While it may seem like Survivor has been on since the beginning of time, the truth of the matter is, it has only been on since the year 2000. Still, that's a lot of shows, but somehow Survivor never gets old, there is no doubt it's one of the best reality shows in the history of television.

Even if you've been watching every season since the very beginning, even if you think Russell Hantz is the biggest Survivor genius of all time, there are still going to be a few things that you don't know about this show. And you know why that is? Well, the producers like to have their secrets, because that is part of what makes great reality TV.

Here are 20 things the producers don't want you to know about Survivor.

20 Interns Test the Challenges

Do you ever wonder how they decide which challenges might work and which ones might be total duds? Well, they have to test them of course, but how do they do that? Well, the producers use interns. Not a bad gig when you think about it, kicking around on some tropical island while getting experience at the same time.

19 The People That Get Voted Out Early Don’t Go Home Right Away

What do you think happens to all of the contestants who are voted out early? Do you think they go home and just kick it with their friends and family? Nope. The show's producers don't want there to be any secrets let out, so the keep all the contestants together, often at an exotic location.

18 The Wardrobes Are Chosen By The Producers

The producers pretty much tell people what to wear before they come on the show. Come on, did you really think people would choose to wear shirts with collars? No way. For example, Cochran always wore sweater vests, even though in real life he had never worn one before.

17 The Crew is Huge

Sure you probably had a pretty idea that a show as popular as Survivor has a pretty big crew, but I bet you had no idea how big. Pretty much every scene you can imagine on Survivor, no matter how private it seems, has a whole bunch of camera crew members all around it.

16 The Crew has a Secret Camp

Since we have already established there is an enormous crew, where do they sleep? They have to sleep somewhere, right? They have their own base camp with cottages and as much food and drink as they want. The contestants must get jealous.  Not a bad gig when you think about it.

15 The Way the Votes are Read is Arranged

You know how when they read the votes at tribal it always seems to be in a way where they make it the most suspenseful? Well, they do that on purpose. Once all of the votes are cast the producers count them up and then Jeff Probst reads them out in a way that is the most dramatic.

14 Tribal Council Takes Forever

When you watch tribal council on TV, it always seems like it goes so quickly. Well, it doesn't. In fact, sometimes tribal council go on for as long as three hours. Can you imagine sitting there answering questions for three hours, especially if you think you're going to be the one going home?

13 All the Contestants Get Paid

Many people know the winner of Survivor winner takes home the million-dollar prize, while second place gets $100,000 and third place scores $85,000. But did you know everyone on the show gets paid? Even the person that goes off first gets some money, and they all get $10,000 for being on the reunion show.

12 Challenges Often Take Hours

While on television challenges usually only take ten minutes or so, in reality sometimes they take up to three hours. All of the contestants are walked through the challenges, and they all have to meet with medical to make sure they are good to go. Ahh, the magic of television.

11 A Lot of Contestants Are Recruited

We all know the story of the contestant who tries and tries every year to make it on Survivor, but a lot of players on the show never try at all. Instead, they are recruited by the producers. If they don't have what they want from the applicant pool they just go and find someone else.

10 Every Contestant is Followed By a Camera Crew Member

Every single cast member is followed by at least one camera operator at all times. The only time they are ever alone is if they go into the bushes to go to the bathroom. This is the kind of thing that would drive a lot of people insane. Survivor certainly isn't for everyone.

9 They Do Get Some Essentials

While it's well-known contestants of Survivor are being tested by not having a lot of things they are used to off the island, they still get some essentials. Some of these are birth control, feminine hygiene products, vital medication, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

8 Probst is an Executive Producer

A lot of people think that Jeff Probst is just a host of the show, but he is a lot more than that. He is also an executive producer. So when he is out there on camera interacting with all of the contestants, don't forget he is also running the show. He has a ton of power.

7 Medical Staff Is Always There

The medical staff is present 24 hours a day and is always very close by in the event any contestant needs any assistance. One thing about Survivor, they take the health of contestants very seriously, in fact, there have been many times when they have removed players for health reasons.

6 Contestants Can’t Roam Freely

Sometimes it seems like players can go anywhere they want, but that is far from the truth. While it seems there is a great distance between camps, sometimes they are closer than they appear. Other times challenges are being set up nearby. Players have to stay where producers say they can go.

5 There are a Lot of Unseen Boats in Water Challenges

How do you think they get all the amazing footage they do for water challenges? Well, it's pretty easy to do if you have 50 boats in the water all with cameras. Talk about good editing, there are so many great shots camera operators get in water challenges, and they're never seen.

4 Contestants Have Tried to Smuggle Things In

Contestants are always looking for advantages, and some even look for them before they even get to their location. Some have tried to smuggle in flint, matches, and even fish hooks. Kind of odd considering they are going to be on camera at all times, but you have to give them credit for trying.

3 Pre-Game Alliances Happen

Pre-game alliances are actually a thing. Think about it, when there are returning players, they might be people who stay in touch with each other, or at least know how to get in touch. What is going to stop those players from teaming up? Nothing we can think of.

2 The Jury Goes to Ponderosa

Once jury members get voted off they go to Ponderosa where they are fed well and pampered. They only thing odd about this is they also get to hang out and talk about who they should all vote for. You know it would turn out differently is they were all sequestered.

1 Contestants Get Transported to Tribal and Challenges

You know all those scenes you see where people are always walking to tribal where really dramatic music plays? Yeah, that doesn't happen. They are transported to locations in vehicles with blacked-out windows, which is keep them from seeing things they aren't supposed to see.