Big Brother (franchise)
Big Brother is a reality television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash prize by avoiding periodic evictions from the house. The idea for the show is said to come during a brainstorm session at the production house of John de Mol Produkties (an independent part of Endemol) on 4 September 1997. There are however little doubt that MTV's Real World aired since 1992 had the original idea. The first Big Brother broadcast was in the Netherlands in 1999 on the Veronica TV channel. It was picked up by Germany, Portugal, USA, UK, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland and Italy the following year and became a world-wide sensation. Since then it has been a prime-time hit in almost 70 countries. The show's name comes from George Orwell's 1948 dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (see Big Brother).
Format
Although 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 they are not permitted any contact with the outside world.
In most versions, at regular intervals (normally once weekly, as introduced in the UK version, although in most early series it was every two weeks), the housemates are 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 the 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 and demographic perspective, this format allows the opportunity for analysis of how people react when forced into close confinement with people who lie outside their comfort zone, since they may hold different opinions or ideals from other contestants, or simply belong to a different group of people than a contestant normally interacts with. Indeed, the format is ideally suited to such analysis because the viewer is afforded the opportunity to see 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/Confession Room. The results can range from violent or angry confrontations to genuine and tender connections (often including romantic interludes), providing entertainment to the 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, the weekly tasks and competitions set by Big Brother and the "Diary/Confession Room," in which the housemates individually convey their thoughts, feelings, and frustrations and reveal their nominees for eviction.
In the first season of most series of Big Brother, the house that the housemates had to live in 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 a survivalist element to the show, increasing the potential for social tension within the house. Nowadays, almost all series provide a modern house for the contest, with a jacuzzi, sauna, VIP suite, loft and other luxuries.
The housemates are required to do housework, and are set tasks by the producers of the show, who communicate with the housemates via the omnipresent authority figure known to them only as "Big Brother." The tasks are designed to test their teamwork abilities and community spirit, and in some countries the housemates' shopping budget or weekly allowance often depends on the outcome of any given 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 announced and viewers are given the opportunity to vote via telephone for whom they wish to see evicted. The only known exception to this process is the American version, in which the housemates themselves vote to evict each other. 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 studio audience.
The series is notable for involving the Internet. Although the show typically broadcasts daily updates in the evening (which are sometimes criticized for their 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, 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 critics, the show has been a commercial success around the world. The voyeuristic nature of the show, in which contestants volunteer to surrender their privacy in return for minor celebrity status and a comparatively small cash prize, has attracted much scorn.[1] 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. This recorded material is typically not broadcast due to its explicit nature, as in the Australian and American editions. Other editions, however, such as the German and British versions, do broadcast it. The Internet stream also captures such moments, which has led to some controversy, with certain jurisdictions such as Greece attempting to have the show removed from the airwaves.[1]
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 taken to the extent that 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 in their second season, with a far stronger emphasis on strategy, competition and voting.
Isolation of housemates
The housemates are, for the most part, 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 (excludng one time on the UK series, where the housemates were allowed to watch the Inauguration of Barack Obama). In some shows, even books and writing material are not permitted, with the exception of religious materials such as the Bible, Torah or Qur'an; however, some versions completely ban all reading material, whether or not it is religious or secular. Some versions (especially the British version) ban writing utensils; because of this, any sort of item that can be used to write with are often banned, such as lipstick or eyeliner. Despite the fact that the housemates are isolated from the outside world, on some occasions, some houseguests are allowed to exit the house as part of various prizes or tasks. Housemates are sometimes permitted to exit the house in case of emergencies, however, they must come back within 24 hours to avoid being eliminated from the game.
Contestants are not completely isolated, however. They have regularly scheduled interactions with the show's host (mostly on eviction nights), and throughout each day the program's producer, via the "Big Brother" voice, instructs the contestants on various matters and sometimes issues tasks or commands them to take certain actions. In some versions of the show, private chats with a psychologist are allowed at any time, often by means of a telephone in the Diary Room.
Contact from the outside world has taken place in the form of fly-overs by planes carrying banners with messages for the contestants. Whenever these planes are discovered by producers, the house guests are ordered indoors by Big Brother in an effort to prevent them from reading the banners.
