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Get excited, Survivor fans! There is finally a concrete plan for getting season 41 filmed and the start date is imminent. Read on for the latest development and take heart that it’s only a little bit longer until our favorite reality TV show is back on the air.
Season 41 and Season 42 Are Filming in Fiji This Spring
A number of film productions have been approved by the Ministry of Trade and Commerce with the Survivor series expected to begin shoot soon.
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As reported by Fijian Broadcasting Corporation News, the Ministry of Trade and Commerce in Fiji confirmed in mid-February that Survivor is returning there “in the next few days” to begin filming season 41.
“Survivor will be filming in Fiji with the crew expecting to arrive in the next few days,” Minister Faiyaz Koya told FBC News. “They have to stagger the way they actually come because most of the crew are sitting in different parts of the world but all done under the guidance of the Ministry of Health. We follow the necessary protocol to protect our own citizens.”
According to a press release issued by the Fijian government, “the cast and crew will enter Fiji in three groups, adhering to the 72-hour pre-departure testing on platforms acceptable by the Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services. Upon arrival, the cast and crew will enter mandatory 14-day quarantine at a Government designated quarantine facility under 24/7 surveillance from the RFMF and supervision of our Health experts.”
Additionally, the Fijian government announced in a press release that season 42 will also be filming there soon:
After careful consideration of the health ramifications and the development of safe entry and filming parametres, US Survivor Seasons 41 and 42 by SEG Holdco, LLC have received the green-light to resume production in Fiji. In strict compliance with Fiji’s standard international arrivals protocols, all arrivals are subject to strict entry conditions that includes COVID-19 pre-departure testing, 14-day mandatory quarantine on arrival in a Government-designated quarantine facility, and border quarantine exit testing. Survivor US has successfully shot eight seasons in Fiji, with two scheduled for 2021.
Unfortunately, the press release also puts to bed the idea that the show would manage to film three seasons this year and get one on the air this summer. Big Brother’s renewal for summer 2021 certainly implied that Survivor would not air in the summer, but this makes that explicitly clear.
The Fijian minister also said that several film productions will be starting in Fiji soon as well. Altogether, the TV and movie productions are expected to generate in the neighborhood of $30 million for the Fijian economy and create 400 jobs for local citizens. Koya said in a statement that Fiji is proud of the way it has handled the COVID pandemic and that it can now safely resume TV and film production.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production houses are shoveling out incredible sums to safely manage production sites, with the risk of an even a single case shutting down multi-million-dollar projects. Fiji is a COVID-Contained country, with no local cases of the virus for more than 300 days we have safely restored freedom of movement and association. We offer the world’s most serene and spectacular natural settings, as well as an established network of telecommunications and infrastructure make us a production paradise, but especially now in light of the coronavirus. We are excited as Survivor fans everywhere to welcome the production back to Fiji, and we look forward to welcoming other productions, in line with our COVID-safe protocols, that put more Fijians back to work,” said Koya.
Fans Are Ecstatic
Social media is abuzz with the news that Survivor is finally going back into production. There is a Twitter thread of celebratory GIFs that is definitely worth a scroll. It is both hilarious and also quite emotional. Here are a few of our favorites:
Some fans are disappointed to hear that production will continue to be in Fiji, which is where it has been held since season 33. One Reddit user writes, “I know I’m creating nothing but false hope for myself here but with everything that’s happened over the last year, I hope production is doing something to address the sameness of all these Fiji-shot seasons.”
But even with the same location, fans are still jazzed to hear any bit of news about the show resuming production, with another Reddit commenter writing, “Y’all. Just seven more months. That’s one season and one off season. We are at the end. We can do this!!!”
It will be interesting to see what happens with CBS’ new diversity and inclusion initiative in casting its reality TV shows, where the network pledged that 50 percent of the casts be Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Fans are excited about how that might change up the dynamics on the show, where five out of the last six winners have been white men.
Survivor season 41 should premiere in late September if the pattern holds with past seasons. Season 42 will most likely premiere in February 2022.
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