It is the game show of game shows and the king of reality. The Survivor franchise has enjoyed unprecedented success worldwide and nearing its 40th season in the US.
In South Africa, Survivor Immunity Island marks its eight installment, and it debut last night on M-Net at 7.30pm.
This time, the contest features one of the most breathtaking coastlines in the world, the Eastern Cape's Wild Coast.
The Survivor series was originally based on a Swedish concept show, in the same format.
Robinson, formerly Expedition Robinson, was first aired in 1997 and its popularity rapidly gained US network attention.
Survivor was born three years later. In Sweden, Robinson is now in its 42nd season while the popularity of the SA incarnation continues to grow.
Recently Australian streaming service 10 Play signed the upcoming season into its entertainment stable and it will be broadcast Down Under on the same days as the SA broadcast.
According to Leroux Botha, creative producer and series director, Survivor Immunity Island will serve up a dish of telly that will match viewers' expectations.
As we have seen in recent series, the intrigue, tests of loyalty and betrayal get more intense with every episode and, indeed, each new season.
The show is hosted by Nico Panagio who manages and narrates it for the sixth successive season.
"In Survivor South Africa, our castaways push themselves beyond their limits over 39 days to outwit, outplay and outlast each other and it has gained international traction on the back of our relatable characters, great storylines and excellent editing," says Botha.
There are a few reasons why Survivor continues to be so popular.
Not only is it relatable, but the producers have stayed true to the concept. Unlike many other reality-based shows where ratings-chases often skew and flatten original concepts, Survivor has never deviated from its script, so to speak.
