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Big
Brother official website
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Big
Brother is a reality television show. In each
series, which lasts for around three months, a
number of people (normally fewer than fifteen
at any one time) live together full-time in a
"Big Brother House", isolated from the
outside world but under the continuous gaze of
television cameras. The housemates try to win
a cash prize by avoiding periodic, usually publicly-voted,
evictions from the house. The "real life
soap" was invented by the Dutchman John de
Mol and developed by his production company, Endemol.
It has been a prime-time hit in almost 70 different
countries. The show's name comes from George Orwell's
1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, in which Big
Brother is the all-seeing leader of the dystopian
Oceania.
Format
The
first series of Big Brother was broadcast in the
Netherlands in September 1999, and the show was
subsequently adapted to virtually every other
part of the world. Though each country has made
its own adaptations and changes to the format,
the general concept has stayed the same: "housemates"
are confined to a specially designed house where
their every action is recorded by cameras and
microphones at all times; and the housemates are
not permitted any contact with the outside world
(although some exceptions have been made; see
isolation).
In
most versions, at regular intervals, normally
once weekly (although in most early series it
was every two weeks), the public is invited to
vote to have one of a number of nominated housemates
evicted from the House. In some cases, two housemates
may be evicted simultaneously (a "double
eviction"), or rarely, no housemates will
be removed for that week. At the end of the game,
the last remaining housemate is declared winner
of that particular series, and receives prizes;
often including a large amount of money, a car,
a holiday, and in some editions, a house.
From
a sociological perspective, this format can be
analyzed to see how people react when brought
into contact to and forced into close confinement
with people who lie outside their "comfort
zone", since they may hold different opinions
to other contestants, express different ideals,
or simply be from a different group of people
that a contestant is used to. The format is ideally
suited because the viewer sees how a person reacts
on the outside through the constant recording
of their actions, and also what they feel on the
inside through the Diary Room. The results can
often result in violent or angry confrontations,
which not only proves a theory that people are
likely to react to threats through outbursts of
violence or loud expressions of opinion, but also
provides entertainment to a baying public.
Besides
living together under continuous observation,
which is the major attraction of the contest,
the program relies on four basic props: the stripped-bare
back to basics environment in which they live,
the evictions system, the weekly tasks set by
Big Brother, and the "Diary Room", in
which the housemates individually convey their
thoughts, feelings, frustrations and their eviction
nominees.
In
the first of most Big Brother seasons, the House
that the housemates had to live in for the duration
of the competition was very basic. Although essential
amenities such as running water, furniture and
a limited ration of food were provided, luxury
items were often forbidden. This added an element
of survival into the show, thus increasing the
potential for tensions within the house. Now almost
every country has a modern house for the contest,
with a jacuzzi, a sauna, a VIP suite, a loft,
and other luxuries.
The
housemates are required to do any housework as
they see fit, and are set tasks by the producers
of the show, who communicate with the housemates
via the omnipresent authority figure known only
to them as "Big Brother". The tasks
set are designed to test their team-working abilities
and community spirit, and in some countries the
housemates' shopping budget or weekly allowance
often depends on the outcome of any set tasks.
The housemates have a weekly allowance with which
they can buy food and other essentials.
At
regular intervals, the housemates each privately
nominate a number of fellow housemates that they
wish to see evicted from the house. The housemates
with the most nomination points are then named
announced, and viewers are given the opportunity
to vote for whom they wish to see evicted. After
the votes are tallied, the "evictee"
leaves the house and is interviewed live by the
host of the show, usually in front of a live studio
audience.
The
series is notable for involving the Internet.
Although the show typically broadcasts daily updates
in the evening, sometimes criticized for its heavy
editing, viewers can also watch a continuous,
24-hour feed from multiple cameras on the web.
These websites were highly successful, even after
some national series started charging for access
to the video stream. In some countries, the Internet
broadcasting was supplemented by updates via email,
WAP and SMS. The House is even shown live on satellite
television, although in some countries (such as
the UK) with a 10-15 minute delay, to allow libelous
or unacceptable content — such as references
to people who are not taking part in the program
and have therefore not consented to have personal
information about them broadcast — to be
removed.
