I've been watching Survivor since the very beginning. Some might call me a super fan, but my friends mostly call me obsessed, especially since I'm the only person I know who has watched every single episode of Survivor multiple times.
But with all the excitement of Survivor 50 happening, the question I've gotten the most lately is:
When it comes to watching Survivor, where do I start?
Whether you got hooked after season 47, you just got invested with Survivor 48, you're trying to convince your friends to join in on the fandom to secure the ultimate watch party crew, or you just think you'd like the show but are too overwhelmed to dive in—don't worry! I've got you!
Here's my ultimate Survivor watch guide!
Step 1: Become a fan
A secret most people don't realize about Survivor is that the reason the show continues to keep fans captivated is because it is always evolving, and a huge part of that evolution came from the people playing the game. So with nearly fifty seasons under their belt, it's fair to say that season one is not the most exciting to watch because a lot of what fans love about the show hadn't even been introduced yet.
The key to getting invested now is starting with the seasons that include players, strategy, and twists that changed the game forever. Below, I've laid out the seasons that I feel best demonstrate the key elements that make Survivor, Survivor.
- Survivor: Pearl Islands (season 7)
- Survivor: All-Stars (season 8)
- Survivor: Guatemala (season 11)
- Survivor: Cook Islands (season 13)
- Survivor: Micronesia (season 16)
- Survivor: Tocantins (season 18)
- Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (season 20)
- Survivor: Redemption Island (season 22)
- Survivor: Caramoan (season 26)
- Survivor: Blood vs. Water (season 27)
- Survivor: Cagayan (season 28)
- Survivor: Cambodia (season 31)
- Survivor: Kaôh Rōng (season 32)
- Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X (season 33)
- Survivor: Game Changers (season 34)
- Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers (season 35)
- Survivor: David vs. Goliath (season 37)
- Survivor: Edge of Extinction (season 38)
- Survivor: Winners at War (season 40)
Step 2: Weave a favorite player web
If you've made it to step 2, you are hooked. It's likely you just binged nearly 20 seasons of Survivor and are desperate for more. Now comes the fun part where you get to choose your own adventure!
No doubt you've accrued a collection of favorite players at this point, and it's likely you were introduced to some of them on their second (or third, or fourth) season, but have yet to experience their inaugural game. Or maybe you saw their first and didn't know they actually returned to play again!
Gather up all your favorite players from the above seasons and use your internet sleuthing skills to see if there are any other seasons with them that you can check out. From there, continue expanding your personal watch list as you add more favorite players to your roster and repeat this step until your Survivor favorites network is complete.
Step 3: Go back to basics
Welcome! You're officially a Survivor super fan! By now, I wouldn't be surprised if you could drop some player stats, talk about Survivor lore for hours, or have ordered yourself a buff in your favorite color.
That means the time has come for you to embark on a 47-season (and counting) journey through the full history of Survivor. Go back to season one, press play, and feel yourself transport back to May 31, 2000 when the nation came together for the first time to experience a social experiment reality show like nothing we'd ever seen before.
This is your moment to experience the entire original era of Survivor before you venture into the new era format at season 41.
If you start all of this right now, you'll definitely be prepared for all the anniversary excitement when Survivor 50 airs!