Big Brother starts Wednesday!

[fatamy]

I looked at the cast bios, they seem to have gone from a range of 20-50 year olds to pretty much 20-early 30s. Dont like it.
But so excited, it's my summer guilty pleasure!

[osumelissa]

It is always my summer guilty pleasure. I have heard there are going to be lots of twists this season.

Last year when I was in the UK for three weeks, I got quite into UK Big Brother. I liked it better than the US version.

[fatamy]

Jun 22, 2015 7:34:47 GMT -5 osumelissa said:

It is always my summer guilty pleasure. I have heard there are going to be lots of twists this season.

Last year when I was in the UK for three weeks, I got quite into UK Big Brother. I liked it better than the US version.

I wonder if you can watch it online! I've been a little meh the past few seasons... but I'll absolutely watch it anyway, haha!

[xokell2]

Jun 22, 2015 7:34:47 GMT -5 osumelissa said:

It is always my summer guilty pleasure. I have heard there are going to be lots of twists this season.

Last year when I was in the UK for three weeks, I got quite into UK Big Brother. I liked it better than the US version.

What was different about it compared to the U.S. Version?

[xokell2]

I'm excited. It's the only show that moves quickly enough for me to want to commit to 3 episodes a week. This season better have a good show-mance

[osumelissa]

It seemed in the UK version various houseguests were given a lot more random/secret tasks to complete, there was a lot more arguing, and I don't believe they are actually allowed to talk about the nominations. Also there is a lot more voice over narration during each episode.

[fatamy]

Why British BB tops US (opinion blogger) - probably spoilers!
content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2010/07/guest-blogger-why-the-british-big-brother-tops-the-us-version/1#.VYq-JxtViko


For many pop culture and reality TV aficionados, summer means one thing: Big Brother. While many are content with the U.S. version of the show that airs on CBS, I need more of a fix of this guilty pleasure. A few years ago I came across the U.K. version and not only have become quite addicted to it, but also find it superior in a few ways.

While the premise is the same -- a group of strangers is put in a house and slowly whittled down to a sole survivor who wins a large cash prize -- there are a few fundamental differences in how the journey to a winner is made. One noticeable divergence is the scope and tone of challenges made to housemates during their stay.

Both shows have contests for luxuries like food and entertainment. With the exception of the occasional endurance test, the American version seems to focus on contained events that rely on physical skill or knowledge of the competitors. England's housemates often compete in games that require creativity or play-acting and can last for an entire week. Some memorable challenges have included pretending to be in a hard labor camp, running a radio station and making versions of music videos by Michael Jackson and OK Go. One of my all-time favorite challenges was placing the housemates in cardboard boxes where they continued to small talk, flirt, cajole and argue with each other as muffled voices behind headshots.

While both casts certainly have their share of model types, the UK version has had some of the most diverse casts. People of all ages, beliefs, persuasions and abilities have come through the British show's doors. The public has embraced this realistic reflection of the population and in fact voted both a transgendered woman and a man with Tourette's syndrome to win their series of the show.

The biggest and most important difference is that B.B.U.K. housemates are evicted by the public, as opposed to the U.S. method of voting amongst the players. The housemates in both versions do nominate candidates for ousting, but UK players are not even allowed to discuss who they're considering putting up. This drastically changes the dynamic of the house as U.S. players spend the majority of time on broadcast strategizing, making and breaking alliances. The British version fosters much more organic friendships and relationships that are a lot more fun to watch. There have reportedly been 17 romantic connections made on the overseas show and two marriages. That's a better record than any U.S. romance reality shows!

Perhaps because of this connection with the viewers, and perhaps just because British people have odd taste at times, Big Brother U.K. is a cultural phenomenon, as opposed to a summer fill-in series. Not only is there an hourlong highlight show every day of the broadcast, there are companion series, including a news digest show called Big Brother's Little Brother every weekday, and an opinion show, Big Brother's Big Mouth. Big Mouth was originally hosted by a relatively unknown comedian and VJ named Russell Brand, who became his own phenomenon in the three years he bawdily moderated it.

