Post by Sato Koda on May 11, 2020 10:56:01 GMT -5
Top Navigation
Explore
EW.com
SUBSCRIBE
HOME
TV
Jeff Probst on what killed the epic Survivor finale vote deliveries
Jeff Probst on what killed the epic Survivor finale vote deliveries
The host explains why he no longer travels the votes by jet ski or skydiving or subway or…
By Dalton Ross
May 11, 2020 at 10:00 AM EDT
Save
FB
Tweet
More
Play VideoYOU MIGHT LIKE
OUR FAVORITE CINEMATIC MOTHER DAUGHTER DUOS
Survivor
TYPE
TV Show
NETWORK
CBS
GENRE
Reality
WHERE TO WATCH
With a global pandemic forcing television production to a standstill, Survivor has scrapped its in-person reunion for the first time ever. That means the Survivor: Winners at War champion will be revealed May 13 on CBS via a remote hookup as the finalists learn their fate from their own living rooms. Of course, the biggest tragedy of all in this situation is that it means there is no opportunity for host Jeff Probst to resurrect one of the hallmarks of Survivor yesteryear with another epic vote delivery.
Back in season 6, Probst somehow managed to jet-ski the votes all the way from the Amazon to New York City on a single tank of gas and then take the votes on the subway to the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway. The host incredibly managed to top that in season 9 when he jumped out of an airplane and then hopped on a motorcycle to transport the precious parchments to CBS Studios in Los Angeles. These travel-by-map montages were the height of Survivor hilarity, yet sadly have sat dormant for more than 30 seasons. Surely, had the work shutdown not happened we would have been treated to a return to epic vote delivery glory, especially for an anniversary season like number 40, with an all-winners season, and the biggest cash prize giveaway in reality television history. Right? RIGHT?!
Sadly, when I asked Probst about it out on location last May during filming for Winners at War, the host seemed unmoved by the prospect. "Here's the thing for me," says Probst. "It was fun to do it. We did it several times. And we always had a very fun, tongue-in-cheek way of doing it. But I don't want to repeat. We don't want to do it just to do it and waste time out of our finale, which is already so packed there's no time for the reunion show. So I just still don't have a great idea. Honestly, doing something like paddle-boarding or whatever, why?"
CBS
Why? BECAUSE IT WOULD BE HILARIOUS!!!
"You just want to see me look like an idiot again," Probst says. Okay, he's not wrong. But, in my defense, it is that willingness to look like an idiot that is so appealing and makes the segments work. They were so over the top there was practically a pool of Velveeta congealing under my television set when they first aired, and that's why fans loved them. So if Probst is not going to record another epic delivery, I tried for the best thing: the release of the infamous skateboarding footage.
First off, a little history. While talking to Probst back in 2014 for the San Juan del Sur finale, I made my annual plea for him to return to delivering the votes via some sort of ridiculous method of transportation, and he responded by telling me the most incredible story in the history of stories. A story of an aborted attempt at yet another epic vote delivery! A story recounted once again below:
"The last one we tried to do, it was me paddling — I can't remember from which island — but I left in a canoe, then we shipped the canoe back, I paddle down into Venice, California, I paddle in, I get out. This was the plan: I walk past the skate park and I go, 'Hey, kid. Can I have your board?' And the kid looks at me like in that Mean Joe Greene commercial… the Coke commercial, and he goes, 'Hey, you're the Survivor guy! Sure!' And he throws me his skateboard. And I'm going to hop on the skateboard, jump a curb, and then kick the skateboard up into my hands and hand it back to the kid and say, 'Thanks, kid. See you around.'
"So we have this idea and I go, 'But the only thing is, guys — I can't skateboard. But I'll try to learn.' We hire this guy. He says, 'Oh, I can teach you to do a couple of tricks.' And I go, 'But I didn't grow up in California. I'm not a skateboarder.' He says, 'No problem.' We get out there for about three hours and they guy is like, 'Listen, here's what you do: You ride the board and you use the leverage of your weight to hop it up onto the curb, skid across…' And I'm looking at him, like, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! I can't do this! So we never aired it, and that was the last one."
CBS
If you are anything like me, you're now picturing Probst as Marty McFly leading Biff Tannen on a wild chase into a truck full of manure, and that image is impossible to get out of your head. (Trust me, I've been trying for six years.) Anyway, when I asked Probst again about the footage during filming on Winners at War, he confirmed that it basically was the skateboarding experiment gone awry that killed the epic vote deliveries.