Despite
derision from many intellectuals and other critics,
the show has been a commercial success around
the world. More generally, the voyeuristic nature
of the show, where contestants volunteer to surrender
their privacy in return for minor celebrity status
and a comparatively small cash prize, has attracted
much scorn. On numerous occasions, participants
in the various series have become sexually involved
with each other, sometimes engaging in intercourse
in front of Big Brother's cameras. Each edition
handles this differently, with some editions such
as the British and American editions not broadcasting
such material, and others such as the German version
doing so; the Internet stream also captures such
moments. This had led to some controversy with
some jurisdictions such as Greece attempting to
have the show removed from the airwaves.
Most
international versions of the show remain quite
similar to each other in that their main format
remains true to the original fly on the wall,
observational style, with the emphasis being on
human relationships. This is carried out to the
extent of where contestants are forbidden from
discussing nominations or voting strategy altogether.
The U.S. version, however, has since 2001 taken
on a significantly different format from the others,
with a far stronger emphasis on strategy, competition
and voting.
Isolation of housemates
The
housemates are, for the most part, completely
isolated within the house. They are allowed no
access to television, radio or the Internet, and
are not allowed any form of communications with
the outside world, or other media. In some shows,
even books and writing material are not permitted,
with the exception of religious materials such
as the Bible. Part of the reason for this is the
nature of the social experiment, which aims to
discover how people act in isolation from "normal"
outside influences, and also to prevent introverts
from hiding in a book or movie to escape the other
contestants. A second reason is to ensure fairness
within the game. A great deal of content is available
to the public either on TV or the Internet, allowing
viewers to understand much more than the players,
so providing players with media access could allow
them to gain an unfair advantage in the game.
Contestants
are not completely isolated. They have regular
scheduled interaction with the show's host, and
throughout each day the program's producer, via
the "Big Brother" voice, instructs the
contestants in various matters, and sometimes
issues tasks and commands them to take certain
actions. Private chats with a psychologist are
allowed at any time, often by means of a telephone
in the Diary Room.
Variations in the format
* There are six special pan-regional versions
of Big Brother. All these follow the normal Big
Brother rules with the exception that contestants
come from different countries in the region where
it airs:
o Africa: Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi,
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
o Balkans: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and
Serbia
o Middle East: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria and
Tunisia.
o Pacific: Chile, Ecuador and Peru.
o Scandinavia: Norway and Sweden.
o United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, Nothern
Ireland and Ireland
* In the third UK series, Big Brother set live
tasks for the housemate on a Saturday night in
order to win treats. This format was discontinued
in the fifth series due to poor ratings. This
format has been used in Australia in the form
of Friday Night Live.
* The fifth UK edition introduced the "Evil"
touch, whereby the character of Big Brother became
almost a villain. Big Brother was establishing
punishments and was proposing hard tasks and secret
tricks. This was also seen in Australia, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Italy,
Netherlands, Pacific, Scandinavia, Serbia, Spain,
Thailand, Philippines, and Mexico.
* The sixth UK series introduced secret missions
where housemate would be able to win luxuries
if they completed a secret task set by Big Brother.
* In the seventh UK series, Big Brother became
"twisted". Every week, housemates mental
states were put to the test as Big Brother tried
to break them. As a result of this many housemates
broke down and one even threaten to commit suicide.
* The eighth UK Series saw an all-female house
however 3 days later 1 male housemate entered
* The UK series alway opens with a twist which
have included First Night Nominations (BB4), Transexual
enters & Suit Case Nominations (BB5), Unlucky
Housemate 13 (BB6), Big Brother Hood & Person
suffering From Tourette (BB7), All Female House
& Twins enter (BB8), Jackie Stallone is Announced
to be Entering (CBB3), Non Celebrity Enters (CBB4)
and Jade Goody and Family are Announced to be
Entering (CBB5). Many countries have followed
opening night twists such as Australia and the
United States.
