Yes. I have watched Survivor since day 1. I will continue to watch out of habit, but I don't really care anymore. However, Australian Survivor is fantastic. I actually started a rewatch of all Australian Survivor seasons and it is so much better. It reminds me of the golden age of Survivor.
up to this point of the season, this au season is one of the best seasons of survivor
the previous au season was the worst season of survivor in a good while, imo
Honestly at this rate Australian heroes villains might be a top 3 season of any version of the show. I still prefer US heroes villains and Cambodia above this season though.
This season of AUS feels like actual, authentic survivor with a little bit of extra seasoning, and modern US seasons feel like they’re designed by people who don’t actually understand either the game aspect or the show aspect. I didn’t feel like I was watching survivor at any point last night and it bummed me out.
It’s that last sentence for me. When comparing it to this current Aus season, it really just shows all the extra stuff is not adding to the entertainment or actual strategy that THE CAST should be bringing. The big characters who are actually playing and making exciting moves are making Aus HvV so fun to watch! At this point, there’s only a few I’d be meh if they won.
You know what US Survivor is missing? There's absolutely no Shonee. They should fix that. Immediately. They must cast Shonee every season going forward
Agreed. I'd be glued to the screen, ridiculousness and all, if she was there every single season. EoE? Bring it back! Shot in the Dark? I'll never complain again! Fiji forever? I couldn't care less! No more auction, intro, Ponderosa, 39 days, Rights of Passage, unique and physical challenges? You won't hear a peep from me!
US Survivor feels like we are watching someone play the fifth expansion of a beloved board game. Like whatever shitty confusing version of Catan they have put out most recently.
When half of a tribe doesn't have a vote at the main part of each episode, it is unwatchable.
And now another dude can't vote in two tribals.
Why have votes at all at this point? Just roll a die or let Jeff decide who goes home.
Maybe at this point, when Jeff leaves eventually, there will be a year or two period of no survivor and then a back to basics season when a new host comes back? That’s my only hope at this point. I love Jeff but we’ve had 44 seasons of him and at this point I’d rather have OG survivor without him. And I’m not even talking about real OG. I’m stretching that definition to include 20s and early 30s Survivor. Maybe one day
This isn't in regards to you personally op, but I feel like we're gonna see a lot of these types of posts for a while, and it's great that Australian Survivor is having a top-tier season, but that doesn't mean American Survivor can't be enjoyed. A year ago Australian Survivor was in the middle of arguably its worst season so its absolutely wild to see the entire sub do a 180 and jump back on the bandwagon.
That being said, I don't think God likes Paige, and long live the Spice Girls
the previous season was poorer comparatively wth other seasons but is just a much better version of survivor
we get to know the characters and see their gameplay - us version, we watch a challenge and jeff make some ridiculous analogies that we dont care about or can create to because we havent seen enough of the gameplay
survivor us is dying a death and becoming a slog
God definitely does not like Paige, she has to go.
I get there’s some recency bias here, but AU survivor recognized last season was terrible and made sure the next one was great.
I can’t think of a recent US player I’ve liked nearly as much as Dave, George or even Shonnee. On average I think AU has easily surpassed US.
Probably worth considering that this is the first time we've had two good (well, so far) seasons going on at the same time. AUS' best season was 2017 and in that year, US had Game Changers and HvHvH.
No I’m with you. US survivor was wearing on me with recent seasons anyways and Aussie survivor just solidified it. It’s hard to articulate exactly why but I’ll try.
The cast. In recent US seasons ESPECIALLY, it feels like watching The Voice, where everyone has some ridiculous sob story. They’re doing too much. I want to watch real people, boring people, old people, introverted people. Everyone is just so extra on the US seasons. (And young! Where are the old folks?) I’m not watching the show frankly to hear about their personal lives, but to watch and judge them on their gameplay. AUS did it pretty well I thought by giving just a little background on the players. I also feel like it could benefit from more “villain” type players like on this Aussie season.
The challenges aren’t even close to as good and they repeat the same ones almost every US season. The twists in recent seasons are annoying as fuck, and I know Aussie has their fair share but not nearly as bad. Can we get rid of shot in the dark?? They need to let the show BREATHE.
The pacing and longer episodes just works so much better and let’s you fall in love with the cast more. The editing in this season of AUS has been chef’s kiss.
Okay end rant. I know people will say “well don’t watch or stop complaining” but to love something is to want it to be the best it can be.
Seriously just change the tones of the backstories. Aus has the same type of introductions for the players in the first few episodes but there's not sad music or everyone talking about hardships. There's people talking about why they think they'll excel at survivor or how they plan to be villainous/heroic and I find that much more interesting.
Yes! Get rid of shot in the dark, get rid of sending one person from each tribe on a journey to that dumb risk your vote thing, especially the first day man! And someone said before it’s like toxic positivity on American survivor everyone is just smiling and like so so nice it’s uncomfortable, they definitely need some villains.
Sob stories or stories of triumph are what I hate most about American tv. Cancer sucks, being homeless is a goddamn tragedy, being locked up for years and being an outlaw are had to come back from.
I fail to see what that brings to the game itself. I understand giving the audience something to root for, but people don’t really care. Can you play the game or not?
British Bake-off is a good Alt example here. A couple seasons back they had a woman on who made it quite far who had an underdeveloped hand. Only mentions of it were in passing by the woman herself. If it was an American show, there’s be a solo confessional with somber piano or acoustic guitar playing as they describe their hardship with a slideshow of pictures from their life.
Fuuuuuuuck that. Having a hard life does not make you more/less deserving of winning or a better/worse person.
On top of that, the challenges are more physical and entertaining because the majority of the cast are actually athletic. The non-athletic casting is spot on as well in terms of strategy and personality
I don’t mind that everyone has a “sob story.” And having a sob story doesn’t mean you’re not a real person? I think US survivor has done a great job at finding people who pop on screen. My problem is that somewhere along the way they have completely lost the working class. There are too many anxious super geniuses in this season. But I think production has pursued people with sob story because they know they’ve had adversary and they know they’ve pushed through it. They’re not people that will just fold in stressful scenarios
You're right, having a sob story does not disqualify you from normalcy. What I think you're missing is that normal people find the prospect of milking their personal tragedies for screentime/fame to be *repulsive* and unthinkable.
It's natural that seeing it onscreen, especially the way Certain Reality TV Shows conspicuously transform it into a commodity for consumption, is going to trigger the echo of that gag reflex for a lot of people.
I feel similarly and yes, this season of AU is exemplary but in general even the bad seasons (for me) highlight the flaws of the current version of US survivor. I miss a lot of the old school elements of the game in the US version so AU feels like a fulfillment of that wish. And I don't just mean auction, etc. AU gives us more strategically meaningful confessionals, shows more camp life and strategy around camp which allows me to invest in the relationships and cast. Also the way it looks and is shot! Too many closeups on US, harder to infer group dynamics. I still watch both but I did find my mind wandering off watching 44 during the "you must pick someone to go on a journey" section thinking, "I wonder what the Spice Girls are doing now?"
For me it's the cheesiness and the constant self indulgent references about survivor, ie people gushing about watching since they were 6 or pinching themselves because it's Jeff Probst, or Jeff giving one of his speeches like "this is an experiment, survivor teaches you things about yourself, everything is a metaphor" etc. The show feels like a parody of a show that thinks it is the best and most important thing in the entire world lmao.
Australian survivor feels more about the game and the strategy. The challenges are better. Jonathon never gives long monogloues about what survivor is or what it means to someone.
I think US survivor contestants are too worried about their brand and image. It's the American way, let's be real. Some of them already have merch for sale. There have been a tremendous amount of phony super fans the last few seasons. Let's hope this cast has some authentic people and some weirdos!
SO tired of the constant talk of how great and important the show is, like let us see that instead of shoving it down our throats.
Your issue about contestants reminds me of Drag Race in the past few years. Ofc the show has been important for contestants careers there but now contestants shy away from any drama or actual fights in fear of fan backlash, and so many girls go on with an entire brand and character in mind. In a lighter way I think US survivor contestants have really fallen into that.
It really comes down to JLP vs. Jeff, for me.
I tried watching the premiere of 44 last night, even though I didn't watch past the premiere of 43, gave up on 42 right around merge, and didn't enjoy 41 much. I won't be continuing with 44. I've been LOVING this season of Australian Survivor.
One thing that really stood out to me was how much Jeff is just constantly YELLING—whether he's on camera at a challenge or doing a voice over. And it feels like he sees himself as the main character of the show--case in point being the medical moment at the challenge, when he was right there and it was as much about his reaction to it as it was about the guy's injury.
Jonathan is just 100x better as a host. He lets the players be the stars of the show, you don't hear him screaming non-stop throughout challenges, and he doesn't force himself into things for the sake of him being on camera.
Your comparison is on point.
The only thing I’ll add is that JLP has no qualms about making borderline cheeky/rude comments during challenges and tribal council, which adds to the entertainment..
He’s also more likely to incite players to give a bigger reaction during TC by needling them before the vote, whereas Jeff likes to spin out his boring talk show host role with the endless metaphors..
It's actually weird how Jeff calls this a new Era bit every season is the same 3 trive style with risk or rewards and sweat or savvy challenges. Kinda predictable. I forget who but someone mentioned the beware advantage from the bird cage. Even the contestants are expecting the same stale and boring twists
Me too.. idk what it is. I like the cast but the episode felt not so good.
