Australian Survivor’s network executive producer Tim Ali is a die-hard fan of the franchise and a die-hard fan of creating cool and interesting Australian content.
Obviously, all executive producers are usually proud of their shows or contractually obliged to appear proud of their shows, but 10’s Tim Ali is a little bit obsessed with Survivor.
While Australian Survivor produced by Endemol Shine Australia, hasn’t been winning the number one spot in entertainment, it has been delivering strong solid numbers, aka the people that are hooked are hooked. Perhaps because Ali’s passion literally shines through the screen.
Ali has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the franchise, and when he speaks about this season’s Australian Survivor Blood Vs Water. produced by Endemol Shine Australia, you can hear the excitement in his voice.
Of course, in this season, there’s a lot to be excited about. The survivors are entering the show alongside a loved one.
Ali told B&T, “We’ve got brothers, cousins, a married couple. There’s something for everyone at home and something for everyone to relate to!”
They’ve also got Sam Frost’s brother appearing on the show, so they even have something for Home and Away fans. But Ali is clear, despite people bringing along a loved one, “There can only be one sole survivor.” Basically, buckle up. Things are about to get messy.
Ali is also thrilled by this theme because he loves how Australian Survivor is, “Open for the cast to drive it, and that’s what is so exciting about it.” This means it could be anyone’s game.
This is what has always made the show so enjoyable. What would you do to win? Would you really be willing to turn on a loved one? How far would you go to survive?
Of course, Ali feeds off these kinds of questions as he explains to B&T, “The most exciting thing about this time for me is the theme.
“The theme just initiates so much conversation. Because no matter who you are watching with, you are constantly putting yourself in the contestants’ shoes.”
And who hasn’t wondered if they’d stab their sister in the back to be the Sole Survivor?
It will also be important for Ali to make sure this season looks different to Australian Survivors: Brains Vs Brawn. They weren’t able to travel overseas because of the pandemic, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t offer audiences a whole new visual even while filming the show in Queensland, as they did last year.
Ali said, “In this series, I was amazed that we could travel six hours down the same road and be in a completely different environment. Yet still in the same state.”
Ali also sees the making of Australian Survivor as a collaboration between the crew and the traditional owners of the land. All shoot locations for Australian Survivor were culturally cleared by representatives, and the cast and crew were briefed on how to respect the land and animals during filming. All heads of department, key production and editorial staff received cultural training before the production of Survivor.
Of course, this is nothing new for Network 10. It has incorporated Acknowledgement of Country, Welcome To Country, Smoking Ceremonies, Indigenous place names, First Nations casting, consulting, episode approvals, news and editorial coverage of First nations affairs and discussions of First Nations Countries Custodianship during filming. First Nations crew and cultural training occurred on shows such as Australian Survivor, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, MasterChef Australia, The Amazing Race, The Bachelorette, The Living Room, The Project, 10 News First, The Melbourne Cup Carnival, and Studio 10.
It’s all part of what makes Survivor so authentically Australian. Ali’s passion for the show is contagious and reflected in its success. Ali’s hope for this season is “our audience loves it, and our superfans love it.”
And honestly, if you met Ali you’d hope the same.
