‘Big Brother’ Returns to Britain, With an Old Format

New 'Big Bro' Brings Back Old TV Magic In Britain

During the early 2000s, the landscape of U.K. pop culture was largely dominated by a popular reality show. Now, the creators of a new version of the show are hoping to reintroduce the original format in a television industry that has evolved significantly since its original run.

Scott Bryan has been following the British TV show "Big Brother" for almost ten years. He worked as a correspondent from the city of London.

On October 6, 2023 at 5:03 am ET, there was an update to the blog.

Back in 2000, the TV program "Big Brother" was introduced in Britain and the United States with an identical setup in both countries: Several participants were recorded 24/7 while performing simple tasks and chatting aimlessly. Viewers could vote for their favorite contestants and the least popular ones were eliminated each week until one victor claimed a monetary reward.

CBS executives were unhappy with the poor ratings of the U.S. show after one season. As a result, they transformed it into a game of strategy where contestants voted each other out. However, British audiences enjoyed the popularity contest between the contestants and the producers decided to keep it.

During a recent interview, presenter Davina McCall expressed that us as a country became very fixated on the British television show. The TV network, Channel 4, even aired a live stream for a full 24 hours, allowing viewers to observe the contestants, or "housemates," as they slept. The Season Three finale attracted a whopping 9 million viewers in 2002, which equated to half of the British audience who were watching television during that particular time.

In the beginning, the initial group of "Big Brother" contestants quickly rose up to fame throughout Britain. However, as time went on, the show's appeal dwindled. In 2011, it was picked up by a different television network, but this didn't help the declining ratings. Eventually, the decision was made to cancel the program altogether in 2018. Meanwhile, in the United States, the 25th season of "Big Brother" recently aired, continuing to be broadcast on CBS despite its dip in popularity overseas.

The TV show "Big Brother" will be back on British televisions starting this Sunday after a revival. The show's creators want to bring back the original essence of the program by providing viewers with an authentic social experiment. This goes against what is currently popular in British TV.

Over the past few years, the most popular reality TV show in Britain has shifted from "Big Brother" to "Love Island." The latter program, which is also available in other countries including the United States, involves attractive and fit young individuals who may have already met each other. As of late, "Love Island" has seen a decrease in viewership, with fewer than half of the viewers tuning in for this season's debut compared to four years ago. As a result, "Big Brother" has been reintroduced to the scene.

According to Paul Mortimer, the person responsible for the revival of the reality show "Big Brother" on ITV, the selection process for housemates does not include candidates who are solely focused on gaining followers on social media. To be more specific, he stated that they are not interested in a group of twelve individuals who are aiming to become influencers.

Instead of that, Mortimer expressed that his desire was for the new Big Brother house contestants to come across individuals who they wouldn't normally meet due to where they reside, their social status, sexuality, and life experiences. The new housemates will be revealed to the audience during the premiere of the show.

One of the presenters of the show, AJ Odudu, expressed that the British audience "craves genuine authenticity" when it comes to television programs.

In the prime of "Big Brother," the program selected contestants from communities that were hardly ever shown on British television. Odudu shared that while she was residing in Blackburn, a town in the north of England, she watched "Big Brother" and it was there that she first witnessed members of the LGBT+ community with Brian Dowling, who won Season Two, being openly gay and Nadia Almada, who won Season Five, being openly transgender.

According to Misha Kavka, a media culture professor at the University of Amsterdam, the British version of the reality show has a social cohesion that appeals to viewers. Watching "Big Brother" gives people a better understanding of who they share their social space with, without necessarily having to interact with them directly.

In contrast to TV programs like "Love Island" or "The Bachelor," where a behind-the-scenes staff might steer discussions, the UK's "Big Brother" stood out for its unexpectedness.

Will Best, the co-host of Odudu, mentioned that the situation there is uncertain. No one can predict what will occur.

In previous times, the liberty given to the show caused complications. McCall mentioned that at times, when people were paired, there were positive outcomes, but other times, negative incidents occurred. One such incident occurred in 2004 when the house was damaged during a wild and inebriated fight. Security staff had to intervene and bring the situation under control. The show and "Celebrity Big Brother" have been the subject of scandalous news stories in Britain related to issues of bullying and racism within the house.

ITV and Banijay, the organization responsible for bringing back "Big Brother," have stated that they will implement a "welfare package" for the inhabitants of the house. The package includes instructions and professional instruction on which language and behavior are deemed appropriate.

Mortimer stated that it is possible to allow for the continuation of drama while also guaranteeing that everyone is treated justly.

The people in charge of producing the revival are optimistic that, even if they stick to an outdated format and implement fresh directives about conduct, there will still be ample stimulation to captivate audiences in the United Kingdom.

Natalka Znak, one of the executives involved in the show's revival, wondered if the old "Big Brother" charm would still hold up. She questioned whether a diverse group of individuals living together and participating in amusing activities would be sufficient to captivate viewers.

The woman mentioned her desire for the show to bring in fresh viewers, not just those who are fans of "Big Brother." She hopes it will capture the attention of her teenage daughter and her friends and believes it is her duty to make that happen. The woman wants everyone to become attached to the show like they were in the past.