Survivor season rankings with spoiler free summariesA long time ago, we did an entire podcast series examining every season. You can see those posts and find those podcasts here Survivor season rankings Warning Unlike this list, the podcasts and the posts about them definitely contain spoilers. In our podcast series, we discussed with multiple guests why a given season should receive a high or low ranking. But the list below was created by taking an average ranking from the opinions of the only two people that matter around here Andy and John. Each season is both ranked and described below in spoiler free fashion so you can happily share the list with newbies to the show or remain unspoiled on seasons you havent seen. And because were now posting this as a list, Im sure we will inspire more comments telling us how wrong we are. You can do that in the comments below, on Twitter Purple. Rock. Pod, purplerockandy, or purplerockjohn, or on gmail purplerockpodcast. ExGood Wife EP Keith Eisner will join ABCs Designated Survivor as an EP and showrunner for Season 2 if the Kiefer Sutherland drama is renewed. Designated Survivor ABC Previews the Season Series Finale. Survivor is a reality competition television franchise produced in many countries throughout the world. The show features a group of contestants who are marooned in. The first U. S. Sixteen or more players are split between two or more tribes, are taken to. Watch the official Quantico online at ABC. Get exclusive videos and free episodes. Watch Survivor 34 Episodes Online. What to Watch This Weekend Bryan Cranston breaks bad again 2 Critical Mass Hidden Figures shines, Underworld sequel a bloody mess. The Wire Season Two Episode One. TGCPg/hqdefault.jpg' alt='Watch Survivor Season 27 Finale' title='Watch Survivor Season 27 Finale' />Please realize before you dispute our rankings that even though your opinion is totally valid, these are the definitive Survivor season rankings because they were made by us. Survivor Nicaragua season 2. The season that will hopefully forever remain in last place, Nicaragua is the lowest of lows for Survivor. Terrible casting, a terrible gimmick, and the worst winner ever combine to make a truly horrendous Survivor viewing experience. If this was the first season of Survivor you ever watched, I hope you enjoy whatever it is you do now on Wednesday nights instead of watching Survivor. South Pacific season 2. There were a few bright spots in the cast of this season, but there were so many unlikable people that you almost forget the enjoyable ones. The two returning players for this season were terrible choices, and the gimmick was every bit as much of a failure here as it was the first time it was used. The winner of this season did exactly what was needed to win, but it didnt help the entertainment value of the show. Watch Survivor Season 27 Finale' title='Watch Survivor Season 27 Finale' />Gabon season 1. Possibly the most inept Survivor cast ever from a gameplay perspective. This is the season that almost convinced Jeff Probst to quit as host, and after watching it youll understand his reasoning. Unlike Nicaragua, this season did have at least one enjoyable episode. Thailand season 5A definite contender for least likable cast of all time, this season also featured an incident that makes for an uncomfortable viewing experience. Thailand did have some memorable challenges one of which is memorable because the cast is so deplorable and one of the best final immunity challenges the show has ever had. The winner played a strong game, and some have argued that its one of the best games any first time player has had. Vanuatu season 9This season is particularly hard to review without spoiling anything. The casting was below average on this season, although not horrendously awful. The gimmicktwist for this season was one the show had used before, but it worked fairly well and sets up a narrative for the post merge game. The issue here is whether you like that narrative and the winner. We dont. 2. 7. Redemption Island season 2. The cast here is below average, though it is supplemented by two returnees that are some of the most popular Survivor players ever. The dominant performance by the winner is why this season stands out, although it makes for generally boring and predictable television. Africa season 3More than anything else, this season suffers because of its location. In the early days of the show, Survivor was much more interested in having its players live in tough environments to prove that they were real survivors. Eventually they came around to the idea that the most appealing part of the show isnt watching people almost die of dehydration and starvation. The cast on this season is generally pretty decent, and probably would have been much better if they werent constantly sapped of energy by lack of food and water. San Juan del Sur Blood vs. Water 2 season 2. In a typical Survivor season, there will be players that were essentially cast to be fodder. They are the pre merge boots that were cast not because theyd be great players, but because theyd fill a certain role the show always casts. This season has a cast that is realistically about 8. This season gets more interesting after the merge and has an excellent winner, but its hard to get past how unappealing this cast is. The production staff probably fell too in love with the blood vs. One World season 2. Some might argue that this season features just as much fodder as San Juan del Sur. But the reality is that the cast was made to look like fodder because of the work of one of the most dominant winners the game has ever had. There have also been a surprising number of returning players from this season, whether that honor was deserved or not. Worlds Apart season 3. A cast that seemed pretty promising early on quickly disappoints, and the winner becomes obvious fairly early on. This season, like Thailand and All Stars, also features an incident that is uncomfortable to watch. The reunion episode is awful, saved only by the inclusion of the announcement of the cast for the following season. Fiji season 1. 