Many paparazzi and reporters are among the hundreds of people who attend the weekly live eviction broadcasts. The theme music by Paul Oakenfeld has made it onto the pop charts, the show has shown up in the Bad Wolf episode of Doctor Who and a zombie miniseries was shot on its set. Tabloid newspapers and weekly magazines breathlessly cover every movement the contestants make, both while in and, for a spell, after they leave the house.

After leaving the show, many contestants have gone on to be radio hosts, TV presenters and best-selling authors. In the third season of the show, a somewhat simple young dental hygienist named Jade Goody ended up winning over the hearts of many Britons. She wrote a book, starred in several more series and even released her own perfume. The show was so popular a celebrity version of the series began being broadcast every winter. By the fifth year of this spin-off, Goody was so well known she was brought back as a celebrity.

Unfortunately, that didn't go so well. Goody was shown making racially insensitive comments and bullying Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, who was also a celebrity housemate. (It was seen as such a scandal that the prime minister actually had to comment on the situation while visiting India.) Goody suddenly found herself one of the most reviled people in the U.K. She tried for some time to rehab her character, even appearing on the Indian version of the franchise, Big Boss.

While on that show, Goody was diagnosed with cancer that ended up being terminal. Her grace in dealing with this tragedy and using her circumstances as a platform to encourage young women to get screened for cervical cancer ended up making her a national heroine in her final days and her funeral was broadcast nationwide.

The incident during the celebrity show tainted the whole franchise, and viewership started to slip. Like every pop-culture phenomenon before it, the controllers of Channel 4 who broadcast the franchise decided it was time to say goodbye to Big Brother. They announced that the summer of 2010 series, which has begun airing now, would be its last.

The producers have promised it will be a rollicking farewell, and the show has gotten off to a good start, picking 14 people to go into the house out of a pool of 80 on the live inaugural broadcast. A double amputee, a stunning Irish model, a lesbian house-squatting actress, an Australian and an upper crust privileged "posh" gentleman are among the characters in its ranks. It's definitely worth taking a look, and you can follow along by watching clips (and full episodes if you are in a region where it's allowed) on YouTube and getting the latest news from their website and Twitter.

[oscarnerdjulief]

I love Big Brother so much. It will be interesting to see how this season plays out. I am a superfan; I've watched since the first season and even listen to podcasts about it, like Rob Has a Podcast, Evel Dick's show Dick at Nite, and Afterbuzz.

So far, these are the people I like and don't like.

Likes: Austin, Vanessa, Steve, John, Dayvonne. I generally like the male houseguests more than female and dislike the plastic model types that are recruited for the show. (as opposed to superfans)

could go either way: James, Shelli, Jason... Jason is funny and entertaining in small doses, but could wear on me a la Frankie. James may be too much of a horndog.

Dislike: Liz, Audrey, Meg, Jeff, Jackie, Becky.  Liz is just too annoying and is painted as the bimbo, and I don't believe in having rehashes of previous shows. (Amazing Race--Jeff and Jackie)

I like Clay but not the people he's associating with. He was my initial pick for the winner, though Meg seems to be in a very good position right now. 

[oscarnerdjulief]

Big Brother has a chance of getting good if Jackie remains HOH. The main alliance has to lose a member, or this season will be so boring. I'm over Liz/Austin/Vanessa/Clay/Shelli. I want the other side to unite against them.

After Julie Chen's sniping about Jackie, I would love it if she went her own way and ending up getting rid of Liz and the twin twist. (I like Julia/dislike Liz, but don't want the main alliance to have an extra member.)

[osumelissa]

I definitely think the main alliance needs to be broken up, although I could see them turning on each other quickly once both twins are in the house. I think Clay and Shelli will want the twins to side with them more, and Austin and Vanessa will try to get the twins with them. I am sure there will be lots of final 3 and 4 deals made amongst that group.