* The fifth UK edition introduced "Fake evictions"
where 1 or 2 housemates are "Evicted"
however unbeknown to the housemates they have
in fact not been evicted. the housemate/s usually
are put into a secret house where numerous twist
happen. in the eighth UK Series one housemate
was evicted, interview then sent straight back
into the house however the housemates in the house
got to see all of the interview live.
* In France and Canada, the format has been developed
using couples. Twelve single people stay in the
same house until only the winning couple are left.
* Big Brother USA currently uses a different set
of rules that began with the second season (the
first season used the traditional format). Nominations
are done by one houseguest, the Head of Household
(HoH) and the houseguests vote for which nominee
to evict, not the viewers. The third season introduced
the Power of Veto, where a houseguest can save
a nominee causing the Head of Household to name
a replacement nominee. It's been adapted in Brazil
and Africa and since then some countries modified
their nominations rules.
* The eighth American season, introduced "America's
Player", a houseguest that is given assignments,
unknown to the other houseguests, through votes
from the viewing public. Included in the public
voting is which nominated houseguest America's
Player should vote off and campaign to get evicted.
* The third Dutch edition introduced the notion
of "The Battle", in which the house
is separated into a luxurious half and a poor
half, with two teams of housemates constantly
fighting for time in the luxurious half. Separated
houses have also been used in Australia, Denmark,
Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Scandinavia,
Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. Australia,
Italy and Mexico added punishment zones to their
houses.
* In 2004, the fifth German edition was the first
version to run for 365 days consecutively. In
this season, the contestants were separated into
three teams (rich, regular, survivor) and equivalent
living areas. The ultimate winner got a prize
of 1,000,000 €.
* Also in Germany a new version of the show started:
Big Brother - Das Dorf (Big Brother - The Village).
It was the sixth season and started the same day
season 5 ended. This was the first version supposed
to run for years (without a predetermined end).
It was set in a small artificial village including
a church tower, a marketplace, 3 houses, 3 working
areas (farm, car garage, dressmaking and later
a small hotel, where celebrities from the real
world could move into), a matcharena, a pub and
a fitness room. The season ended after 363 days
in February 2006 because of low ratings. In season
seven RTL II switched back to a traditional version.
* The Voice Graph system in BB Argentina, BB Australia
& BB Germany.
* The fourth Greek season introduced a new element:
the mother. In Big Mother nine housemates take
part in the game with their mothers, with whom
they must coexist during the contest. The "mamas"
were not able to win the prize but they would
stay with their children until their eviction.
However, this proved to be a failure with the
shows audience and the show switched back to the
traditional Big Brother format in mid-season.
* Introduced in the fifth season of the American
series, several countries have included twins,
and in some cases triplets, in their shows. Usually,
the siblings enter the show as one Housemate,
and after making it to a certain point in the
game, they split up as individuals. Series that
have used Housemates who are twins or triplets
are:
o USA, 2004, Adria Montgomery-Klein and Natalie
Montgomery-Carroll, 7th (Natalie) and 8th (Adria)
Evicted, Used Name: "Adria".
o Australia, 2005, David and Greg Matthew, 14th
Evicted (David) and Winner (Greg, although the
prize money was split), Used Name: "Logan"
(Middle name of both Twins).
o Bulgaria, 2006, Lyubov, Nadejda, and Vyara Stancheva,
7th (Nadejda) and 9th (Vyara) Evicted, Winner
(Lyubov), Used Name: "Vyara".
o UK, 2007, Amanda and Sam Marchant, 2nd Place
(Both were treated separately until Day 68 when
they became one).
o France, 2007, Marjorie, Cyrielle and Johanna
Bluteau, Winner (Marjorie, as she was the only
one eligible for the grand prize).
o Spain, 2007, Conchi and Pamela De Los Santos,
2nd Place, Used Name: "Rosa".
o Poland, 2007, Aneta and Martyna Bielecka, 4th
Evicted (They were discovered as twins), Used
Name: "Martyna".
* The seventh season of Big Brother Australia
focused upon environmental issues, the house fitted
with rainwater tanks and a majority of the furniture
being built entirely from recycled materials.
Housemate exchange
When
two seasons in different countries are taking
place simultaneously, housemates are sometimes
temporarily exchanged between them.
