Survivor Fiji debuts tonight; only one cast member applied while the rest were recruited

Less than two months after the conclusion of Survivor Cook Islands, CBS debuts a new season of the show tonight with Survivor Fiji at 8 p.m. ET. The first five minutes, however, are currently viewable online.

This season features new twists and a diverse cast from California, although not one split by race. Instead, the tribes will be split just like the teams are on The Apprentice, with one living in “luxury” and the other living without any amenities whatsoever.

Speaking of the cast, Jeff Probst revealed while talking to reporters about the show that only one of them (Gary Stritesky) actually filled out an application and applied. That’s a significant increase from the 85 percent who were recruited last season.

The cast was recruited, because “Probst says after recruiting players for the racially-divided concept used last time around, the producers had hoped to find a more diverse pool of people applying,” Inside Bay Area reports. “So, in the interest of casting a more diverse show, the producers recruited” the rest of the cast. That explains why so many once again come from California.