"The skateboarding is what did me in," says Probst. "The guy told me, the expert skateboarders — I said, 'Hey, we're doing this thing, I just need to be able to do one trick' — he said, 'No problem.' 'What's the trick?' He goes, 'I'll tell you what we're going to do. I'll show you how to hop off the board, kick one end, it will flip up in the air and you catch it and walk off.' I'm like, 'That's exactly what I need! I'll look like a stud!' About 15 times of it hitting me in the side of my face I said, 'All right, I'm out. You're fired, because I'm out.'"
And Survivor has never been the same since.
To see Probst talk about his disturbing lack of epic vote deliveries, watch the video at the top of the post. And for more Survivor scoop, follow Dalton on Twitter @daltonross.
Related content:
Jeff Probst reacts to one of the cruelest Survivor exits ever
Jeff Probst on whether Survivor will make it to season 50
Episode Recaps
S7 E18 Recap
The Blacklist recap: Man plans, God laughs
BY JODI WALKER
Rating: B
B
S6 E18 Recap
The Flash recap: Pied Piper returns as Team Flash faces Godspeed
BY CHANCELLOR AGARD
S5 E2 Recap
Billions recap: Axe's new foe beats him at his own game
BY KYLE FOWLE
S5 E18 Recap
Supergirl recap: The fantabulous emancipation of one Lena Luthor
BY SARA NETZLEY
S5 E17 Recap
Supergirl recap: The Lex-laid plans...
BY SARA NETZLEY
Rating: A-
A-
S5 E12 Recap
Outlander season finale recap: Safe In Your Arms
BY MAUREEN LEE LENKER
S45 E18 Recap
Saturday Night Live recap: Kristen Wiig hosts at-home season finale
BY ANDY HOGLUND
S40 E13 Recap
Survivor Winners at War recap: Double elimination smackdown!
BY DALTON ROSS
Rating: B+
B+
S4 E4 Recap
The Good Fight recap: The gang goes wild after being satirized by a play
BY CHANCELLOR AGARD
S4 E19 Recap
Riverdale recap: The students take down Mr. Honey
BY SAMANTHA HIGHFILL
S35 E6 Recap
The Challenge: Total Madness recap: Relationships implode on and off the show
BY SYDNEY BUCKSBAUM
S3 E8 Recap
Westworld season 3 finale recap: Apocalypse now
BY JAMES HIBBERD
S3 E5 Recap
Killing Eve recap: Maybe it's mommy's fault
BY KAT ROSENFIELD
S18 E15 Recap
American Idol recap: The Top 7 serenade the important ladies in their lives
BY MAGGIE FREMONT
S18 E13 Recap
The Voice recap: Top 9 revealed in first-ever live remote elimination show
BY MAGGIE FREMONT
S18 E12 Recap
The Voice recap: The not-so-live playoffs get started
BY MAGGIE FREMONT
S12 E6 Recap
The Real Housewives of New York City recap: Show me the money
BY JODI WALKER
S10 E4 Recap
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills recap: Three's a crowd
BY JODI WALKER
S1 E4 Recap
Listen to Your Heart recap: I'm tellin' y'all, it's a sabotage!
BY KRISTEN BALDWIN
Survivor
Jeff Probst leads adventures in the ultimate (and original) reality series.
TYPE
TV Show
SEASONS
40
RATING
GENRE
Reality
NETWORK
CBS
STREAM SERVICE
Amazon Prime
WHERE TO WATCH
Comments
Popular in TV
See every star's RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race makeoverSee every star's RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race makeover
See every star's RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race makeover
Pin
TV shows EW moms love to watchTV shows EW moms love to watch
TV shows EW moms love to watch
Pin
Broken Connection?
PAID CONTENT
Broken Connection?
From AT&T
Parks and Recreation cast: Where are they now?
Parks and Recreation cast: Where are they now?
