Survivor: Gabon

Survivor: Gabon - Earth's Last Eden is the seventeenth season of Survivor. The winner of this season, Bob Crowley, the oldest winner in Survivor history, defeated Susie Smith and Sugar Kiper in a final vote 4-3-0.

Production
On April 13, 2008, at the National Association of Broadcasters's annual show, Sony announced that the 17th season of Survivor would be the first to be shot in high definition, using Sony XDCAMs.

Survivor: Gabon began filming in late June. It marked the second season of the series that was filmed in Africa (Survivor: Africa had been filmed seven years earlier in Kenya). Reports from Gabon indicate the show was filmed around the coastal towns of Nyonie and Ekwata in the Wonga-Wongue Presidential Reserve.

Twists/Changes

 * Tribe Selection: Similar to Survivor: Thailand, the oldest male and female players will choose their tribemates.
 * Disposable Immunity Idols: Similar to Survivor: Micronesia, the players competed for individual immunity for their first visiting Tribal Council.
 * Exile Island: Exile Island returns this season, with some new tweaks. The banished player will pick one of two bottles, one will grant idle comfort (referrring to a semi-lavish shelter with a fruit basket inside), while the other will provide idol protection (a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol somewhere around the vicinity). If the player chose to look for the idol, he/she must rest outside of the shelter. If that player chose to enjoy the comforts of the shelter, the player in question cannot look out for the idol.
 * Hidden Immunity Idols: Two Hidden Immunity Idols were available this season, one during the tribal phase of the game, and another during the second tribe switch.
 * Double Tribal Council: On Day 21, both tribes must go to Tribal Council to eliminate one of their own.
 * Two Tribe Switches: There are two tribe swaps in this season, the first one on Day 10, and the other on Day 22.
 * Delayed Merge: Due to the surprise second Tribe Switch, the merge was delayed for three days, merging with nine remaining contestants
 * Final Tribal Council: The finale returned to the Final Three, seven-person Jury format, similar to Survivor: China.

Trivia

 * This is the only season to have two involunatry Tribe Switches.
 * This is also the first season to feature two pre-merge individual immunity challenges
 * This is the first season since Survivor: China to feature a seven-member Jury with a Final Three.
 * This is the first season with an 18 player cast where the Jury began before the Merge.
 * All the members of the second iteration of Fang were voted out in two pairs of four.
 * This is similar to Samburu of Survivor: Africa as they were red, and were voted out in groups of four.
 * This season has the honor of producing the oldest survivor winner.