Naman Shrestha
Based on the Swedish TV series ‘Expedition Robinson,’ CBS’ ‘Survivor’ is a reality competition series created by Charlie Parsons that brings together a set of strangers on a secluded island where they are forced to survive in the harsh settings of the wild. Expected to provide food, fire, and shelter for themselves, the contestants are also made to compete against each other in different kinds of challenges, testing their physical as well as mental abilities. The ones who perform well are given rewards and immunity from getting eliminated. After each stage, contestants are eliminated through a voting system until only a sole survivor remains and gets to take home the grand cash prize of $1,000,000.
In season 46, the competition again observed strict safety protocols, just like in the previous few seasons after the pandemic. Hosted by Jeff Probst, it also occurred for a period of 26 days, during which the 18 contestants were divided into three tribes. The familiar setting of the island, which includes the open water and lush green wilderness in the backdrop, begs the question — where was the 46th season of ‘Survivor’ shot?
Survivor Season 46 Was Filmed in Fiji
Just like many previous seasons, ‘Survivor’ season 46 was also filmed in Fiji, particularly on the Mamanuca Islands. As per reports, principal photography for the season got underway in early June 2023 and took place for more than three weeks, before getting wrapped up by the end of the same month.
Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Becoming the production location for the fourteenth consecutive season of ‘Survivor,’ the Mamanuca Islands was chosen as the primary filming site for the 46th edition of the series. Situated to the west of Nadi and the south of the Yasawa Islands, the Mamanuca Islands are a volcanic archipelago that comprises approximately 20 islands. Visitors can enjoy a number of activities on these islands, including windsurfing, hiking, visiting villages, sailing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and more. Furthermore, since there are various secluded beaches on the Mamanuca Islands, you can also choose to explore them.
Jeff Probst, the host and executive producer of ‘Survivor,’ talked about a few shooting details of season 46, mostly related to the network’s decision to air 90-minute episodes, to Parade. He explained, “We had a feeling that if the 90-minute episodes were well received in Survivor 45, we might end up doing them again in Survivor 46. So we had that in mind every day of shooting. We also designed things like a multi-step hidden immunity idol with a unique delayed ticking clock that gave us flexibility in the edit bays. We also paid attention to fun character-driven moments that were happening at camp and made sure to get the interviews we needed to explore them in our storytelling. So even though we didn’t officially shoot for 90 minutes, we still kinda did!”
Read More: Is Survivor Scripted?
