Currently in its 48th season, Survivor is well known for its twists, turns, and everything in between for fans, viewers, and players alike. Over the years, some ideas have been more popular or better executed than others. Yet, one twist, in particular, has been memorable in everyone's minds ever since it aired during Survivor: Palau in 2005: the notorious, perhaps cruel, and yet highly entertaining schoolyard pick in the season premiere.
In the episode, all 20 players had to self-divide into two tribes after only spending a few hours together, and knowing the last two who wouldn't be picked would ultimately get eliminated from the game with no shot at the coveted $1 million prize.
As the twist unfolded, each player chose one person from the opposite sex, culminating in 18 players being divided between the Koror and Ulong tribes, with (SPOILER!) Wanda Shirk and Jonathan Libby as the last two standing with no buff and with a one-way ticket back home.
Jeff Probst reveals if Schoolyard picks will happen again in Survivor
On the latest On Fire with Jeff Probst episode, "Pobsty 5G," Jeff Probst was asked what his thoughts are on the schoolyard pick making a comeback. The host responded:
"Schoolyard picks are fun, but they're super risky because you're relying on the players to self-divide into somewhat even tribes, and from that standpoint as a producer, it's a bit terrifying to start a season that way."
Probst adds production would need to assess risks vs rewards if they ever considered having this twist back. As Probst lists, a pro would be a "fun opening," while a con would be "terribly lopsided tribes."
For his part, Probst recognizes production doesn't always make the best decisions when dividing people into even tribes. Case in point, the current season, Survivor 48, has three very uneven tribes, as the Civa (orange) and Lagi (purple) tribes have won every challenge, leaving the Vula (green) tribe dwindling by the second.
To get a straight answer, producer and cohost Jay Wolff once again asks Probst if there's a chance a schoolyard pick could be done again. Surprisingly, the Survivor host answers between chuckles, "There is a chance, yes."
These types of twists are highly controversial, and in a show like Survivor, nothing will please everyone in the audience, purists and newer fans, or the players themselves. A twist like this, however, would unlock so much untapped potential in the game. It would be fun to see how a schoolyard pick would pan out in Survivor now, especially in the New Era.
While there are genuine fears such as uneven tribes that could produce an Ulonging effect (a tribe continuously losing challenges and members), which would then lead to repetitive episodes, a schoolyard pick season could also bring entertaining and ever-changing gameplay, current social dynamics playing an integral part of the game, and it would also bring back an "old-school" feeling many long for as the game has already been going through a repetitive cycle, especially since the New Era of Survivor began.
Probst and company have drilled into our heads that the show needs and should evolve to continue and that players need to face their fears and "the monster" of the unknown to adapt to where Survivor is now. A schoolyard pick is an ideal dose of old-school callback yet still a new and exciting layer to the show we all know and love, even when it's hard to do so.