Survivor

Survivor is the American adaptation of the worldwide Survivor reality television franchise, which originated from the Swedish series Expedition Robinson. This television program throws a bunch of strangers in a remote area, and forces them to fend for themselves when it comes to food, fire, and shelter.

To get the prizes and avoid elimination, the contestants have to participate in activities that assess their physical capabilities (running and swimming) as well as their cerebral aptitude (puzzles and endurance trials). In each stage, the participants are ousted from the game if their fellows vote them out. The procedures repeat until only one person remains and is crowned "Sole Survivor". The winner also receives the ultimate reward of $1,000,000.

The American adaptation of Survivor was a smash hit. From 2001 through 2006, its first 11 seasons were consistently ranked in the top 10 most-watched television programs. It is widely regarded as the pioneer of American reality television, and is considered one of the greatest programs of the decade.

Seasons: 42

Highest ratings: 7.29 million viewers/episode