Survivor: Island of the Idols will not feature an intro, not even online

One of the longest-standing staples celebrating 39 days of gameplay is going away for Survivor’s 39th season, as there is no intro available at all.

Many of the foundations of Survivor have been cast aside in recent years. To fill as much content such as visiting the Edge of Extinction, Ghost Island or Island of the Idols as well as getting footage of each of the tribes, strategy, Tribal Council and other moments, CBS feels the need to get rid of old traditions.

The intro hasn’t been part of an official Survivor episode for years (outside of the Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers finale), but it has been available to Entertainment Weekly as part of their premiere week content ahead of each season’s debut. It allowed for the castaways to enjoy their moment as part of a historic tradition while getting more potential airtime within the episode.

Unfortunately, much like the Rites of Passage at the Final Four, Survivor has done away with another longstanding tradition for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Dalton Ross confirmed this morning on Twitter there will be no opening credits intro for season 39, Island of the Idols. There’s no word on if it’s gone for good, however, as he hoped it would be back for season 40.

Though it seems like a minor thing to be upset about, it is quite remarkable that heading into the 20th anniversary of the show in the United States, a season with two former winners serving as mentors will not feature an intro whatsoever. They already have slow-mo, close-up footage of the castaways as seen in the opening minutes of the premiere; it’s not like they don’t have the content required to make an intro!

To me, it seems as though there’s a lack of care given to these castaways, as the intro video highlights the player’s personality in the early going. It means a lot to the players and fans and is fairly light on resources, and it doesn’t even have to air on television!

Now it’s up to the fans to splice together footage for which they don’t have the rights to fill in the space the show is unwilling to do. The call has been already answered, but it shouldn’t be their job to do so.