Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons, and first broadcast in May 2000. Mark Burnett produces the American series. Its host is the former game show emcee and news reporter, Jeff Probst. The CBS television network broadcasts the premier run of each season, and syndication to other cable networks follows. Russ Landau composed the theme song.
The show maroons a group of strangers (as one or more tribes) in a desolate locale, where they must provide food, water, fire, and shelter for themselves, while competing in challenges to earn either a reward, or an immunity from expulsion from the game in the next of the successive votes for elimination. While much rarer than elimination by vote, medical conditions, such as injury or infection, have eliminated several contestants. The last two or three survivors face a jury historically comprising of at least the last seven players voted off. That jury interrogates the final few, and then votes for the winner of the title of Sole Survivor and a million dollar prize.
The American version has been very successful. From the 2000–2001 through the 2005–2006 television seasons its first eleven seasons (competitions) rated amongst the top ten most watched shows. It is commonly considered the mother of American reality TV because it was the first highly-rated and profitable reality show on broadcast television in the USA, and is considered one of the most important shows of the first decade of the 21st century.
The series completed its 10th anniversary edition (and the 20th season) titled Heroes vs. Villains on May 16, 2010. In January 2010, CBS ordered two more seasons, the 21st and 22nd. On February 9, 2010, Jeff Probst announced via Twitter that he has signed a contract to host the show through its 22nd cycle, which represents a one-year contract renewal. His previous renewals have been for two years, or four cycles of the show.