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 must come from each of the different countries in the region where it airs:
- Africa: Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
- Former Yugoslav Republics: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro.
- Arab States: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria and Tunisia.
- Pacific: Chile, Ecuador and Peru.
- Scandinavia: Norway and Sweden .
- United Kingdom and Ireland: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern 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.
- The eighth UK series saw an all-female house. However, three days later, one male housemate entered. The same twist was used in Big Brother 4 Bulgaria. Big Brother Africa 4 used the same twist using an all male launch show instead of females.
- Since BB2, The UK series always opens with a twist which have included the public being able to choose the final housemate out of 3 possibilities (BB2), the public voting for a housemate to leave during the first week and then the housemates choosing between the two housemates with the least number of votes (BB3), First Night Nominations (BB4), Suit Case Nominations (BB5), Unlucky Housemate 13 (BB6), Big Brother Hood (BB7), an all-female House and the first inclusion of twins as contestants (BB8), the first couple to enter as housemates and set a secret task to hide their real relationship (BB9), all "housemates" really being "non housemates" who had to earn their housemate status (BB10), Jackie Stallone entering a house containing her son's ex-wife (CBB3), entrance of a non-celebrity in a celebrity edition (CBB4) Jade Goody's family announced to be visiting. (CBB5). In 2009 during the sixth celebrity series, LaToya Jackson was first to enter and walked straight into the bedrooms - which are usually locked until everyone has arrived - and entered a private bedroom she put her bag on the bed to claim it as her own, it was assumed this was pre-arranged [1] , Terry Christian became Head Of House - which had been used in the latter weeks of the previous non-celebrity series - and had to choose three housemates to face the first eviction, which the others later voted to save one of the nominees, Ben Adams, leaving Lucy Pinder and eventual winner Ulrika Johnsson to face the first eviction. In the summer series of 2009 the house at first was empty with only crates to sit on and none of the new arrivals were given housemate status, and had to earn it by doing tasks, some of which were minor sacrifices, the most notable were Noirin Kelly shaving off her eyebrows and drawing a mustache and glasses on her face, which she had to do for almost three weeks until she won a chance to stop doing it, Freddie Fisher and eventual winner Sophie Reade changed their names by deedpoll to Halfwit and Dogface respectively, they were addressed by these names by Big Brother for ten weeks - although their fellow housemates could refer to them by their original names except during nominations - they were given a present by Big Brother in Week 10 to have their original names back. On Day 4 the six people who had not received housemate status were put up for a public vote, the person with the least votes - which turned out to be Beinazir Lasharie - had to leave immediately, the house was then transformed into looking like a Big Brother house. Other countries such as Bulgaria and the United States (and previously Australia) have now started using these opening night twists.
- The fifth UK edition introduced "Fake evictions" where one or two housemates are "evicted"; however, unbeknownst to the housemates, they have in fact not been evicted. The housemate/s usually are put into a secret house where numerous twists happen. In the eighth UK Series one housemate was evicted, interviewed, and then sent straight back into the house. The housemates in the house got to see everything live, though.
- 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. (Dan was "America's Player" on Big Brother 10 (U.S) This was also seen in the second Teen Edition of the Philippine version as the "House Player."
- 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:
- Netherlands, 2001 and Netherlands, 2002, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Poland, 2002, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- UK, 2002, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor (effective from the 3rd to 6th week).
- Australia, 2003, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Round House and Square House (effective until Day 22).
- Denmark, 2003, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Germany, 2003, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Greece, 2003, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Norway, 2003, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Spain, 2004, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Germany, 2004-2005, The Housemates lived in a house with 3 areas: Rich, Normal and Survivor.
- Scandinavian Peninsula, 2005, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Norwegian House and Swedish House (effective on the 1st week).
- Germany, 2005-2006, The Housemates lived in a village with 3 houses. Rich, Normal and Poor.
- Slovakia, 2005, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Italy, 2006, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- UK, 2007, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Masters (Luxurious area) and Servants (Basic area) (effective from the 3rd to 6th day).
- Italy, 2007, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Normal and Dump.
- Spain, 2008, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: House Big Brother Season 10 and House Big Brother Season 1.
- Germany, 2008, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Slovenia, 2008, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Germany, 2008-2009, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Heaven and Hell.
