Even Jeff Probst didn’t think Survivor would last 25 years. But when TVLine hops on the phone with the competition series’ host, the topic of conversation is Season 49 — 49 ! — of a show that not only has blatant staying power, but one that changed the reality genre forever with its electric twists, dynamic stories and its globally famous tagline: The tribe has spoken.

“When people ask me, ‘Did you ever think Survivor would last 25 years?’ Obviously, no,” the host tells TVLine. “Nobody would. You could never predict that. So we just keep our heads down and try to do one season at a time.”

With Survivor 49 off and running (read our premiere recap here , along with our first exit interview ) and a highly anticipated returnees season already in the can for next year, I ask

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