The HvHvH/Ghost Island cycle marked the first time in the show's 18 year long history that it did not receive some sort of Emmy recognition. No nominations for anything. Not for reality TV, not for casting, not for cinematography, not even for host (All of these are categories the show has been at least nominated for in the past).
It seemed to have been a low point for Survivor. Too many advantages and casting themes made the show feel like it was trying too hard. It feels like we are perpetually trapped in Fiji, no longer having the chance to see Cambodia or Brazil or even Samoa again. The game's past 2 winners were a tad predictable, even if Ghost Island ended in a more entertaining fashion. All in all, the show has seen better days.
With this season, that has honestly changed. The casting has produced one of the most interestinga dn engaging groups in awhile, and one with all kinds of returnee potential. We have the almost-first-boot Nick Wilson who channels his charm and his smarts. We have the villainess Angelina Keeley, who despite having her name thrown around, has hung on and is still in the running. Even characters on the show for an even short period of time such as Jeremy Crawford, Natalie White, or Elizabeth Olsen were excellent TV while they were on the show. With the editing of this season, I will be very surprised if this one does not produce an Emmy nomination of some kind.
Another sign Survivor may be running out of steam may be ratings. It is very easy to call out ratings as the death call for this long running reality but overall, TV viewership is declining. Survivor is still a ratings giant. First off I would like to show the decline from the Borneo (2000) season to the Ghost Island (2017) season. Borneo garned 28.30 million viewers and ranked 2. Ghost Island garned 10.28 million viewers and ranked 25. Let's compare to another reality show that is about as old. The Bachelor Season 1 (2002) had 10.7 million views and ranked 44. Season 21 (2017) garnered 9 million views and ranked 33. The Amazing race bears a similar rating shift although its numbers are lower than the Bachelor. Big Brother 20 recently held some of the lowest viewership out of these big reality shows like only 5.41 million people. Everyone's ratings have gone down, but Survivor is certainly not in trouble in terms of ratings.
Survivor finds itself in ruts (Fiji, Redemption Island, Caramoan, Ghost Island) but it is certainly a show that has staying power. I have gotten both my girlfriend and my theatre friend watching the show and they are loving this current season as their first season. Even though lots of us are worried about next season's rumored twist I want to hope for the best and even if the season cannot live up to the tone set by David v. Goliath, I know this is a show that can certainly bounce back in terms of quality.
