Survivor 45: Show EP talks 90-minute episodes

As we prepare for the premiere of Survivor 45 close to the end of the month, there are undoubtedly many things that will feel familiar. The format of the show seems reasonably similar to the past four seasons, and once again we do have a cast featuring all-new players. We have 100% entered this new era of the game and as exciting as that may be to some, there are also some drawbacks.

Beyond the individual season themes that we miss, one thing that has been lost amidst all of the various twists are the opportunities to get to know the players a little bit better. It leads to a lot fewer opportunities to get to know the players better, or chances to see how they handle the elements and actually being marooned out somewhere. Some of that feeling will likely still be lost in a shorter season, especially since filming is now more centrally located in Fiji. Yet, it does seem like the 90-minute episodes this time around are going to change a few things for the better.

SUBSCRIBE to Matt & Jess on YouTube for more Survivor coverage!

Speaking in a new interview on Tyson Apostol’s The Ringer podcast The Pod Has Spoken, executive producer Matt Van Wagenen said the following about how season 45 could tap into some nostalgia:

“I feel like you’ll see some stuff that will probably remind you of older seasons. There’s some elements that I think the superfans are really going to love … But I also think there is a real opportunity for the character moments.

“We’re about four or five episodes in on our process [of getting together episodes], and this 90 minutes has felt great. We haven’t had any problem filling that because there’s just so many fun character moments that allow us to get to know the people a little bit better. For me, at first, I thought it might be a bit of a challenge but if anything it’s been a pleasure putting 90-minute episodes together.”

Tyson honestly is a good person to understand the importance of character moments, given his hijinks with Coach are a big part of what made Survivor: Tocantins a really fun season so many years ago.

Hopefully, this editing process could actually make some of these episodes feel more like the Australian version of the series, which we would argue does a better job of developing its players these days than the US version. We are stoked for what lies ahead, but in the end, a lot of it will depend on the players — and it still is hard to make many judgments about them right now.

Related – Learn a little bit more about the Survivor 45 cast right now

What are you most excited to see on Survivor 45 when it airs?

Are you ready for the 90-minute episodes? Share right now in the comments! Also, come back for other updates.

(Photo: CBS.)