‘Survivor: All-Stars’ dream cast: Our Top 20 ‘New Era’ contestants

When Jeff Probst declared at the start of “Survivor” Season 41 that the “New Era” could best be described as, “Drop the 4, keep the 1,” he wasn’t kidding. It’s clear the host/producer envisions the revamped version of the reality TV show that takes place post-Covid and with more representation as a fresh start. That’s likely why we haven’t had any players from the first 40 seasons pop up on our TV screens in a long while. (The last comeback cycle was “Winners at War,” which welcomed back 20 past champions for Season 40 in 2020.)

If Probst’s thinking is that the “New Era” will emulate the “Old School” days of “Survivor,” then that means we may not see an “All-Stars” version until Season 48. Remember, Season 8 was the first-ever installment that featured past players. So might Probst soon be telling a group of returning fan-favorites to “Drop the 4, keep the 8”? Or maybe he’s waiting for Season 50 — after all, that’s quite an impressive milestone.

SEE ‘Survivor’ winners list: All seasons

If a comeback season is on the horizon, Gold Derby wants to stake our claim right now by listing our Top 20 “Survivor: All-Stars — New Era” dream cast members who MUST appear. Scroll through our photos above (or click here for direct access) to see all of our fantasy picks. Note that we include four contestants each from Seasons 41-45, and that winners are not considered.

Looking ahead, “Survivor 46” will debut on CBS on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. The first two episodes will each be two hours in length, and after that the show will return to the same 90-minute format that made “Survivor 45” such a success with fans. Will any of Season 46’s contestants make our dream cast list next year? Stay tuned. You can get your first peek at the newbies by watching the “Survivor 46” promo trailer right here.

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