The move to push the double episode after Thanksgiving paid off, as Survivor ratings for season 35 episode 12 help keep things trending up.
When Jeff Probst promised “one of the best finishes” coming in Survivor season 35, Heroes vs. Healers vs. Huslters, he obviously couldn’t know how the Survivor ratings would look like. He was insisting that the game picked up in the latter third, and that arguably started as the Lauren Reward Alliance flipped the Round Table over. However, the tables flipped once again, and the fast-paced action has certainly drawn viewers in.
The Wednesday night final numbers are in, and Survivor season 35 episode 12 tops the entire night once again. It’s 1.8/7 ratings/share among the Adult 18-49 demographic is the best of the night, surpassing all but Empire, which matched it. Third place was Modern Family once again at 9 p.m. ET, coming in with a 1.7/7 split.
From a viewership standpoint, nothing came close to Survivor numbers, either. Its 8.96 million viewers represented the most all season, representing a two-million viewer lead over SEAL Team, the show’s follow-up at 9 p.m. ET for CBS. There’s something about the Loved Ones visit that draws people in, setting up the rest of the season for a thrilling adventure.
Seeing how the success of the show this season compared to Game Changers is booming amid slumping ratings across all of broadcast television, one has to wonder if future seasons will focus on 18-player casts. The upcoming season, rumored to be titled Survivor Ghost Island, is set to have 20 players, with a two-hour premiere that, barring medevacs, will see two players go home after the first episode.
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With the show heading into next week with six players and the December 20 finale ending with a Final 5, it means there will be a lot more focus on drama and gameplay instead of rushing a bunch of challenges in a row right near the end. That should bode well for the Survivor ratings going forward (not that the show needs any help right now).