Special
editions of Big Brother
Big Brother VIP / Celebrity Big Brother
The
Big Brother format has been adapted in some countries
in that the housemates are locally known celebrities.
These shows are called Celebrity Big Brother or
Big Brother VIP, depending on where the series
is. In some countries, the prize money normally
awarded to the winning housemate is donated to
a charity, and all celebrities are paid to appear
in the show as long as they do not voluntarily
leave before their eviction or the end of the
series. The rest of the format rules are almost
the same as the ones from the original version,
although in many occasions they are not so strict
due to the exceptional character of the program.
The series has been a prime-time hit in many countries
and was aired for the first time in 2000, in the
Netherlands.
* A second variant appeared in the Netherlands
in 2006: Hotel Big Brother. A group of celebrity
hoteliers and a Big Boss run a hotel, collecting
money for charity without nominations, evictions
or winner.
* A third variant will appear in the UK in early
2008: Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack, replacing
the 2008 edition of Celebrity Big Brother. Instead
of the celebrities playing the role of housemates,
the celebrities will in fact become Big Brother
himself. The celebrities will create tasks, hold
nominations, etc. with the help of Big Brother.
The housemates of the show will be "Britain's
most exceptional and extraordinary" 18-21
year olds. The prize for the winner of the series
will be £50,000.
Other
editions
The
Big Brother format has been extensively modified
in some countries, most often to the point where
the housemates are either teenagers or housemates
from previous seasons. The winners of these seasons
are often eligible to win the prize for themselves,
unlike most of the celebrity edition versions.
* Big Brother: Ty wybierasz (Big Brother: You
Decide - Poland, season 1: 13 days; season 2:
7 days). A group of people -10 in season 1 and
6 in season 2- living together and competing for
a pair of spots in the next regular season. It
was made before the first two main Big Brother
seasons. Without nominations or evictions.
* Big Brother, Tilbake I Huset (Big Brother, Back
In The House - Norway, 9 days). The BB1 Norway
housemates living together again. They also welcome
4 new housemates, who are competing for a spot
in the next regular season. Without nominations
or evictions.
* Big Brother Stjärnveckan (Big Brother,
Week Of Stars - Sweden, 6 days); Big Brother,
Reality All Star (Denmark, 32 days). Season with
contestants from several reality shows, including
Big Brother.
* Big Brother Panto (United Kingdom, 11 days).
Housemate from previous series spent time in the
Big Brother House in order to perform a pantomime
at the end of the series.
* Teen Big Brother (United Kingdom, 10 days; Philippines,
42 days). Teenage housemates competing in a BB
house.
* Big Brother, All Star (Belgium, 21 days; United
States, 72 days). Big Brother where all the housemates
come from previous seasons of the contest.
* Veliki Brat: Generalna Proba (Big Brother Try
Out - Serbia, 7 days). Twelve Serbian contestants
competing for a spot in the next Big Brother Balkans
season. Without nominations or evictions.
* Big Brother: The Housemates Strike Back (Bulgaria).
Big Brother brought together Housemates from all
Big Brother and VIP Brother seasons in Bulgaria
and gave them their last task - to destroy the
House. The new Housemates will be living in a
new one.
Also,
there are a series of pre-seasons with the only
objective of testing the house. A group of celebrities
or journalists living together in the house during
a few days. No competition nor winner. It has
been made in Argentina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic,
Germany, Mexico, Pacific, Philippines, Spain and
many other countries. In some cases, it is not
emitted (broadcast) eg UK.
Big
Brother Incidents
There
have been a few incidents from different countries
involving Big Brother contestants, the show, and
the way the program is run in general.
Australia
In
Big Brother 6, two housemates, Ashley (real name
Michael Cox) and John (Michael Bric), were removed
from the house for allegedly sexually assaulting
a female housemate, Camilla Severi, in a season
of the series that had already attracted significant
controversy. Following the incident the live feed
was temporarily replaced by an old UpLate update
of the housemates completing their football task,
continuously looped, and the forums on the Big
Brother website were removed. Queensland Police
were shown the relevant footage but opted not
to conduct a criminal investigation. Camilla finished
runner-up for the series. Subsequent to this incident
former housemate Rita Lazzarotto reported that
she had been subjected to a similar incident during
her time in the Big Brother house in the 2005
series.
