California almond production

California almond growers harvesting more, CBS Survivor pulling in fewer viewers each season. Two American institutions on opposite trajectories, the orchard expanding while the tribal council half-empties. The torch is being snuffed at home.

California almond production roughly doubled across this window as growers replanted to higher-density orchards and the global plant-milk and snack-nut boom drove demand. Survivor's average viewership declined from over 13 million in its 2005 heyday to under 4 million by 2023, in line with the long fragmentation of broadcast television as streaming and YouTube redistributed attention. The negative correlation reflects two unrelated industries on independent trajectories — agriculture expanding to meet rising demand, broadcast TV contracting as audiences left. The 2000s left the tribal council and went to the supermarket.

Some institutions grew, others shrank, both on schedule. The decade is rarely sentimental about its survivors.