The Survivor Season 39 finale is going to be completely pre-taped for CBS viewers.
Amid the controversy that has taken place this season on the show, the Reunion Show is going to be taped in advance of it appearing on CBS. This is a big change for the network and the show.
At the same time, this decision isn’t all that surprising, especially when it was just revealed that Dan Spilo got kicked off the show.
Typically, the first two hours of Survivor finale night are episodic, revealing how the contestants get down to the final tribe members. Then, the show is wrapped up with host Jeff Probst taking the stage with the entire cast in a third hour.
The third-hour is usually a live presentation for viewers on the East Coast, where the winner is revealed in front of a studio audience. This time, though, the third-hour, which is called the Reunion Show, will be entirely pre-taped.
It takes something away from the show by doing it in this fashion, but it seems clear that the show producers are worried about what might take place on that stage. It has been a bumpy season so far, so maybe they want a smooth conclusion.
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— SURVIVOR (@survivorcbs) December 5, 2019
Getting through the finale without causing more controversy is extremely important because CBS and show producers want a fresh slate as Season 40 approaches. It’s a monumental one, with only past winners taking part on it.
As a reminder, finale night gets started at 8/7c on Wednesday, December 18. It will be a total of three hours in duration, ending with the Season 39 winner getting revealed.
Based on what happened during the last episode, there are just five people left competing for the $1 million prize.
Lauren Beck, Janet Carbin, Dean Kowalski, Tommy Sheehan, and Noura Salman are the final five, and one of them is going to be announced as the winner by Survivor host Jeff Probst on Wednesday night.
Survivor airs Wednesday nights at 8/7c on CBS.