[Brekkie]

As threatened, while I'm awaiting inspiration for a new format idea, a recap of some of my old ones. Some of you may have read these on Digital Spy, and they are all from last year or the year before.

None are necessarily what I'd suggest at this moment in time for BB9 - although some might work, I think BB needs to find it's feet again first. And they all contain alot of waffle, so be prepared for a long read!

I'll start with one I did last year - a series which sneaks a new format in while nobody's looking and could set BB on a very different course in future years.


Living with the Enemy

Firstly, the basics - 93 days again (perhaps 100), launching on a Thursday, but unlike BB7/8, the format is designed more with the longer series in mind.

A massive 18 HMs, divided into two teams of nine. The theme "Living with the Enemy" relate to the divide not being physical by the teams - they must live and sometimes work together - but they are opponents.

The house - the major change is the entrance is moved to the side with an Bow style walkway rather than the staircase. Also added is a Gamesroom, and while there is just one bedroom, it is two spaces in one.

This idea runs throughout the house - for example in the lounge the sofas would clearly be divided into two contrasting sets, while the dining table would have two set of chairs. Even things like the crockery would be in two contrasting sets - so if we have a "battle of the sexes" theme for example, blue and pink would unashamedly be used to illustrate the divide.

Also added is a "Battle Zone", which is an additional space which will be used for some tasks and challenges.




Week 1:
The show launches on the Thursday and all 18 HMs will move in. With more moving in it might get a bit boring sending them in one by one, so the show will be slightly revamped so groups of HMs move in at the same time. All 18 will move in during the launch show though.

At the end of the launch show the HMs are informed of the basic rule changes such as there being two teams and them competing against each other for food, the jackpot, immunity and rewards etc.


The format in week 1 is slightly different to subsequent weeks, so I hope you follow this:

On Friday HMs will pair up with someone from the opposing team and they must work together to win the roles of "Team Captains" for the first week.

The team captain's will then each have to nominate one person from their own team to automatically face the eviction vote.

The other HMs will then vote ONCE for a second member of their team to face the public vote, with the one or more team members with the most votes joining the captain's choice in facing possible eviction.

The captain's are immune.

One member of each team will be evicted on Friday (Day 9) in a double eviction.

(NOTE: In a secret twist the week 1 team captains will also be told that each week they are both in the house they will win £1000 each - so it'll be in their interests to protect each other and pocket the cash!)

The weekly task will remain for food, with it's format varying between the two teams working with and against each other. Similarly they'll be occasional reward challenges too which sometimes see the teams working with or against each other.

One of the main tasks though where they'll work against each other all the time is the Jackpot Challenge , held in the "Battle Zone". These are held roughly once a week, but at random times signalled by a BB German style "Match Alarm".

While only the winner gets the jackpot, what they win will depend on how their team performs during the series. Both teams begin with £100,000 and winning a Jackpot Challenge means a team will steal money from the opponent jackpot - probably around £5000 - £10000 for each challenge.


Week 2+
After the first week the more regular format gets underway.

The weekly Team Captain's won't be chosen by challenges, but instead by a vote/discussion amongst the team. HMs cannot be a team captain two weeks running.

On Saturdays the Captains Challenge will take place, with the captain and a number of teammates of their choice (sometimes just one, sometimes all) compete to win immunity for their team.

The losing team must then face the nomination and eviction process. The (losing) team captain will nominate one person from their own team to automatically face the eviction vote.

The other HMs (in the losing team) will then vote ONCE for a second member of their team to face the public vote, with the one or more team members with the most votes joining the captain's choice in facing possible eviction.

HOWEVER - the opposing Team Captain can - if they choose too - replace one of the nominees with the losing captain.

An eviction then takes place on the Friday.


This process continues till around the middle of the season with a few twists along the way, such as:

• HMs swapping teams
• team members becoming "the enemy within"
• the winning team nominating who from the losing team is up for eviction
• the possibility of double evictions or new HMs - though neither are absolutely neccessary

After about eight weeks and with one double eviction along the way, we're left with 8 HMs.


Week 9+
From here, the format changes..

If the changes have been accepted by the loyal BB viewer and they quite like seeing competition that means something and a new nomination process - well, then we've nearly sneaked in the HoH format without anyone realising!

Everyone is now the enemy, including your former teammates, and now it's everyone for themselves! Instead of choosing team captains to compete in the Captain's Challenge, everyone (except the outgoing captain) competes for the role of "House Captain"

The House Captain would be immune and as with previous Team Captains, they would be responsible for nominating one person (any HM now) to automatically face the public vote.