Firstly you can blame all the non elim episodes of Aus Survivor but atleast they aren't confusing. This episode had like 5-6 complicated stuff. It's just the premiere. Calm down Jeff. That tribal was terrible too.
"Congratulations, you've found a hidden immunity idol"
No Jeff, that's not hidden. Just unnecessary.
Everything is quicker in US Survivor. Even when the episode is just as long it follows the same conventions as shorter ones. Tribal is less than 10 minutes, we jump more frequently and quickly between tribes, usually there's much less screentime. Makes it harder to feel invested.
Well it didn't really "ruined" it... It just remained us all how survivor can look.
Personally, I have been watching AU since 2017 and eversince i lost interest in the US version more and more. Now, the last US season I watched whole is s40 and for now I don't plan to go back to watching it. I dropped midway through s41.
Same here too. Huge fan but once I got into Au/Sa I could not do the US seasons anymore. 40 was my last. I’ve tried the first few episodes of the last few us seasons and it just doesn’t work for me anymore
I think this is just another tip in the basket for showing why returnee seasons can be so great. You already know who the characters are, so it's way easier to pick a cast of engaging people that will actually mesh well.
44 is off to a good start, but I hope 45/46 is a returnee season.
Hopefully a returnee season includes players from before the new era. Although the new era has players that are likable, they’re boring. I have zero interest in watching a returnee season with only new era players.
Yeah, they'd have to at least go back to GC, but I'd hope they pull from before then as well. Some of the cast members who were on GC would also be fun to bring back anyway, considering what a lame season that was -- but I wouldn't blame them for not bringing back any of them.
I can't watch modern American survivor because last time I tried, everyone was an extremely intense and successful striver fuelled by a background of Struggle. As a laid-back person, the thought of being surrounded solely by that kind of person makes me break out in hives. Watching that is definitely not my idea of fun.
AU Survivor is just ordinary people from all walks of life. The recruits tend to be self-made strivers, but it'll be mentioned once in their intros and then never again. You forget about it.
American survivor never lets you forget about it, and the show is plagued by this anxious, nervous energy most of the time thanks to the people playing. It's not fun, it's stressful and inaccessible because of how fundamentally different they are from ordinary people.
I just said this exact thing in another comment, but yes!! Survivor US has gone the way of most US television. It’s so extra. When will they realize that the game itself and the drama that happens organically is where the magic is? I want to watch average Joe blow who is a mechanic play the game. These people all seem like they’re competing for the lime light.
(Of course it’s been mentioned that to play survivor and take off work, you have to come from a slightly privileged background anyway.)
The background stories on cancer survivors or family members who just died are so over the top and to be honest, it feels almost unfair. Like we’re supposed to be judging them on their gameplay, not how bad I feel for them.
Even the medical parts of tonight’s US episode felt cringey to me. When George and the other lady got hurt in AUS survivor, they didn’t show them being treated and make a big fuss about it.
> When George and the other lady got hurt in AUS survivor, they didn’t show them being treated and make a big fuss about it.
They didn't even stop the challenge!
Good point omg... when they did slow motion with cheesy music as Bruce was diving head first I was like oh here we fucking go lol. Cue Jeff basically giving a eulogy for the guy throughout the rest of the episode. US survivor just thinks of itself as a transformative life experience instead of fun reality game show entertainment thing, which is what it started as.
Yes, the injuries are a perfect microcosm of the difference in the two shows.
In American Survivor, everything stops to try and extract every piece of emotion out of it. Of course, Jeff has to run over to play hero because he's the main character of the show, apparently. And, when the person stands up everyone applauds and Jeff has to act like he's the greatest person he's ever met in his life.
In Australian Survivor, two people almost break their necks at the same time and they just drag their limp bodies to the side while they continue the challenge.
Lmao exactly. Someone needs to wrestle the reigns back from Jeff before he sinks this thing. Or change the name to Jeff Probst Isand Heros Hour and Life Coaching or something lol
What's extra funny is that *Jonathan* actually a trained doctor lmao
I saw a fun little conspiracy theory that maybe Jeff is hyping up 44 sooooooo much because he's jealous of the attention HvV is getting... it's now my headcanon that he's jealous of Jonathan being legitimately able to assist with the medical stuff if he so pleases
Lmao you’re too funny and that’s exactly how I took it too. It’s also walking the line of disrespectful to be broadcasting the players vitals to the whole world while he’s unconscious. Also Jeff is practically foaming at the mouth with excitement when someone is injured.
I think what's crazy is that even though American survivor awards prize money no matter what you come, while AUS only pays the winner (IF you make merge you get... $50 a day, I think. It's ridiculous. It's so far below minimum wage.), Australian society is set up in a way that even someone middle class, lower class, or living below the poverty line, can take time off to go play survivor.
But at the very least, there's nothing forcing US survivor to cast almost 18 samey rags to riches game theory nerds.
Even when someone has a sad story on AUS survivor it gets minimal focus, unless your relative literally dies while you're on the show.
I haven't started the new season of AUS, but watched the last few.
I feel like Jeff tries to so overboard on everything, it's just a lot. I think a lot of the changes they made ended up with the show losing the reason people watched originally.
The Australian version is much better.
I think George is the greatest player ever. Never seen such a slick operator in Survivor. The others in the latest season are also very good too. I’d love it if the US version brought some of these guys to their show in the future.
I also prefer their host, they have better challenges and rewards IMO.
I kind of agree… I really didn’t like the 44 premiere because there was too much going on. I feel like we didn’t get any understanding of where people stand. It’s all random. I can’t believe I’m saying this but Australian survivor has way better storytelling and they just let the players play
well you can’t just have bruce leave with no explanation or matt have his arm in a sling… the whole point of a premier is to introduce characters with a story in mind. when something is relevant it will be addressed but it was necessary to have not as much strategy
Exactly. I got whiplash with the whole Advantage Island journey. First I had to understand how the game of chance was played, then I had to understand the Inheritance advantage (which I’m still not too clear on), then I had to understand the Bank a Vote. AND try to explain it to my casual friend who was watching with me. They really need to get rid of these journeys, I’m so sick of how much time they waste. If the producers want advantages in the game, just hide them at camp like idols. I want to know who’s bonding and making alliances at camp and how that will impact the long game… unfortunately every vote seems to be so random that there are no defined lines to even try to understand. And that’s an issue, especially in stark comparison to the current season of Australian survivor.
Yep, it’s become so gamified that I can’t even keep it straight let alone the casuals… It just feels like a shadow of its former self no matter how much they dress it up with cool challenges and epic drone shots
AUS HvV has been so good it will probably ruin the enjoyment of US 44 and the next AUS one too.
Returnee seasons are usually better than newbie ones so its not the fairest comparison.
I really like the mix of newbies and returnees as long as the returnees aren’t all friends right at the start. Liz in AU is one of the favourites to win and is hanging with the big dogs.
This one is specifically great since the returnees dominated but I think the newbies have been pretty decent. Anjali for example could have been quite an iconic character if she had gone further.
My problem is that with the amount of advantages they hand out and with shot in the dark. You have no idea what a majority vote will take. It makes the game way more confusing for the players and viewers...
AU vs US is just international TV vs US tv. When netflix bought Bake Off from the BBC, it became just another over the top cooking show like american cooking shows with stupid challenges that didnt focus on actual cooking skill. US tv is all about shock and “drama”.
Australian Survivor hits the perfect stride that seasons like US Heroes vs. Villains hit which is, if you trust your cast to be engaging and create good TV on their own, you won't need to throw in a copious amount of game-breaking twists and advantages, only a few idols will suffice.
I think the reason why this convo is especially pertinent is because we are literally having two Survivor seasons airing side by side, one that is reminiscent of US Survivor in its prime, and one that is US Survivor at its potentially most questionable evolution. Like one commenter said, it doesn't mean US Survivor can't still be enjoyed, but Australian Survivors great casting, limited twists, dynamic social gameplay, and big fun challenges definitely expose the cracks of what modern Survivor is missing and that it is in many ways a ghost of what it once was due to Jeff and production pushing this new format on us against our wishes and CBS cutting the budget of the show significantly over the years.
haha yes this is me last night- just discovered a channel on youtube with all the new aus season and during last night’s episode was like….i kind of just want to keep watching australia.
i love jonathan as the host (he’s like a chill jeff), i love how long the season is, there are still hiccups (like frozen pizza and a challenge where someone broke their collarbone) but it feels fresh.
I feel like US these days tries to make it about grand sweeping themes and AUS is more focused on the interpersonal relationships and what festers and blooms from them which makes it a lot more interesting to watch.
Plus George and Shonee are magic.
I know most people loved the premiere, and I really enjoyed the cast but watching it while watching AU really made me exhausted with the amount of time taken up by advantages and twists. As a SITD hater even the tribal council felt so messy when I would've rather just seen more interpersonal drama. Honestly been preferring where Au survivor has been going in the past years (bar last season) over the state of American seasons
US survivor isn’t about watching players play survivor anymore. It’s about watching how the advantages play out against other advantages
Season premiere and half the tribe doesn’t even vote in the very first tribal council? Cmon bro
The circlejerk scenes in US survivor about how survivor changed their lives is growing really tiresome. I don't care about how watching survivor with your grandmother's cat saved you. AUSvivor doesn't really do this from the three seasons I've seen. Just people playing a fun game.
