How ‘White Lotus’ Creator Mike White Changed ‘Survivor’ Forever
- ‘Attack On Titan’ Series Finale Trailer Drops - July 2, 2023
- ‘Survivor’ 44’s Frannie Shares New Info on Showmance - June 28, 2023
- ‘Rick And Morty’: New Details Emerge On Justin Roiland Re-Cast - June 15, 2023
Many Survivor players change the game by playing the game. But Mike White of both Survivor and The White Lotus fame has a bigger resume than that. Jeff Probst said on a recent podcast that he has gone to White for advice on the show in the past. It makes sense that of all the players, Jeff would go to the one with decades of experience in award-winning TV and film for help. Plus, according to Jeff, Mike helped steer the show clear of what may have been its biggest blunder in history.
The Theme That Wasn’t
Probst had an idea. And when Probst gets an idea, it’s tough to get it away from him. The new era that Survivor is currently in post-Season 40 was originally going to be very different. Jeff speaks about this in a recent episode of his podcast On Fire with Jeff Probst.
Jeff said the Fire Tokens from the Winners At War season were supposed to be the segue into the new era. Only, this new era would be about a Survivor game with an economy at its core. There would be a trading post, one that Probst said would be run by Rick Devens of Edge Of Extinction. Why Rick Devens? Nobody knows.
Obviously, this idea for the future of Survivor from the mind of Jeff Probst never came to be. Fans of the show have Mike White to thank for this reality. Jeff says on a call with White he threw the idea out there. White responded with “Does this sound fun to you?”
Jeff says after that call he erased his whiteboard with his plans and the idea was effectively dead from there. The “economy age” of Survivor was dead in the water before it began. All thanks to the creator of The White Lotus and School Of Rock.
New Survivor Eras
Many fans are likely thankful that the current Survivor era isn’t run by a trading post full of advantages. That doesn’t mean many are happy with the way things currently are, though. There’s been some drama surrounding the saturation of twists and advantages. An even newer era is coming to the show, however.
Seasons 41 through 44 are known as the “post-COVID” seasons. Seasons made while still under COVID safety regulations and restrictions. That era is coming to an end with Season 45. Nobody knows exactly what this new era could mean. Possibly longer episodes, the return of 39 days, and maybe some more returnee seasons. It’s only speculation as of right now, but the end of Season 44 will be a huge signal about what’s to come.
New episodes of Survivor 44 are airing every Wednesday.