Survivor British Columbia

Survivor British Columbia, sometimes shortened to Survivor BC, is a fan-made Survivor game created by Jireh Batulan. The game was formerly known as Survivor Canada. The game films in Vancouver and the surrounding area, and has featured contestants from Canada as well as the United States.

The series has nine seasons, with eight complete seasons being released on YouTube, and season nine premiering April 8, 2023.

 **Series Run:** | 2012 - Present

## History

Started by Jireh Batulan in July 2012 after being inspired from watching other fan-made Survivor games on YouTube, Survivor British Columbia has grown to eight seasons in total with more being planned for in the future. This series is one of the few Survivor-based Live Reality Games that are based in Canada and the different locations for each season prove the diverse landscape and beauty of the Vancouver area.

The first season, The Pilot Season, features contestants who are strictly friends of Jireh and are limited in their Survivor fandom.

The second season, Survivor: Canada Vs the Nations, was notable for being filmed in cold snowy weather.

The third season, Survivor: Kanata, is widely regarded by fans as the best season (so far) even though a majority of the contestants were recruited by Jireh and were also limited in their Survivor knowledge. This season features the most well-known players from the series and holds some of the most iconic moments from the entire series as a whole.

After a three year hiatus, season four, Survivor: The Battle of BC, was launched with an entirely different tone and feel. For the first time in the series' history, contestants flew in from outside of the province of British Columbia to compete on the show including three Americans from Surviving Reelfoot, as well as the first evacuation.

Season five, Survivor BC: Deus Ex Machina, marked a huge turning point for the series as it was the first time it was officially referred to as "Survivor British Columbia". This season featured a stellar cast of Live Reality Game legends, icons from the ORG community, and returning players from the series' past.

Season six, Survivor: Rockrain Valley, was live streamed in its entirety onto a private Facebook group while it was being filmed and it is highly praised as the best season, the series' magnum opus, from those who viewed the competition live.

Season seven, Survivor BC: Tribulation, was the first season filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic and is the only season to feature one female in the cast. The season was also live streamed in its entirety onto a private Facebook group.

Season eight, Survivor BC: The Golden Age, was filmed and live streamed from July 24-30, 2021. It was a season that was significant to the series as a whole as the theme encompassed and alluded to a significant change that had occurred in producer Jireh's life. Just like in life, we all have an opportunity to reach our own golden age when we play the game of Survivor. And even if we don't win, we are still true Survivors if we come out of our Live Game experience with something that is worth more than money or a title.

In September 2021, Jireh Batulan stepped down as host and showrunner with season five alum Cole Coupland taking over as showrunner, and season four and seven alum Luke Janiszewski as host. Season eight alum Braden Smith took over hosting duties halfway through the season. The upcoming season nine will be Cole, Luke and Braden's first season.

To apply for the next season of Survivor BC, click here.

## References

Survivor British Columbia Wiki

Survivor British Columbia Facebook Page