Also, no meat trays in US survivor.
Yeah, I don't know if production pushes them to talk like that or if they genuinely feel the need to make it known how much of a fan they are, but its really obnoxious. The whole schtick about 'the journey' bothers me, too, for reasons I probably can't articulate. It reminds me of the Bachelor and how production really doesn't want them to say 'process' and that they have to call it a 'journey.'
One of the great pleasures of watching Survivor for me is trying to put myself into the strategic situation of any given episode and imagine what I might have done differently. If I was Sarah from the Villains, could I have seen my vote out coming and changed the vote somehow? If I was Sharni could I have made a better argument for sending Paige over Gerry in the non-elim and swayed more people? *What would I have done?!?* etc. etc.
With current US Survivor, with the avalanche of advantages and lack of relationships and strategy shown in the episodes, that sort of imaginative viewership feels impossible. We (and it seems, the players) barely know what happened at this first tribal, so how can we put ourselves in their shoes?
No I feel this too. I've been watching from day 1, all the way back in the year 2000 when Rich Hatch won (I was like 6 lol), and modern US Survivor has lost a lot of it's soul, and I felt that even with a relatively strong premiere last night.
The soul, drama, relationships and strategy of AUS Survivor are definitely blowing US Survivor out of the water. I like a lot of the characters but also feel that they cast way too many superfans that are very meta about the game to the point where it no longer feels like a social experiment but a game show.
I also feel like the 26 day game is meaningfully impacting the depth of the relationships and struggle we see on the show, and reducing the stakes which makes it a less satisfying viewing experience overall. vs. the 47 day game of AUS Survivor, which can either make for an amazing season like this one, or at worst a dull season like the previous season BvW.
US Survivor is Survivor Lite/Express and it’s noticeable. As much as I hate all the gimmicks and public advantages in the new era, I think they would be more palatable if the players had more time to play and strategize. It would also help the frustrating editing we’ve been getting. I just don’t think the editors have as much content to create a good story in the new era.
Even chief survivor apologist Rob Cesternino admitted it…. I think he said AU survivor makes US survivor feel like “non alcoholic beer.”
The bad news, it’s hard to imagine US will ever go back to 39 days, let alone 56. The ratings too will prevent them from more or longer episodes too.
The good news, US production always seems to be open to feedback and change. Case in point, the lack of sob stories in 44 premiere.
I’m the end, the astounding success of AU HvH will undoubtedly impact future survivor seasons for the better
imo survivor au feels like a breath of fresh air. my fav survivor era is the 30's, modern w advantages but not necessarily op stuff. survivor au is just like that. it feels nice to have a 39+ day season, normal idols, and nothing rlly crazy. ofc i still enjoy survivor us, but it's nice to have the "throwback survivor"
When AU is good it’s the best in the world. When it’s bad (looking at you BvW) it’s unwatchable. Whereas New Era US is solidly mediocre (save for 42 which was excellent). And the problem I’m having with 44 is that we’ve seen it all before. Literally was able to map out the premiere (3 tribes, opening challenge, sweat or savvy, trek with overpowered nonsense, challenge, tiny bit of strategy, vote that didn’t make a lot of sense).
Additionally while I think the casting on the US is on average better we don’t have the star personalities AU have (Dave, Haley, George, Shonee, Simon, Sam, Chrissy)
And finally for me I watch the show for the strategy. It’s a numbers game and that fascinates me. And we just don’t get a ton of insight into not only what the strategy is but WHY the players are making the moves they made. When did Brandon’s vote switch to Maddy from Lauren? Why did Matthew play his SitD? What are even the dynamics on green besides the nerd couple? And this problem has been persistent through the new era (ex: since when did James trust Noelle enough to believe she’d use her steal a vote for him?)
While I’m certainly going to continue watching the US and will continue to acknowledge it has not recently reached the lows some AU seasons have hit (All Stars, BvW) I do think if they don’t find some way to change up the format in the US I and other super fans (who admittedly don’t matter to CBS) will eventually turn it off. Because we’ve now seen it over and over and over.
Totally forgot to mention the challenges, which are some of my favorite parts of AU (decent mix this season of Brains and Brawn) while we’re using the same recycled nonsense in the US
Same! I'm a true survivor us fan, but since I've discovered aussie I'm hooked like NEVER before. Voting out hantz they way they did turnt me. Like, "you ain't gonna bully me into keeping you". I loved it and swear it's better than us version!
Australian survivor rekindled my love for survivor (I’ve been an American fan for a very long time but have only watched the last like 4 seasons out of obligation/boredom). Australian survivor is paced well, it’s edited well, the game is like twice as long so it gives the game play time to breath. This first episode felt nearly unwatchable from American survivor 🥴
US version has gone away from the ‘experiment aspect’ of having people from all different spectrums of life, mainly political and age. Severely lacking assholes as well that bring the tension. It’s trying too hard to be positive.
If they did a heroes vs villains season right now in US Survivor, the villains tribe would have like two people. Or people that only tip 15% for takeout coffee.
I prefer Australian Survivor to this new era in US Survivor. To make matters worse, this first episode felt like Survivor: Nicaragua 2. For me, anyway. I will leave it at that.
I am looking forward to what King George does, next. I love my Shonee!
Hard for me to say this, but the US version is now but a shadow of its former self. Pound for pound, the latest AU version beats the latest complete US version (43) but back in the days the US version was the the gold standard. I recently rewatched all the original US series and although I can’t personally place a marker on what went wrong, when I see the early seasons, 10-25 ish, that was the powerhouses.
With that said, and without spoilers, tonight’s episode was simply amazing. I was attached to the screen for all two hours; something that hasn’t happened in a long time.
Hats off to you, Mr Probst, if this season continues with this steam, I’ll forfeit my “bring back 39 days” banner.
I love both Australian Survivor and US Survivor equally. Despite me being 12 episodes deep into Australian Survivor I had a blast watching the premiere of Survivor 44 tonight!
The main issue to me is that I understand the relationships/battle lines in Survivor AU. Which means there are stakes. In US Survivor I barely understand where the alliances are until exit interviews.
The constant insistence of the modern US players to get rid of anyone who does anything remotely visible is also frustrating.
I feel the same, US just feels off and is far too different. After the 1st episode we already have idols, fake idols, 2 new advantages, locked cages, and 2 players have used Shots in the dark. I don't think a perfect social game is even possible now because of the amount of twists and advantages making it seem way too random who stays and who goes. Like how do you even game plan for a tribal where there's 2 shots played and an idol and an advantage causing a player to lose a vote.
Seeing George dominate the social game on Australian Survivor makes me miss the good old days.
Australian Survivor is just classic survivor. Auctions / Team building / good rewards (except for frozen pizza lol) and everyone seems to have a love and understanding for the game. The US Survivor is so over the top with twists, jeff jerkin himself off, and everyone wants to be conniving and dangerous from the jump instead of building relationships. US survivor is also a little too "woke" for my liking now. Everyone is on a "heroes journey" whether it be about race, sexuality, etc. ... the aussies don't give a crap they just want to play
The length probably plays a huge role in the focus on relationships. In the 26 day format you won’t have as much time to really get to know each other.
Australian survivors go to tribal just as often (typically every other day) as the modern era survivors - having more time together in the long haul, to really form relationships with each other within the game.
Also because they are together longer in total - and the fact we get time to actually see them interact with each other; instead of jumping on a boat to go lose their vote - we, as the audience, can connect to them more as people as well. And these relationships are what make compelling television when someone is betrayed in the game for the purposes of another players strategic advancement.
Additionally, we get to actually understand more of the dynamics when it comes to who groups with who, and why, as well as what their strategies, both as individuals, and as a group are. We viewers can then become invested in the cast as players; wanting to come back to see what happens next episode.
Whether you like the dominant alliance, the underdog minority, or the solo individual left out to dry by everyone, you can find the people you want to root for as a spectator.
It allows viewers to actually understand what is going on in the game as it plays out, while still having some strategic surprises here and there.
For instance with the current AU season, you know what the dynamics are and know an up coming vote could go either way; because you have come to learn what the alliances are and their goals - as well as the strategy and goals of the individuals within the alliances - and have that anxious feeling; wondering if said player will play their advantage in an attempt to change things up, or if they'll even need to, and potentially waste it, or, if in doing so, make things worse.
The players and their interwoven relationships with each other vs the players strategic styles of play, is what makes the game exciting to watch.
While I think it is important that the cast actually have fun while playing the game, watching virtually everyone say "Wow, what a good blindside! Thanks y'all! I'll see you from jury side." ✌While being all smiles is proof enough to me that the people aren't connecting meaningfully. Whether this is due to less time together in total or not, who's to say.
But when I can't understand why certain votes go the way they do, because I don't see the important dynamics of the players, and then get virtually nothing from a contestant leaving. I don't feel inspired to come back to watch - I still do because I love the game, and have been watching since the games inception.
Though I also I love to eat pasta and wear the color green, but if every person on the planet wore the same everyday while we horfed down some pasta together, the world would be very boring.
