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Survivor behind the scenes: 13 facts and secrets

Survivor behind the scenes: 13 facts and secrets
A behind-the-scenes look at Survivor: Millennial vs. Gen X's episode 5 immunity challenge (Photo by CBS)

Survivor has been on CBS for 40 seasons and almost 20 years, and in that time, we’ve learned a lot of Survivor secrets about what happens behind the scenes on CBS’s reality TV competition, like how it comes together.

With Survivor well into its 40s now, it’s a great opportunity to look back at some of the secrets—well, former secrets!—that have been revealed about how Survivor is produced.

While its had weak seasons and a few horrifying screw-ups, Survivor is an impressive production that required a lot of behind-the-scenes talent, from casting producers to the composer of the theme song, challenge designers to those who test the challenges.

I’ve gathered together these 13 stories—some of my favorites—which offer various kinds of deep dives into how Survivor comes together week after week, season after season. Enjoy!

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About the author

  • Andy Dehnart

    Andy Dehnart is the creator of reality blurred and a writer and teacher who obsessively and critically covers reality TV and unscripted entertainment, focusing on how it’s made and what it means.

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