Australian Survivor (2016)

***Australian Survivor (2016)*** is the third season overall of *Australian Survivor* and first of the Network Ten incarnation.

The season was filmed in Samoa and features twenty-four new castaways competing for $500,000. Unlike the previous seasons this instalment features twists introduced from the American franchise including the Hidden Immunity Idol and a new twist, the Tribal Council swap, where those eliminated from their tribe join the opposing side.

## Production & Development

### Conception

After Australian Celebrity Survivor was not renewed by the Seven Network, it appeared that the third season of Australian Survivor would be very unlikely. However, in August 2013, the creator of the Survivor format, Charlie Parsons revealed in an interview with fan website and podcast Survivor Oz that the rights to produce Australian Survivor had been licensed to an undisclosed production company who believed that there was an appetite for the program and would be approaching to Australian networks to commission the potential series. On 19 November 2015, Network Ten revealed at their upfronts that they would be commissioning a revival of Australian Survivor to air in mid-late 2016. It was also revealed that Endemol Shine Australia would be producing the series in association with Castaway Television.

### Casting

With the announcement of the series in November 2015, a casting call was made for potential contestants. Applicants for the series were required to be 18 years of age or older, be Australian citizens or residents and be able to swim. More than 5,000 people applied within the first week of casting being opened, and 7,500 had applied before the year's end. Submissions eventually reached 15,000 before the 10 February deadline, making it the largest pool of applicants for a Network Ten reality program.

### Filming and development

The season was rumored to be filmed in Samoa as early as March, and was officially confirmed on 9 May by LaPaglia in a radio interview on the Hamish & Andy show. The season was filmed on the island of Upolu, the same location used in four seasons of the American edition of Survivor: Samoa, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Survivor: South Pacific and Survivor: One World. In total, 250 Australians and at least 180 Samoan locals are working on the program, including Trent Pattison, who has previously worked as a challenge producer on the American edition as well as Ten's own I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

### Promotion

The primary sponsorships for the season include Hungry Jacks, AHM Health Insurance and Holden.

## Twists/Changes

* **55-Day Game:** This season is filmed for 55 days, the longest in the Australian franchise.
* **Three Tribes:** The 24 castaways are divided into three tribes of eight.
* **Hidden Immunity Idol:** Hidden Immunity Idols will be available, which will abide to the same standard rules from the American version.
* **Double Tribal Council:** The two losing tribes at the Day 12 Immunity Challenge will both attend Tribal Council.
* **Tribe Switch:** At the Double Tribal Council, each tribe was told to vote without knowing that the person with the most votes would be sent to the other tribe attending the session. The person sent over also gets to pick one member of their original tribe to join them on his new tribe.
* **Tribe Dissolve:** On Day 19, the tribes met for a Reward Challenge. Saanapu won, and were given the right to individually choose which tribe they want to stay on and collectively choose the members of the other two tribes to join the new Saanapu tribe. The nine who were not picked formed the new Vavau tribe, and Aganoa was disbanded.
* **Kidnap:** After winning the Day 29 Immunity Challenge, Saanapu was given the right to send one of their tribe members to observe Vavau's Tribal Council. They sent Brooke, and she was given the right of picking one of the Vavau tribemates to join Saanapu, and the Tribal Council ended with no elimination.
* **Exile Beach:** On Day 39, the four people eliminated during the first stage of the Immunity Challenge, were sent to "Exile Beach" where they will stay until Tribal Council. In addition, there was a Hidden Immunity Idol hidden at Exile Beach. This twist was used again after the Night 47 Reward Challenge, where the people who did not get to go on the reward were sent to Exile Beach.

## Survivors

24 castaways were selected to compete, divided initially into three tribes.

## Season Summary

### Episode Guide

* Pre-Merge
* Merge

### Voting History

* Pre-Merge
* Merge
* Final Tribal Council

## Reception

The season was received very well, with the general consensus being that it was much better than the seasons aired by Channels Nine and Seven. The dynamic of the cast was praised, and the twists were also well received.

## Trivia

* This season uses the *Survivor: South Pacific* rendition of "Ancient Voices."
* The font for this season is MondoBeyondo BB.
* *Australian Survivor* (2016) has a lot of *Australian Survivor* firsts.
	+ This is the first *Australian Survivor* season to have three starting tribes.
	+ This is the first *Australian Survivor* season to use Hidden Immunity Idols.
	+ This is the first *Australian Survivor* season not to have a contestant named David.
	+ This is the first *Australian Survivor* season to have a male be the first person voted off.
	+ This is the first *Australian Survivor* season to use Exile Island.
	+ This is the first *Australian Survivor* season to have a female winner.
	+ This is the first *Australian Survivor* season to not have anybody vote themselves off.
	+ This is the first *Australian Survivor* season to have the rule against voting for yourself.
	+ This is the first *Australian Survivor* season to have someone quit.
	+ This is the first *Australian Survivor* season to have a merge with 13 castaways
* The highest-ranking members of each original tribe were all women.
* In 2020, the host of the season Jonathan LaPaglia was inducted into the Australian Survivor Hall Of Fame.

## Links

### References

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/Survivor\_AU/status/768016484744306688?ref\_src=twsrc%5Etfw
2. ↑ Before the votes were read, Jonathan announced the two people voted out would swap tribes instead of being eliminated. Nick and Conner were voted out by their tribe and could choose one additional person to join them. Nick chose Tegan and Conner chose Sam respectively.
3. ↑ The three tribes competed in a special challenge for an advantage. Saanapu won the right to draft new tribes, dissolving Aganoa in the process leaving two tribes of nine.
4. ↑ Vavau was told that they they would not be voting at Tribal Council but instead Brook, the chosen observer from Saanapu, was told to kidnap one member of Vavau and bring them to Saanapu. She choose Sue.
5. ↑ Instead of being eliminated from the game, Sue was kidnapped by Brooke on behalf of Saanapu.