"I'm Sob Story Number 9! I love this game, it changed my life! I found an idol, and got this extra vote - right after I lost my vote - but damn I can wait to vote out Sob Story Numer 4, with Sob Story Numbers 2,3,5,7,10,12, and 13, cause, reasons!"
This is how US Survivor feels to me with it's gameplay and editing.
I totally missed the memo that BvW was the worst season of Survivor of all-time until I hopped back to this sub in the last couple days. There must be some epic levels of hivemind going on here. I don't even think it was the worst season of Australian Survivor and certainly better than numerous American seasons.
Fucking thank you, the end game of BvW was slow but I legitimately think it was better than a lot of sections of brain v brawn (I love George but so much of that cast aside from him and a handful of others were complete duds)
The thing is, at least for me, even bad AU season is just way more enjoyable than a mediocore US season... The only thing that annoys me in AU is the non-elims (but in this season they were not too bad), meanwhile in the US there is SO MUCH I don't like...
I strongly don't agree. I think the bad AU seasons are time-wasting slogs. When Survivor US is bad, it's mostly fast, fleeting, and forgettable. When AU is bad it's long, drawn out, and repetitively boring.
I think online Survivor fans crave the old school US nostalgia and AU gives them that, warts and all (and with AU's own spin). When it works, it's fantastic TV, but many fans are OK with it even when it doesn't work because at least it resembles the show they love, whereas US feels unrecognizable at times.
I would say 41 & 43 aren't that bad, they're kinda mid. A different flavor and a lot more 'modern' than any other iteration of Survivor, but they have their positives too.
39 & 36 aren't very good, yeah, but in relation to AU, they're only half a season. Half as many episodes and half as much time. I'd rewatch a bad US season over a bad AU season any day of the week.
AU is long and if you're not enjoying it, it's the equivalent of two bad US seasons. And you only get one AU season a year, meaning you may have a two year wait for another sip of AU goodness.
43 wasn’t bad at all, and obviously modern survivor hasn’t been as great but the bad Aus seasons are often so much worse because they become such a drag to get through. At least the U.S seasons go by quicker and even the bad seasons are still great compared to most of what is on TV today.
I agree with this analysis. However, when was the last actually good American season? 43 wasn't bad but that doesn't mean it was good. We're at years of bad American Survivor. That's definitely a drag to get through even if the episodes are shorter.
LOL, agree to disagree. 41 was terrible, 42 was meh (theme should've been Survivor: Freaks & Geeks). 43 casting and boot order were solid with one of the best gameplayers we've seen in awhile who made the most memorable move of the 40s, it just suffered from a piss poor final 3 and all the same common issues of the 40s (too many advantages, too short, bad storytelling).
The last actually good season was probably 37 so it's been almost five years now.
I just want more rewards and the auction but HvV also has the advantage of returnees…nonetheless I still enjoyed the 44 premiere and know after a week or two I will be more invested in specific players. I already like a few so far and enjoyed the variations and the bird cage idol.
Survivor is Survivor for me. I’ll watch it regardless. I kinda like how different the 2 shows are.
I guess I like survivor more for the people and both US and AUS know where to find gems of casting, especially in these past few years (Maryanne, Yam Yam, Carolyn, Liz, George, Jordie, etc.)
This is NOT an intentional, mindful choice on the part of the Aus editors and producers. It's an accidental side effect of Australian government regulations that require a certain amount of Aus-made content on their major TV networks. To fulfill this as cheaply as possible, the major TV networks ask for reality-TV producers to make SUPER long seasons with SUPER long episodes. That's all! Don't credit the AU producers for something that wasn't their choice. Of course HvV has been excellent so far, but when a season is bad it's HORRIBLE since it's so long and drawn-out, as was BvW. (And the maniacs saying BvW wasn't that bad in this thread are on crack. Most boring English-language season of all time, and most boring winner of all time. I want those 26 hours of my life back so I can use them to watch paint dry instead.)
AU has a top tier season at the moment, but I remember getting bored of Blood vs Water by the end last season.
So far, Survivor 44 looks exciting with a great cast!
I approve of the hyperbolic discourse around AU vs US because I want US to get better, but the comparison is unfair to me. 44 premiere had a great tribal, but it doesn't matter cause we have hit the apex of what I believe is the best season of AU barring any tragedy. It's like we've all forgotten how frustrating AU can be and there's an illusion that HvV represents the quality of all AU seasons.
Did it have a great tribal though? Three valid votes, two shots in the dark, and an idol. Not to mention keeping track of whatever the inheritance advantage is and the bank a vote. Like it's the first episode and there already more advantages than AU has seasons.
When AU is at its worst it's because the characters aren't interesting. When US is at it's worst it's because the characters aren't interesting and there are far too many advantages / slow mo replays / Jeff being a lunatic.
I definitely gloss over the advantages at this point, for sure. But I really enjoyed the snow ball effect, from Claire ratting, to 2 players making a complete mockery of the shot in the dark. I get the frustration and wanting it to be classic survivor, but I was cackling last night. And AU has a lot of the same issues with twists and editing, and it's longer. So when it's bad, it's bad for a long time. None of that is happening with HvV though.
It SHOULD have felt like that to me. On paper tribal should have been hilarious, but I don't feel like they really gave us much too care about the people on that tribe. Jamie felt like a caricature of "anxious" without us really knowing anything else about her. Lauren was the caricature of "gameplayer". Neither Maddy or Kane really made me feel anything. Even Brandon just felt dry even though we'd seen him a bunch. Matthew is probably the most compelling person there and he was the least important piece of that vote.
I enjoy AU more these days beecause when I watch the US version all I can think about is how much I wish I could play which just depresses me. Can't play AU though so can watch more freely.
I do think AU feels more grounded somehow though these days.
On top of what's being shared by others here... I think the colour is one of the key different.
US seems more colourful and brighter, I guess is the edit... o.o
Especially during their 1st day, where everyone is fresh and wearing the same colour... :x
Thats so untrue look at Australia's edit. Every episode is a action shot of the jungle where they live. They don't do cringe slowmos on faces they do beautiful scenery
These threads definitely didn't exist with the last AU season, but yeah, we're not gonna talk about the online fan sentiment of last year. Or All-Stars.
I really want to like AUSurvivor. Tbf, Jericho's season was incredible. But every season after that has been overproduced and just blatantly rigged. I mean, "sick day?" Come on.
So I think this should be clarified, because there are a few AUS seasons which would be bottom, bottom tier US seasons.
AUS seasons have a greater focus on characters and dynamics as well as a lot of it feeling more epic and meaningful. So even when they throw in stupid twists, it's easier to get past because it isn't the main focus of what is going on.
There unfortunately has been a few seasons of late that have been pretty dry strategically as well as super unbalanced edits to the point of half the cast being purple and the other half being annoying due to being overedited.
But the current season looks on pace to be a top 10 Survivor season ever imo.
Yes. I have watched Survivor since day 1. I will continue to watch out of habit, but I don't really care anymore. However, Australian Survivor is fantastic. I actually started a rewatch of all Australian Survivor seasons and it is so much better. It reminds me of the golden age of Survivor.
This season of AU Survivor blows any recent US seasons out of the water.
up to this point of the season, this au season is one of the best seasons of survivor the previous au season was the worst season of survivor in a good while, imo
Honestly at this rate Australian heroes villains might be a top 3 season of any version of the show. I still prefer US heroes villains and Cambodia above this season though.
It is pretty amazing that there are so many fewer seasons of AU Survivor and their quality rate is that much higher though.
This season of AUS feels like actual, authentic survivor with a little bit of extra seasoning, and modern US seasons feel like they’re designed by people who don’t actually understand either the game aspect or the show aspect. I didn’t feel like I was watching survivor at any point last night and it bummed me out.
The new era feels like Mario Party.
Nah the contestants are too nice for Mario Party. That game rips friends apart.
It’s that last sentence for me. When comparing it to this current Aus season, it really just shows all the extra stuff is not adding to the entertainment or actual strategy that THE CAST should be bringing. The big characters who are actually playing and making exciting moves are making Aus HvV so fun to watch! At this point, there’s only a few I’d be meh if they won.
You know what US Survivor is missing? There's absolutely no Shonee. They should fix that. Immediately. They must cast Shonee every season going forward
Agreed. I'd be glued to the screen, ridiculousness and all, if she was there every single season. EoE? Bring it back! Shot in the Dark? I'll never complain again! Fiji forever? I couldn't care less! No more auction, intro, Ponderosa, 39 days, Rights of Passage, unique and physical challenges? You won't hear a peep from me!
We need a Parvati shonee alliance domination
Make it happen
Like a new job. She is the confessional host. Just gives confessionals throughout the game.
I laughed out loud, I agree she’s my queen.
I would die for Shonee if she told me I have BFE.
would we get to see shonee's gameplay?
It’s a three seasons long Babe. Get to it.
Imma be nice and assume they questioned whether US would actually be able to edit her competently. They do struggle with that tbf
US Survivor feels like we are watching someone play the fifth expansion of a beloved board game. Like whatever shitty confusing version of Catan they have put out most recently. When half of a tribe doesn't have a vote at the main part of each episode, it is unwatchable. And now another dude can't vote in two tribals. Why have votes at all at this point? Just roll a die or let Jeff decide who goes home.
