Once upon a time, summer TV was a barren landscape of reruns, so when Survivor premiered on May 31, 2000, viewers tuned in. What they saw was as absurd as it was intriguing: Sixteen strangers dropped onto a secluded island off the coast of Borneo, trying to outwit and outlast each other for 39 days to win $1 million. And, wait, were they eating rats? More than 25 years later, the Emmy winning reality show has not just survived but thrived, all while keeping its DNA intact. (Host and executive producer Jeff Probst still sends ousted contestants packing with, "Your tribe has spoken.