Pin
Amy Sedaris dishes on spending season 3 At Home with Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, more
Amy Sedaris dishes on spending season 3 At Home with Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, more
Pin
Supernatural stars celebrate 15 years in exclusive EW portraits
Supernatural stars celebrate 15 years in exclusive EW portraits
Pin
The holidays (and Charlie!) visit Sam and Dean in exclusive Supernatural photos
The holidays (and Charlie!) visit Sam and Dean in exclusive Supernatural photos
Pin
Modern Family finale: Cast says goodbye in emotional behind-the-scenes photos
Modern Family finale: Cast says goodbye in emotional behind-the-scenes photos
Pin
Go behind the scenes of EW's Supernatural cover shoot
Go behind the scenes of EW's Supernatural cover shoot
Pin
Meet the cast of FX on Hulu's Mrs. America
Meet the cast of FX on Hulu's Mrs. America
Pin
Space Force: First look at Steve Carell's Trump-tweaking Netflix comedy
Space Force: First look at Steve Carell's Trump-tweaking Netflix comedy
Pin
Sasha Velour gushes over Quibi's colorful NightGowns cast: Meet them here
Sasha Velour gushes over Quibi's colorful NightGowns cast: Meet them here
Pin
Scrubs: Where are they now?
Scrubs: Where are they now?
Pin
Schitt's Creek stars Dan Levy, Noah Reid recreate classic movie romance scenes
Schitt's Creek stars Dan Levy, Noah Reid recreate classic movie romance scenes
Pin
Survivor: Winners at War new cast photo gallery
Survivor: Winners at War new cast photo gallery
Pin
Meet the cast of Survivor: Winners at War
Meet the cast of Survivor: Winners at War
Pin
See first photos from the Modern Family series finale
See first photos from the Modern Family series finale
Pin
Shangela, Bob, Eureka make over America in exclusive We're Here preview
Shangela, Bob, Eureka make over America in exclusive We're Here preview
Pin
Killing Eve season 3 first look: Send in the clowns
Killing Eve season 3 first look: Send in the clowns
Pin
Meet the cast of Survivor: Island of the Idols
Meet the cast of Survivor: Island of the Idols
Pin
All Topics in TV
TV REVIEWS RECAPS TV REUNIONS
EW.com
Magazines & More
Learn More
Subscribethis link opens in a new tab
Content Licensingthis link opens in a new tab
Sitemap
Connect
Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
OTHER MEREDITH SITES
© Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Data Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sell Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.
Explore
EW.com
SUBSCRIBE
HOME
TV
Jeff Probst on what killed the epic Survivor finale vote deliveries
Jeff Probst on what killed the epic Survivor finale vote deliveries
The host explains why he no longer travels the votes by jet ski or skydiving or subway or…
By Dalton Ross
May 11, 2020 at 10:00 AM EDT
Save
FB
Tweet
More
Play VideoYOU MIGHT LIKE
OUR FAVORITE CINEMATIC MOTHER DAUGHTER DUOS
Survivor
TYPE
TV Show
NETWORK
CBS
GENRE
Reality
WHERE TO WATCH
With a global pandemic forcing television production to a standstill, Survivor has scrapped its in-person reunion for the first time ever. That means the Survivor: Winners at War champion will be revealed May 13 on CBS via a remote hookup as the finalists learn their fate from their own living rooms. Of course, the biggest tragedy of all in this situation is that it means there is no opportunity for host Jeff Probst to resurrect one of the hallmarks of Survivor yesteryear with another epic vote delivery.
Back in season 6, Probst somehow managed to jet-ski the votes all the way from the Amazon to New York City on a single tank of gas and then take the votes on the subway to the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway. The host incredibly managed to top that in season 9 when he jumped out of an airplane and then hopped on a motorcycle to transport the precious parchments to CBS Studios in Los Angeles. These travel-by-map montages were the height of Survivor hilarity, yet sadly have sat dormant for more than 30 seasons. Surely, had the work shutdown not happened we would have been treated to a return to epic vote delivery glory, especially for an anniversary season like number 40, with an all-winners season, and the biggest cash prize giveaway in reality television history. Right? RIGHT?!
Sadly, when I asked Probst about it out on location last May during filming for Winners at War, the host seemed unmoved by the prospect. "Here's the thing for me," says Probst. "It was fun to do it. We did it several times. And we always had a very fun, tongue-in-cheek way of doing it. But I don't want to repeat. We don't want to do it just to do it and waste time out of our finale, which is already so packed there's no time for the reunion show. So I just still don't have a great idea. Honestly, doing something like paddle-boarding or whatever, why?"
