Is ‘Survivor’ on Tonight? What to Expect for the Season 43 Premiere
A new season of Survivor is upon us, and we’re ready for grueling challenges, shocking twists, and devastating blindsides. Survivor Season 43 will be the third installment of the “new era” of the CBS reality competition series, but can fans expect to see it begin tonight, Sept. 21?
‘Survivor’ Season 43 premieres tonight, Sept. 21
Thankfully, the wait for Survivor Season 43 is over because it starts airing tonight, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the special two-hour premiere live on CBS or Paramount+. It will also be available to stream on Paramount+ tomorrow, Sept. 22.
The official synopsis for Survivor Season 43 Episode 1, “LIVIN,” reads, “In the premiere episode, one tribe will earn supplies after winning the opening challenge while the remaining tribes must choose between a mental or physical challenge to earn their camp essentials.”
The new season will follow in seasons 41 and 42’s footsteps by opening with a reward challenge. And the two tribes who lose will have to acquire their supplies by completing a puzzle or something more physical when they enter their camp. Afterward, the Survivor Season 43 premiere will feature an Immunity Challenge, and whoever loses will meet host Jeff Probst at Tribal Council.
Who is in the cast?
The Survivor Season 43 premiere will introduce 18 new diverse castaways during the marooning. And before stepping foot on the beaches of Fiji, producers split them evenly into three tribes — Baka, Coco, and Vesi.
The Survivor Season 43 cast includes:
- Cassidy Clark (26), a designer from Austin, TX
- Cody Assenmacher (35), an elevator salesperson from Honolulu, HI
- Dwight Moore (22), a graduate student from Collierville, TN
- Elie Scott (31), a clinical psychologist from Salt Lake City, UT
- Geo Bustamante (36), a project manager from Honolulu, HI
- James Jones (37), an event planner from Philadelphia, PA
- Jeanine Zheng (24), a UX designer from San Francisco, CA
- Jesse Lopez (30), a political science Ph.D. student from Durham, NC
- Justine Brennan (29), a cyber security salesperson from Marina Del Rey, CA
- Karla Cruz Godoy (28), an educational project manager from Newark, DE
- Lindsay Carmine (42), a pediatric nurse from Downington, PA
- Mike Gabler (52), a heart valve specialist from Meridian, ID
- Morriah Young (28), a teacher from Philadelphia, PA
- Noelle Lambert (25), a Paralympian from Manchester, NH
- Nneka Ejere (43), a pharmacist from Weatherford, TX
- Owen Knight (30), an college admissions director from New Orleans, LA
- Ryan Medrano (25), a warehouse associate from El Paso, TX
- Sami Layadi (19), a pet cremator from Las Vegas, NV
Elie, Gabler, Morriah, Owen, Jeanine, and Sami are on the Baka tribe. James, Lindsay, Ryan, Geo, Karla, and Cassidy are on the Coco tribe. And Dwight, Nneka, Cody, Noelle, Jesse, and Justine are on the Vesi tribe.
‘Survivor’ host Jeff Probst teases the twists in season 43
We have good news for viewers who weren’t fans of some of the twists from Survivor Seasons 41 and 42 — a couple of them won’t return for season 43.
“Here’s what you won’t see in Survivor 43: Change History and Do or Die,” host and executive producer Jeff Probst told Entertainment Weekly. “I can already hear some fans celebrating and others saying we caved to criticism!”
Change History, aka the Hourglass twist, and Do or Die were controversial among fans. They both appeared in seasons 41 and 42, and many thought they were unfair, including the castaways.
However, while those two twists won’t be a factor in season 43, the Shot in the Dark and Beware Advantages will be in play.
Tune in to the Survivor Season 43 premiere tonight, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. And in the meantime, check back in to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for recaps and spoilers from Survivor Season 43.
