As we close in on Survivor’s 25th anniversary, the beloved reality competition series has shown no signs of slowing down. And there’s no bigger proof of that than CBS continuing to extend the show’s timeslot on Wednesday nights.
Besides premieres, finales, and the odd two-hour special, seasons played out during one-hour episodes for nearly the entirety of Survivor run. However, CBS elected to increase Survivor 45’s regular episodes from 60 minutes to 90 during the writer’s strike in 2023. The lengthened run time was a major hit with the Survivor community which led them to keep the time slot for Survivor 46 earlier this year.
Well, fans rejoice! CBS is sticking to 90 minutes for Survivor 47 as well. The network announced its primetime schedule in May. CBS’s decision to keep the ball rolling with more Survivor content has also been championed by long-time host and showrunner Jeff Probst. He told Entertainment Weekly that he had been campaigning for a 90-minute season for years, so the torch-snuffer must be elated to see the franchise receive its third super-sized iteration in a row.
“In a 60-minute episode, we’d have to say, ‘We don’t have time for it. It doesn’t really matter,'” Probst said in another interview with the outlet. “But then when you see it, you’re like, ‘Well, it does matter!’ I think 90 minutes is a great sweet spot for an episode of Survivor.”
And if you’re wondering if Survivor 48 is getting the 90-minute treatment, the answer is yes. That season will begin airing in early 2025 while Survivor 47 starts on Wednesday, September 18, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Better yet, it’s a two-hour premiere.