CBS
Why? BECAUSE IT WOULD BE HILARIOUS!!!
"You just want to see me look like an idiot again," Probst says. Okay, he's not wrong. But, in my defense, it is that willingness to look like an idiot that is so appealing and makes the segments work. They were so over the top there was practically a pool of Velveeta congealing under my television set when they first aired, and that's why fans loved them. So if Probst is not going to record another epic delivery, I tried for the best thing: the release of the infamous skateboarding footage.
First off, a little history. While talking to Probst back in 2014 for the San Juan del Sur finale, I made my annual plea for him to return to delivering the votes via some sort of ridiculous method of transportation, and he responded by telling me the most incredible story in the history of stories. A story of an aborted attempt at yet another epic vote delivery! A story recounted once again below:
"The last one we tried to do, it was me paddling — I can't remember from which island — but I left in a canoe, then we shipped the canoe back, I paddle down into Venice, California, I paddle in, I get out. This was the plan: I walk past the skate park and I go, 'Hey, kid. Can I have your board?' And the kid looks at me like in that Mean Joe Greene commercial… the Coke commercial, and he goes, 'Hey, you're the Survivor guy! Sure!' And he throws me his skateboard. And I'm going to hop on the skateboard, jump a curb, and then kick the skateboard up into my hands and hand it back to the kid and say, 'Thanks, kid. See you around.'
"So we have this idea and I go, 'But the only thing is, guys — I can't skateboard. But I'll try to learn.' We hire this guy. He says, 'Oh, I can teach you to do a couple of tricks.' And I go, 'But I didn't grow up in California. I'm not a skateboarder.' He says, 'No problem.' We get out there for about three hours and they guy is like, 'Listen, here's what you do: You ride the board and you use the leverage of your weight to hop it up onto the curb, skid across…' And I'm looking at him, like, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! I can't do this! So we never aired it, and that was the last one."
CBS
If you are anything like me, you're now picturing Probst as Marty McFly leading Biff Tannen on a wild chase into a truck full of manure, and that image is impossible to get out of your head. (Trust me, I've been trying for six years.) Anyway, when I asked Probst again about the footage during filming on Winners at War, he confirmed that it basically was the skateboarding experiment gone awry that killed the epic vote deliveries.
"The skateboarding is what did me in," says Probst. "The guy told me, the expert skateboarders — I said, 'Hey, we're doing this thing, I just need to be able to do one trick' — he said, 'No problem.' 'What's the trick?' He goes, 'I'll tell you what we're going to do. I'll show you how to hop off the board, kick one end, it will flip up in the air and you catch it and walk off.' I'm like, 'That's exactly what I need! I'll look like a stud!' About 15 times of it hitting me in the side of my face I said, 'All right, I'm out. You're fired, because I'm out.'"
And Survivor has never been the same since.
To see Probst talk about his disturbing lack of epic vote deliveries, watch the video at the top of the post. And for more Survivor scoop, follow Dalton on Twitter @daltonross.
Related content:
Jeff Probst reacts to one of the cruelest Survivor exits ever
Jeff Probst on whether Survivor will make it to season 50
Episode Recaps
S7 E18 Recap
The Blacklist recap: Man plans, God laughs
BY JODI WALKER
Rating: B
B
S6 E18 Recap
The Flash recap: Pied Piper returns as Team Flash faces Godspeed
BY CHANCELLOR AGARD
S5 E2 Recap
Billions recap: Axe's new foe beats him at his own game
BY KYLE FOWLE
S5 E18 Recap
Supergirl recap: The fantabulous emancipation of one Lena Luthor
BY SARA NETZLEY
S5 E17 Recap
Supergirl recap: The Lex-laid plans...
BY SARA NETZLEY
Rating: A-
A-
S5 E12 Recap
Outlander season finale recap: Safe In Your Arms
BY MAUREEN LEE LENKER
S45 E18 Recap
Saturday Night Live recap: Kristen Wiig hosts at-home season finale
BY ANDY HOGLUND
S40 E13 Recap
Survivor Winners at War recap: Double elimination smackdown!
