star power to the season, and secondly, the power dynamic between people who are already at the top of their respective games and the ‘contenders’ added another layer to an already tense competition. The final episode drew 877,000 metro viewers, who watched Olympic swimmer Shane Gould become the oldest person to ever win the program, a seemingly underdog victory over high-profile barrister (and incredible competitor) Sharn Coombes. Really, we should have seen it coming. She did warn us that nobody fucks with Shane Gould.