Enduring reality TV hit Survivor will leave its typical exotic island locales behind in favour of China for its next edition, according to Hollywood trade paper Variety.

The reality show would be the first U.S. network TV production to film an entire season in the communist country. However, it was not revealed where in the massive country the show would be set.

Survivor submits contestants to a variety of gruelling physical and mental challenges, usually while they are living primitively in an isolated setting such as Pulau Tiga island off Malaysia's Borneo coast.
(Monty Brinton/CBS/Associated Press)

In the past, government restrictions proved to be a barrier to foreign productions wanting to film in mainland China. However, in recent years, officials have become more open to outside productions and have even teamed up with international crews for film projects, with the 2006 period drama The Painted Veil among the most recent examples.

However, censorship is still an issue, with approval needed from government officials for the finished product.

Filming in China could help the U.S. series build more of an international audience.

Survivor has spawned similar reality competitions across Asia, including a Chinese imitator that shot its finale in British Columbia and the Yukon in 2005. Other reality hits, like The Amazing Race, have launched spinoffs like The Amazing Race Asia.

The next Survivor will be the 15th edition of the castaway contest, which pits a mixed bag of competitors against each other in a variety of physical and mental challenges, usually while they are living primitively in an isolated locale.

Each week, the contestants choose to cast one of their rivals out of the competition. When only two remain, a group of the semi-finalists return to vote for whichever of the two they think should win the series prize of $1 million US.

More recent editions of Survivor have attempted to shake up the format, including last fall's competition, which grouped the contestants by race.