Through 45 seasons on CBS, exotic locations have served as a backdrop and battleground for Survivor since 2000. And although the reality competition show used to jump around the world to film in different countries, around seven years ago, they set up their headquarters in Fiji.
Since Season 33’s Millenials vs. Gen X in 2016, Survivor has been shot in the Mamanuca Islands.
And same with Survivor 45, which had its premiere on Wednesday, September 27 via the network and Paramount Plus.
Game Changers, Heroes vs. Hustlers vs. Healers, Ghost Island, David vs. Goliath, Edge of Extinction, Islands of the Idols, Winners at War, and Survivor 41 through 45 all went down in the Fijian archipelago. Also, as given away in the name, Season 14’s Fiji was filmed in Macuata, Vanua Levu, in the South Pacific country.
Longtime host and showrunner Jeff Probst spoke with Entertainment Weekly in 2017 ahead of the Heroes vs. Hustlers vs. Healers premiere. With four seasons filmed in the Mamanuca Islands up to that point (Ghost Island had already been shot), Probst gushed about Fiji as a production location, saying, “This is our home. I hope we end our show here.”
Probst also got into the details of what made Fiji such an ideal filming spot, which included government support and the crystal clarity of the ocean.
“Fiji offers us everything that we want,” Probst continued. “Incredibly beautiful water that you can see down 30 feet, beaches that are amazing, a government that is working with us, local labor that loves to say ‘Bula!’ every day because they’re just happy you’re here.
“And our crew has never been as happy. We actually have decent accommodations to do this show out in the jungle. It’s a win-win-win.”
Probst said filming around the world became more difficult
From Africa to Asia, and from Central to South America, the CBS staple series has been around the globe. The first season was filmed on the Malaysian side of the island of Borneo, then Season 2 was shot in the Australian Outback, and Season 3 sent castaways to the Shaba National Reserve in Kenya — three seasons and three different continents.
By Millenials vs. Gen X, Survivor has set up camp in places like San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua, Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, The Amazon in Brazil, and Caramoan in The Philippines.
But, Probst admitted to the outlet in the same interview that it had become increasingly more difficult to film in these sorts of locations.
“The real truth of the world is, when we started Survivor 18 years ago, there were lots of places we could go,” Probst said. “It’s been two decades. It’s a different world. There are not as many places we can go for lots of reasons — the economy, population, political unrest, weather patterns.”
With Survivor premiering its 13th consecutive season in Fiji, it appears Probst’s love of the island paradise hasn’t waned.