The Big Theme

Curious how Survivor's big themes were born? This episode gets to the heart of how, why, and exactly what it takes to build some of Survivor's most iconic themes. Join us as Jeff discusses some of the most memorable, like Redemption Island, Edge of Extinction and Winners At War. Hear how each theme creates intense, new challenges while revealing the determination and spirit of your favorite castaways. Go inside the creative process for developing the show’s format with a dramatic reading from an original show bible and find out what question White Lotus creator, Mike White, asked Jeff that made Jeff erase all of his ideas going into season 41 and start over from scratch. Plus, we answer your questions about wearing glasses on the island, how castaways communicate during the voting and exactly what happens to all those parchments after each season.

Watch all new episodes of Survivor, Wednesdays on CBS and streaming and on demand on Paramount+ and then catch all-new episodes of “On Fire with Jeff Probst” right after the show. For details on how we manage your personal information, please consult our privacy policy at www.viacomcbsprivacy.com/en/policy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices