That’s right! Whether you want the show to die or not, or if you are amazed to hear that it’s still even on the air, Survivor continues on due in large part to a fervent fan-base (me included!) who never quit…and who know that it is still the best Reality TV Competition Show on the air. Survivor is about to begin its 42nd (!!!) Season, with a two-hour premiere coming Wednesday, March 9th, at 8pm on CBS.
While the show itself doesn’t draw in nearly the numbers that it did back when it changed the entire landscape of television back in the Summer of 2000, Survivor still consistently wins its Wednesday night timeslot for CBS, even now after going on 22 years on the air. It has a loyal online community and even an official Survivor Hall of Fame. So there’s no use resisting…you might as well tune in to the new season and see what all the fuss is about!
Little is known about Survivor 42 (beginning last season with “41,” the show no longer has a sub-title like “Exile Island” or “Guatamala,” and will be numbered moving forward). We do know that it was shot last Summer on the heels of Season 41 on the islands of Fiji, and that (as you’ll see) it will feature one of the most diverse casts in the show’s history (CBS mandated a diversity-ratio of no less than 50% for all of its reality TV programming last year). The cast will feature 18 brand new players, the identities of which were just announced by CBS…and of course the show will once again be hosted and produced by Jeff Probst.
Here is your Survivor 42 cast! (Click the link on their names for a short intro video on each player!)
Name: Chanelle Howell
Age: 29
Hometown: Hamden, Conn.
Current Residence: New York, N.Y.
Occupation: Executive recruiter
Name: Daniel Strunk
Age: 30
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Current Residence: New Haven, Conn.
Occupation: Law clerk
Name: Drea Wheeler
Age: 35
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Current Residence: Montreal, Quebec
Occupation: Fitness consultant
Name: Hai Giang
Age: 29
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga. / Gia Rai, Bac Lieu, Vietnam
Current Residence: New Orleans, La.
Occupation: Data scientist
Name: Jackson Fox
Age: 48
Hometown: Pasadena, Texas
Current Residence: Houston, Texas
Occupation: Healthcare worker
Name: Jenny Kim
Age: 43
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Current Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Occupation: Creative director
Name: Jonathan Young
Age: 29
Hometown: Gadsden, Ala.
Current Residence: Gulf Shores, Ala.
Occupation: Beach service co. owner
Name: Lindsay Dolashewich
Age: 31
Hometown: Morganville, N.J.
Current Residence: Asbury Park, N.J.
Occupation: Dietitian
Name: Lydia Meredith
Age: 22
Hometown: Fredericksburg, Va.
Current Residence: Santa Monica, Calif.
Occupation: Waitress
Name: Marya Sherron
Age: 47
Hometown: Lansing, Mich.
Current Residence: Noblesville, Ind.
Occupation: Stay-at-home mom
Name: Maryanne Oketch
Age: 24
Hometown: Ajax, Ontario
Current Residence: Ajax, Ontario
Occupation: Seminary student
Name: Mike Turner
Age: 58
Hometown: Hoboken, N.J.
Current Residence: Hoboken, N.J.
Occupation: Retired firefighter
Name: Omar Zaheer
Age: 31
Hometown: Kitchener, Ontario
Current Residence: Whitby, Ontario
Occupation: Veterinarian
Name: Rocksroy Bailey
Age: 44
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Current Residence: Las Vegas, Nev.
Occupation: Stay-at-home dad
Name: Romeo Escobar
Age: 37
Hometown: Los Angeles
Current Residence: Norwalk, Calif.
Occupation: Pageant coach
Name: Swati Goel
Age: 19
Hometown: Palo Alto, Calif.
Current Residence: Palo Alto, Calif.
Occupation: Ivy league student
Name: Tori Meehan
Age: 25
Hometown: Tulsa, Okla.
Current Residence: Rogers, Ark.
Occupation: Therapist
Name: Zach Wurtenberger
Age: 22
Hometown: Weston, Fla.
Current Residence: St. Louis, Mo.
Occupation: Student
I will once again be recapping Survivor for this website, so please bookmark us and make sure to follow me on Twitter, @tomsantilli! This column is also the EXCLUSIVE home to the new, weekly art-work from former two-time Survivor Legend, Erik Reichenbach (www.DabuDoodles.com).
Looking forward to the Survivor 42 two-hour Premiere episode coming Wednesday, March 9th on CBS!
TELL US: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW CAST? WILL YOU BE WATCHING SURVIVOR 42? WHO STANDS OUT TO YOU?
[Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment 2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.]