“Of all the bad ideas I’ve had, this was going to be the worst.”
Back in 2021, Jeff Probstshared a secret with us.
“I called Mike for his insight into a story-related element,” Probst said.
Jeff Probst and Mike White on ‘Survivor’.CBS via Getty Images
“He listened politely as I laid out the idea.
When I finished the pitch, I asked him what he thought.
He paused for a moment and said,‘Well… it sounds… in-ter-est-ing.
‘Survivor’ host Jeff Probst.Robert Voets/CBS
But is it fun?'”
But no more information has been revealed about that lost season ofSurvivor.
“So money would enter the society.
Rick Devens on ‘Survivor: Edge of Extinction’.Timothy Kuratek/CBS
That is why the Fire Tokens were in [Survivor: Winners at War].
It wasn’t just a vision in their heads.
They actually put the idea into motion.
“We even made a logo,” Probst revealed on his podcast.
“[Production designer] Zach Jensen made a logo of that.
It is a sunrise that saysSurvivor 41: Dawn of a New Era.
We’re fully committed to this idea.”
That’s where the Fire Tokens would have come in.
For producers, that meant getting a crash course in economics and math.
“My friend had built us an algorithm,” said the host.
“So you could put any price you wanted for any item.
Imagine we have a long list of items.
“We’re in deep,” continued Probst.
And the voice would turn around, and it was going to be Rick Devens.”
Wait, what?!
I never even asked him!
But that was in my head.
What if Rick Devens came out and became the shop owner?
He’s so funny.
It would be so fun.
That kind of thing.”
Alas, as longtime EW readers know, Probst then called Mike White and the concept was killed.
“Because I knew Mike was right.
l was never coming back to this idea.”
(That sound you hear is Rick Devens crying inside his imaginary Trading Post.)
It was going to ground the show to a halt."
Listen to the entire discussion on the new episode ofOn Fire with Jeff Probst.
