Can 'Survivor' Redeem Itself with 'Redemption Island?'

It's hard to believe that CBS' "Survivor" is set to sail for its 22^nd season next month. And for a show by any other standards, the same old format would have gotten really stale by now. But for Season 22 "Survivor" has some changes in store- and possibly a few familiar faces.

For 21 seasons, "Survivor" has managed to keep viewers hooked- that is, until last month's final episode of "Survivor: Nicaragua", which marked the lowest finale ratings in "Survivor" history.

Why the dip in ratings? Who didn't want to tune in to see hunky golden boy Jud "Fabio" Birza collect his moolah (and he even did it in a nice guy way, with nary a back stab)! Maybe it was just because it was Christmas week and people were busy watching Lifetime movies.

But just in case, "Survivor" is offering a change up for next season, which premieres on February 16^th. The changes include new twists and new rules.

Host Jeff Probst made the announcement during the "Survivor" finale. The new season, titled "Redemption Island," will also be filmed in Nicaragua and it will offer ejected contestants a safe haven, where they will hang until it's time to duel it out for chance to get back in the game. This means the nasty speeches at tribal council may be limited, as anyone evicted could come back to bite ya!

Of course, fans don't always like an eviction twist. "Big Brother" fans scoffed when evicted houseguests were brought back into the game- and savvy players often make a pact to vote the returning players out again immediately.

So who knows how the "Redemption Island" twist will pan out, but it is an interesting concept that promises to keep the long-running show fresh.

As for "Survivor" quitters (NaOnka, Kelly) this time around if a player quits, he/she may not be allowed to cast a vote on the jury. Good.

Now it's on to the casting rumors. It would be a match made in heaven- or maybe in hell- but rumors are swirling that old school "Survivor" bad boys Russell Hantz and Rob Mariano may be part of the new cast. It sounds a little farfetched, as both men have done their time on several installments of "Survivor." But would it make for great TV? You betcha!

You can check out a promo for "Survivor: Redemption Island" here.

"Survivor: Redemption Island" premieres On February 16, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS.