There was perhaps no bigger shock in yesterday’s Emmy nominations than in the Outstanding Reality Competition Program category where Survivor earned a nod for the first time in seventeen years. Now and again you might see a long-running show miss for a year and then bounce back the next, but in general, if awards voters decide you’re not one of the cool kids anymore, it takes an act of God to get you back in their good graces. In this case, however, it seems like it was an act of Carolyn.
That’s right. Survivor picked up its first major Emmy nomination in almost two decades, and many fans and critics are pointing toward the Tika 3 as the primary reason for it and specifically, Carolyn. The show has always done a good job of casting likable personalities and interesting characters, but Season 44 gave us maybe the most positive, quirky and hopeful cast in the history of the show. That group was led by the so-called Tika 3 of Carolyn Wiger, Carson Garrett and Yam Yam Arocho. The trio of eccentrics formed a close bond and worked together to all make deep runs and in doing so, captured the hearts of many fans who rooted them on.
After news of Survivor’s Emmy nomination, many of those involved in the show took to social media to celebrate. Host Jeff Probst hit up his Instagram stories and shared a graphic celebrating the nod. Many former players also got in on the celebration including all three members of the Tika 3, and of course, Survivor fans were happy to see the show recognized too.
The recurring theme in a lot of these posts was pointing to the Tika 3 and Carolyn as the reason the perception of the show elevated last season. Carson specifically said the show can thank Carolyn for the nomination. Numerous fans agreed and dropped their own tweets, and even some critics published stories theorizing that the cast was the reason the show is getting so much more positive recognition right now. I agree.
This is also, in my opinion, a positive development for Emmy voting in general. Too often awards shows get stuck on the same reality competition shows without really accounting for the fact that they have up and down seasons. Shows should be rewarded for seasons that really pop, and they should be punished for seasons that don’t. Sometimes the particular twists on a show work one year, and sometimes different twists don’t work the next year. Sometimes the cast really gels and is a joy to watch every week and sometimes it’s a slog. Ups and downs are a natural part of any long-running show.
Regardless, Survivor was fantastic last season. The producers need to stop getting quite so involved. They need to try to cast some more traditional villains and make some changes to the challenges, but in general, last season really, really worked thanks in large part to how many fantastic cast members were on. I’m glad to see the show get recognized, and I can’t wait to tune in next season to see if it can continue the positive momentum.