- UK, 2008, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Heaven and Hell (effective from the 6th to 10th week).
- Brazil, 2009, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor (effective on the 1st week).
- Israel, 2009, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor (effective from the 4th to the 8th week).
- Spain, 2009-2010, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Normal house and Spy house.
- Finland, 2009, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Paradise and Slum (effective from the 2nd to 10th week).
- Philippines, 2009, there are two separate group of housemates who lived in two different houses: House A (Antoni Gaudí architectural design inspired) and House B (Vincent van Gogh paintings inspired). (effective until the 9th week; each two sets of housemates compete each other for the weekly allowance. Two nominees from each house are nominated every week. The lowest number of votes is evicted. House B was re-opened on the 16th week as part of a season twist).
- Serbia, VIP 2010, The housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Albania, 2010, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: Rich and Poor.
- Philippines Teen 3, 2010, The Housemates lived in a house with 2 areas: The Villa and The Apartment. (effective until Day 16 only due to merging of the teen housemates from Villa and Apartment while Apartment house was close for a short period only and re-opened on Day 22 because of the entering of Teenternational Housemates which is known as one of the season's twist; the Teenternational Housemates was also competing to become the Teen Big Winner; each two sets of housemates compete each other for the weekly allowance. Two nominees from each house are nominated every week with the same format from PBB Double Up. The lowest number of votes is evicted.)
- 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, a matcharena, a pub, a fitness room, and later a small hotel, into which celebrities from the real world could move). 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 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 show's audience and the show switched back to the traditional Big Brother format in mid-season. This concept, in modified form, was used in the second Philippine Teen edition, wherein the guardians. the housemates' kins, had a separate winner.
- In the tenth week of Seventh UK season, the housemates were paired with their "best friend" in the house and had to nominate and face eviction as couples. The ninth American season took this format and added a romantic aspect, by pairing the Housemates up and having them compete as couples chosen by their compatibility to each other.
- The ninth Brazilian season featured the "Bubble," a glass house built inside a shopping mall in Rio de Janeiro where 4 housemate-wannabes lived for a week until 2 of them were voted to enter the actual household. Later in the same season, a new "Bubble" was built inside the Big Brother household, with another 2 housemates living inside it for a week until they were voted in and the glass house dismantled.
- Introduced in the fifth season of the American series, several countries have included twins, and in some cases triplets, in their shows. Series that have used Housemates who are twins or triplets are:
- USA, 2004, Adria Montgomery-Klein and Natalie Montgomery-Carroll, 7th (Adria) and 8th (Natalie) Evicted, Used Name: "Adria."
- 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).
- Germany, 2005-2006, Beate and Birgit, 26th Evicted (Beate) and 33rd Evicted (Birgit).
- Bulgaria, 2006, Lyubov, Nadejda, and Vyara Stancheva, 7th (Nadejda) and 9th (Vyara) Evicted, Winner (Lyubov), Used Name: "Vyara."
- UK, 2007, Amanda and Sam Marchant, second place (both were treated separately until Day 68 when they became one). The were then known in the media as Samanda
- France, 2007, Marjorie, Cyrielle and Johanna Bluteau, Winners (They competed as a team).
- Spain, 2007, Conchi and Pamela De Los Santos, 2nd Place, Used Name: "Rosa."
- Poland, 2007, Aneta and Martyna Bielecka, 4th Evicted (They were discovered as twins), Used Name: "Martyna."
- India, 2008, Sana and Alina, 4th Evicted (Sana was introduced as Alina but the housemates soon found her to be different person and both were out at the eviction)
- Israel, 2008, Leon and Boris Schneiderovsky, 1st Evicted (Boris) and 5th Place (Leon).
- Africa, 2009, Edward and Erastus Moongo, currently in the house playing as separate housemates.
- Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro, 2009, Admir and Enis Mujabašić, and Violeta and Kristina Raleva.
- Philippines, 2009, Kenny & Toffi Santos and JM & JP Lagumbay. The twins in each set originally must switch roles when instructed (only true with the Santos twins after JP's exit, but JM must still assume JP's identity when instructed). JP voluntary exited and JM along with the Santos Twins were forcibly evicted.
