Jeff Probst reveals the Survivor seasons new fans should watch first

Which season of Survivor should new fans watch first? That's a question that comes up all of the time in the world of Survivor.

There have been 46 seasons spanning 24 years so far, and there are even more new seasons in the works. Luckily, the person who has been the closest to the action for every season of Survivor just chimed in with his list of seasons that new Survivor fans should watch first.

On the latest episode of Jeff Probst's podcast, On Fire with Jeff Probst, Jeff revealed a list of the top Survivor seasons he would recommend to fans who are new to the competition series.

Jeff was asked a question from a fan named Samantha on the podcast. They revealed they had just watched Survivor 46 and Survivor season 1 at the same time with their child, and they were trying to figure out where to go next.

Jeff said that he definitely would not start at season 1 and watch all the way through to Survivor 47.

"I would absolutely not watch in order," Jeff told cohosts Jay Wolff and Charlie Davis. "I can't imagine anything so ponderous."

Jeff suggested fans go online and read about the other fans' favorite seasons, find players they like, and work their way back to the original seasons with those returning players. He also shared two seasons he thinks everyone will like.

" It's going to be seasons like Heroes vs. Villains, David vs. Goliath, or any seasons with Russell [Hantz], Tony [Vlachos], Coach [Benjamin Wade], Cire [Fields], Parvati [Shallow], Sarah Lacina, or Boston Rob. Look for players that are dynamic, and watch their seasons."

That's great advice from, as I mentioned, the person closest to the series for the last two-and-a-half decades.

For me, Heroes vs. Villains and David vs. Goliath are two classics. I don't know if I would watch them first, but they are the most exciting. It's like starting the NBA Playoffs at Game 7. You will probably never feel the high that you're going to feel again in Survivor if you start with those seasons. So, I would go back a little bit further than that. Heroes vs. Villains is season 20, while David vs. Goliath is season 37. So, yeah, I would go back to the beginning and watch some of the classics with some of the most beloved players in the game.

Survivor: Marquesas was Boston Rob's first season, and that's great! It was season 4. You could also watch Survivor: Pearl Islands to meet Sandra Diaz-Twine, who is one of the greatest strategic players in Survivor history. That's season 7. Then, I might check out Survivor: All-Stars, which is season 8. From that point on, Survivor gets so good!

I loved Survivor: Cook Islands, and that was season 13. Honestly, you can't really go wrong through Survivor: Tocantins (season 17) before Heroes vs. Villains at season 20. So, that's how I would jump into the series if I was a new fan.

In the follow-up to Jeff's point, Jay picked Survivor: Cagayan as a launch point for new fans. That season featured three Survivor legends, including Tony Vlachos, Woo Hwang, and Spencer Bledsoe.

After recommending fans not start with Winners at War, Charlie also recommended Survivor: Tocantins. That was an incredible season, and it introduced fans to four iconic Survivor players, Tyson Apostal, JT Thomas, Coach, and Stephen Fishbach.

You can't go wrong with any of those seasons if you're a new fan of Survivor. It's so interesting to look back all of these years later and see how the game has changed, how TV has changed, and how the players have evolved.

The game, even in the new era, is so much different than those first few seasons. It's almost a completely different game.

You could also just tune in for the new season of Survivor, which is Survivor 47! It airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on CBS this fall!