Survivor host Jeff Probst has revealed that Season 44 is "intoxicating" with an "electric" group of castaways, making for one of the franchise's most entertaining seasons ever.
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Jeff previously revealed Survivor 44 will feature the series' first showmance in seven seasons and five years, but there's apparently even more to look forward to.
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Ahead of Survivor's two-hour premiere on Wednesday, March 1 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS, Jeff teased that viewers are going to be enthralled with this new edition, mainly because of the new players.
"The single most important decision we make in any season of Survivor is who we choose to play the game. We use the same process and put the same effort into every single season, but we can never account for the group dynamic that will form once we put them all together," Jeff told TV Insider.
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"The cast of Survivor 44 just felt electric from the start. There was a sense of humor and unpredictability from the minute they climbed out of their boats and onto the sand."
Jeff shared how the cast is comprised of "sophisticated Survivor players," even though they've never actually played the game before.
"You will see [that] throughout the season. I hope and believe Survivor fans will have a fun time with this group!" Jeff said.
The franchise's longtime host dubbed the new castaways "warriors," whereas he had labeled the Season 33 cast a bunch of "underdogs."
"You'll see this in the first episode as we the players are reminded that Survivor is very real. Survivor is a very difficult adventure, and it tests you on so many levels. But this group came ready to play at a high level and take whatever we or the environment presented them," Jeff explained.
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Jeff told Entertainment Weekly in a separate interview that he's not able to provide specifics on why this cast was "so electric" but he thinks viewers will "feel it straight out of the game."
"This group will be reminded very quickly that Survivor can get you in a number of ways, and that making it to the final three requires a lot more than just a good social game," Jeff explained to EW.
"I loved this group from the opening moments... One of the fun parts of the job is putting together a new cast of players, but it's also fraught with risk because you can't predict the vibe once they are all together."
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Jeff reiterated how this cast "definitely came to play" the game in Fiji.
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"Here's the truth about Survivor -- great players make for great seasons. It's really that simple. I think we got it right this time!" Jeff gushed.
As for whether there will be any returning or new twists, idols and advantages on Season 44, Jeff remain tight-lipped.
"We view this new era of Survivor game design as something we can work with for a while," Jeff said, referring to how CBS had transformed the show into "Survivor 2.0" back in 2021, when the game had switched to a more grueling and fast-paced 26-day format insisted of the original 39 days of gameplay.
"We spent a lot of time redesigning the entire game, and now we want to let the players evolve it and take it where they think it should go. We always like to toss in a new wrinkle or two, but we feel there is plenty here for the players to chew on!"
Jeff also hinted that, unlike Season 33, Survivor 44 players probably won't hold onto their hidden Immunity Idols until the end of the game.
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"Survivor 44 is going to be a fun season with a group of players who understand you cannot play to not lose, you have to play to win," Jeff noted.
"If that means using an idol or 'Shot in the Dark' earlier than you thought, then that is what you must do. The key to the game is you have to survive the vote. If you can do that, then anything can happen when you return to camp."
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Jeff suggested viewers should brace themselves for the new Survivor season because it's going to be gripping.
"It's intoxicating," Jeff told The Associated Press.
"I honestly believe one of the reasons we're still on the air is that it's compelling. If people watch the first episode of Survivor 44, I don't know how you're not going to watch the second episode. You're going to be hooked."
CBS announced the castaways competing on Survivor's 44th season earlier this year.
There will be 18 Survivor castaways fighting to outwit, outplay and outlast their competitors.
The castaways will be divided into three tribes of six players, and they'll "face a faster, more dangerous season from the moment they step on the beach," according to the network.
Players will deal with moral dilemmas and "mysterious new layers" of the game designed to push even the strongest castaways to their limits mentally and physically.
The Survivor cast of Season 44 are fans from diverse backgrounds and range in age from 20 to 46.
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The newbie players include a salon owner, a security specialist, a NASA engineering student, an NYC firefighter, a school teacher, a surgical podiatrist, a Yogi, and a drug counselor.