The premiere of Survivor 48 is finally here, and with it, we have the first look at what we might expect for the big fiftieth season as fan voting opens on the official Survivor 50 voting site.
Starting at 9:30 p.m. ET, fans can place their vote in each of the first four categories for Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jeff Probst revealed a few of the factors the fans will be voting on, as well as what definitely won't be changing.
The first four categories up for fan vote are, via EW:
- Official tribe colors
- If the tribes are given rice or not
- Final four fire-making competition or straight vote
- Return to the live reunion show or continue the Fijian after-show
Some of these categories are huge items that fans have definitely been debating for years. There's been a lot of discussion surrounding the final four fire-making challenge and its impact on the final jury deliberation in the new era and it will be very interesting to see if the majority vote for or against keeping it around for season 50.
However, I would be shocked if fans don't vote in favor for a live reunion show as that has been a huge topic ever since they had to do away with it at the end of Winners at War. We understand why it started the way it did, but fans feel it's time to bring it back.
There are a few topics Jeff says definitely will not be up for fan vote
Jeff also confirmed that a few things will not be up to vote on, including the Survivor 50 cast, how long they will play the season, and the final creative decisions, according to Jeff's interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Here's what Jeff told EW about the decision to commit to a 26-episode season vs. the 39-day season:
"We like this game and I can tell you that even if we wanted to, we already have our leases, our land agreements with Mana Island. 39 days isn't even an option."
And, there's what Jeff said about the final creative decisions about Survivor 50 with EW:
"One of the fun things is how much uncertainty you're going to create by letting the players see all the possibilities but not know the result. The only people that are going to know the results are the producers. Even the fans won't know the results until the season starts."
There will be three more rounds of voting spaced out throughout Survivor 48, so be sure to tune in each week so you don't miss your chance to have you voice heard! There's definitely potential for some big ticket items for fan votes like a final two vs. final three, reviving retired challenges and advantages, bringing back the marooning, and so much more!
Watch Survivor 48 on CBS and Paramount+ every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET and stay tuned for more info on future voting categories! We'll let you know more about the fan voting when we find out.