What really made Survivor stand out, however, was its ingenious format, which managed to unite three key traditions: Allen Funt’s prank show model; the Chuck Barris-esque game show; and the real-life soap opera, which was launched by An American Family. This singular, powerful structure would ultimately influence nearly everything that followed it—and when Survivor broke out as a prime-time hit for CBS in 2000, it struck many viewers as a distinctly American program,
