Survivor: Fiji

Survivor: Fiji is the fourteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Fiji Islands.

The premiere of Fiji aired on February 8, 2007. The two-hour season finale aired on May 13, 2007, followed by the Reunion show live from Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. Host Jeff Probst has gone on record declaring the season as one of his least favorites.

In a twist from previous seasons of Survivor, all contestants participated in at least one challenge before being split into two tribes and moving to two different camps. One camp (built by all contestants in the initial challenge), Moto, was furnished with several luxuries, including shelters built from pre-cut wood, a kitchen area with dishware, a shower, a toilet, furniture, and the means to maintain fire. The other camp, Ravu, was given merely a pot and a machete. During the broadcast of the season, host Jeff Probst admitted that this concept did not play out quite as the producers hoped, as it led to the "haves" tribe predictably dominating in the challenges over the "have-nots" week after week.

Exile Island returned once again for Fiji, with new twists. Unlike previous seasons, there were two hidden immunity idols, with one hidden at each camp. The idol now had to be played before Jeff read the results of the voting, rather than after. Once a hidden immunity idol was used, it was rehidden rather than discarded. The idols were good through the final five.

The pivotal moment of the season came when contestant Yau-Man Chan won a 2008 Ford Super Duty truck at a reward challenge on Day 34 and decided to make a deal with formerly homeless contestant Andria “Dreamz” Herd. Yau-Man would give Dreamz the truck on the condition that if Dreamz won immunity when four contestants remained, he would give the immunity to Yau-Man. Dreamz accepted the deal and went on to win immunity at the final four. However, despite calling himself "a man of his word" and wanting to set a good example for his children, when the time came to follow through with his promise, Dreamz decided to keep immunity for himself, causing Yau-Man's elimination. During the reunion show it was revealed that Dreamz had kept the truck, although it is unclear whether or not he donated it to charity. The move was billed in previews and promotional media for the season as "the most controversial decision in Survivor history."

The winner, Earl Cole, was unanimously selected by the jury. Yau-Man reported that Dreamz and Cassandra Franklin received $100,000, as they both received the same amount of votes for Sole Survivor (zero) and tied for second place. He also reported that he received $60,000 for coming in fourth.

Applications were due June 16, 2006. Mellisa McNulty, a 27-year-old talent manager from Los Angeles, would have been the twentieth castaway but dropped out and returned home the night before the show began because of panic attacks and irritable bowel syndrome, making this the first season of Survivor to have an odd number of castaways, with 19. Because of the timing and lack of alternates, her spot could not be replaced. Gary Stritesky was the only contestant who applied to be on the show; McNulty and the other 18 contestants were recruited. The cast retained the same amount of diversity as the previous season, Survivor: Cook Islands, in a conscious effort intended to show that the racial diversity of Survivor: Cook Islands was not just a ratings stunt.

Chan later appeared as a "favorite" on Survivor: Micronesia where he was the third contestant and second "favorite" to be voted out. He was asked to return for Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains but turned the offer down due to work obligations.

The complete season (including the live Reunion show) was released on DVD on December 11, 2012, available exclusively through Amazon.com.

Read more about Survivor: Fiji:  Season Summary, Contestants, The Game, Voting History, Filming Locations, Political Turmoil in Fiji