4When mentioning this season on the podcast, we speculated that we could talk for a solid hour about Fiji alone. Does that mean its a great season Clearly not look where its ranked But its also not the worst season. So what would a middle of the pack season do that inspires our fascination In a word everything. This season has a pretty terrible cast with a few stellar exceptions but it also seemingly throws every possible twist and gimmick against the wall in order to see what might stick. It fails, but it does so in spectacular and interesting ways. It even has one of the best episodes the show has ever had. It is Survivor Magnificent Failure. Marquesas season 4The season responsible for the name of our podcast gets a few bonus points for that, and for one of the best narrative arcs of the early years of the show. The cast is fairly good, and even some pre merge boots in this season are memorable. But that narrative arc referenced earlier reaches its conclusion before the end of the season, and once that story has been told the show sort of limps to the finish line. Samoa season 1. 9This season is incredibly divisive, and understandably so. It is impossible to think of this season without thinking of one specific player, and your feelings about that player will likely determine how you rate this season. Its hard to properly judge the cast, because the vast majority of the screen time this season goes to one person. From a gameplay perspective there are interesting things that happen here, with some tricks and strategies we hadnt often seen before. Kaoh Rong season 3. This season brings back the format of one of Survivor. The cast is fairly good, with several memorable players. Despite a few unfortunate setbacks that throw off the gameplay, its an enjoyable season. Guatemala season 1. An above average cast with two returning players from the previous season, and yet nobody originally from this season has ever returned to the show again. Thats a shame, because there are some notable players here. The winner isnt incredibly dynamic on the show, but does have an interesting path to victory. Caramoan season 2. This season didnt even try to push the fans vs. And its safe to say that many of the fans wouldnt qualify for that label either. The pre merge portion of the game is mediocre to awful, but there are some very interesting and memorable episodes post merge. Also, a few of the returning players are among our favorites, and the winner of this season plays an excellent game. All Stars season 8Have you ever heard the phrase bitter jury when discussing Survivor This is where it all started. For the first time, the show brought back returning players for what truly was an all star season. Survivor U. S. TV series Wikipedia. Survivor is the American version of the international Survivorreality competition television franchise, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson created by Charlie Parsons which premiered in 1. The American series premiered on May 3. CBS. It is hosted by television personality Jeff Probst, who is also an executive producer along with Mark Burnett and original creator, Parsons. The show maroons a group of strangers in an isolated location, where they must provide food, water, fire, and shelter for themselves. The contestants compete in challenges for rewards and immunity from elimination. The contestants are progressively eliminated from the game as they are voted out by their fellow contestants, until only one remains and is given the title of. From the 2. 00. 00. It is commonly considered the leader of American reality TV because it was the first highly rated and profitable reality show on broadcast television in the U. S., and is considered one of the best shows of the 2. Jeff Probst won the award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program four consecutive times after the award was introduced in 2. In 2. 00. 7, the series was included in Time magazines list of the 1. TV shows of all time. Hustlers, which will premiere on September 2. Sixteen or more players are split between two or more. Frequent physical challenges are used to pit the teams against each other for rewards, such as food or luxuries, or for. Most players that are voted out at this stage form the games. Once down to two or three people, a final Tribal Council is held where the remaining players plead their case to the jury members. The jury then votes for which player should be considered the. In all seasons for the United States version, this has included a 1 million prize in addition to the Sole Survivor title some seasons particularly earlier seasons have included additional prizes, such as a car. The U. S. These changes have included tribal switches, seasons starting with more than two tribes, the ability to exile a player from a tribe for a short time, hidden immunity idols that players can use to save themselves at Tribal Council, special voting powers which can be used to influence the result at Tribal Council and a chance to return to regular gameplay after elimination through. Each competition is called a season, has a unique name, and lasts from 1. The first season was broadcast as a summer replacement show in 2. Starting with Survivor Africa, there have been two seasons aired during each U. S. By season 2. 