CBS Announced Some Changes To “Survivor” In The Wake Of Dan Spilo’s Removal From The Game

The finale of Survivor airs tonight and it’s going to look a lot different from past seasons. In light of the unprecedented removal of a player, Hollywood agent Dan Spilo, from the game for inappropriate touching, CBS has made some changes to both how the finale will play out and with their procedures moving forward. E! News reports that those changes could affect other CBS reality shows like Big Brother and Love Island, which would probably leave those shows with a 30 second running time solely comprised of a lengthy disclaimer and the opening credits.

To recap, in an early episode, contestant Kellee Kim complained to producers that Dan had repeatedly touched her inappropriately, proof of which was caught on camera and aired during the episode. Dan was given a talking to, and Kellee was voted off, due in part to having been targeted by two other contestants, Missy Byrd and Elizabeth Beisel, who initially corroborated Kellee’s complaints and even made similar accusations against Dan, but later admitted to exaggerating them to further their game. Weeks later, Dan’s hands landed on a female producer’s leg and he was ejected from the game. Naturally, people wondered why he hadn’t been removed after the first accusations. CBS is now addressing those concerns with a statement which starts off by bragging that it was a perfect call, much like somebody else we know (via Entertainment Weekly):

Season 39 of Survivor has been unprecedented for all of us, with important social issues and inappropriate individual behavior intersecting with game play in complex ways that we’ve never seen before. During the course of the production, we listened to the players intently, investigated responsibly and responded accordingly, including taking the unprecedented step of removing a player from the game.

At the same time, we are responsible for the final outcome of this season. We recognize there are things we could have done differently, and we are determined to do better going forward.

Ok, maybe not exactly like Trump, but have (Survivor creator) Mark Burnett release The Apprentice tapes and we can talk. CBS says they will “adopt new protocols and procedures for future seasons, to ensure that the events that occurred this season are not repeated.” Those include a promise to “enhance procedures for training, reporting of issues and prohibited forms of game play,” and though they already have “mental health” advisors available to players at all times, both inside and outside of the game, they will “add another on-site professional to provide a confidential means of reporting any concerns.” Additionally:

The show will enhance its pre-production orientation with new anti-harassment, unconscious bias and sensitivity training for cast, producers and production crew on location.

A new rule will be implemented stating unwelcome physical contact, sexual harassment and impermissible biases cannot be brought into the competition and will not be permitted as part of gameplay. This will be covered in the cast orientation for each season, along with clear instructions on how to report violations.

The show will also partner with a third-party expert in the field to review, evolve or add to these new policies and procedures going forward.

CBS’s legal team is probably so ready for a vacation after however many tedious ass meetings it took to come up with this mess. Where has the impermissible bias test been all our lives!? I would like to see it. Is it written, oral? Is it a blood test?

It was too late to implement many of these new procedures for Season 40, which is already in the can, but CBS assures us they will be observed for all future seasons moving forward. However, given where we’re headed as a society, I can’t imagine Season 69 of Survivor being anything other than a murderous Hunger Games class warfare type of situation. But as long as everybody takes, and passes, their impermissible bias tests, it’s Game. On.

As for the finale and reunion show, it airs tonight. As previously reported, it was pretaped. And Dan was uninvited.

Pic: CBS via Twitter