Jeff Probst thought hisSurvivorcareer was coming to a close.
The host at that point believed season 12 would be his last.
The question was, could the show survive without him?
Monty Brinton/CBS/Getty Images
Fast forward 13 years.Survivors 37th season David vs. Goliath premieres Sept. 26 on CBS.
And as Probsts input and power have increased, so has his emotional investment in the job.
You see the joy on his face when something goes well.
Robert Voets/CBS
You see the anguish when something doesnt.
(He also remains thebest reality host on the planet.)
So if Probst is locked and loaded, the question becomes: How long canSurvivorlast?
Season 38 which will air in early 2019 is already in the can.
Casting is already underway for season 39.
And Probst andSurvivorSvengali Mark Burnett have already talked about plans todo something big for season 40.
But the reason the program is still so successful also explains whySurvivordisplays no signs of going away.
over and over, every season ofSurvivoris unique.
And if you dont like one season, no problem!
Just wait, there will be a completely new one in a few months.
When a scripted series goes bad, it is almost impossible to get that good mojo back.
OnSurvivor, it is very much possible.
Probable, in fact.
Put as simply as possible, kids loveSurvivor.
The competition mixed with the adventure and twist-tastic nature is irresistible.
And often they bring some of those checked out people back.
Oh, and there is also the fact that the show is still insanely good!
And even in those down seasons, there are still absolute gems to be found.
It was positively electric and some of the best editing the show has ever put on screen.
And it happened in season 36.
It brings us back to the first two words of this article: Jeff Probst.
I dont think any of us have looked at the show that way in so long, said Probst.
And we didnt know.
Really, the big thing aboutSurvivoris Jeff, Burnett told me.
Jeff isSurvivorand thats the reason the show does so well.
Ah, but for how long?
For moreSurvivorscoop, follow Dalton on Twitter@DaltonRoss.