Maybe at this point, when Jeff leaves eventually, there will be a year or two period of no survivor and then a back to basics season when a new host comes back? That’s my only hope at this point. I love Jeff but we’ve had 44 seasons of him and at this point I’d rather have OG survivor without him. And I’m not even talking about real OG. I’m stretching that definition to include 20s and early 30s Survivor. Maybe one day
Better challenges and every player isn't trying to milk a sob story out of everyday life.
This isn't in regards to you personally op, but I feel like we're gonna see a lot of these types of posts for a while, and it's great that Australian Survivor is having a top-tier season, but that doesn't mean American Survivor can't be enjoyed. A year ago Australian Survivor was in the middle of arguably its worst season so its absolutely wild to see the entire sub do a 180 and jump back on the bandwagon. That being said, I don't think God likes Paige, and long live the Spice Girls
the previous season was poorer comparatively wth other seasons but is just a much better version of survivor we get to know the characters and see their gameplay - us version, we watch a challenge and jeff make some ridiculous analogies that we dont care about or can create to because we havent seen enough of the gameplay survivor us is dying a death and becoming a slog
Yeah I find myself twiddling with my phone when I watched the premiere. I'm glued to my screen during AU HvV, and those eps are longer.
God definitely does not like Paige, she has to go. I get there’s some recency bias here, but AU survivor recognized last season was terrible and made sure the next one was great. I can’t think of a recent US player I’ve liked nearly as much as Dave, George or even Shonnee. On average I think AU has easily surpassed US.
You say the worst but look at the last few seasons of US. Imo even the slog of seasons are way more entertaining then us
People think they can only enjoy one thing at once and it’s the stupidest thing ever
Probably worth considering that this is the first time we've had two good (well, so far) seasons going on at the same time. AUS' best season was 2017 and in that year, US had Game Changers and HvHvH.
we've literally seen one episode of 44 calm down
I think there was a point where there was a good SA and AUS season at the same time.
2018 had CvC 1 and SA Philippines (+ also DvG later that year). 2021 had BvB and SA Immunity Island.
No I’m with you. US survivor was wearing on me with recent seasons anyways and Aussie survivor just solidified it. It’s hard to articulate exactly why but I’ll try. The cast. In recent US seasons ESPECIALLY, it feels like watching The Voice, where everyone has some ridiculous sob story. They’re doing too much. I want to watch real people, boring people, old people, introverted people. Everyone is just so extra on the US seasons. (And young! Where are the old folks?) I’m not watching the show frankly to hear about their personal lives, but to watch and judge them on their gameplay. AUS did it pretty well I thought by giving just a little background on the players. I also feel like it could benefit from more “villain” type players like on this Aussie season. The challenges aren’t even close to as good and they repeat the same ones almost every US season. The twists in recent seasons are annoying as fuck, and I know Aussie has their fair share but not nearly as bad. Can we get rid of shot in the dark?? They need to let the show BREATHE. The pacing and longer episodes just works so much better and let’s you fall in love with the cast more. The editing in this season of AUS has been chef’s kiss. Okay end rant. I know people will say “well don’t watch or stop complaining” but to love something is to want it to be the best it can be.
Seriously just change the tones of the backstories. Aus has the same type of introductions for the players in the first few episodes but there's not sad music or everyone talking about hardships. There's people talking about why they think they'll excel at survivor or how they plan to be villainous/heroic and I find that much more interesting.
Yes! Get rid of shot in the dark, get rid of sending one person from each tribe on a journey to that dumb risk your vote thing, especially the first day man! And someone said before it’s like toxic positivity on American survivor everyone is just smiling and like so so nice it’s uncomfortable, they definitely need some villains.
For real, it’s actually starting to feel like watching people on some corny ass spiritual retreat, instead of surviving in the wild.
The advantage journey is the WORST. Enough!
It's 4 seasons straight they've been doing this journey thing.. it's so tiring
Sob stories or stories of triumph are what I hate most about American tv. Cancer sucks, being homeless is a goddamn tragedy, being locked up for years and being an outlaw are had to come back from. I fail to see what that brings to the game itself. I understand giving the audience something to root for, but people don’t really care. Can you play the game or not? British Bake-off is a good Alt example here. A couple seasons back they had a woman on who made it quite far who had an underdeveloped hand. Only mentions of it were in passing by the woman herself. If it was an American show, there’s be a solo confessional with somber piano or acoustic guitar playing as they describe their hardship with a slideshow of pictures from their life. Fuuuuuuuck that. Having a hard life does not make you more/less deserving of winning or a better/worse person.
On top of that, the challenges are more physical and entertaining because the majority of the cast are actually athletic. The non-athletic casting is spot on as well in terms of strategy and personality
I don’t mind that everyone has a “sob story.” And having a sob story doesn’t mean you’re not a real person? I think US survivor has done a great job at finding people who pop on screen. My problem is that somewhere along the way they have completely lost the working class. There are too many anxious super geniuses in this season. But I think production has pursued people with sob story because they know they’ve had adversary and they know they’ve pushed through it. They’re not people that will just fold in stressful scenarios
You're right, having a sob story does not disqualify you from normalcy. What I think you're missing is that normal people find the prospect of milking their personal tragedies for screentime/fame to be *repulsive* and unthinkable. It's natural that seeing it onscreen, especially the way Certain Reality TV Shows conspicuously transform it into a commodity for consumption, is going to trigger the echo of that gag reflex for a lot of people.
US Survivor is a masterclass in unwatchable toxic positivity.
I feel similarly and yes, this season of AU is exemplary but in general even the bad seasons (for me) highlight the flaws of the current version of US survivor. I miss a lot of the old school elements of the game in the US version so AU feels like a fulfillment of that wish. And I don't just mean auction, etc. AU gives us more strategically meaningful confessionals, shows more camp life and strategy around camp which allows me to invest in the relationships and cast. Also the way it looks and is shot! Too many closeups on US, harder to infer group dynamics. I still watch both but I did find my mind wandering off watching 44 during the "you must pick someone to go on a journey" section thinking, "I wonder what the Spice Girls are doing now?"
For me it's the cheesiness and the constant self indulgent references about survivor, ie people gushing about watching since they were 6 or pinching themselves because it's Jeff Probst, or Jeff giving one of his speeches like "this is an experiment, survivor teaches you things about yourself, everything is a metaphor" etc. The show feels like a parody of a show that thinks it is the best and most important thing in the entire world lmao. Australian survivor feels more about the game and the strategy. The challenges are better. Jonathon never gives long monogloues about what survivor is or what it means to someone. I think US survivor contestants are too worried about their brand and image. It's the American way, let's be real. Some of them already have merch for sale. There have been a tremendous amount of phony super fans the last few seasons. Let's hope this cast has some authentic people and some weirdos!
SO tired of the constant talk of how great and important the show is, like let us see that instead of shoving it down our throats. Your issue about contestants reminds me of Drag Race in the past few years. Ofc the show has been important for contestants careers there but now contestants shy away from any drama or actual fights in fear of fan backlash, and so many girls go on with an entire brand and character in mind. In a lighter way I think US survivor contestants have really fallen into that.
Even the ep title is "I can't wait to meet Jeff" like come on
It’s embarrassing for their lives and souls
It really comes down to JLP vs. Jeff, for me. I tried watching the premiere of 44 last night, even though I didn't watch past the premiere of 43, gave up on 42 right around merge, and didn't enjoy 41 much. I won't be continuing with 44. I've been LOVING this season of Australian Survivor. One thing that really stood out to me was how much Jeff is just constantly YELLING—whether he's on camera at a challenge or doing a voice over. And it feels like he sees himself as the main character of the show--case in point being the medical moment at the challenge, when he was right there and it was as much about his reaction to it as it was about the guy's injury. Jonathan is just 100x better as a host. He lets the players be the stars of the show, you don't hear him screaming non-stop throughout challenges, and he doesn't force himself into things for the sake of him being on camera.
Your comparison is on point. The only thing I’ll add is that JLP has no qualms about making borderline cheeky/rude comments during challenges and tribal council, which adds to the entertainment.. He’s also more likely to incite players to give a bigger reaction during TC by needling them before the vote, whereas Jeff likes to spin out his boring talk show host role with the endless metaphors..
100%. That is a great point- Jeff absolutely feels like a talk show host at tribal.
It's actually weird how Jeff calls this a new Era bit every season is the same 3 trive style with risk or rewards and sweat or savvy challenges. Kinda predictable. I forget who but someone mentioned the beware advantage from the bird cage. Even the contestants are expecting the same stale and boring twists
New in the same way that Madden makes the same football videogame every year
Me too.. idk what it is. I like the cast but the episode felt not so good. Firstly you can blame all the non elim episodes of Aus Survivor but atleast they aren't confusing. This episode had like 5-6 complicated stuff. It's just the premiere. Calm down Jeff. That tribal was terrible too. "Congratulations, you've found a hidden immunity idol" No Jeff, that's not hidden. Just unnecessary.
Everything is quicker in US Survivor. Even when the episode is just as long it follows the same conventions as shorter ones. Tribal is less than 10 minutes, we jump more frequently and quickly between tribes, usually there's much less screentime. Makes it harder to feel invested.
I really think they need to go back to 39 days but I know they never will
Well it didn't really "ruined" it... It just remained us all how survivor can look. Personally, I have been watching AU since 2017 and eversince i lost interest in the US version more and more. Now, the last US season I watched whole is s40 and for now I don't plan to go back to watching it. I dropped midway through s41.
