What the hell were Channel 4 thinking?

[Sawyer]

Not only is Big Brother still their biggest show, by more than tripling their average share for a Sunday night, from 4% to 14%, but it even managed to entice more viewers than Top Gear, which is BBC2's biggest show.

Channel 4's share was up significantly to 13.4% (+1: 1%), putting it in third place ahead of BBC Two's 8.7% and Five's 4.5%.

This figure is obviously going to be Channel 4's biggest, and the show still brings in a profit, even thought it may not be what it once was.

I think, if they manage to grip the viewers over the next 4 weeks with a half decent series, which is up on BB10's or CBB6's figures, Channel 4 may just regret axing. If anything, I do feel Big Brother has begun to get a little bit of it's sparkle back... What do you think?

[Smithy]

i think the next few days will be what makes the series ratings wise, if the first few days arent as good people wont watch

[Brad.]

i think the next few days will be what makes the series ratings wise, if the first few days arent as good people wont watch

This

[Jackie]

More decent celebritys this time.

[MarkWaldorf]

No I'd rather Big Brother went out like this. If it can bow out with high ratings and a good response from fans, it'd have made everything that's happened in the past few years with Big Brother not matter.

[Tom]

Big Brother has its spark back and as I said earlier on after the first highlights show, if they keep this up it will be the best series ever for me. If it was axed after BB10 I wouldn't have cared less, but now I don't want the axe to fall which is a good thing because now I'll be able to look back on BB as the amazing show it was, not the crap it turned out to be by the end.

[Brekkie]

No I'd rather Big Brother went out like this. If it can bow out with high ratings and a good response from fans, it'd have made everything that's happened in the past few years with Big Brother not matter.
I like that way of looking at it. A good CBB and good BB11 will leave us wanting more, rather than leaving us not that bothered it's gone.

[mike888]

I think you're missing the point of why C4 are bringing the curtain down on BB. It's not about ratings, Big Brother is almost certainly one of C4's top rated shows, but it's also been one of their biggest headaches since the infamous race row involving Jade Goody and Shilpa Shetty. Rightly or wrongly that incident reverberated around the world, making the headlines in newspapers and tv news. They lost their sponsorship and it rocked C4 to the core and they have been running scared a similar incident might occur again. In fact it did a couple of years ago, and although not on the same scale, it saw the immediate removal of a housemate, where under normal circumstances it would have just resulted in a slapped wrist and an official warning.
Their hands are now so tightly tied they haven't been able to develop the programme as much as they would have wanted. Despite the ratings the show has become a burden, thus resulting in the decision to axe it. Nothing is ever shown live, the launch show, eviction nights and even the final are all taped delayed, giving them the chance to edit out any controversial language or incidents. This is the main reason C4 are axing the show, despite still being a ratings winner, the overall cost of closely monitoring and editing everything that is said and done is just too big a burden to bear.

[Marc]

I think its only as big partly down to the fact that it is the last one. People wouldn't tune in as much if they knew there were 10 more series' left as it wouldn't have the novelty. "special" series

[Patrick]

Question:

If CBB and BB11 Get good ratings, after BB11 or 2 or 3 years down the line, would they and would they be allowed to take Big Brother 12?

[WOMBAI]

Not only is Big Brother still their biggest show, by more than tripling their average share for a Sunday night, from 4% to 14%, but it even managed to entice more viewers than Top Gear, which is BBC2's biggest show.

Channel 4's share was up significantly to 13.4% (+1: 1%), putting it in third place ahead of BBC Two's 8.7% and Five's 4.5%.

This figure is obviously going to be Channel 4's biggest, and the show still brings in a profit, even thought it may not be what it once was.

I think, if they manage to grip the viewers over the next 4 weeks with a half decent series, which is up on BB10's or CBB6's figures, Channel 4 may just regret axing. If anything, I do feel Big Brother has begun to get a little bit of it's sparkle back... What do you think?

It's only because it is the last series! Noone would be bothered otherwise!

[Gavin]

Haha, makes you laugh doesn't it. Even though BB gets so few viewers compared to the golden days, it still gets millions more than normal channel4 shows.

Channel 4 will really struggle when BB goes!

[Patrick]

It's only because it is the last series! Noone would be bothered otherwise!

No.

They put effort into it, thats all it takes.

If BB was continued and lets say we were on Big Brother 14 UK, It could still get big ratings if the producers keep putting effort in, that doesnt mean do this whole Fire thing every year, if they just think of ideas and change it abit every year then it will work and it can quite easily get a good ammount of ratings it doesnt need to be axed to get ratings.

[neonlight]

Still no red button to watch the house 24/7. C4 have washed their hands of it now.