- A variation of the above twist was done in the second Celebrity Edition of the Philippine version wherein two housemates related by profession or as familial relationships are considered as 2-in-1 housemates wherein they were to play as one housemate until an appointed time.
- In Celebrity Hijack UK evicted housemates were given the opportunity to affect the house one last time and had to choose if a "ninja" delivered good or bad gifts to the house. Later that year Big Brother Australia 2008 introduced the 'Housemate Hand Grenade,' where the evicted housemate was given the power to decide which housemate receives a big brother devised penalty.
- In the third Philippine series the main house was divided into two house areas, with each having its own kitchen, living room and bedroom. The two houses share one confession room. The twins of this season must not reveal that there are twins in the house or Big Brother has two houses during the first week.
- Big Brother 5 Bulgaria, which started in early 2010 introduced a new family format - Big Brother Family. For the very first time whole families entered the House with their spouses, children and relatives. They received a salary for their stay and the winning family will receive a big cash prize, a car and an apartment.
Special editions of Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother / Big Brother VIP
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 1999, 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 appeared in the UK in early 2008: Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack, temporarily replacing the 2007 edition of Celebrity Big Brother while a racial abuse incident in Celebrity Big Brother 2007 cooled down. Instead of the celebrities playing the role of housemates, the celebrities in fact become Big Brother himself. The celebrities create tasks, hold nominations, etc. with the help of Big Brother. The housemates of the show are considered by the producers "Britain's most exceptional and extraordinary" 18-21 year olds. The prize for the winner of the series was £50,000.[2]
- VIP Brother 3 Bulgaria introduced in 2009 an entirely new conception of the show, where the celebrities compete for charity causes, and sometimes they are allowed to leave the House in order to gain money for the given cause, which is different each week.
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 (Season 1), 77 days (Season 2)). Teenage housemates (15 years old and above) competing in a BB house.
- Big Brother: All-Stars (Belgium, 21 days; United States, 72 days; Canada, 64 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.
- Gran Hermano: El Reencuentro (Spain, 53 Days): An All Stars special edition to celebrate ten years of show. Enemy ex-housemates compete, nominate and will be evicted in pairs.
There are also "test runs" with a group of celebrities or journalists living together in the house during a few days, with the only goal being testing out the house. There are occasions where people who have auditioned for the show are also put in the house, most notably in the British edition, where many housemates claim to have met before. Series such as these are known to occur in Argentina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Mexico, Pacific, Philippines, Spain and many other countries. In some cases, it is not broadcast, but in others, such as the US edition, it is used as a promotional tool.
Big Brother series
There are currently 230 winners of the Big Brother format. The most recent being Eli and Vesselin Kouzmovi from Bulgaria.
Region/Country | Local Title | Network | Winners | Main Presenters |
---|---|---|---|---|
Big Brother Africa | M-Net![]() ![]() |
Season 1, 2003: |
Mark Pilgrim (Season 1) Kabelo Ngakane (Season 2-3) Ikponmwosa "I.K." Osakioduwa (Season 4) | |
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Big Brother | Top Channel |
Season 1, 2008: Arbër Çepani |
Arbana Osmani (Season 1-present) |
