Jeff Probst is often known for making decisions that do not align with fan tastes. Whether that is his focus on twists that fans find bothersome, such as Redemption Island, Edge of Extinction, and hourglasses, or an oversaturation of advantages, fans often push back on the direction of the show. Moreover, he tends to favor players and archetypes that alienate large portions of the fanbase.
At the same time, as easy as it can be to diss Jeff and his opinions, the reality is that he has been a host since Season 1, and executive producer for over a decade. Survivor has stayed successful for all of it, and remains one of the pinnacles of reality TV. That says that something must be going right, and Jeff deserves credit for keeping the series going as long as it has, with no end on the horizon.
When Jeff gave exclusive insight to Parade magazine's Mike Bloom regarding his top 25 Survivor seasons, several stood out for all the wrong reasons. It is important to note, though, that many of the choices he spoke on were definitely on the nose, as well, and this article aims to highlight what he got right. Everyone deserves a little credit when they do something right, I suppose.
Jeff Probst highlights some of the best seasons of each era
In a recent exclusive interview for Parade magazine, Jeff shared his favorite 25 seasons of Survivor, in honor of Survivor 50 being around the corner. His taste did not exactly align with many fans, but there are some similarities. Truthfully, some seasons are just so great that nearly every list has them near the top, so if Jeff had not mentioned them, it would have been shocking. These include Heroes vs. Villains, Micronesia, Borneo, Cagayan, David vs. Goliath, Pearl Islands, and Winners at War. For purposes of congratulating Jeff, let's highlight some gem seasons that may have been easier to miss.
From the old school eras (Seasons 1-19), China and the Cook Islands both stand out as great choices. China brought so many amazing cultural themes that are lacking from the new era Survivor, and had a fantastic and engaging cast and strategic winner. Cook Islands, while knocked for an absolutely awful starting tribe split dubbed by fans as "race wars", the season itself gave birth to some of the most iconic players in history.
For the middle eras (Seasons 20-39), there were several seasons he really hit on the head. Blood vs. Water brought one of the most interesting social dynamics we had ever seen on Survivor. Cambodia was amazing because the cast wanted to be there so bad, and fans voted on who had the chance, which allowed for truly engaging gameplay, and production nailed the twists. Millennials vs. Gen X had so much chaos and unpredictability that it truly was one of the wildest rides in Survivor history.
As far as the new era (Seasons 40-48), Jeff named nearly all of them, so it is hard to assign too much credit for that. He clearly has a recency bias. Still, Season 45 is probably the best new era season thanks to brilliant editing, great gameplay, and engaging character arcs. Meanwhile, both Seasons 44 and 46 brought some of the boldest personalities of all time, including a couple of absolute favorites on 44 in Carolyn Wiger and Yam Yam Arocho, and one you love to hate from 46 in Q Burdette with some spicy interactions to boot and a great, if controversial, ending.
Jeff misses on a lot of things, especially when it comes to his personal taste on seasons, players, and twists. Still, he deserves credit where credit is due, and he did not just recognize the easiest seasons to like. He gave shoutouts to many slightly less universally loved gems and highlighted the very strengths that we all loved them for in the first place. Even a broken clock is right twice a day, right?