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The day is finally upon us, Survivor fans — the season 44 premiere is here! After almost three long months since the (extremely disappointing) season 43 finale, we have a new cast and game to look forward to. So come on in, and read on for everything you need to know about the Survivor Season 44 premiere tonight.

Jeff Probst, the host of 'Survivor' Season 44, which premieres tonight, March 1, wears a blue button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves and an orange and white 'Survivor' baseball cap.
Jeff Probst | Photo: Robert Voets/CBS

‘Survivor’ Season 44 premieres tonight, March 1

Survivor Season 44 Episode 1, “I Can’t Wait to See Jeff,” airs tonight, March 1, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. And like the seasons before it, the 44 premiere is two hours long and will conclude at 10 p.m. ET.

The synopsis for “I Can’t Wait to See Jeff” reads, “Immediately upon reaching the beach, the three tribes go full throttle in their first challenge to earn crucial camp supplies. The remaining two tribes must choose between a mental or physical challenge to earn their camp essentials. Then, as castaways begin to get acquainted with each other, each tribe must choose one person to take a journey and make the first big decision of the game.”

As the synopsis suggests, season 44 will follow the same format as the previous “new era” seasons. But, of course, there will be some discrepancies. Survivor fans will just have to tune in to find out how the idols and twists differ in season 44.

Meet the electric ‘Survivor’ Season 44 cast tonight

Jeff Probst has hyped up the Survivor Season 44 cast so much, so we’re more than excited to officially meet them tonight. The 18 new castaways are:

  • Brandon Cottom, a 30-year-old security specialist from Newtown, PA
  • Bruce Perreault, a 46-year-old insurance agent from Warwick, RI
  • Carolyn Wiger, a 35-year-old drug counselor from Hugo, MN
  • Carson Garrett, a 20-year-old NASA engineering student from Atlanta, GA
  • Claire Rafson, a 25-year-old tech investor from Brooklyn, NY
  • Danny Massa, a 32-year-old firefighter from Bronx, NY
  • Frannie Marin, a 23-year-old research coordinator from Cambridge, MA
  • Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt, a 43-year-old engineering manager from Pittsburgh, PA
  • Josh Wilder, a 34-year-old surgical podiatrist from Atlanta, GA
  • Kane Fritzler, a 25-year-old law student from Saskatoon, Canada
  • Helen Li, a 29-year-old project manager from San Francisco, CA
  • Jaime Lynne Ruiz, a 35-year-old yogi from Mesa, AZ
  • Lauren Harpe, a 31-year-old elementary school teacher from Mont Belvieu, TX
  • Maddy Pomilla, a 28-year-old charity projects manager from Brooklyn, NY
  • Matt Blankinship, a 27-year-old security software engineer from San Francisco, CA
  • Matthew Grinstead-Mayle, a 43-year-old barbershop owner from Columbus, OH
  • Sarah Wade, a 27-year-old management consultant from Chicago, IL
  • Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho, a 36-year-old salon owner from San Juan, Puerto Rico

The three tribes in Survivor Season 44 are Ratu, Soka, and Tika. Ratu includes Matthew, Brandon, Kane, Jaime, Lauren, and Maddy. The Soka tribe is Josh, Frannie, Danny, Heidi, Matt, and Claire. And Tika contains Bruce, Sarah, Yam Yam, Helen, Carson, and Carolyn.

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Jeff Probst teases ‘Survivor’ Season 44 is full of ‘unexpected moments’

Prior to tonight’s premiere of Survivor Season 44, host Jeff Probst spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming game. And it’s easy to tell that it’s one of his favorite seasons in the show’s history.

“One of the things that keeps Survivor fresh is that you can never ever predict what is going to happen,” Probst shared. “It’s 26 days of unexpected moments that keep the players and the audience on their toes. That includes the physical aspect of the game. It’s easy to forget that the players are living in a real jungle with all the danger that can present.”

He continued, “Plus, you have the challenges and the lack of food and good sleep. It’s relentless. This group will be reminded very quickly that Survivor can get you in a number of ways and that making it to the final three requires a lot more than just a good social game.”

“As you’ll see straight away, Survivor 44 is going to be a fun season with a group of players who understand you cannot play to not lose; you have to play to win,” the host teased. “If that means using an idol or Shot in the Dark earlier than you thought, then that is what you must do. The key to the game is you have to survive the vote. If you can do that, then anything can happen when you return to camp.”

The Survivor Season 44 premiere drops on CBS tonight, March 1, at 8 p.m. ET and will be available to stream on Paramount+ the next day.

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