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بيغ براذر الرئيس Big Brother Al-Rais |
MBC II | Season 1, 2004: Discontinued[3] | Razan Maghrebi (Season 1) |
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Gran Hermano | Telefe![]() |
Season 1, 2001: Marcelo Corazza |
Soledad Silveira (Season 1-3) Jorge Rial (Season 4-present) |
Gran Hermano Famosos | Telefe |
Season 1, 2007: Diego Leonardi |
Jorge Rial (Season 1) | |
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Big Brother Australia | Network Ten![]() |
Season 1, 2001: |
Gretel Killeen (Season 1-7) |
Celebrity Big Brother | Network Ten | Season 1, 2002: Dylan Lewis | ||
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Kanaal Twee |
Season 1, 2000: Steven Spillebeen |
Walter Grootaers (All seasons) | |
Big Brother VIPs | vtm Kanaal Twee |
Season 1, 2001: Sam Gooris | ||
Big Brother All-Stars | Kanaal Twee |
Season 1, 2003: Heidi Zutterman | ||
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Big Brother Brasil | Rede Globo![]() |
Season 1, 2002: Kléber de Paula |
Marisa Orth (Season 1) Pedro Bial (Season 1-present) |
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Big Brother | Nova Television Nova+ (Season 1-4) (Live) Diema Family (Season 5) (Live) |
Season 1, 2004-2005: Zdravko Vasilev |
Niki Kunchev (Season 1-3; 5) Evelina Pavlova (Season 1-2) Milen Tsvetkov (Season 4) |
Big Brother Family |
Season 5, 2010: Eli & Vesselin Kouzmovi | |||
VIP Brother | Nova Television Nova+ (Season 1-2) (Live) Diema 2 (Season 3) (Live) |
Season 1, 2006: Konstantin Slavov |
Niki Kunchev (Season 1-present) Evelina Pavlova (Season 1) | |
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Loft Story | TQS[4] |
Season 1, 2003: Julie Lemay & Samuel Tissot |
Renée-Claude Brazeau (Season 1) Philippe Fehmiu (Season 1) Isabelle Maréchal (Season 2) Virginie Coossa (Season 2-4) Marie Plourde (Season 3-5) Kim Rusk (Season 5-6) Pierre-Yves Lord (Season 6) Chéli Sauvé-Castonguay (Season 7) |
Loft Story: La Revanche |
Season 6, 2009: Sébastien Tremblay | |||
Big Brother | V |
Season 7, 2010 : Vincent Durand Dubé | ||
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Gran Hermano | Caracol TV |
Season 1, 2003: Mónica Tejón |
Adriana Arango (Season 1) Carlos Calero (Season 1) |
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Big Brother | RTL |
Season 1, 2004: Saša Tkalčević |
Daria Knez (Season 1) |
Celebrity Big Brother |
Season 1, 2008: Danijela Dvornik |
Antonija Blaće (Season 1) | ||
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Big Brother | TV NOVA |
Season 1, 2005: David Šín |
Eva Aichmajerová (Season 1) Lejla Abbasová (Season 1) Leoš Mareš (Season 1) |
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Big Brother | TV Danmark |
Season 1, 2001: Jill Liv Nielsen |
Lisbeth Janniche (All seasons) |
Big Brother VIP |
Season 1, 2003: Thomas Bickham | |||
Big Brother Reality All-Stars | Season 1, 2004: Jill Liv Nielsen (Big Brother) | |||
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Gran Hermano | Ecuavisa |
Season 1, 2003: David Burbano |
Toty Rodríguez (Season 1) |
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Sub |
Season 1, 2005: Perttu Sirviö |
Mari Kakko (Season 1-2) | |
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Loft Story | M6 |
Season 1, 2001: Christophe Mercy & Loana Petrucciani |
Benjamin Castaldi (Season 1-2) |
TF1 | Season 1, 2007: Marjorie, Cyrielle and Johanna Bluteau ("Les Triplées") Season 2, 2008: |
Benjamin Castaldi (Season 1-present) | ||
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RTL II |
Season 1, 2000: John Milz |
Percy Hoven (Season 1) | |
![]() ![]() Greece and Cyprus |
ANT1 |
Season 1, 2001: Giorgos Triantafyllidis |
Andreas Mikroutsikos (Season 1-3) | |
Season 1, 2010: Upcoming Season |
TBA | |||
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Big Brother Nagy Testvér | TV2 |
Season 1, 2002: Éva Párkányi |
Claudia Liptai (Season 1-2) Attila Till (Season 1-2) |
Big Brother VIP | TV2 |
Season 1, 2003: Unknown | ||
