How ‘Survivor’ Has Outplayed Its Competition for 25 Years
variety.comEmily Longeretta Only a handful of people are credited with changing the face of television. The mercurial Brit Charlie Parsons, creator of “Survivor,” is one of them.
As the reality behemoth celebrates its 25th anniversary, Parsons, who reinvented early morning TV in the U.K. by ditching the format’s staid conventions for the anarchic “The Big Breakfast,” reckons there are several reasons why “Survivor” has defied the odds and, well, survived for so long. “Ordinary people’s stories are interesting.
How they cope with the situations they find themselves in is interesting. Our big thing about ‘Survivor’ was that it was almost like a sport,” he says. “The show is extremely careful about its contestants, all of whom are heroes.
It’s not exploitative and not watching and sneering.” He adds that on this show, the cast aren’t looking to be famous but instead are “obsessed by the strategy and tactics in the game. “That’s what makes ‘Survivor’ unique.
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