[pontyboi]

Originally Posted by thediaryroomchair

I was watching Ultimate Big Brother back recently and although Channel 4 made it known they wanted to try something new and risk changing their programming in the summer months to accommodate new ideas, at least they gave it a good send-off.

I enjoyed the finale when they had the show with George Lamb when Davina was able to speak about her memories about the last 10 years and when Dermot hosted a last supper. It was as if the end was dignified and it celebrated the show and how it made an impact on TV as we know it.

When Channel 5 bought the rights to the show I had slight reservations given their track record with recommissioning old favourites. My fears were realised when they turned the show into a characture of its former self.

Having loud countdowns and klaxons when housemates were interviewed was bad enough, then having Marcus Bentley seemingly on something when he enunciates housemates names. His ridiculous Summer CBB 2012 is still parodied by my friend and I when he said: "whooooooooooo will it be?"

I felt Brian Dowling was treated appallingly and was sacked without any warning and then replaced by Emma Willis. I felt from the outset Brian could have suited BOTS and Emma should have presented the main show. Dropping him completely was very wrong and for me was when things turned sour. Jamie East was a good addition to BOTS but he suddenly left.

From 2015 onwards, I felt the show began to stagnate and we had the same housemates in the main one, good looking young people with the odd older person but people have grown tired of this. There is no invention, no deviation in thinking at all. It seemed as if Big Brother is following a same rule, a same path every series and it is becoming tiresome.

I was sad when Big Brother ended in 2010 because I grew up watching the show from the age of 16 to then when I was 26 and it was the thing to talk about. As someone who is interested in media I loved how it was covered, the press launches, seeing the countdown adverts and speculating who was going in.

Now I think 5 have just given up and if I was Channel 4 I would at least take back Celebrity Big Brother.

For me 5 is just a temporary home and Celebrity and Civilian Big Brother acts as a money spinner for it.

Although you do make some really good points and I resonate with your feelings of nostalgia and BB being a part of your life growing up as I'm the same age....probably a few months younger but still lol channel 4 made BB the tacky mess it is today as Channel 5 bought the show on the success and apparent positive feedback of BB11 which to me is when the whole show turned into a farce.

Outside contact.
Housemates leaving the house to do magic shows or stand up comedy.
Music montages.
The list goes on.

Channel 5 took that as their vision and ran with it then milked it to death.

Even though Channel 4 dedicated a whole evening to BB it was packed full of montages miming to "time to say goodbye"...AWFUL, then a funeral procession.

In regards to Brian Dowling I agree he would have been the perfect BOTS host but Channel 5 it seems forced him into a stereotypical male presenter role by making him wear a suit and giving him awful teleprompted lines which came across stiff as we we all know Brian is funny as fook when hes left to just do his own thing.

I think as its approaching 10 years since BB left Channel 4 I would hope they would reconsider taking it back in 2020 to celebrate its 20th anniversary and hopefully get Davina back and take it back to the original unique reality show everyone used to love and hate but had an opinion on instead of Channel 5 getting to celebrate a faux 20 years and their millionth milked series.