Survivor vs. Australian Survivor: Key differences in the shows

Want to check out Australian Survivor online but still not sure if it’s worth it as a Survivor fan? There are some key differences that might make it more enjoyable.

Though this year both shows operate in Fiji, Australian Survivor and Survivor are two different beasts. Beyond the nationality of the (majority of) players, both shows put different values in production, gameplay, structure and emphasis that separate the two entities.

Still not sure if you want to check out Australian Survivor? Perhaps these highlights will turn you around and hop in on a show that has been consistently better than the US version over the past few years.

More Survivor episodes during the week

Though the Australian version airs one season a year, I’d argue you get a lot more bang for your buck. Usually, you get two episodes of Australian Survivor during regular weeks, although they seem to pile on more in the early going. For example, there are four episodes next week, set to get you through the earliest of pre-merge times in order to focus on a core group.

As someone who has become unenthused by the lack of true two-hour episodes or double-length features in modern Survivor seasons, there are a ton of episodes in Australian Survivor.

Longer Australian Survivor episodes

One of the biggest problems facing larger casts of modern Survivor is that with a 41-minute runtime, you will inevitably get the Chelseas and Angelas of Ghost Island that will barely make the show. Though there are a few characters that have yet to get a confessional during Champions vs. Contenders, Australian Survivor’s runtime of ~72-85 minutes means you see a lot more of each part of an episode.

There’s more camp life in early episodes, you get longer reactions to the fallout of the previous Tribal Council, you see almost everyone discuss Tribal plans on the losing tribe, you see longer Tribal Councils; each Australian Survivor episode feels complete, and doesn’t drag (yet).

Australian Survivor is more cinematic

With the use of a color grading, cinematic tools such as slowdown, plus cool drone shots, Australian Survivor is presented much more like a documentary into a social experiment than as a competitive game show.

We’ve started to see the US version get a bit more creative with their editing formula, but the Aussie version continues to present its game as a more triumphant exhibition of the season’s theme this year and has worked well towards its crafted narrative in past seasons.

Australian Survivor casts people from all walks of life

There are multiple people playing in their 40s and 50s in Australian Survivor this year, with Olympian great Shane playing in her 60s. Though the Champions are recruits of the highest order and come from athletic greatness, we have girlfriends of pro skaters, sales reps, takeout deliverymen, construction managers and artists on the Contenders tribe; all from various age ranges.

The Champions tribe is closer to what we can expect from Survivor in the US, where a ton of recruits and models from Los Angeles are brought together amid some superfans and, mostly, under the age of 35. When the oldest player is in their early 40s, it becomes less of a social experiment and more of an exhibition of youth at play.

Longer competition with a lower chance of winning

Unlike the US version, Australian Survivor lasts 50+ days (previously 55, 50 in this season), with a pool of 24 competitors. We don’t have the leaked payout contract, but the A$500,000 prize equates to roughly $380,000 USD for the eventual winner.

50 days out on an island is 11 days longer than the US version, meaning it’s harder to know when is the right time to make a move and when is too early to expose your power level, as it were.

Emphasis on character over gameplay

Though the gameplay elements do make an appearance, and you do start to see alliances form, with vignettes of players’ backgrounds, Australian Survivor focuses more on character-building than gameplay-building. You can see it even in the early stages of Champions vs Contenders; the season’s theme takes precedence and may bleed beyond the tribe swap stage.

There are even small character moments here and there when players like Matt decry the women and say it’s time for them to play the game. When Shonee replies “We just did,” it becomes both an iconic stomp in the face of misogyny and a bit of insight into her character, teasing what’s to come.