Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated seasons of all time.

Will 'Old School' Players Struggle In The New Season of 'Survivor'?

CBS conducted a bold new experiment with the casting for the new season of Survivor. Producers presented Survivor fans with a list of 32 former one-time players who did not win the game in their original seasons and asked fans to vote for who they'd like to see again. The top 10 men and top 10 women were selected and announced at the Survivor: Worlds Apart finale. From there, the 20 players were flown out to Cambodia, where they are currently playing the game.

There has been much buzz about this season on social media and Survivor message boards. With anticipation rising, let's break down the top 10 reasons we're excited for Survivor: Cambodia.

5. The return of several fan favorites

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Many contestants have come out of the previous few seasons with the audience loving absolutely falling in love with them. Examples include Joe Anglim from Worlds Apart, Keith Nale from San Juan del Sur and Spencer Bledsoe and Tasha Fox from Cagayan. It will be fun to see so many fan favorites playing with and against each other as they battle to the top.

4. The concept itself

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With many returning player and half-returning player seasons, there have been many dubious choices in both casting and tribal breakdowns. Players like Jenna Lewis and Amber Brkich weren't exactly the most memorable players, despite being cast in All Stars, and Brandon Hantz, Phillip Sheppard and Francesca Hogi could hardly be considering "favorites" despite being on the "Favorites" tribe in Caramoan. With Cambodia, everyone is in the same boat of only playing the game once and not winning.

3. New location

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Survivor has been very conservative with locations for seasons as of late, only going to the Philippines, Samoa or Nicaragua since season 19, a.k.a. Samoa. Cambodia is a new location for the long-running reality franchise, so we may be in for a different look overall compared to recent seasons. While it will likely still be on a beach, it will be refreshing to see a new location after all these years.

2. Long overdue for "All Star" season

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While it seems like Survivor likes to bring back returning players all the time (and they do), this is only the third "All Star" season in the show's history. Before this, All Stars and Heroes vs. Villains were the only seasons to feature casts of all returning players. While All Stars was a relatively ugly season, Heroes vs. Villains remains one of the most beloved seasons of all time due to the colorful cast and crazy gameplay. With the game continuing to evolve, look for players to go out there and really make their marks.

1. The return of "Old School" players

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While the cast skews newer, there are eight players from the first 20 seasons. Some of these Old School contestants like Kelly Wiglesworth from Borneo, Andrew Savage from Pearl Islands and Jeff Varner and Kimmi Kappenberg from Australia are people we never thought we'd see again, due to their seasons being so long ago. The game has changed so much since when these contestants played the game, so it is going to be fascinating seeing them adapt to the current incarnation of the game. Will they thrive among "New School" players who tend to overplay the game or will they find themselves unable to adapt? Seeing players from all eras of the game coming together for one season is very exciting, but we are most excited to see the early season players.

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The hype is huge for Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance and many fans are hoping this turns into a modern classic season. We can't wait to see how it all shakes out.

Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance airs in the fall on CBS.

Tags
Survivor, Reality TV, CBS