CBS is taking some steps in a more diverse direction.
The network announced Monday that all of its reality shows will feature a cast of at least 50 percent Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), starting with the 2021-2022 seasons of programming. That would include Survivor, Big Brother, Love Island and The Amazing Race. CBS also designated a quarter of its annual unscripted budget for projects created by BIPOC producers.
Survivor has dealt with its fair share of issues over the past few years. Season 39 was the first time the show ever had a player removed from the game over issues with harassment and unwanted touching, which prompted the network to make changes behind the scenes. In June, contestants and viewers came together with a petition calling for more diversity both in front of and behind the cameras.
Big Brother has also faced its share of controversies and issues with race, which occasionally gets called out onscreen by the players themselves as Da’Vonne Rogers did during season 22.
In September, however, season two of the U.S. version of Love Island, which also airs on CBS, crowned the franchise’s first-ever Black winning couple.