Australian
Prime Minister John Howard asked for Big Brother
to be canceled, saying, "Here's a great opportunity
for Network Ten to do a bit of self-regulation
and get this stupid program off the air";
Leader of the Opposition Kim Beazley and Senator
Steve Fielding supported this view. Queensland
Premier Peter Beattie argued that the show employed
many Australians in production and that, because
of the already diminished size of the Australian
television industry, the show should continue.
Brazil
Big
Brother 3 began on January 14, 2003, and caused
controversy. Among the participants was Miss Brazil
2002, Joseane. Rules of the Miss Brazil contest
forbid participation of married women, and when
Joseane participated, she stated she was single.
With her exposure in BBB, some magazines discovered
she was married even before winning the beauty
contest. Once the marriage was proven, Joseane
was stripped of her crown, and Thaisa Tomsem was
crowned Miss Brazil 2002. Also, participant Dilson,
not knowing Joseane was married, tried to start
a romantic relationship with her during the show.
Due to her refusals, he felt unmotivated and left
the show voluntarily. Participant Harry replaced
him at February 26, and became the first participant
not to enter the show on its first day.
Philippines
In
PBB Season 2, it remarks as one of the most controversial
series on Philippine TV that involved the housemates.
On Day 113, Gee-Ann heard the results of the informal
survey conducted days before. Hearing Bruce and
Wendy scornful remarks against her, Gee-Ann Abrahan
revealed to Big Brother about her uneasiness and
grievances against Wendy. To let her recover from
her trauma she had experienced, Big Brother put
her in the secret room with Mickey who did accompany
her. But instead of calming down, Gee-Ann continued
to tell Mickey about Wendy's remarks against her,
even telling him that Wendy is "manipulating"
the other housemates. Later, when Big Brother
asked the housemates on who they think isn't fit
to join the Final Four, most of the housemates
answered Bruce and Wendy. This set off a chain
of events that would change the relationship between
the housemates: Wendy's sudden unwillingness to
talk, Gee-Ann's further breakdown, and the rift
between the three remaining females. On Day 115,
the rift between Gee-Ann, Beatriz, and Wendy had
already reached a crescendo to the point that
everyone is not in speaking terms. Big Brother
decided to intervene, telling the housemates that
the "fake nomination" was just a test
of friendship and they failed on that account.
He also chided Gee-Ann about being as equally
"unfair" as Wendy (Wendy was evicted,
then returned; Gee-Ann received some "special
treatment") and about belittling her achievements
and Bruce for his full focus on Wendy. Although
the men convinced the females to make up, Bea
and Gee-Ann settled their differences with Wendy
and the three ultimately reconciled. This was
not however a full reconciliation as Wendy still
had reservations.
Portugal
In
Big Brother 1 housemate Marco kicked fellow housemate
Sónia in the stomach - this led to his
ejection from the Big Brother house for aggressive
behavior.
Serbia
During
the second season on the evening of December 28th,
three Evicted Housemates, Stevan Zecevic, Zorica
Lazic, and Elmir Kuduzovic died in a car accident
near city of Obrenovac, when the car they were
in crushed down into river Vukodraz. The producers
of the show made the decision to end the show
abruptly with seven remaining Housemates in the
house. The housmates were informed of their death.
There was no winner, with the choice being made
to split the money between all the Housemates.
United Kingdom
During
Big Brother 4 there was a bomb scare. At 7:58
on Day 43, Big Brother asked all housemates to
go to the boys bedroom until further notice because
of a security alert inside the studios. The staff
had left 20 minutes earlier, except for senior
members of the production team who watched the
housemates from behind the mirrors. The Big Brother
gallery was unmanned after police advised staff
to leave the house. At 8:43, Police advised the
house be evacuated. But since the gallery was
unmanned, Big Brother had no method of communicating
with the house, so staff had to enter. Senior
members of the production team lead the housemates
out via the camera runs, and they were taken to
a secure area on the perimeter of the studio complex
with 2 chaperones and 4 security guards. At 12:49am,
the housemates were allowed to return after police
gave the all clear. The eviction took place the
following day.