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Bigg Boss | SET (Season 1) Colors TV (Season 2-present) |
Season 1, 2006-2007: Rahul Roy |
Arshad Warsi (Season 1) Shilpa Shetty (Season 2) Amitabh Bachchan (Season 3-present) |
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Ha'Ach Ha'Gadol (האח הגדול) The Big Brother |
Channel 2 - Keshet |
Season 1, 2008: Shifra Kornfeld |
Erez Tal (Season 1-present) Assi Azar (Season 1-present)[5] |
HaAh Hagadol VIP (VIP האח הגדול) The Big Brother VIP |
Season 1, 2009: Dudi Melitz | |||
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Canale 5 |
Season 1, 2000: Cristina Plevani |
Daria Bignardi (Season 1-2) | |
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Televisa |
Season 1, 2002: Rocío Cárdenas |
Adela Micha (Season 1-2) | |
Big Brother VIP |
Season 1, 2002: Galilea Montijo |
Víctor Trujillo (Season 1) | ||
Big Brother: El Reencuentro (All-Stars) |
Season 1, 2010: Upcoming Season |
Adela Micha (Season 1) | ||
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Season 1, 1999: Bart Spring in 't Veld |
Rolf Wouters (Season 1) | ||
Big Brother VIPs | Veronica (Season 1) Talpa (Season 2) |
Season 1, 2000: No winner |
Caroline Tensen (Season 2) | |
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M-Net | Season 1, 2006: Katung Aduwak | Olisa Adibua (Season 1) Michelle Dede (Season 1) | |
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Big Brother Norge | TVN |
Season 1, 2001: Lars Joakim Ringom |
Arve Juritzen (Season 1-2) Trygve Rønningen (Season 3) |
Big Brother: Tilbake I Huset | Season 1, 2001: Leena Brekke | |||
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Season 1, 2005: ![]() |
Lorena Meritano (Season 1)
Regional Main Presenters | ||
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Pinoy Big Brother | ABS-CBN |
Season 1, 2005: Nene Tamayo |
Willie Revillame (Season 1) Toni Gonzaga (Season 1-present) Mariel Rodriguez (Season 1-present) Bianca Gonzalez (Season 2-present) |
Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition |
Season 1, 2006: Keanna Reeves |
Toni Gonzaga (Season 1-2) Mariel Rodriguez (Season 1-2) Luis Manzano (Season 1) Bianca Gonzalez (Season 2) | ||
Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition |
Season 1, 2006: Kim Chiu |
Mariel Rodriguez (Season 1-present) Bianca Gonzalez (Season 1-present) Toni Gonzaga (Season 1-present) Willie Revillame (Season 1) Luis Manzano (Season 2) | ||
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Big Brother | TVN (Season 1-3) TV4 (Season 4-5) TBA (Season 6) |
Season 1, 2001: Janusz Dzięcioł |
Martyna Wojciechowska (Season 1-3) Grzegorz Miecugow (Season 1) Andrzej Sołtysik (Season 2-3) Karina Kunkiewicz (Season 4) Kuba Klawiter (Season 4-5) Małgorzata Kosik (Season 5) Katarzyna Cichopek (Season 6) |
Big Brother Bitwa (The Battle) | Season 3, 2002: Piotr Borucki | |||
Big Brother VIP | Season 5 (Part 1), 2008: Jarek Jakimowicz | |||
Big Brother Kids [6] | Season 1, 2010: Upcoming season | |||
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Big Brother | TVI |
Season 1, 2000-2001: Zé Maria Seleiro |
Teresa Guilherme (All seasons) |
Big Brother Famosos |
Season 1, 2002: Ricardo Vieira | |||
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Big Brother | Prima TV |
Season 1, 2003: Sorin "Soso" Pavel Fisteag |
Andreea Raicu (Season 1-2) |
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большой брат Bol'shoy Brat Big Brother |
TNT![]() |
Season 1, 2005: Anastasia Yagaylova | Ingeborga Dapkunaite (Season 1) |
Season 1, 2005: |
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Second Life | Big Brother Second Life | World Wide Web | Season 1, 2006: Madlen Flint | |
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Big Brother Súboj | TV Markíza | Season 1, 2005: Richard Tkáč | Zuzana Belohorcová (Season 1) |
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Big Brother |
Kanal A |
Season 1, 2007: |
Nina Osenar (Season 1-present) |
Celebrity Big Brother | POP TV | Season 3, 2010: Upcoming Season | ||
