When does Survivor 45 start? Release date, Filming dates, rumored cast, returning players, and more

Survivor 45 the latest iteration of the Emmy Award-winning reality show will return with a new format and additional twists on September 27, 2023, at 8 pm ET. The new season will have 18 new contestants divided into three tribes of six. They will all be stranded in Fiji's Mamanuca Islands for a 26-day competition, which is considerably shorter than the usual 39-day-long competition. However, the episodes will be 90 minutes long in the new season.

Bruce Perreault is the only returning player this season while the rest of the cast list is still currently rumored. The upcoming season will be hosted and executive-produced by Jeff Probst. It would be a blend of physical and mental challenges, as contestants navigate complex social dynamics in their quest to become the Sole Survivor.

The official synopsis of the show, according to CBS reads:

“SURVIVOR launches a new chapter when the Emmy Award-winning series returns on Wednesdays. Stranded in the beautiful islands of Fiji, these 18 determined new castaways will be divided into three tribes of six and forced to form a new society as they adapt to their physical and social surroundings.

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Survivor 45 set to thrill fans with new twists and turns

As mentioned earlier, the much-anticipated premiere of Survivor 45 is set for Wednesday, September 27, at 8 p.m. ET. While the filming duration is shorter this season, fans can expect longer episodes with a runtime of 90 minutes as compared to the usual 60 minutes.

For those tuning in from different time zones, here are the premiere timings:

• Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): 1 am, Thursday, September 28, 2023
• Eastern Time (ET): 8 pm, Wednesday, September 27, 2023
• Central Time (CT): 7 pm, Wednesday, September 27, 2023
• Mountain Time (MT): 6 pm, Wednesday, September 27, 2023
• Pacific Time (PT): 5 pm, Wednesday, September 27, 2023
• Alaska Time (AKT): 4 pm, Wednesday, September 27, 2023
• Hawaii-Aleutian Time (HAT): 2 pm, Wednesday, September 27, 2023

The episodes will be available for viewing on CBS and its streaming service, CBS All Access.

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Survivor 45 filming dates and location

The Survivor series has a well-established routine when it comes to production. Typically, two seasons are filmed in quick succession during the spring and summer months. These seasons are then broadcast in the fall of the same year and the next spring.

The series did its regular filming cycle in Fiji in the spring of 2021 with Seasons 41 and 42. The trend continued in 2022 with seasons 43 and 44. As for Survivor 45, it's believed to have been filmed earlier this year, also in the spring and summer, keeping with the show's traditional schedule.

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List of Survivor 45 rumored cast and returning players

Survivor 45 Takes Strategy and Survival to the Next Level (image via Instagram/survivorcbs)

The cast for the 45th season has not been officially announced. However, a list of rumored contestants has been circulating, sourced from the Inside Survivor blog’s reliable insider known as Martin Holmes aka Redmond. Some of the names on the rumored cast list, as given by Martin Holmes include:

• Austin Li Coon, a 26-year-old business student from Chicago
• Dianelys 'Dee' Valladares, a 26-year-old in sales development from Miami
• Emily Flippen, a 28-year-old financial analyst from Washington, D.C.
• Katurah Topps, a 34-year-old civil rights lawyer from New York City
• Kendra McQuarrie, a 30-year-old bartender from Salem, Massachusetts

It is worth noting that these names have yet to be confirmed by the show's makers and it's only a rumored list shared by a reliable insider.

This season has only one returning player namely, Bruce Perreault. Bruce's previous stint on Survivor 44 was cut short due to a head injury which led to his medical evacuation.

Jeff Probst, the show's host, had mentioned on his podcast, On Fire With Jeff Probst, that Bruce was welcome to join a future season. Bruce has taken up that offer and is back for Survivor 45.

As mentioned earlier, Survivor 45 is set to be released on September 27, 2023, at 8 pm ET. It will be available to watch on CBS and its streaming service, CBS All Access.