Jeff Probst Says 'Survivor's Live Reunion May Not Last After Season 50

When Survivor 50 was announced to be “in the hands of the fans,” one of the first categories viewers can vote on is whether the hit reality show would return to a live cast reunion in L.A. And, while we already know we can excitedly look forward to the long-awaited return to the States for the reveal of this season’s Sole Survivor, Jeff Probst says there’s no guarantee it’s here to stay.

The Emmy-winning host and executive producer spoke at SCAD TVFest, where he was being honored with the Legend of Television Award. In a conversation with Variety‘s Emily Longeretta, the topic eventually turned to the upcoming reunion, which was officially confirmed by Probst during an ad for the “Survivor 50 Challenge” during the Golden Globe Awards. And, despite making an island his literal home, Probst came alive when speaking about the energy behind doing a live show.

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“When the red light goes on on a finale, I just get in this space of like, ‘Oh, I’m home. This is where I belong, this is where I want to be. Let’s take the audience on a journey,'” he says. “And it’s really electric, because you’re with people who also love the thing you love. It’s all about harmony and goodness and all that.”

The biggest hurdle for Survivor when it comes to the live reunion comes down to one primary issue: Budget. The planning process for the evening takes months. In fact, Probst reveals that production was already trying to plan out costs for the 50 reunion, from design and construction of the set to determining the number of seats. It’s a process that takes considerable time and, more importantly, funds.

During the show’s “new era,” an alternative to the live reunion emerged out of pure necessity. Filming its first few seasons in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, there was no guarantee the show would be able to do an in-person live reunion months later. Season 40, for example, had to scuttle its plans when the world had shut down, instead opting for a virtual reading of the votes. Instead, once the jury voted, the winner would be revealed right there, right then. The players would then immediately launch into an on-island “after show,” where they would get into their immediate thoughts about some of the biggest moments of the season.

Related: Jeff Probst Explains How His Surprise ‘Survivor 50’ Rock Song Came Together (Exclusive)

While fans (and players) were disappointed not to have a reunion, they were intrigued about the idea of getting people’s thoughts right after the season ended. But, as the 40s wore on, the idea began to wear out its welcome with some. People missed the pomp and circumstance of players getting dressed to the nines after just watching them dirty themselves across 26 days of gameplay. And a few finalists have talked about how they did not like jumping right into the after-show mere minutes after losing out on a million dollars, often struggling to compartmentalize their emotions while celebrating with pizza and champagne alongside their compatriots.

Probst does feel there’s merit on paper to the idea of the on-island aftershow. But he admits that at least some part of the decision also comes down to cost, considering that filming it takes much fewer resources and only an hour of the crew’s time.

“You have to sometimes put your producer hat on and say, ‘This show costs millions. This one costs nothing,'” he says. “The content is arguably just as interesting. It’s not the pomp and circumstance, but it’s interesting because they’re still raw. They haven’t had the time to go home and read social media. So you make the argument, and those are the decisions you’re gonna have to face in your own art.”

“That’s the live show issue for me,” he admits. “It would be really fun to do, but it’s millions of dollars. And if it’s not 50, I’m not sure we’ll do it again in 51.”

It appears that, whatever we’ll be getting out of this highly anticipated live reunion for Survivor 50, we should relish the experience. Because there’s a chance it truly may be “one night only.”

Related: Meet the Full Cast of ‘Survivor 50’: Photos, Bios and What to Know