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Big Brother South Africa | M-Net |
Season 1, 2001: Ferdinand Rabie |
Mark Pilgrim (Season 1-2) Gerry Rantseli (Season 1-2) |
Celebrity Big Brother |
Season 1, 2002: Bill Flynn | |||
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Telecinco (Season 1-present) |
Season 1, 2000: Ismael Beiro |
Main Host: | |
Gran Hermano VIP |
Season 1, 2004: |
Jesús Vázquez (Season 1-2) | ||
Gran Hermano: El Reencuentro (All-Stars) |
Season 1, 2010: Pepe Herrero & Raquel López |
Mercedes Milá (Season 1) | ||
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Big Brother Sverige | Kanal5 |
Season 1, 2000: Angelica Freij |
Adam Alsing (All seasons) |
Big Brother Stjärnveckan |
Season 1, 2002: Anki Lundberg (Baren) | |||
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Big Brother Schweiz | TV3 |
Season 1, 2000: Daniela Kanton |
Daniel Fohrler (Season 1) |
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Big Brother Thailand | iTV |
Season 1, 2005: Nipon Perktim |
Saranyu Vonkarjun (Season 1-2) |
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Series 1, 2000: |
Davina McCall | ||
Celebrity Big Brother | BBC One (Series 1) Channel 4 E4 ![]() |
Series 1, 2001: | ||
Teen Big Brother | Channel 4 E4 ![]() |
Series 1, 2003: ![]() |
Dermot O'Leary (Season 1) | |
Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack | Channel 4 E4 ![]() |
Series 1, 2008: ![]() | ||
Big Brother Panto | Channel 4 E4 ![]() |
Series 1, 2004: No winner | Jeff Brazier (Season 1) | |
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Big Brother | CBS Showtime 2 ![]() ![]() |
Season 1, 2000: Eddie McGee |
Julie Chen (Season 1-present) |
Big Brother: All-Stars | Season 7, 2006: Mike Malin | |||
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Veliki Brat | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Season 1, 2006: |
Marijana Mićić (Seasons 1 and 3) |
Veliki Brat VIP |
Season 1, 2007: |
Ana Mihajlovski (Season 1 and 2) |
Housemate exchange
When two seasons in different countries are taking place simultaneously, housemates are sometimes temporarily exchanged between them.
Big Brother series | Housemates involved | Year | Duration |
---|---|---|---|
![]() swapped with |
Eduardo Ozorco, "El Doc" swapped with |
2002 | 7 days |
![]() swapped with |
Eduardo Carrera swapped with |
2003 | 7 days |
![]() swapped with |
Álvaro Montalván swapped with |
2003 | 7 days |
![]() swapped with |
Gaetano Juko Kagwa swapped with |
2003 | 4 Days |
![]() swapped with |
Anton Granlund swapped with |
2006 | 7 Days |
![]() swapped with |
Bruce Quebral |
2007 | 5 days |
![]() swapped with |
Soledad Melli swapped with |
2007 | 7 days |
![]() swapped with |
Munya Chidzonga swapped with |
2008 | 7 days |
![]() swapped with |
Kätlin Laas swapped with |
2009 | 6 days |
![]() swapped with |
Gerardo Prager and Saray Pereira swapped with |
2010 | 7 days |
Ex-Housemate exchange
Big Brother series | Housemates involved | Year |
---|---|---|
![]() swapped with |
Isabel Madow swapped with |
2003 |
![]() Housemate Visited |
Ivan Timoshenko swapped with |
2005 |
![]() swapped with |
Pablo Espósito swapped with |
2007 |
Ex-Housemate visit
Big Brother series | Housemates involved | Year |
---|---|---|
![]() Housemate Visited |
Anouska Golebiewski |
2003 |
![]() Housemate Visited |
Nadia Almada |
2005 |
![]() Housemate Visited |
Chantelle Houghton |
2006 |
![]() Housemate Visited |
Tina Semolič |
2007 |
![]() Contestant |
Jade Goody |
2008 |
![]() Housemate Visited |
Ricardo Ferreira, "Ricco" |
2009 |
![]() Housemate Visited |
Annina Ucatis |
2009 |
![]() Housemates Visited |
George Leonard Veronica Ciardi |
2010 |
Casting Selection Housemate exchange
Big Brother series | Housemates involved | Year |
---|---|---|
![]() Housemate Visited |
Doroti Polito Leonia Coccia |
2009 |
Subtitles of Big Brother series
These are some of the subtitles of Big Brother shows around the world. These are not the local title of the show.
