Jeff Probst discusses future of the Survivor reunion show

Dalton Ross
·4 min read
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One of the most exciting moments of every Survivor season used to be the live reunion show that immediately followed the finale. We've had a marriage proposal between two contestants, a player walk off the stage mid-reunion, and open animosity between people sitting just a few feet apart from each other — and that was all at the same reunion!

But enough about Survivor: All-Stars. Anyone that watched 2020's rushed and awkward video conference call conclusion to Winners at War understands why Survivor had to step away from doing reunion shows due to the uncertainty surrounding availability due to Covid. In its place, producers started reading the winning votes out in Fiji and then immediately followed the reveal with a new post-script they dubbed the "after-show."

The after-show allowed the finalists and jury members to discuss the game and reveal undisclosed secrets while munching on pizza and chugging champagne. The new format lacked the full insight of players having watched the entire season play out on TV, and also sadly excluded anyone that did not make the jury, but made sense as a smart save to make sure there was at least some sort of season wrap-up in the Covid era.

SURVIVOR 41
SURVIVOR 41

Robert Voets Jeff Probst on 'Survivor 41'

But with in-person sports, concerts, and other live events back in full swing, couldn't Survivor move back to the old-school finale format? Host Jeff Probst previously told EW that, "We feel really good about the excitement and energy that comes with doing the vote reveal in the jungle, immediately followed by an After Show when the players are still in game mode. It's so vastly different from the live reunion show because it's happening in real time. The players have not had six months to watch the episodes and be influenced by the criticism or praise they have received on social media. This is pure."

If Probst is a fan of the after-show and wants to maintain that "pure" immediate reaction, couldn't they do an after-show and a reunion show? After all, with an entire streaming platform to support in Paramount+, wouldn't a Survivor reunion filmed after the cast had watched the entire season play back — and with the entire cast there — be an enticing carrot for fans to flock to the streamer? And then you could also get that undeniable joy of seeing what folks look like months later off the island and what changes have occurred in the time since.

We floated this combo platter idea to Probst to get his take on the after-show and reunion possibility. "I love this idea because I know how much the players would love to get together for a reunion," says Probst. "And I know how much fun it is for the fans to see the players after they have returned home and had a chance to watch their season. So who knows, maybe that is something we will do down the road."

Jeff Probst on 'Survivor'
Jeff Probst on 'Survivor'

Robert Voets/CBS Jeff Probst on 'Survivor'

But the host explained why of the two, he does prefer the current epilogue to the one that aired pre-Covid. "I do love the new after-show that takes place in the jungle, because the conversations with the players are so pure and open and honest."

While contestants at the reunion could react to what happened on TV, the host worries that they were often reacting to something else as well. "Once a player returns home and begins to watch the episodes, their experience is often impacted by how the audience reacts to them," says Probst. "It's unfortunate because players often end up feeling unappreciated or criticized when the truth is they were the ones who had the courage to come out and take on the most challenging thing they'll ever do in their life."

So there you have it. It doesn't look like the after-show is going anywhere anytime soon, but if Survivor does truly want to obtain full tilt boogie status, they may indeed need to give fans the double-dip of post-season goodies they so clearly crave.

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