mark burnett intended to be the person to bring the show to the united states, though he recognized that the swedish version was a bit crude and mean-spirited. burnett retooled the concept to use better production values, based on his prior "eco-challenge" show, and wanted to focus more on the human drama experienced while under pressure. burnett spent about a year trying to find a broadcaster that would take the show, retooling the concept based on feedback. on november 24, 1999, burnett made his pitch to les moonves of cbs, and moonves agreed to pick up the show. the first season, "", was filmed during march and april 2000, and was first broadcast on may 31, 2000. the first season became a ratings success, leading to its current ongoing run.