Region / Country | Season | Subtitle |
---|---|---|
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4 | Revolution |
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3 | Big Brother Anders |
5 | Zero Privacy | |
6 | ||
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1 | Биг Брадър вижда всичко! (Big Brother sees everything!) |
3 | Очаквайте неочакваното! (Expect the unexpected!) | |
VIP 2 | Нов! (NEW!) | |
4 | Епизод 4 (Episode 4) | |
VIP 3 | Звездите имат сърца! (Celebrities have hearts!) | |
5 | Family | |
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1-6 | Loft Story : La revanche (Loft Story : The revenge) |
7 | Big Brother | |
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1 | Vidi sve (Sees Everything) |
2 | Gola istina (Naked Truth) | |
3 | Do kraja (To The End) | |
4 | Bez milosti! (No Mercy!) | |
5 | Avantura te zove! (Adventure calls you!) | |
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1 | Aidoin voittaa (The most genuine wins) |
2 | Toinen tuleminen (Second coming) | |
3 | Käytä valtaasi (Use your power) | |
4 | Kuka oikeasti olet? (Who do you really are?) | |
5 | Kaikki on toisin (Everything is different) | |
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4 | The Battle |
6 | Das Dorf (The Village) | |
9 | Reloaded | |
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3 | The Wall |
4 | Big Mother | |
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3 | The Battle |
VIP 2 | Big Brother Hotel | |
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3 | The Wall |
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Teen 2 | Plus |
3 | Double Up | |
Teen 3 | Clash of 2010 | |
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1, 2, 4.1, 5 (Part 2) | Wielki Brat (Big Brother) |
3 | Bitwa (The Battle) | |
5 (Part 1) | VIP | |
6 | Kids | |
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1 | O Grande Irmão (Big Brother) |
2 | ||
3 | ||
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1 | Fratele Cel Mare (Brother At Sea) |
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2 | Očekuj neočekivano (Expect the Unexpected) |
3 | Veliki Brat je dvoličan (Big Brother gets two-faced) | |
VIP 4 | Bitka počinje (The Battle starts) | |
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VIP 1 | El Desafío (The Challenge) |
1-7 | La vida en directo (Live Life) | |
8 | Lo verás todo (You will see everything) | |
9 | Nada es lo que parece (Nothing is what seems) | |
10 | Es otra historia (It's another story) | |
11 | La Nueva Era (The New Age) | |
El reencuentro (The reunion) |
Cuentas pendientes | |
12 | La cuarta dimensión (The fourth dimension) | |
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1 | Big Brother vas gleda! (Big Brother is watching you!) |
2 | ||
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Celebrity 1 | In Aid of Comic Relief |
2 | View, Vote, Control | |
Teen 1 | The Experiment | |
5 | Big Brother Gets Evil | |
Celebrity 3 | ||
Celebrity 7 | Hell Lies in Others | |
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4 | The X-Factor | |
5 | Project DNA - Do Not Assume | |
6 | Summer Of Secrets | |
7 | All-Stars | |
9 | 'Til Death Do You Part |
Near-copies of Big Brother
There are a number of different formats around the globe that use rules similar to Big Brother, here are the most notable:
- A casa de 1900
- Back To Reality
- Za Steklom
- Cabin Fever
- Casa dos Artistas
- De Gouden Kooi
- El bus
- I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
- Uttaradhikar
See also
Bibliography
- Johnson-Woods, Toni (2002). Big Bother: Why Did That Reality TV Show Become Such a Phenomenon?. Australia: University of Queensland Press. p. 256. ISBN 0-7022-3315-3.
Notes
- ^ a b Polyzoidis, Panos (2002-03-23). "Greece's Big Brother row". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
- ^ BREAKING BB NEWS Channel 4 - Official Big Brother UK Website Retrieved 2007-09-08
- ^ "Arab Big Brother show suspended". BBC. 2004-03-01.
- ^ On August 31, 2009, TQS changed its name to V.
- ^ וואלה! ברנז'ה - קשת תשקיע 100 מליון שקל בתוכן במחצית השניה של 2008
- ^ "Big Brother Kids in Poland ?". reality-tv.pl. 2010-05-18.
- ^ Co-produced version with Norway and Sweden taking part.
- ^ C21Media:
- ^ Due to the car accident that killed three former housemates, Elmir Kuduzović, Stevan Zečević and Zorica Lazić, the producer decided to discontinue the series. The winning prize was divided by the remaining housemates.