2025 marks a banner year for Survivor. The show that revolutionized television back in the summer of 2000 has spent a quarter of a century showcasing people from a variety of backgrounds to millions of people, as they fight tooth and nail to vote each other out for the million-dollar prize.
In 2020, in the wake of the "Black Lives Matter" movement and protests around the death of George Floyd, a group of Black Survivor alumni formed the "Soul Survivors Organization." Consisting of castaways across the show's first 40 seasons, they put out a widely-circulated petition, calling upon the show to institute several anti-racist initiatives, including more diverse talent in front of and behind the camera. CBS responded in kind as, in November 2020, the network announced it would be implementing new rules for its unscripted shows in an effort to further diversity. Specifically, the new initiative called for at least 50% of cast for all reality shows to be contestants who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
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The "diversity initiative," as it's been colloquially referred to since then, has been instituted for the past five years of Survivor. The new casting directive handily coincided with the "new era" of the series, which began following a mandated filming hiatus due to the pandemic. From Seasons 41 through the recently announced cast of 49, casting director Jesse Tannenbaum and company have followed the initiative put in front of them, bringing a wide variety of stories and backgrounds that many fans say they may not have seen prior to the mandate.
As the year has gone along, however, the status of the diversity initiative has begun to change. Seeking FCC approval for an upcoming merger with Skydance, Paramount co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins put forward a memo saying that the company would be making changes to its diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The news prompted fans of Survivor and other CBS reality shows to wonder, without a mandate, how diversity would be handled moving forward. But, even without an initiative, Tannenbaum affirms diversity is still at the forefront of his mind moving forward.
Related: Jeff Probst Says Rules Violation Led to Historic Alternate Situation on ‘Survivor 49’ (Exclusive)
"From my perspective, nothing’s changed," he tells Deadline. The quote comes from a round-up discussion with nominees for this year's Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program. He was first nominated for the award last year for The Amazing Race. (Tannenbaum and his team are responsible for casting both shows, as well as Big Brother)
"I’ve always, in the back of my mind, felt we needed more diversity on these shows," he continues. "It became a mandate for season 41. It’s really beautiful to see the amount of people who apply in our database when they see someone that looks like them on television. So fast forward to now, Seasons 51 and 52, which we’re currently casting. The pool of people is insane. I’m still shooting for having a really diverse cast because I think everybody needs to be represented."
Speaking on Survivor, which received its first-ever nomination in the category this year, Tannenbaum specifically highlights some standout members from the cast of Season 48, which aired earlier in 2025. "We had such interesting storytellers like Mitch Guerra, who grew up with a stutter and applied for years," he says. "And then there was Eva Erickson, who’s on the spectrum and had that beautiful moment with Joe Hunter. I think really important conversations happen on Survivor that some shows just don’t hit."
Survivor is nominated for four total Emmys this year, including Outstanding Reality Competition Program, as well as Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality Competition Program for emcee and executive producer Jeff Probst.
Related: From NASA to the MCU! Meet the Full Cast of 'Survivor 49'
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