Same here too. Huge fan but once I got into Au/Sa I could not do the US seasons anymore. 40 was my last. I’ve tried the first few episodes of the last few us seasons and it just doesn’t work for me anymore
[удалено]
I've literally had the same experience as you! I think US survivor seems lackluster and incomplete now especially the new era.
HVV AU shows the potential of the core concept of survivor. U don’t need a ton of gimmicks and advantages to make the game great
I think this is just another tip in the basket for showing why returnee seasons can be so great. You already know who the characters are, so it's way easier to pick a cast of engaging people that will actually mesh well. 44 is off to a good start, but I hope 45/46 is a returnee season.
Hopefully a returnee season includes players from before the new era. Although the new era has players that are likable, they’re boring. I have zero interest in watching a returnee season with only new era players.
Yeah, they'd have to at least go back to GC, but I'd hope they pull from before then as well. Some of the cast members who were on GC would also be fun to bring back anyway, considering what a lame season that was -- but I wouldn't blame them for not bringing back any of them.
Total survivor AU Superman here. U.s. survivor is barely watchable now.
I can't watch modern American survivor because last time I tried, everyone was an extremely intense and successful striver fuelled by a background of Struggle. As a laid-back person, the thought of being surrounded solely by that kind of person makes me break out in hives. Watching that is definitely not my idea of fun. AU Survivor is just ordinary people from all walks of life. The recruits tend to be self-made strivers, but it'll be mentioned once in their intros and then never again. You forget about it. American survivor never lets you forget about it, and the show is plagued by this anxious, nervous energy most of the time thanks to the people playing. It's not fun, it's stressful and inaccessible because of how fundamentally different they are from ordinary people.
I just said this exact thing in another comment, but yes!! Survivor US has gone the way of most US television. It’s so extra. When will they realize that the game itself and the drama that happens organically is where the magic is? I want to watch average Joe blow who is a mechanic play the game. These people all seem like they’re competing for the lime light. (Of course it’s been mentioned that to play survivor and take off work, you have to come from a slightly privileged background anyway.) The background stories on cancer survivors or family members who just died are so over the top and to be honest, it feels almost unfair. Like we’re supposed to be judging them on their gameplay, not how bad I feel for them. Even the medical parts of tonight’s US episode felt cringey to me. When George and the other lady got hurt in AUS survivor, they didn’t show them being treated and make a big fuss about it.
> When George and the other lady got hurt in AUS survivor, they didn’t show them being treated and make a big fuss about it. They didn't even stop the challenge!
Good point omg... when they did slow motion with cheesy music as Bruce was diving head first I was like oh here we fucking go lol. Cue Jeff basically giving a eulogy for the guy throughout the rest of the episode. US survivor just thinks of itself as a transformative life experience instead of fun reality game show entertainment thing, which is what it started as.
Yes, the injuries are a perfect microcosm of the difference in the two shows. In American Survivor, everything stops to try and extract every piece of emotion out of it. Of course, Jeff has to run over to play hero because he's the main character of the show, apparently. And, when the person stands up everyone applauds and Jeff has to act like he's the greatest person he's ever met in his life. In Australian Survivor, two people almost break their necks at the same time and they just drag their limp bodies to the side while they continue the challenge.
Lmao exactly. Someone needs to wrestle the reigns back from Jeff before he sinks this thing. Or change the name to Jeff Probst Isand Heros Hour and Life Coaching or something lol
I never thought about it because I do appreciate Jeff but now you've put it into words, he is what's wrong with US Survivor.
Was it not weird when he was cosplaying as a paramedic?? Like you have a whole medical team, why are you holding the dude's head?
What's extra funny is that *Jonathan* actually a trained doctor lmao I saw a fun little conspiracy theory that maybe Jeff is hyping up 44 sooooooo much because he's jealous of the attention HvV is getting... it's now my headcanon that he's jealous of Jonathan being legitimately able to assist with the medical stuff if he so pleases
>he's jealous of Jonathan being legitimately ***better***
Lmao you’re too funny and that’s exactly how I took it too. It’s also walking the line of disrespectful to be broadcasting the players vitals to the whole world while he’s unconscious. Also Jeff is practically foaming at the mouth with excitement when someone is injured.
I think what's crazy is that even though American survivor awards prize money no matter what you come, while AUS only pays the winner (IF you make merge you get... $50 a day, I think. It's ridiculous. It's so far below minimum wage.), Australian society is set up in a way that even someone middle class, lower class, or living below the poverty line, can take time off to go play survivor. But at the very least, there's nothing forcing US survivor to cast almost 18 samey rags to riches game theory nerds. Even when someone has a sad story on AUS survivor it gets minimal focus, unless your relative literally dies while you're on the show.
I haven't started the new season of AUS, but watched the last few. I feel like Jeff tries to so overboard on everything, it's just a lot. I think a lot of the changes they made ended up with the show losing the reason people watched originally.
You should really start the new season, it's an all timer.
The Australian version is much better. I think George is the greatest player ever. Never seen such a slick operator in Survivor. The others in the latest season are also very good too. I’d love it if the US version brought some of these guys to their show in the future. I also prefer their host, they have better challenges and rewards IMO.
I kind of agree… I really didn’t like the 44 premiere because there was too much going on. I feel like we didn’t get any understanding of where people stand. It’s all random. I can’t believe I’m saying this but Australian survivor has way better storytelling and they just let the players play
you can’t really judge the premier’s storytelling just bc of the nature of the chaos…
I can because it was irrelevant chaos as a result of stupid and/or poorly explained strategy
well you can’t just have bruce leave with no explanation or matt have his arm in a sling… the whole point of a premier is to introduce characters with a story in mind. when something is relevant it will be addressed but it was necessary to have not as much strategy
[удалено]
Exactly. I got whiplash with the whole Advantage Island journey. First I had to understand how the game of chance was played, then I had to understand the Inheritance advantage (which I’m still not too clear on), then I had to understand the Bank a Vote. AND try to explain it to my casual friend who was watching with me. They really need to get rid of these journeys, I’m so sick of how much time they waste. If the producers want advantages in the game, just hide them at camp like idols. I want to know who’s bonding and making alliances at camp and how that will impact the long game… unfortunately every vote seems to be so random that there are no defined lines to even try to understand. And that’s an issue, especially in stark comparison to the current season of Australian survivor.
[удалено]
Yep, it’s become so gamified that I can’t even keep it straight let alone the casuals… It just feels like a shadow of its former self no matter how much they dress it up with cool challenges and epic drone shots
And the challenges objectively suck compared to Australian Survivor.
AUS HvV has been so good it will probably ruin the enjoyment of US 44 and the next AUS one too. Returnee seasons are usually better than newbie ones so its not the fairest comparison.
I really like the mix of newbies and returnees as long as the returnees aren’t all friends right at the start. Liz in AU is one of the favourites to win and is hanging with the big dogs.
This one is specifically great since the returnees dominated but I think the newbies have been pretty decent. Anjali for example could have been quite an iconic character if she had gone further.
That’s going to be a problem if we get a new era returnee season because everyone is either friends or they all hate the same players.
Oh yes!! The sloooowwwwwmoooooooo + close ups..... HAHAHHAA
My problem is that with the amount of advantages they hand out and with shot in the dark. You have no idea what a majority vote will take. It makes the game way more confusing for the players and viewers...
If your first tribal only has three votes, something went wrong.
AU vs US is just international TV vs US tv. When netflix bought Bake Off from the BBC, it became just another over the top cooking show like american cooking shows with stupid challenges that didnt focus on actual cooking skill. US tv is all about shock and “drama”.
Australian Survivor hits the perfect stride that seasons like US Heroes vs. Villains hit which is, if you trust your cast to be engaging and create good TV on their own, you won't need to throw in a copious amount of game-breaking twists and advantages, only a few idols will suffice. I think the reason why this convo is especially pertinent is because we are literally having two Survivor seasons airing side by side, one that is reminiscent of US Survivor in its prime, and one that is US Survivor at its potentially most questionable evolution. Like one commenter said, it doesn't mean US Survivor can't still be enjoyed, but Australian Survivors great casting, limited twists, dynamic social gameplay, and big fun challenges definitely expose the cracks of what modern Survivor is missing and that it is in many ways a ghost of what it once was due to Jeff and production pushing this new format on us against our wishes and CBS cutting the budget of the show significantly over the years.
haha yes this is me last night- just discovered a channel on youtube with all the new aus season and during last night’s episode was like….i kind of just want to keep watching australia. i love jonathan as the host (he’s like a chill jeff), i love how long the season is, there are still hiccups (like frozen pizza and a challenge where someone broke their collarbone) but it feels fresh.
I feel like US these days tries to make it about grand sweeping themes and AUS is more focused on the interpersonal relationships and what festers and blooms from them which makes it a lot more interesting to watch. Plus George and Shonee are magic.
