Jeff Probst Says He's Not Interested in Creating More 'Survivor'
Villain Edits

The host and executive producer says adding more negativity and villain
edits to the reality stalwart is "not gonna happen when I'm a part of
the show."

*
Mike Bloom <https://parade.com/author/mikebloom>
*
Updated:
5 hours ago

"Villains have more fun." Not only is that the name of an episode of
/Survivor <https://parade.com/tv/survivor-season-46>/, but it was a
recurring theme throughout its first 40 seasons. The legendary reality
series is responsible for introducing us to some of the biggest baddies
in the genre, from the show's cocksure first winner *Richard Hatch* to
the sock-burning puppet master *Russell Hantz*.

We've seen incredibly cutthroat behavior from *"Boston" Rob Mariano*,
and scathing insults from *Corinne Kaplan*. *Jonny Fairplay*, who
infamously lied about the death of his grandmother
<https://parade.com/1145663/marynliles/grandmother-names/> 20 years ago,
represented /Survivor/ on the first season of /House of Villains/.
Villains have been part of the lifeblood of the show so much that they
made it the theme of its tenth anniversary
<https://parade.com/1219463/marynliles/happy-anniversary-wishes/>!
2010's /Heroes vs. Villains/ saw ten of the most notorious antagonists
in the show face off against their opposites, and it's widely regarded
as one of the best seasons of the series.

When /Survivor/ returned, the "new era" ushered in many different
elements from seasons past. One that fans have definitely noticed five
seasons in is the tone. The editing of the new era makes an effort to
tell every castaway's "why" for being on the show, whether through an
arduous event in their past, a need for self-discovery, or a chance to
get one more adventure in before a major life
<https://parade.com/937586/parade/life-quotes/> change. As such,
storytelling has leaned towards highlighting the players as
three-dimensional people, rather than some of the two-dimensional
figures from seasons past that could be placed into simple boxes like
"villain."

While it's a definitive shift that allows the castaways to be portrayed
more as humans than characters, now that we're approaching the sixth
season of the new era, fans have been asking, "Where have all the
villains gone?" Even as I've talked with the players themselves as they
are about to become a part of the /Survivor/ story, contestants like
*Kaleb Gebrewold
<https://parade.com/tv/kaleb-gebrewold-survivor-45-cast>* and *Venus
Vafa <https://parade.com/tv/venus-vafa-survivor-46>* have vocalized the
mantra of wanting to bring explicit villainy back to the show. But,
according to *Jeff Probst
<https://parade.com/tv/survivor-46-jeff-probst>*, if fans are expecting
production to lean into creating more villains through casting or
editing, they're barking up the wrong coconut tree.

"In the hands of somebody else, I can tell you, for sure, there would be
more villains, more negativity, more yelling at each other," he said on
"Rob Has a Podcast." <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsMruj9zGJQ> "It's
not going to happen when I'm part of the show. I'm just not interested
in it."

In the exclusive podcast interview for the media stalwart's 5000th
episode, the host and executive producer talked with two-time player
*Rob Cesternino
<https://parade.com/993161/mikebloom/rob-cesternino-survivor-podcast-interview/>* about
the direction the show has gone in the new era, from shifting their
focus during the pandemic to their approach to casting fans. During
their chat, Cesternino pointed out the evolution of the tone of the
show. As the world seems to have gotten more negative, the show has
actually gotten more positive.

"You put a thought in my head while we were talking," Probst responded.
"By merely changing the type of twists we put into the game, we can
create negativity. It's a manipulation. What's the conceit of the show?
And, you're right, I'm not interested in that anymore. And I think it's
a direct reflection, not only of where the show was, but of how it
needed to evolve."

He related the current state of the show back to its first season almost
25 years ago. *Mark Burnett*, who had a firsthand role in the shaping of
the series from its earlier days, brought with him an affinity for
squabbles, betrayals, and human drama. It culminated in not only Hatch
becoming the first Sole Survivor, but far and away the show's most
famous moment in *Sue Hawk's* iconic and vitriolic "Snakes and Rats"
jury speech. Probst then recalls how 2020 was a year of "cultural
change," between the world shutting down due to the pandemic and global
"Black Lives Matter" protests sparking larger discussions on race
relations. In the wake of so much change in the world, when reimagining
/Survivor/ to return in 2021, his goal was simultaneously "reimagining
positivity."

Despite Probst's stance, to quote a player from the aforementioned first
season, "Don't let that fool you." Though /Survivor/ isn't explicitly
creating villain edits, we have certainly seen some conflict eke into
the new era. /Survivor 45/ saw perhaps the most villainous edit of the
past five seasons in returnee *Bruce Perreault
<https://parade.com/tv/bruce-perreault-survivor-45-eliminated-interview>*,
who was portrayed at points as rude, brusque, and aloof to his fellow
castaways. Probst said later in the interview that /Survivor 46/ would
be "one of the most vicious seasons ever," teasing a cast that is not
afraid to shy from confrontation. Even the host himself is going to take
a more critical tone in the upcoming installment.

"I am bringing back my edge," Probst teases. "I'm aware that I got a
little soft. And so I am going to put a knife in the bag of rice every
so often so I can still find that part of me."

So, while the /Survivor 46/ cast will most likely encounter rivalries,
antagonism, and some classic sass from the host on their way to the
million-dollar prize, at least their socks are safe, even if their rice
bags are not.

Source: https://parade.com/tv/jeff-probst-survivor-villains-new-era

*--*

*Brian*