Big Brother UK

I thought I’d create a topic on Big Brother as it possibly faces the axe on Channel 5. Also this series was delayed to avoid a ratings disaster along side Love Island. It ain’t looking good for B.B.

It really should have ended when C4 cropped it, it was past it then. It only game back because of Dirty Des buying channel 5 and wanting to use it to fill his rags.

At the start Big Brother was a success.. well for channel 5s ratings. However abandoning the ‘social experiment’ aspect of the show was the biggest mistake. They say this year they’ll return to the social experiment format however the damage is done in my opinion.

They say every year they'll go back to its roots but never do.

Let’s be honest. It was last relevant in 2007, and it was already ageing by that point. I admire those dedicated loyal viewers still watching, but I don’t envy them.

This year there's more than just the talk though...
-Paul Osborne (previous exec producer on BB during C4 days) is returning as Creative Director.
-Eatock eye is apparently returning. (Confirmed it is not being designed by SHOP)
-They've auditioned in more cities than C5 have ever done.
-CBB21 was a step in the right direction.
-The woman who axed Live Feed at Endemol (Sorry can't remember her name?) has quit.
-Moving to later in the year should benefit the show.

Obviously this all could just be for publicity and to entice viewers back, whether it'll work or not remains to be seen...

They’ll still fill the house with horrible vacuous wannabes though.

I misread that as horrible vacuum wannabes.

Also this series is rumoured to last 14 weeks, but then again the Daily Star said that so I would definitely take it with a pinch of salt.

It really does need to go back to its roots - nowadays, you could mistake it for any other millennial reality show.

Bring in contestants of all ages and from all walks of life (although that may be difficult with the show's reputation now), bring back the social experiment aspect of it, and bring back the live feeds (Viacom have more than enough channels that could run it, or just shove it online / in an app).

I can't help but feel that it's make or break for the show this year.

Love Island has taken over as the 'must watch' reality tv show and that's on ITV2, a more targeted channel for this type of format.

Love Island is just self assured. It knows what it is and doesn't try to be anything different, plus although it may be trash TV it is well produced trash TV.

Big Brother on C5 just doesn't know what it wants to be and over the years the producers have tried to mould it into firstly TOWIE and then Geordie Shore whilst the fans really wanted it to go in completely the opposite direction. The producers are also afraid of the nomination and eviction process and want a show they can mould the outcome of, rather than embracing the unpredictability of it all. Manipulating the show to keep the big characters in means there is no progression as the show goes on - the same few chosen HMs dominate throughout with little change of dynamic during the series, which just makes them dull viewing.

I do hope it ends on C5 this year and is rested until such a time a channel can pick it up and show the format the respect it deserves. It won't be that long in all likelihood till channels look to fill the slot left by Love Island once that is axed.