BY DALTON ROSS
Rating: B+
B+
S4 E4 Recap
The Good Fight recap: The gang goes wild after being satirized by a play
BY CHANCELLOR AGARD
S4 E19 Recap
Riverdale recap: The students take down Mr. Honey
BY SAMANTHA HIGHFILL
S35 E6 Recap
The Challenge: Total Madness recap: Relationships implode on and off the show
BY SYDNEY BUCKSBAUM
S3 E8 Recap
Westworld season 3 finale recap: Apocalypse now
BY JAMES HIBBERD
S3 E5 Recap
Killing Eve recap: Maybe it's mommy's fault
BY KAT ROSENFIELD
S18 E15 Recap
American Idol recap: The Top 7 serenade the important ladies in their lives
BY MAGGIE FREMONT
S18 E13 Recap
The Voice recap: Top 9 revealed in first-ever live remote elimination show
BY MAGGIE FREMONT
S18 E12 Recap
The Voice recap: The not-so-live playoffs get started
BY MAGGIE FREMONT
S12 E6 Recap
The Real Housewives of New York City recap: Show me the money
BY JODI WALKER
S10 E4 Recap
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills recap: Three's a crowd
BY JODI WALKER
S1 E4 Recap
Listen to Your Heart recap: I'm tellin' y'all, it's a sabotage!
BY KRISTEN BALDWIN
Survivor
Jeff Probst leads adventures in the ultimate (and original) reality series.
TYPE
TV Show
SEASONS
40
RATING
GENRE
Reality
NETWORK
CBS
STREAM SERVICE
Amazon Prime
WHERE TO WATCH
Comments
Popular in TV
See every star's RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race makeoverSee every star's RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race makeover
See every star's RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race makeover
Pin
TV shows EW moms love to watchTV shows EW moms love to watch
TV shows EW moms love to watch
Pin
Broken Connection?
PAID CONTENT
Broken Connection?
From AT&T
Parks and Recreation cast: Where are they now?
Parks and Recreation cast: Where are they now?
Pin
Amy Sedaris dishes on spending season 3 At Home with Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, more
Amy Sedaris dishes on spending season 3 At Home with Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, more
Pin
Supernatural stars celebrate 15 years in exclusive EW portraits
Supernatural stars celebrate 15 years in exclusive EW portraits
Pin
The holidays (and Charlie!) visit Sam and Dean in exclusive Supernatural photos
The holidays (and Charlie!) visit Sam and Dean in exclusive Supernatural photos
Pin
Modern Family finale: Cast says goodbye in emotional behind-the-scenes photos
Modern Family finale: Cast says goodbye in emotional behind-the-scenes photos
Pin
Go behind the scenes of EW's Supernatural cover shoot
Go behind the scenes of EW's Supernatural cover shoot
Pin
Meet the cast of FX on Hulu's Mrs. America
Meet the cast of FX on Hulu's Mrs. America
Pin
Space Force: First look at Steve Carell's Trump-tweaking Netflix comedy
Space Force: First look at Steve Carell's Trump-tweaking Netflix comedy
Pin
Sasha Velour gushes over Quibi's colorful NightGowns cast: Meet them here
Sasha Velour gushes over Quibi's colorful NightGowns cast: Meet them here
Pin
Scrubs: Where are they now?
Scrubs: Where are they now?
Pin
Schitt's Creek stars Dan Levy, Noah Reid recreate classic movie romance scenes
Schitt's Creek stars Dan Levy, Noah Reid recreate classic movie romance scenes
Pin
Survivor: Winners at War new cast photo gallery
Survivor: Winners at War new cast photo gallery
Pin
Meet the cast of Survivor: Winners at War
Meet the cast of Survivor: Winners at War
Pin
See first photos from the Modern Family series finale
See first photos from the Modern Family series finale
Pin
Shangela, Bob, Eureka make over America in exclusive We're Here preview
Shangela, Bob, Eureka make over America in exclusive We're Here preview
Pin
Killing Eve season 3 first look: Send in the clowns
Killing Eve season 3 first look: Send in the clowns
Pin
Meet the cast of Survivor: Island of the Idols
Meet the cast of Survivor: Island of the Idols
Pin
All Topics in TV
TV REVIEWS RECAPS TV REUNIONS
EW.com
Magazines & More
Learn More
Subscribethis link opens in a new tab
Content Licensingthis link opens in a new tab
Sitemap
Connect
Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
OTHER MEREDITH SITES
© Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Data Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sell Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.
