Survivor Keeps on Surviving

CBS reups reality competition for two more seasons

By Sarah Hall Jan 29, 2008 10:44 PMTags

CBS is keeping the torch fires burning.

The network has ordered two more installments of Survivor to be broadcast during the 2008-09 season.

The new editions will mark the 17th and 18th seasons of the long-running reality series.

The 16th installment, the stars-vs.-fans Survivor: Micronesia, premieres Feb. 7, while casting for the 17th installment is currently under way.

Khaki-clad host Jeff Probst will be along for the ride, having reupped his contract to continue overseeing the competition.

"I still get excited to get on the plane and travel to another exotic location with another group of adventure-seeking, Type A personalities," Probst said in a statement. "It is without question the best job I've ever had."

Executive producer Mark Burnett was similarly enthusiastic about the renewal, stating he is "looking forward to many more seasons of Survivor."

"It has become an expected treat every Thursday at 8 p.m., and I am glad our loyal fans can continue their appointment television with us," Burnett said.

The 15th installment of the series, Survivor: China, averaged 15.2 million viewers this fall. While those numbers are down from the castaway competition's glory days, the show continues to dominate its time period.

Survivor wasn't the only Burnett-fueled production to receive a pickup order Tuesday.

NBC announced it has ordered a second season of The Celebrity Apprentice, set to premiere January 2009.

The current season of the boardroom showdown will conclude in a live two-hour season finale on Mar. 27.