Survivor: Island of the Idols

Survivor: Island of the Idols is the thirty-ninth season of .

Production
Starting with this season, Canadian citizens are eligible to apply for Survivor.

The mentors, Rob and Sandra, were given creative control over the happenings on the Island of the Idols, from the lessons they will teach and how they will go about them. Jeff Probst stated production would have built a shelter for Rob and Sandra, but the two refused and insisted to relive the Survivor experience.

Twists/Changes

 * Mentors: Two former Survivor winners, Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine, would return for this season as mentors to the castaways this season. Neither coach is in contention to win the million dollar prize.
 * : A selected castaway will be sent to the eponymous Island of the Idols where they will be taught survival skills and game strategies by Rob and Sandra. The survivor may choose to be tested on what they learned from the mentors for a chance to win an advantage in the game. However, losing the mentors' challenge will disallow them from voting the next time he or she attends Tribal Council. Jeff Probst describes the island as a "Survivor boot camp."
 * Hidden Immunity Idol: A Hidden Immunity Idol is hidden at each camp. In addition, castaways may earn one on the Island of the Idols by passing the mentor's test. These idols are usable for their next two to three Tribal Councils after receiving them.

Trivia

 * With this season, sets the record for the most-used country of the American Survivor franchise, with eight seasons filmed in the country, following, , , , , , and.
 * Island of the Idols marks the first time a country is used seven consecutive times.
 * As seen in the preview, the mentors will be wearing Buffs from their winning seasons. Rob is wearing a Murlonio Buff from and Sandra is wearing Balboa and Yin Yang Buffs from  and  respectively.