A reality TV series like Survivor that has 40 (!) seasons under its belt has had to make changes to remain fresh. The show, which first aired in 2000, has introduced tons of twists, season after season, in order to surprise viewers and keep players on their toes.
Some of the twists have worked out really well, like the hidden Immunity Idols, tribe swaps, and an idol nullifier. Others have not done so well, like the Island of the Idols and Redemption Island.
And while it seems like the show has exhausted every twist option imaginable, including the latest twist of fire tokens that can be exchanged for different goods and services and sold to others, there are some interesting ways the show can shake things up for subsequent seasons. Here are some crazy ideas.
10 Voting Reversal
Imagine if everyone at the tribal council had to cast their vote, Jeff Probst read the votes but didn't say the person was the Xth number voted out of the game. Instead, he declared a vote reversal prior to reading the votes. This means the person voted out would actually become the new leader of the tribe.
This would give them immunity for the next tribal as well as make them the sole decider on two tribemates that everyone had to vote against. It would add a level of Big Brother flare to the show and shake up the game as people scrambled to make nice with the person they had possibly just viciously betrayed or change their vote at the last minute.
9 Two-Round Voting
To eliminate plotting and scheming to flush out idols or blindside people, the game could add a two-round voting process whereby everyone votes and the two people with the most votes (or three if there's a tie) then become the only two (or three) people you can vote for in a second round.
This is already done when there's a split vote in the game, but only when the votes cast against two people are the same. It would be interesting to see the gloves come off if the person with, say, 4 votes and the person with 3 votes are both at risk. Neither can vote in the next round and we see how the chips fall.
8 Rotating Tribe Pairs
Instead of putting players in groups of two or three tribes, pair them up randomly to live in secluded areas on their own. Switch the pairs every few days, or even every day. This will make it tougher for people to plot and scheme as well as forge relationships with one another.
It would be difficult for anyone to agree on who to vote out, which means the votes could fall all over the place. But it would be interesting to see how players make the best use of their one-on-one time with one another and what their gut instincts tell them.
7 Allow Family Member Input
Allow friends and family members to send little hints of advice throughout the show, submitted on parchment paper privately to each player. The information can be vetted by producers but include vague but telling statements like "don't trust anyone" or "that person isn't who you think they are."
Sure, it could contribute to tons of paranoia. But it would also allow people at home to contribute and get something off their chest that they've been shouting at the TV. This would, however, require that family members see episodes in advance, or at least excerpts from diary sessions, which could prove problematic.
6 Give Viewers a Vote
Many reality shows incorporate viewer votes along with those of players. And while the only element of Survivor that is actually live is the finale, why not give viewers a chance to cast their vote for a winner, too?
This could totally skew the game but it could be an interesting twist worth testing out. Viewers already get to vote on their favorite player but why not let them have a say in who actually wins the million, too.
5 Challenge Sit-Outs
Instead of letting tribes choose who sits out of a challenge, let the opposing tribe make this decision for them. This can be detrimental to the team since the competing tribe will most certainly choose the strongest player to sit out, leaving the weakest one in.
This might be deemed unfair since only one tribe would get to choose based on uneven numbers. But it could throw a wrench into the game that makes things fun.
4 Those Voted Out Start Their Own Tribe
Instead of sending those who are voted out of the game to Exile or Redemption Island to wait to compete for one spot to get back in, send the first five or six people there to start their own tribe. But don't tell them.
Then reveal that they will all re-enter the game as a misfits trial, playing against those who voted them out. They can't be voted out for real unless they lose a challenge and go to jury or until after a merge. This would require that the game go on longer. Or perhaps the problem's solved by voting out two people, one from each losing tribe of three, each week instead of just one.
3 Back to the Final Two
In its latest seasons, Survivor has ended with a final three who all get to plead their cases to the jury in an attempt to receive the votes to be deemed the winner. It would be a great twist to switch back to only a final two, but not tell players until we get to the final 4, or even the final 3.
It always seems like the votes are falling between the top two players anyway, so why not give that person who inched into third place a chance to knock out one of the players who has a better chance of winning so they can sit in the hot seat with a pretty impressive feat now on their resume?
2 Tribal Council Audience
Instead of having the winning tribe remain back at their camp while Tribal Council is taking place with the losing one, invite them to watch, much like the jury does. They are not allowed to speak but they can witness everything that goes on.
Would this influence who is voted out? Would Sandra, for example, not have pushed so hard to have Amber voted out this season knowing that Rob was staring her down during tribal? This would remove the element of surprise at the next challenge as to who was voted out but could lead to some juicy conversations on both sides once back at camp.
1 Shared Immunity
This season introduced a twist of an Immunity Idol that had two parts. The person who found it had to give the second part to another player and could only use it upon getting that part back. That caveat was the Idol didn't seem to have much of an effect.
But what if, like a friendship bracelet or two-part necklace, an Immunity Idol was actually two Idols and could only be used when shared with another person. The Idol would protect both people but they had to be used together. This would force the person to reveal who their closest ally is in order to protect themselves at a tribal when they feel they might be going home.
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