2, the crew had grown to 3. Villains. Two tribes of ten returning players, divided by. Water. Palaui Island, Santa Ana, Cagayan, Philippines. Players selected by public vote. Gen XMamanuca Islands, Fiji. Two tribes of ten divided by generation millennials vs. Generation X. Hustlers. Three tribes of six divided by dominant perceived trait. Parsons formed Planet. Bob Geldof to produce the show and tried to have the BBC broadcast it, but the network turned it down. Parsons went to Swedish television and was able to find a broadcaster, ultimately producing Expedition Robinson in 1. The show was a success, and plans for international versions were made. Burnett retooled the concept to use better production values, based on his prior Eco Challenge show, and wanted to focus more on the human drama experienced while under pressure. Burnett spent about a year trying to find a broadcaster that would take the show, retooling the concept based on feedback. On November 2. 4, 1. Burnett made his pitch to Les Moonves of CBS, and Moonves agreed to pick up the show. The first season became a ratings success, leading to its current ongoing run. Though locations varied across the globe in the first dozen seasons, more recent seasons have used the same general location for back to back filming of two cycles for example, the use of Samoa for filming of seasons 1. ContinentRegion. Locations season numberAfrica 2Kenya 3, Gabon 1. Asia 9Malaysia 1, Thailand 5, China 1. Philippines 2. 5, 2. Cambodia 3. 1, 3. Oceania 1. 3Australia 2, French Polynesia 4, Vanuatu 9, Palau 1. Cook Islands 1. 3, Fiji 1. Samoa 1. 9, 2. 0, 2. Central America 8Panama 7, 8, 1. Guatemala 1. 1, Nicaragua 2. South America 2Brazil 6, 1. Since The Australian Outback, the announcement of each seasons winner and subsequent reunion have been broadcast live in front of a studio audience, usually alternating between the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City home to the CBS Late Show franchise and CBS Television City or the CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles. Reception. Villains. February 1. 1, 2. Water. September 1. Gen XSeptember 2. Survivor season from Survivor Africa onward, various Survivor props and memorabilia are auctioned online for charity. The most common recipient has been the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Both acts violated Australian law and the incidents could have resulted in fines up to A1. Mark Burnett, the executive producer, issued an apology on behalf of Donaldson and the Survivor production team. Kim Johnson answered Kelly Goldsmith, got the point, and went on to win the challenge, which put her through to the final three and ultimately after winning another immunity challenge the final two. Unbeknownst to the producers, another contestant on. Lex van den Berghes answer had been Lindsey, but the show did not award him a point, which could have significantly changed the outcome of the challenge and the overall game. CBS later paid van den Berghe and Tom Buchanan, who had finished in fourth place, a settlement. Hatch was voted out that day for other reasons, but Hawk quit the game two days later as a result of what had happened. Hawk considered filing a lawsuit against the parties involved, but appeared with Hatch on The Early Show the morning after the sixth episode aired, stating she opted out of legal action because CBS had helped her. As part of a special on the All Stars reunion Survivor Americas Tribal Council, a contest for the 1. Boneham unsurprisingly won this prize, with more than 8. Many fans of the show saw this as a way of diluting the overall concept of the show, that instead of outwitting, outplaying and outlasting your fellow tribe members to win the game, a player could now play specifically just to gain popularity with the shows audience, regardless of how well they played the game, and still be rewarded with a large prize. He was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. Probst claimed the choice came from the criticism that Survivor was. Each company has either denied the link to the controversy or declined to comment. The selection process for the 1. Survivor Fiji cast, only Gary Stritesky had gone through the application process for the show the rest of the contestants were recruited. Because of her misfortune, Burnett awarded Martin 5. But Martin would later recant her story after the school district she worked for publicly stated that she had taken the custodial position before appearing on the show. Early revealed that he was getting his information from Russell Hantz, a contestant on both seasons, through both phone calls and emails. Early complied in the lawsuit by providing such evidence, eventually leading to its dismissal in January 2. Although legal action has yet to be taken against Hantz, the contract for a player in Survivor includes a liability of up to 5 million for the premature revealing of a seasons results. While Jeff Probst claimed that the new stage could not accommodate all 1. Erik Reichenbach, who finished 5th and did not even get a chance to speak at the reunion, called out the producers for their treatment of the contestants. Calling it a farce, he criticized how the reunion show left so many unanswered questions about the other contestants and his own evacuation during the season finale.