After Jeff Probst walked away from the project, Mark Burnett Inc. interviewed a series of potential hosts. In the midst of deciding between Whoopi Goldberg and Louie Anderson, Mark Burnett met with BBC executive Nigel Wexbury-Farms. Wexbury-Farms, an executive producer for several years, suggested that the Survivor series take on a British host to seal US-UK relations. Burnett, after leaving Wexbury-Farms with a handshake and a free lunch, hopped on the next Concorde to the merry old island and interviewed with several BBC and SKY television personalities. He returned home 4 days later with Robert Llewellyn, star of TV's Scrapheap Challenge (Junkyard Wars in the US) and the popular UK sci-fi series Red Dwarf. Llewellyn was quoted as saying he was "very excited to be working on this new and exciting experience in US television". Burnett Inc. then inked a fresh contract with Warner Bros. Entertainment to put the series into syndication 5 nights a week on the popular WB network, and to other networks for a price.
With a new host, and a fresh television audience and network, Burnett and Llewellyn were ready to begin the audition process for a new cast and a new location. They began advertising for auditions on the WB network and on http://www.wb.com/survivor. They were initially displeased with the response that came in, but they hoped they would soon have an exciting and adventurous location at which they could boast their new series. Survivor sent scouts out all over the world, but the only countries willing to host the ill-reputed Survivor series were Canada, UK, North Vietnam, and Cuba. After throwing a dart at a globe, executives reluctantly decided to break bread with Castro, smoke a peace pipe, and set up their inaugural show on the beaches of Cuba.
But the auditions were still terrible! And without a cast, the Survivor series was quickly going over their start-up budget. Survivor was about to be shut down before it was even reborn. It was one of the interns at the board meeting who suggested taking on a corporate sponsor. Mark Burnett Inc. sent out letters and hospitality baskets with fruit, lotions and biscotti to several major corporations all over the world.
Five weeks later, prospects were still grim until a letter from Nintendo of America came in. A sigh of relief...at a cost. Nintendo, while willing to cosponsor the new series, had a few necessary provisions before they were willing to enter a contract.
Head of casting Fred G. Henrihan was ready to send plane tickets to Cuba to 16 viewers from various parts of the Kings Dominion-area viewing bloc, when vice CEO Craig Murray showed him the letter from Nintendo...their problems were solved. Nintendo wanted to place 16 of their most popular video game characters in the first adventure to Cuba. Henrihan and Murray smiled and shook hands. Henrihan, Llewellyn and Burnett flew the next morning to Seattle, Washington to sign a contract with Nintendo of America for co sponsorship and an all-star cast.
They met in the Nintendo boardroom with Yatta "Charlie" Yamamushimoto, and delivered some bad news. While Nintendo was ready to provide two teams for Survivor: the Sonic team, and the Mario team, the Mario team had just backed out, citing irreconcilable differences with the Sonic team, and not being paid enough money to participate in the show. Yamamushimoto assured them, however, they would be able to provide a last minute "budget” team from one of the less-popular games. The Survivor execs reluctantly agreed, with taping to begin in Cuba in little over two weeks, and the Nintendo deal was signed.
A show is born.

In early June, 16 video game superstars met in the Castroland Travellodge in downtown Havana,Cuba. There were now two perfectly formed teams: Team Sonic, and Team Eternal Darkness. The whole show, including host Robert Llewellyn were ready to be transported to a remote island directly off the shore of Cuba; Isla de la Juventud. The old cigar boat dropped the cast and crew off on the island, and the show began!

Dropped off at the North Point of the island was Team Sonic:

Ogilvie Hedgehog: occupation: Hero, luxury item: Shoes
Miles Prower: occupation: Handyman, luxury item: cigars
Shadow Hedgehog: occupation: Ultimate Lifeform, luxury item: comb
Ivo Robotnik: occupation: Villain, luxury item: toilet paper
Rouge Bat: occupation: government agent, luxury item: Tampax
Knuckles Echidna: occupation: 7-Eleven employee, luxury item: harmonica
Amy Rose: occupation: fangirl, luxury item: scrapbook
Omochao: occupation: Information booth employee, luxury item: cog grease

At the South Point of the island was Team ED:

Alex Roivas: occupation: student, luxury item: cigarettes
Anthony: occupation: trolley parker, luxury item: nail polish
Roberto Bianchi: occupation:Architect/ABE, luxury item: diapers
Mike Edwards: occupation: firefighter, luxury item: Jet magazine
Karim Abdol-Jafar: occupation: disney employee, luxury item: vest
Pious Augustus: occupation: evil-doer, luxury item: Staff
Edward Roivas: occupation: professor, luxury item: beer
Paul Luther: occupation: monk, luxury item: laxative

Our teams settle in for what will probably a long...

Karim: Okay. Pious. (shakes head, scoffing) The dude couldn't catch a fish to save his life.
Pious: I don't like Karim. He's been giving me a lot of sassback.

Amy Rose: (puffing away on a cigar) Ack! (gags) It tastes like dirt!

Amy Rose: I think this is a real test of our love.
Sonic: Amy is our biggest roadblock right now.