Survivor to start filming again soon in Fiji

"Survivors ready… GO!"

After numerous delays in filming for its 41st season due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Survivor appears on the brink of finally resuming production. That is according to Fiji's Ministry of Trade and Commerce Minister Faiyaz Koya.

"Survivor will be filming in Fiji with the crew expecting to arrive in the next few days," said Koya, according to FBC News. "They have to stagger the way they actually come because most of the crew are sitting in different parts of the world, but all done under the guidance of the Ministry of Health. We follow the necessary protocol to protect our own citizens."

Unlike other reality shows like Big Brother, Love Island, and The Bachelor that had already resumed production in 2020, Survivor was unable to restart due to both its filming location in Fiji as well as its very international crew, which hails from all over the world.

Season 41 was originally supposed to begin filming on March 24, 2020, but the crew was informed two weeks prior in a letter by host and executive producer Jeff Probst that production would be delayed until at least May due to the coronavirus.

"Due to the growing short-term uncertainty surrounding the global spread of COVID-19 and the corresponding desire for the continued well-being of our amazing crew, we have decided to push back our start date for Survivor season 41," Probst wrote in the letter (which can be read in full here).

The hope at that time was that both seasons 41 and 42 could still be filmed in time to make their September 2020 and February 2021 premiere dates, but those hopes were dashed as the virus continued to rage across the globe. By slowly bringing in crew members now, it appears Survivor is hoping to film roughly in the same March and May time frames they usually use for starting production on odd and even numbered seasons. (The show films two seasons back-to-back each year, with roughly a two week break between installments.)

CBS has yet to comment on a production restart date, but if Fiji's Ministry of Trade and Commerce is to be believed, then Probst could start snuffing torches again sooner rather than later.

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