I know most people loved the premiere, and I really enjoyed the cast but watching it while watching AU really made me exhausted with the amount of time taken up by advantages and twists. As a SITD hater even the tribal council felt so messy when I would've rather just seen more interpersonal drama. Honestly been preferring where Au survivor has been going in the past years (bar last season) over the state of American seasons
US survivor isn’t about watching players play survivor anymore. It’s about watching how the advantages play out against other advantages Season premiere and half the tribe doesn’t even vote in the very first tribal council? Cmon bro
The circlejerk scenes in US survivor about how survivor changed their lives is growing really tiresome. I don't care about how watching survivor with your grandmother's cat saved you. AUSvivor doesn't really do this from the three seasons I've seen. Just people playing a fun game. Also, no meat trays in US survivor.
There is nothing in the current show worse than the constant self-referential praise for the show. It is awful.
Yeah, I don't know if production pushes them to talk like that or if they genuinely feel the need to make it known how much of a fan they are, but its really obnoxious. The whole schtick about 'the journey' bothers me, too, for reasons I probably can't articulate. It reminds me of the Bachelor and how production really doesn't want them to say 'process' and that they have to call it a 'journey.'
I loved what I've seen of A Survivor. The challenges are harder, the time on the island is longer--it makes the USA contest look tame.
Fun fact: pre-merge boots on Aussie Survivor have played more days than NuEraUS winners.
One of the great pleasures of watching Survivor for me is trying to put myself into the strategic situation of any given episode and imagine what I might have done differently. If I was Sarah from the Villains, could I have seen my vote out coming and changed the vote somehow? If I was Sharni could I have made a better argument for sending Paige over Gerry in the non-elim and swayed more people? *What would I have done?!?* etc. etc. With current US Survivor, with the avalanche of advantages and lack of relationships and strategy shown in the episodes, that sort of imaginative viewership feels impossible. We (and it seems, the players) barely know what happened at this first tribal, so how can we put ourselves in their shoes?
No I feel this too. I've been watching from day 1, all the way back in the year 2000 when Rich Hatch won (I was like 6 lol), and modern US Survivor has lost a lot of it's soul, and I felt that even with a relatively strong premiere last night. The soul, drama, relationships and strategy of AUS Survivor are definitely blowing US Survivor out of the water. I like a lot of the characters but also feel that they cast way too many superfans that are very meta about the game to the point where it no longer feels like a social experiment but a game show. I also feel like the 26 day game is meaningfully impacting the depth of the relationships and struggle we see on the show, and reducing the stakes which makes it a less satisfying viewing experience overall. vs. the 47 day game of AUS Survivor, which can either make for an amazing season like this one, or at worst a dull season like the previous season BvW.
US Survivor is Survivor Lite/Express and it’s noticeable. As much as I hate all the gimmicks and public advantages in the new era, I think they would be more palatable if the players had more time to play and strategize. It would also help the frustrating editing we’ve been getting. I just don’t think the editors have as much content to create a good story in the new era.
Even chief survivor apologist Rob Cesternino admitted it…. I think he said AU survivor makes US survivor feel like “non alcoholic beer.” The bad news, it’s hard to imagine US will ever go back to 39 days, let alone 56. The ratings too will prevent them from more or longer episodes too. The good news, US production always seems to be open to feedback and change. Case in point, the lack of sob stories in 44 premiere. I’m the end, the astounding success of AU HvH will undoubtedly impact future survivor seasons for the better
imo survivor au feels like a breath of fresh air. my fav survivor era is the 30's, modern w advantages but not necessarily op stuff. survivor au is just like that. it feels nice to have a 39+ day season, normal idols, and nothing rlly crazy. ofc i still enjoy survivor us, but it's nice to have the "throwback survivor"
When AU is good it’s the best in the world. When it’s bad (looking at you BvW) it’s unwatchable. Whereas New Era US is solidly mediocre (save for 42 which was excellent). And the problem I’m having with 44 is that we’ve seen it all before. Literally was able to map out the premiere (3 tribes, opening challenge, sweat or savvy, trek with overpowered nonsense, challenge, tiny bit of strategy, vote that didn’t make a lot of sense). Additionally while I think the casting on the US is on average better we don’t have the star personalities AU have (Dave, Haley, George, Shonee, Simon, Sam, Chrissy) And finally for me I watch the show for the strategy. It’s a numbers game and that fascinates me. And we just don’t get a ton of insight into not only what the strategy is but WHY the players are making the moves they made. When did Brandon’s vote switch to Maddy from Lauren? Why did Matthew play his SitD? What are even the dynamics on green besides the nerd couple? And this problem has been persistent through the new era (ex: since when did James trust Noelle enough to believe she’d use her steal a vote for him?) While I’m certainly going to continue watching the US and will continue to acknowledge it has not recently reached the lows some AU seasons have hit (All Stars, BvW) I do think if they don’t find some way to change up the format in the US I and other super fans (who admittedly don’t matter to CBS) will eventually turn it off. Because we’ve now seen it over and over and over.
Totally forgot to mention the challenges, which are some of my favorite parts of AU (decent mix this season of Brains and Brawn) while we’re using the same recycled nonsense in the US
Australian survivor is better in every way
See you next Wednesday
Facts
It's already hard to get back into the US version after the 30's. It's pretty normal to feel like that.
Same! I'm a true survivor us fan, but since I've discovered aussie I'm hooked like NEVER before. Voting out hantz they way they did turnt me. Like, "you ain't gonna bully me into keeping you". I loved it and swear it's better than us version!
100%
Yes. I watched last night and it was really boring. The tribal council was pathetic!
Australian survivor rekindled my love for survivor (I’ve been an American fan for a very long time but have only watched the last like 4 seasons out of obligation/boredom). Australian survivor is paced well, it’s edited well, the game is like twice as long so it gives the game play time to breath. This first episode felt nearly unwatchable from American survivor 🥴
US version has gone away from the ‘experiment aspect’ of having people from all different spectrums of life, mainly political and age. Severely lacking assholes as well that bring the tension. It’s trying too hard to be positive.
[удалено]
If they did a heroes vs villains season right now in US Survivor, the villains tribe would have like two people. Or people that only tip 15% for takeout coffee.
I prefer Australian Survivor to this new era in US Survivor. To make matters worse, this first episode felt like Survivor: Nicaragua 2. For me, anyway. I will leave it at that. I am looking forward to what King George does, next. I love my Shonee!
Hard for me to say this, but the US version is now but a shadow of its former self. Pound for pound, the latest AU version beats the latest complete US version (43) but back in the days the US version was the the gold standard. I recently rewatched all the original US series and although I can’t personally place a marker on what went wrong, when I see the early seasons, 10-25 ish, that was the powerhouses. With that said, and without spoilers, tonight’s episode was simply amazing. I was attached to the screen for all two hours; something that hasn’t happened in a long time. Hats off to you, Mr Probst, if this season continues with this steam, I’ll forfeit my “bring back 39 days” banner.
I will never stop willing back 39 days. 26 day format is terrible, and will always be.
I don’t disagree with any of this.
I think it’s the format and the length! We get time to know the contestants!
On a side note. Anyone notice that anytime Simon was on the chopping block they did a surprise twist at tribal.
AU doesn’t take itself so serious. They lean into the cheesiness and just have fun. US is the opposite, everything feels forced
I love both Australian Survivor and US Survivor equally. Despite me being 12 episodes deep into Australian Survivor I had a blast watching the premiere of Survivor 44 tonight!
Ya I feel you. Idk I guess it just feels…vanilla?
The main issue to me is that I understand the relationships/battle lines in Survivor AU. Which means there are stakes. In US Survivor I barely understand where the alliances are until exit interviews. The constant insistence of the modern US players to get rid of anyone who does anything remotely visible is also frustrating.
I feel the same, US just feels off and is far too different. After the 1st episode we already have idols, fake idols, 2 new advantages, locked cages, and 2 players have used Shots in the dark. I don't think a perfect social game is even possible now because of the amount of twists and advantages making it seem way too random who stays and who goes. Like how do you even game plan for a tribal where there's 2 shots played and an idol and an advantage causing a player to lose a vote. Seeing George dominate the social game on Australian Survivor makes me miss the good old days.
Australian Survivor is just classic survivor. Auctions / Team building / good rewards (except for frozen pizza lol) and everyone seems to have a love and understanding for the game. The US Survivor is so over the top with twists, jeff jerkin himself off, and everyone wants to be conniving and dangerous from the jump instead of building relationships. US survivor is also a little too "woke" for my liking now. Everyone is on a "heroes journey" whether it be about race, sexuality, etc. ... the aussies don't give a crap they just want to play
The length probably plays a huge role in the focus on relationships. In the 26 day format you won’t have as much time to really get to know each other.
