Despite the fact that, ya know, people can’t just up and travel to Fiji at the moment, Network Ten has nonetheless put us all out of collective, Immunity Idol-starved misery by confirming that the exceptionally good Australian Survivor will indeed be returning to screens in 2021.
Ten announced Survivor‘s return in their Upfronts presentation earlier today, confirming that the series will return next year with an all-new cast of players; eschewing this year’s All Star theme for a much more run-of-the-mill competition.
In 2021…we are back with brand new tribe mates, brutal new challenges and even bigger twists. #SurvivorAU, coming to 10 in 2021 #10Upfronts pic.twitter.com/a39HRxLSSt
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) October 15, 2020
Interestingly enough, however, Network Ten officials didn’t reveal when the series would be airing, unlike its other slate of reality-based programming such as I’m A Celebrity (which premieres January 3) or MasterChef (which is due after Easter).
More to that, they did not confirm exactly where the new Survivor series would be filmed.
There is some suggestion that the show could follow in the footsteps of I’m A Celebrity and The Amazing Race by localising production here in Australia. That would make it the first major Survivor competition to take place in Australia since the OG US version produced Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001 as the show’s second overall season. The ill-fated Channel Nine version of Australian Survivor was filmed on the Eyre Peninsula in late 2001, but that absolutely does not count.
The challenges there, however, differ from those that an Amazing Race faces. While that show can be agile in its production, Survivor requires a large amount of infrastructure, most of which exists in Fiji as the current home base of both the US and Australian versions of the show.
Add in the caveat that host Jonathan LaPaglia is based in California and getting him anywhere outside of the US at the moment requires a significant effort in terms of logistics and quarantine.
Still, a year with Survivor in it is better than a year without Survivor in it. That’s an indisputable fact.
Whether any new season can possibly live up to the dizzyingly high standards set by this year’s All Star season is another question entirely.
Tough bar to clear, that one.
Either way, blindsides baby! They’re coming back!
