Few reality competition shows can claim milestones as illustrious as Survivor. Ever since the year 2000, the survival-based game show has managed to pull in a dedicated stream of viewers. It’s an ingenious combination of traditional skill-based challenges mixed with constant mind games and manipulative tactics that no other show has been quite able to replicate.
With a unique concept, a charismatic host in Jeff Probst, and a consistently entertaining cast of contestants to root for and despise, it’s no wonder that the series has endured such massive success for such a long period of time. Its whopping 42nd season is now hitting the small screen, so here’s everything you need to know before Survivor returns yet again.
What Is Survivor About?
Probably the only way one could not have heard about Survivor is to actually be stranded on a real-life deserted island, but in case you’re new to the party, here are the basics:
Survivor is a biannual reality competition series where around 16 to 20 people are transported to a usually tropical and isolated location, where they must “survive” for a little over a month with limited tools and resources. Their prize? A whopping one million dollars. The contestants’ host is the lovable Jeff Probst, who’s been hosting the show since its inception back in the year 2000.
The contestants are divided into two teams, or “tribes” as they’re called as a way to fit the theme of the show. The two tribes then, in addition to having to build shelter and find food at their base camps, also compete in two types of intricate games and challenges.
The first is a reward challenge, where the winning tribe shall receive a prize in various forms including but not limited to special types of food, tools to improve their living situation, or even opportunities to see their loved ones from home. The second is an elimination challenge, where the losing team will have to go to the tribal council and vote one member of their tribe out of the game.
While that’s the general structure that almost every episode has followed for 22 years, the real fun of the show comes during the downtime in between challenges. Here, contestants will have to form alliances, plan betrayals, and search for hidden immunity idols hidden in and around their base to prevent them from getting voted out. While fans may have been hooked by the unique concept and interesting locales, they stay for the subtle mind games and manipulative power plays.
Is Survivor Season 42 Streaming?
Survivor is a CBS program and will premiere on the CBS channel, so the best way to watch new episodes as soon as possible would be when it premieres live. Typically, that would mean those who switched over to streaming would be out of luck, but thankfully Paramount+ has the unique feature where subscribers can watch CBS live. However, in case you’re not able to catch them when they premiere, new episodes of season 42 will be available to stream on Paramount+ the day after an episode’s live premiere. Speaking of Paramount+...
Are Previous Seasons of Survivor Streaming on Paramount+?
Yes! All 41 previous seasons of Survivor can be watched in full on Paramount+. So, if you just want to get into the show or relive some of your favorite moments, Paramount+ is a Survivor fan’s best friend.
However, if you’re not a Paramount+ member or a cable subscriber, you also have some other, more limited options. Hulu is one of those options, and while the service doesn’t have the entirety of the series like Paramount+, they do have a pretty hefty number of seasons. These include Seasons 1 through 11, Season 16, Season 20, Season 22, Seasons 25 through 34, and Season 37.
Netflix also could be an option, but the only seasons that are available are Season 16 and Season 37. Still, Season 16 is very much considered a fan favorite (and not just because the season’s title is Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites) and Season 37 has Ned Schneebly from School of Rock as a contestant, so there are certainly worse seasons to watch.
When Does Survivor Season 42 Premiere?
The two-hour season premiere of Survivor Season 42 will air on CBS or on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at 8:00 PM EST, with new episodes airing every subsequent Wednesday at the same time. As mentioned, episodes will also be available to stream on Paramount+ the day after they premiere.
Watch the Trailer for Survivor Season 42
In case you want a taste for what’s in store for the next survivors, check out the trailer below.
Other Reality Competitions Like Survivor on Paramount+
While Survivor is one of the most popular examples within the genre, there are plenty of similar series that fans might take an interest in, and thankfully, many of them are available on Paramount+:
The Amazing Race (2001-Present): Various teams of two embark on an amazing race around the globe, participating in a wide variety of challenges to make it to the finish line and win a million dollars. While more a test of endurance-based skill than Survivor, The Amazing Race still features plenty of moments of drama and intrigue to keep things interesting.
Big Brother (2000-Present): Big Brother is essentially an extremely similar concept to Survivor, where contestants form alliances with one another one second and scheme to backstab each other the next. Major differences include the location being a large house instead of an island and fans can actually tune into the action 24/7 online via live stream instead of waiting for pre-edited episodes.
Ink Master (2012-Present): A group of experienced tattoo artists compete for the coveted title of “Ink Master” by competing in a series of challenges where they have to do what they do best in a limited time frame. Seeing as how the work of these artists can lead to a tattoo that a person has to live with forever, the stakes here feel quite high and generate a larger level of tension than most reality competitions.