In
Big Brother 5, on what is commonly referred to
as 'Fight Night', volatile ex-housemates Emma
Greenwood and Michelle Bass returned to the Big
Brother house after a fake eviction. Some of the
housemates were extremely displeased, and after
a series of arguments, Greenwood and Bass along
with Jason Cowan, Marco Sabba, eventual winner
Nadia Almada, Vanessa Nimmo and Victor Ebuwa became
involved in an aggressive brawl. Viewers of live
streaming called the police to inform them of
the violent activity and, for the first time in
the show's history, on-set security guards were
called into the house to break up the arguments.
Big
Brother 6, Throughout this series there was much
discussion of housemates influencing other housemates
nomination. Makosi claimed that Derek had told
her to turn off her microphone to discuss nominations
and that Derek wrote two S's on her toes. Later
on in the series Craig and Derek accused Vanessa
of writing initials on their feet, however this
was never proven. Big Brother 6 was also heavily
criticised for the amount of nudity shown on the
show; after a midnight "romp" in the
pool housemate Makosi Musambasi claimed to have
conceived Anthony Hutton's child and asked for
a pregnancy test. In addition housemate Kinga
Karolczak masturbated herself with a wine bottle
in the garden.
In
Celebrity Big Brother 4, housemate Pete Burns
claimed that his coat was made from gorilla skin;
after viewers called in to Ofcom, police removed
the coat for testing. Ownership of products made
from gorilla is illegal in the UK without a license.
Tests found the coat was in fact made of Colobus
monkeys, another endangered species. As a result
the case was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service
who determined that the pelts used to make the
coat were imported before 1975 (when it became
illegal to import Colobus fur) and as such did
not press charges. This greatly upset animal rights
campaigners.
Big
Brother 7 came under criticism when critics claimed
that Big Brother had deliberately put unstable
people into the house. Housemate Shahbaz Chauhdry
referred to himself as a "Paki poof"
in his audition video, upsetting the British Asian
community. He also threatened to commit suicide
as well as stealing all the food out of the kitchen.
He decided to walk on day 4 and admitted that
he was mentally unstable. 7 days into the show,
housemate Dawn Blake received a message in the
house from her family, via Big Brother, saying
"your sister is ill". This turned out
to be a code message that Dawn had organised with
her family before entering the Big Brother House,
that the family promised they would send to her
in the house if any newspapers, magazines or other
media had made disparaging comments or judgements
about Dawn in the outside world, so that Dawn
could then leave. Dawn let her housemates know
about this to some extent when she was heard whispering
to them "I have a code". The producers
of the show eventually caught on, and although
Dawn said she was leaving anyway, when she was
called to the Diary Room the following day Big
Brother told her that she had broken a major rule
by being in contact with the outside world, and
that she was being ejected from the house. When
the housemates were made aware of Dawn's rule-breaking
and ejection from the house, they surmised that
any person who goes into the Big Brother house
is going to have both good and bad comments made
about them by the media and public, and that Dawn
was naïve to enter the house in the first
place if this was not her expectation. Channel
4 received 500 complaints from viewers about this
matter, and Media watchdog Ofcom confirmed that
it had received over 1,000 complaints and referred
viewers to ICSTIS. Soon after the four ex-housemates
entered the House Next Door, ICSTIS released a
statement confirming that it was dealing with
over 2,500 complaints[19] and launched an official
investigation. On October 5, 2006, they ruled
that Channel 4 had breached its code and imposed
£50,000 'administrative charges'.
In
Celebrity Big Brother 5, a worldwide debate was
created by housemates Jade Goody (who had appeared
on the non-celebrity version of the show four
years previously), singer Jo O'Meara and model
Danielle Lloyd. The row was sparked when alleged
racist comments were made about Bollywood actress
Shilpa Shetty, who was also a housemate in the
show. A record number of 45,000 complaints were
recorded for the unfair behaviour, bullying and
racism in the UK Big Brother House, with protests
across India. The then Chancellor of the Exchequer
(Now Prime Minister) Gordon Brown, visiting India
at the time, found himself answering questions
on Big Brother throughout his trip, and a wider
debate on racism in the UK was raised by the media.