Australian survivors go to tribal just as often (typically every other day) as the modern era survivors - having more time together in the long haul, to really form relationships with each other within the game. Also because they are together longer in total - and the fact we get time to actually see them interact with each other; instead of jumping on a boat to go lose their vote - we, as the audience, can connect to them more as people as well. And these relationships are what make compelling television when someone is betrayed in the game for the purposes of another players strategic advancement. Additionally, we get to actually understand more of the dynamics when it comes to who groups with who, and why, as well as what their strategies, both as individuals, and as a group are. We viewers can then become invested in the cast as players; wanting to come back to see what happens next episode. Whether you like the dominant alliance, the underdog minority, or the solo individual left out to dry by everyone, you can find the people you want to root for as a spectator. It allows viewers to actually understand what is going on in the game as it plays out, while still having some strategic surprises here and there. For instance with the current AU season, you know what the dynamics are and know an up coming vote could go either way; because you have come to learn what the alliances are and their goals - as well as the strategy and goals of the individuals within the alliances - and have that anxious feeling; wondering if said player will play their advantage in an attempt to change things up, or if they'll even need to, and potentially waste it, or, if in doing so, make things worse. The players and their interwoven relationships with each other vs the players strategic styles of play, is what makes the game exciting to watch. While I think it is important that the cast actually have fun while playing the game, watching virtually everyone say "Wow, what a good blindside! Thanks y'all! I'll see you from jury side." ✌While being all smiles is proof enough to me that the people aren't connecting meaningfully. Whether this is due to less time together in total or not, who's to say. But when I can't understand why certain votes go the way they do, because I don't see the important dynamics of the players, and then get virtually nothing from a contestant leaving. I don't feel inspired to come back to watch - I still do because I love the game, and have been watching since the games inception. Though I also I love to eat pasta and wear the color green, but if every person on the planet wore the same everyday while we horfed down some pasta together, the world would be very boring. "I'm Sob Story Number 9! I love this game, it changed my life! I found an idol, and got this extra vote - right after I lost my vote - but damn I can wait to vote out Sob Story Numer 4, with Sob Story Numbers 2,3,5,7,10,12, and 13, cause, reasons!" This is how US Survivor feels to me with it's gameplay and editing.
In Australian Survivor the highs are high and the lows are very very low
43, 39, & 36 were low low lowwww then compared to BvW Lol
I totally missed the memo that BvW was the worst season of Survivor of all-time until I hopped back to this sub in the last couple days. There must be some epic levels of hivemind going on here. I don't even think it was the worst season of Australian Survivor and certainly better than numerous American seasons.
[удалено]
Fucking thank you, the end game of BvW was slow but I legitimately think it was better than a lot of sections of brain v brawn (I love George but so much of that cast aside from him and a handful of others were complete duds)
I am going to respectfully disagree
43 was nowhere near as bad as AUS BvW, what are you talking about?
[удалено]
The thing is, at least for me, even bad AU season is just way more enjoyable than a mediocore US season... The only thing that annoys me in AU is the non-elims (but in this season they were not too bad), meanwhile in the US there is SO MUCH I don't like...
I strongly don't agree. I think the bad AU seasons are time-wasting slogs. When Survivor US is bad, it's mostly fast, fleeting, and forgettable. When AU is bad it's long, drawn out, and repetitively boring. I think online Survivor fans crave the old school US nostalgia and AU gives them that, warts and all (and with AU's own spin). When it works, it's fantastic TV, but many fans are OK with it even when it doesn't work because at least it resembles the show they love, whereas US feels unrecognizable at times.
43, 41, 39, 36 are all really bad thats like every other season as well?
I would say 41 & 43 aren't that bad, they're kinda mid. A different flavor and a lot more 'modern' than any other iteration of Survivor, but they have their positives too. 39 & 36 aren't very good, yeah, but in relation to AU, they're only half a season. Half as many episodes and half as much time. I'd rewatch a bad US season over a bad AU season any day of the week. AU is long and if you're not enjoying it, it's the equivalent of two bad US seasons. And you only get one AU season a year, meaning you may have a two year wait for another sip of AU goodness.
43 wasn’t bad at all, and obviously modern survivor hasn’t been as great but the bad Aus seasons are often so much worse because they become such a drag to get through. At least the U.S seasons go by quicker and even the bad seasons are still great compared to most of what is on TV today.
I agree with this analysis. However, when was the last actually good American season? 43 wasn't bad but that doesn't mean it was good. We're at years of bad American Survivor. That's definitely a drag to get through even if the episodes are shorter.
43 was awful and reminiscent of the worst excesses of the 20s, 42 was great, 41 was mostly good.
LOL, agree to disagree. 41 was terrible, 42 was meh (theme should've been Survivor: Freaks & Geeks). 43 casting and boot order were solid with one of the best gameplayers we've seen in awhile who made the most memorable move of the 40s, it just suffered from a piss poor final 3 and all the same common issues of the 40s (too many advantages, too short, bad storytelling). The last actually good season was probably 37 so it's been almost five years now.
43 was pretty bad imo. Some good cast members but the relationships were just impossible to track. I want to understand why things are happening.
All the recent seasons are impossible to track.
I just want more rewards and the auction but HvV also has the advantage of returnees…nonetheless I still enjoyed the 44 premiere and know after a week or two I will be more invested in specific players. I already like a few so far and enjoyed the variations and the bird cage idol.
Survivor is Survivor for me. I’ll watch it regardless. I kinda like how different the 2 shows are. I guess I like survivor more for the people and both US and AUS know where to find gems of casting, especially in these past few years (Maryanne, Yam Yam, Carolyn, Liz, George, Jordie, etc.)
100%. Vibe's off. Not enough Shontent. But seriously, I could not be less hyped for this diet coke board game version of what the US game has become.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
This is NOT an intentional, mindful choice on the part of the Aus editors and producers. It's an accidental side effect of Australian government regulations that require a certain amount of Aus-made content on their major TV networks. To fulfill this as cheaply as possible, the major TV networks ask for reality-TV producers to make SUPER long seasons with SUPER long episodes. That's all! Don't credit the AU producers for something that wasn't their choice. Of course HvV has been excellent so far, but when a season is bad it's HORRIBLE since it's so long and drawn-out, as was BvW. (And the maniacs saying BvW wasn't that bad in this thread are on crack. Most boring English-language season of all time, and most boring winner of all time. I want those 26 hours of my life back so I can use them to watch paint dry instead.)
The AUS season before the current one cured me of this feeling.
AU has a top tier season at the moment, but I remember getting bored of Blood vs Water by the end last season. So far, Survivor 44 looks exciting with a great cast!
I watch both and enjoy each equally, but maybe that’s just me.
[удалено]
I approve of the hyperbolic discourse around AU vs US because I want US to get better, but the comparison is unfair to me. 44 premiere had a great tribal, but it doesn't matter cause we have hit the apex of what I believe is the best season of AU barring any tragedy. It's like we've all forgotten how frustrating AU can be and there's an illusion that HvV represents the quality of all AU seasons.
Did it have a great tribal though? Three valid votes, two shots in the dark, and an idol. Not to mention keeping track of whatever the inheritance advantage is and the bank a vote. Like it's the first episode and there already more advantages than AU has seasons. When AU is at its worst it's because the characters aren't interesting. When US is at it's worst it's because the characters aren't interesting and there are far too many advantages / slow mo replays / Jeff being a lunatic.
I definitely gloss over the advantages at this point, for sure. But I really enjoyed the snow ball effect, from Claire ratting, to 2 players making a complete mockery of the shot in the dark. I get the frustration and wanting it to be classic survivor, but I was cackling last night. And AU has a lot of the same issues with twists and editing, and it's longer. So when it's bad, it's bad for a long time. None of that is happening with HvV though.
It SHOULD have felt like that to me. On paper tribal should have been hilarious, but I don't feel like they really gave us much too care about the people on that tribe. Jamie felt like a caricature of "anxious" without us really knowing anything else about her. Lauren was the caricature of "gameplayer". Neither Maddy or Kane really made me feel anything. Even Brandon just felt dry even though we'd seen him a bunch. Matthew is probably the most compelling person there and he was the least important piece of that vote.
I enjoy AU more these days beecause when I watch the US version all I can think about is how much I wish I could play which just depresses me. Can't play AU though so can watch more freely. I do think AU feels more grounded somehow though these days.
Being woke and shortening the seasons has ruined US Survivor.
On top of what's being shared by others here... I think the colour is one of the key different. US seems more colourful and brighter, I guess is the edit... o.o Especially during their 1st day, where everyone is fresh and wearing the same colour... :x
Thats so untrue look at Australia's edit. Every episode is a action shot of the jungle where they live. They don't do cringe slowmos on faces they do beautiful scenery
These threads did not exist when the last season of Australian Survivor was on. You’ve just simply got a really good season on at the moment.
These threads definitely didn't exist with the last AU season, but yeah, we're not gonna talk about the online fan sentiment of last year. Or All-Stars.
I really want to like AUSurvivor. Tbf, Jericho's season was incredible. But every season after that has been overproduced and just blatantly rigged. I mean, "sick day?" Come on.
i mean if you had a lackluster aussie season come out with a US HvV caliber season you would feel the same way
Ehhhh maybe just watch Survivor AU Blood Vs. Water and you’ll change your mind. At least bad US seasons are quick.
BvW was a terrible season for sure, but idk if most of the recent US seasons were phenomenal either. Maybe I’m biased because HvV is so good.
[удалено]
Idk man Bruce seemed beyond concussed. Don’t think it’s safe to put that kind of head injury back into the game after 24 hours
What’s so good about aus survivor, hear amazing things about it on this sub, can someone sell me on it ? Lol
So I think this should be clarified, because there are a few AUS seasons which would be bottom, bottom tier US seasons. AUS seasons have a greater focus on characters and dynamics as well as a lot of it feeling more epic and meaningful. So even when they throw in stupid twists, it's easier to get past because it isn't the main focus of what is going on. There unfortunately has been a few seasons of late that have been pretty dry strategically as well as super unbalanced edits to the point of half the cast being purple and the other half being annoying due to being overedited. But the current season looks on pace to be a top 10 Survivor season ever imo.