Judging purely by lining up just the first week of each series, I'd say it's the best since BB7 bar none (and it will take a miracle to top shahbaz
).
I, like jack, am worried about losing big characters this early, but a few things are making me cautiously optimistic. First, noms were spread around pretty widely, which indicates that there'll be more than 2 people up in future weeks. Hopefully we'll eventually get everyone up at some point, meaning we will have the opportunity to evict the bores (I'm counting on Lydia to make this happen somehow).
Second, as this series is only 10 weeks, there's less chance of it getting as dragged out as some of the old 13-week series. They'll actually have to do some double or midweek evictions to empty the house out in time, and hopefully they'll do that later in the series so more housemates stay in later. Fuller houses are more interesting, by the time we get down to 8 or so things really start to slow down. The clique warfare sure to come will make the ride entertaining too.
And finally, as noms talk is allowed this year, I hope housemates will realize that it's sound tactically to nominate boring housemates as the public are voting to save. This fact will definitely not escape Adam and Lydia, among others, hopefully.