The 3 housmates involved were not removed from
the house, and faced eviction in the normal way,
although during Jade's eviction, no crowd was
present. For all 3, the normally lighthearted
eviction interview was serious in tone, and began
by showing clips of international news bulletins
and newspaper front pages. Shilpa emerged as the
winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2007. Following
the incident, Channel 4 was heavily criticized
by Ofcom for not acting quickly enough, and was
forced to apologize on air three times. See also
Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy.
In
Big Brother 8, the next regular series after the
race row back in January, housemate Emily Parr
was removed from the house hours after using the
word "nigger" towards housemate Charley
Uchea. This swift action was seen as a sign from
the producers that they have learned from the
criticism following the Shilpa Shetty incident.
During the series, the fire alarm sounded resulting
in the housemates having to evacuate the building
via the fire exit in the bedroom. After waiting
at the security gate, they were told that everywhere
had been checked and that it was safe to re-enter
the house.
United States
In
Big Brother 2 HouseGuest Justin Sebik was expelled
on Day 10 for breaking Big Brother rules. Justin
threatened his fellow HouseGuest with physical
violence and intimidation, a violation of one
of the most serious House rules.
Julie
Chen, host of Big Brother, explained that Justin
was given an official warning that such behavior
was not appropriate in the Big Brother house.
Justin repeated the warning, proving that he understood
the rule. His behavior included destruction of
house property, culminated in a final incident
when he and Krista were kissing on the kitchen
table and picked up a metal carpet sweeper and
said to her "Would you get mad if I cracked
you over the head with this?" He swung the
carpet sweeper towards Krista but put it down
and kissed her. He walked away from her in the
kitchen and says "Would you get mad if I
killed you?" He picked up a large knife,
returned to Krista and while they kissed he placed
the knife against her throat. He briefly took
the knife away from her throat but with Krista's
encouragement returned the knife to her throat
and they begun kissing again. As the kiss ends
he puts the knife down.
After
a confrontation with the show psychologist, it
was decided that Justin would be expelled from
the Big Brother house. Krista Stegall later sued
CBS over the incident.
In
Big Brother 4 HouseGuest Scott Weintraub was expelled
on Day 8 after having a violent outburst in the
house relating to the season twist, X-Factor.
Scott tossed furniture around the House, delivered
an expletive-laden rant, and refused to go to
the Diary Room when called. He later apologized
to his fellow HouseGuests who were uncomfortable
with his actions in the house. Once Scott went
to the Diary Room he was removed from the house
and expelled.
In
Big Brother 6 HouseGuest Eric and Michael get
into a confrontation about Michael talking badly
about Eric's family. Earlier in the evening, Rachel
who was eavesdropping on Janelle and Michael in
the Gold Room overheard Michael make a poor joke
about Eric's grandparents to Janelle. Rachel told
Eric that she heard them badmouthing his family.
Later that night Eric and Ivette are outside discussing
the incident when Michael goes outside. Eric provokes
Michael who retorts, calling Eric "a midget
with a small penis." Eric loses all control
going after Michael. The other HouseGuests blocked
Eric's attack at Michael. Big Brother intervenes
telling Eric to leave the backyard and telling
Michael to go to the storage room. Shortly after,
Ivette attacks Kaysar and his beliefs, Big Brother
intervenes again giving warnings to all HouseGuests.
Eric apologizes to his fellow HouseGuests, saying
he would never hurt anyone.
In
Big Brother 8 HouseGuest Richard "Evel Dick"
came under some controversy for his loud abusive
behavior towards women HouseGuests especially
Jen. This culminated in an event in which Dick
poured iced tea on Jen's head while she was engaged
in an argument with HouseGuests Nick and Dick's
daughter Daniele. This led some fans and the National
Organization for Women to call for his expulsion
from the house. He went on to be the winner of
Big Brother 8.