The other side of the house needs to come together and figure out a way to break up the duos of Shelli/Clay and Austin/Vanessa.

[oscarnerdjulief]

Big Brother is going down the tubes. I hope James/Jackie/Meg win both sides of the HOH. I don't want to see a final three of Clay, Shelli, and Vanessa, though I don't see Vanessa being so dumb and going with a pair. I could see Vanessa taking Steve because he's more awkward and unlikable compared to others. (I wanted to like Steve, but he came off really, really weird last night.)

I know people love Johnny Mac, but he's just a Shelli/Clay lapdog.

People aren't going to wise up until it's too late. Wouldn't be surprised to see Liz final two. (don't like her)

[osumelissa]

Vanessa made a terrible gameplay decision by nominating Jason. She really had a chance to take out Austin who is going to team up with the twins and ice Vanessa out. I hope Vanessa realizes pretty soon that she is the odd man out in multiple combinations in that alliance.

Steve is really odd. that whole segment last night with the camera was bizarre.

I really wouldn't mind if Becky got voted out tonight. Then I want James/Jason/Meg/Jackie to team up, pull Steve and/or Johnny Mac in and start to run things for awhile.

[oscarnerdjulief]

Vanessa overplays and is too emotional. She was very shrewd, though, in revealing that everybody was on board with getting Jason up and out. She didn't let Shelli and Clay weasel out of it. (That might be a spoiler, sorry.)

Becky's boring and adds nothing to the show. I wouldn't mind if she went, either, but don't think she will.

More than likely, the Sixth Sense will control another week and Jackie or James will be gone.

Who do you think will turn first, Vanessa on Shelli/Clay or the reverse? I think Vanessa will turn first, using some BS 'reason' to put at least one of them up.

Johnny Mac may be up and out during a double eviction before he knows what happens.

Sorry for all the random thoughts. I'm bummed with BB because I don't see a scenario where the people I don't like leave. Like I said, I could definitely see Liz in final two a la Porsche.

[osumelissa]

Jul 30, 2015 13:00:11 GMT -5 oscarnerdjulief said:

Who do you think will turn first, Vanessa on Shelli/Clay or the reverse? I think Vanessa will turn first, using some BS 'reason' to put at least one of them up.

I agree that Vanessa could turn first and then use the excuse of "I'm just doing what the house wants" or some version of that. 

[oscarnerdjulief]

I think it's funny that Clay and Shelli thought Vanessa would let them off the hook with the whole Jason backdoor. What's Vanessa going to say, "Yeah, I defied all reason and logic and did it all my myself?"

My problem with BB this season is that there are a couple of useless people whom I want to go just out of love for the game. For example, it would be a huge insult if nothings like Becky and Liz got in the final three, and it is very likely to happen. I can definitely see Liz being final two, and she's almost halfway to the money because she will have Julia and Austin's votes.

On the other hand, I can't stand Shelli and Clay, esp. Shelli, but at least they are playing the game. Similarly, Vanessa irks me, but she's playing the best game so far.

I cannot wait for this week. Let me say it again---I cannot WAIT for this week.

[osumelissa]

I hope the person who is HOH this week makes a big move. They need to put Clay and Shelli up on the block together so at least one of them would stay on the block. But I also wouldn't mind Becky or Meg going home because they are floaters and not doing anything.

[oscarnerdjulief]

I think people would perceive Shelli as being the boss and vote her out over Clay. At that point, I could see him as ditching the whole sixth sense and aligning with Johnny Mac, Becky, Meg and maybe one of the other guys. Shelli without Clay, though, would cling to Vanessa and the twins in my opinion. (yuck--I want Shelli to go.)

Clay wouldn't jettison his whole game in a "they did my woman wrong" quest for vengeance. Shelli, though, would do something that might not be smart long-term so that she could tell Clay, "honey, I got them back for you."

They better go after Austin and the twins before it's too late. I loathe Liz. She's Porsche, part 2 except worse.