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TiersSurvivorSeason 1

Borneo

Sixteen Americans on a Malaysian island and a host with a torch — that was the pitch, and the format invented itself on camera. The cast plays like people who half-believe they're on a game show and half-believe they're on a documentary. CBS aired it across the summer of 2000 as appointment television, and the rough edges show in the best way. Probst sounds like he's still figuring out the cadence. Everything that comes after starts here.

Filmed
Pulau Tiga, Malaysia
the show shot before the format existed
Premiered
May 31, 2000
CBS · Wednesday 8/7c
Episodes
13
Format
Originals · 2 tribes
the season that invented the format
Cast size
16 players
8 Pagong, 8 Tagi
Host
Jeff Probst
the first season at the helm
01The take

Borneo.

Sixteen Americans on a Malaysian island and a host with a torch — that was the pitch, and the format invented itself on camera. The cast plays like people who half-believe they're on a game show and half-believe they're on a documentary. CBS aired it across the summer of 2000 as appointment television, and the rough edges show in the best way. Probst sounds like he's still figuring out the cadence. Everything that comes after starts here.

03Where it sits in the canon

The #03 slot.

Slot #03 of 18 in the Survivor Editor's Canon. The neighbors below frame what we ranked above and below it.

No spoilers. Every page is reviewed before it goes live.
06Also appears in

Cross-references.

Also appears in
Survivor S1 — Borneo — tiered.tv