‘Big Brother’ returns to UK with old format

When the reality show Big Brother first aired in the UK and US in 2000, both versions had the same format. A group of contestants were filmed 24 hours a day, performing menial tasks and making endless small talk, and were kicked out in a weekly magazine. Viewers vote until the winner takes home the prize.

After one season, CBS executives, disappointed with poor ratings, changed the U.S. show to more of a strategy game, with contestants voting against each other. But British viewers loved the popularity contest, and the producers kept it that way.

“As a nation, we’ve become completely obsessed,” British host Davina McCall said in a recent interview. Television network Channel 4 also aired her 24-hour live feed, allowing viewers to watch the contestants, known as housemates, even while they were sleeping. In 2002, 9 million people watched the season 3 finale. This equated to half of all UK viewers watching TV in that time slot.

The early breakout Big Brother housemates became British celebrities, but the show’s popularity waned over the years, changing stations in 2011 and finally canceling it in 2018. (In the United States, the 25th season of “Big Brother” recently premiered and is still airing.) CBS. )

Now Big Brother returns to UK screens with a revival screening on Sunday. The creators hope to recapture the series’ early popularity by once again offering viewers a raw social experiment that bucks current trends in British television.

In recent years, “Love Island” has replaced “Big Brother” at the top of the British reality TV tree. This dating show, which also has versions in Europe and the United States, features fit, attractive young people you may have already met. The reboot of “Big Brother” comes as ratings for “Love Island” have slumped, with less than half the number of viewers for this year’s season premiere compared to four years ago.

Paul Mortimer, who commissioned ITV to produce a revival of Big Brother, said of the casting of the housemates: “The last thing we want is 12 social media influencers trying to get more followers.” I’m an Encer,” he said.

Instead, Mortimer says that once a contestant enters the new Big Brother house, “the nature of where they live, the nature of their social class, the nature of their sexuality, the nature of their previous experiences will make them… I want people to meet me.” At this point, they would never have met. ” Viewers will be introduced to the new housemates during the series premiere.

One of the show’s hosts, AJ Odudu, said Brits were “certainly craving the real deal when they watch TV”.

During Big Brother’s heyday, the show featured a group of housemates rarely portrayed on British television. Odudu said watching Big Brother when he was growing up in Blackburn, northern England, led him to believe that openly gay people – season two winner Brian Dowling – and trans He said he has met someone who is openly gender-neutral – Season 5 winner Nadia Almada. first time.

Mischa Kafka, a professor of media culture at the University of Amsterdam, says there is “something socially cohesive” about British reality shows. “Big Brother” can give viewers “a sense of who is sharing your social space without literally engaging with them,” she added.

Unlike other reality competition shows such as “Love Island” or “The Bachelor,” where conversations are guided by off-screen producers, Britain’s “Big Brother” was also distinctive for its unpredictability.

Odudu co-host Will Best said: No one does. ”

In the past, this freedom has caused problems for the show. “Sometimes magic happens when people come together, and sometimes there is fire when people come together,” McCall said. In 2004, the house was destroyed during an explosive drunken fight that had to be broken up by security personnel. The series and its spin-off Celebrity Big Brother also made headlines in the UK following accusations of racism and bullying within the household.

ITV and Banijay, the production company behind the revival of Big Brother, are offering what they call a “benefits package” for housemates, including guidelines and training on what language and behavior is acceptable. announced.

“I think we can still let the drama play out, but we can also ensure that people are fairly represented,” Mortimer said.

Producers of the revival hope that the old format and new course of action will still be exciting enough to capture the attention of British viewers.

“Will it work? Is that old ‘Big Brother’ magic still there?” asked turnaround executive Natarka Znak. “Is it enough to see different people living together and playing interesting games?”

She said she hopes the show will attract new viewers, not just Big Brother fans. “I think it’s good enough for my girlfriend’s 16-year-old daughter and her girlfriend’s friends to watch it. That’s my job,” she said. “I hope everyone is as excited about this game as I was back then.”