Another
HouseGuest, Amber, who has admitted to a previous
addiction to meth, garnered national attention
after making what were considered anti-Semitic
statements. Hollywood news conglomeration Defamer
criticized Amber's sentiments. Notably, aggregate
TMZ reported about Amber's remarks, especially
those about being able to recognize a Jew by the
size of their nose or their last name.
Near-copies of Big Brother
There
are a number of different formats around the globe
that use rules similar to Big Brother:
The
Farm, created by the Swedish producer house Strix.
This is the fourth biggest 'people-living-together'
reality show on Earth, only exceeded by Star Academy
/ Operación Triunfo (France/Spain, 2001,
Endemol) broadcast in 52 countries; Survivor (Sweden,
1997, Strix), shown in 65 countries and Big Brother
itself.
* Countries: Algeria, Bahrein, Belgium, Chile,
Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, France, Greece,
Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait,
Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Libya, Morocco, Netherlands,
Norway, Oman, Palestine, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Syria,
Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, UK and Yemen.
The
Bar, another format from Strix.
* Countries: Argentina, Cambodia, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia,
Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland
and Uruguay - Planned.
Endemol
format's in cooperation with Strix.
Protagonistas...,
a format from the Spanish producer house GloboMedia,
developed by its subsidiary in America, Promofilm.
It's a mixture among Big Brother and Star Academy
and has had a huge success in different Latin
countries, as Chile, Brazil (formerly known as
Casa dos Artistas), Venezuela, Colombia or Mexico.
It also had its own version in Spain and in the
U.S., for the Spanish-speaking market, airing
on Telemundo.
There
are also some local formats that in one or other
way are similar to Endemol's Big Brother:
* Albania, Kafazi i Arte; Syri Magjik
* Austria, Taxi Orange
* Bolivia, Uno Busca
* Bosnia and Herzegovina, 60 Sati
* Brazil, Casa dos Artistas
* Canada, Occupation Double
* Chile, La Casa
* Czech Republic VyVolení
* France, Les Colocataires; Nice People
* Germany, Girls Camp; Der Container Exklusiv
* Hungary, Való Világ
* Indonesia, Penghuni Terakhir
* Iraq, Bait Beut
* Ireland, Cabin Fever
* Israel, Project Y; The Yacht
* Korea, Twenty Eyes
* Latvia, Fabrika; Barbarossa
* Netherlands, De Bus;[21] 7 Plagen;[21] De Gouden
Kooi
* Norway, Singel 24-7
* Peru, La Casa De Gisela; Gran Hermano De Chollywood
* Poland, Dwa Swiaty, Amazonki, Gladiatorzy, Lysi
i blondynki
* Puerto Rico, 360 Estudio
* Russia, 12 Negrityat; Dom; Golod; Za Steklom
* Serbia, Cirkus funtastic voajer
* Slovakia, VyVolení;
* Spain, El Bus; Hotel Glamour; La Casa De Tu
Vida;Unan1mous, Libertad Vigilada
* Turkey, Biri Bizi Gözetliyor and Otel
* UK, Back To Reality, I'm a Celebrity... Get
Me Out of Here!, Unanimous, Fame Academy, Shattered
* U.S., Unan1mous
* Ukraine, Dom
Online Versions
Shortly
following the initial debut of Big Brother and
other major reality shows such as Survivor and
The Amazing Race, a multitude of Online Reality
Games based on Big Brother surfaced on the web
in which fans of the show competed against each
other. One person would "host" the game,
coming up with challenges, twists, etc., and the
players cast for the show would communicate via
AIM or some other messaging service and would
compete in Veto and Head of Household challenges
to earn power, much like on the real show. Player(s)
would also be evicted each week just like on the
show, until there was just a final 2 players remaining.
Then a jury of those players voted off immediately
before the Final 2 would vote on the winner of
the game to whom the title of Big Brother champion
would be awarded. These games were extremely popular
in the early days of Big Brother, and though their
popularity slowly declined over the years, they
are still widely played today along with Online
Reality Games based off of other reality shows.
(Credit:
Wikipedia).
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