When will 'Survivor' Season 41 return? Here's what to expect when game show returns on CBS after Covid-19 break
'Survivor' fans are going to brace themselves for this news. From the way things are going currently, it does not seem that the show will be returning for its 41st season anytime this year. Earlier this year, the show commemorated its two decades on the air when it brought winners from across the years to battle it out for another title, all-stars style. However, the fate of the season following that lies in limbo with no defined answers about when it might return or when it might even start filming.
There were plans for the next season releasing in Fall 2020. At the end of the Season 40 finale, host Jeff Probst had said that they were positive that they'd return with a new season in fall, according to a Parade report. CBS had put it on its fall schedule in the usual slot as well following that. However, in July, they pulled the show out from the fall 2020 lineup, leaving fans crestfallen. It was then revealed that 'The Amazing Race' would air at 8 pm on Wednesday followed by 'SEAL Team' at 9 pm, instead of 'Survivor'. Now the question is when does the show finally plan to return?
March 24, 2020, was originally the date when Season 41 was slated to begin filming in the Mamanuca Islands, Fiji. However, the coronavirus pandemic regulations led to major productions shutting down as everyone was advised to shelter in place. Season 40 was still on air then and showrunners were positive that they could deal with this postponement. They were hopeful that they could start filming after the finale of Season 40 was aired, however, the worsening Covid-19 cases especially in the USA dwindled their hopes. A few weeks after the postponement, production was put on a hiatus and everyone who was on location was asked to head home.
While there's been no word from the show or the network about when the show would finally be filmed to air, host Probst spoke to Hollywood Reporter, providing an update on that front. He said that he was on the phone with "either with the government of Fiji or with our executive teams that are in charge of logistics and planning. We’re continuing to lay out ideas. We don’t have a plan yet. It’s what we’re spending all our time doing because it’s not like we’re going to Atlanta to shoot a show.”
There were a lot of unconfirmed updates that filming of Season 41 would begin again in September, now that most of the shows have begun doing so, with social distancing norms. However, the Fijian government has shut down its borders to non-citizens as a precautionary measure. The current word on the street from a blog dedicated to 'Survivor' fans is that production on the show will resume soon but the goal now is to shoot Seasons 41 and 42 back-to-back from April-July 2021. This is not confirmed by CBS but if it were true, 'Survivor' fans have a year-long wait ahead of them.