The other HMs would then vote ONCE each to determine the second nominee. And then the viewers vote one out and we start again.

There could be some kind of Veto challenge, but I would leave that and bring it in as the twist in the next series.


Food and Reward challenges are now all group or individual efforts - while the Jackpot Challenges now enter a new phase.

Yes, now the Jackpot Challenges are individual too. The HMs start with the money they accumulated in the Team Challenges, but now it's time to steal money off each other individually. Challenges would vary, but an example could be a simple Q&A quiz where HMs who answer questions correctly win £1000 off the HM of their choice.


Final Week
Six in the final week, never mind on the final night, is too many IMO - so we're back down to at most 4 so they're really forced to mix with each other.

How far the House Captain (well - lets be honest - HoH) idea goes is negotiable.

We could get to the final four and that would be it, or we could go one round further and then have the House Captain choose both nominees, with one evicted and the other making the final three. You could then even go on once again and have the new House Captain being the only one guaranteed a place in the final with the other two automatically up for eviction, but to be honest I think getting it down to three or four is enough!


And then ultimately we have a winner - and how much they win will depend on how their team-mates performed in the early stages of the show - and how they performed in the Jackpot Challenges as the series came to a close.


[i]And that is Big Brother: Living with the Enemy...


As I said, an idea I posted last year and one that brings a much needed competitive element into the show, taking elements from both Big Brother: The Battle and the HoH idea. Indeed long term the plan would be for the format to evolve in a reworking of HoH the next year.

[Brekkie]

OK, another idea from the archives - this time a multi-house idea. Don't switch off yet, there isn't a House Next Door in sight!

The Safe House


There are three houses who share a communal garden, the diary room and the Inner Circle, which is multi-functional and as well as where all the HMs gather for eviction night it'll also act as a challenge arena and reward room at times too.

The three houses are:

• The Wood House - rustic but basic, with the toilet, shower and kitchen outside in their own courtyard
• The Town House - a comfortable living quarters
• Glass House - the most stylish and luxurious house - but with absolutely no privacy as the name suggests

Initially the housemates (15 or 18 on launch night) would decide for themselves which house they lived in. However once they make the decision they are forbidden from entering any other house without permission - they can only mix with the other houses in the communal areas.

So they can all socialise with each other and get to know each other, but ultimately each house operates independently.


At the beginning of each week each house must elect a "House Captain", who will be responsible for a number of decisions throughout the week.

The live task show returned on Saturdays for the "Safe House" challenge in which the three houses battle to win immunity for the week.

On Sundays the House Captains must choose one person in their house to compete for the Safe Spot - one place in the safe house and guaranteed immunity. For the losing houses this is giving someone the chance of immunity, but for the Safe House the House Captain is putting someone at the risk of nomination.


Nominations take place on Mondays and are slightly different (and hopefully end four hour nominations marathons!)

• Only the two losing houses nominate.
• Each HM must nominate one housemate from their house.
• The two House Captains each nominate two people from their house. (NOTE: Losing house captains are not immune)
• The Safe House Captain also nominates, nominating one person from each house.
• The one (or more) nominees with the most votes in each house face the eviction vote.

Tasks are also revamped with regular "Captains Challenge" and ad-hoc reward challenges.

The food budget is still decided by the weekly task, but again the houses work independently. Each house gets a £100 budget which they must risk.

• They will face two challenges, one against each house, and must decide how much they'll risk on each challenge. (e.g. £35 on the first house, £65 on the second).
• If they fail, they lose that money to the other house - and if they win, they gain the money risked by the other house.
• The houses shop independently of each other and cannot share their budgets - but they can trade items.

There would also be regular opportunities for households and individuals to swap houses, and at some point down the line one house will be closed or converted into something else.

New housemates are always inevitable to provide a mid-series boost and could either enter as Team Captains or as a whole new household.


Depending on viewers reaction once the numbers dwindle down the idea of competing for immunity could be scrapped all together or become a weekly individual challenge.


And that is yet another multi-house twist idea - but I hope it's a bit different to some we've seen before. All thoughts welcome on both of these formats - especially if they're nice.

[bigbrotherbest99]

what is this all about?

[Arneldo]

Great read, and great ideas! I love The Safe House.

[jimmytubbs]

great ideas

[Kevin]

Fantastic ideas Brekkie, but... "The Battle Zone"?! Sounds like something from Pokemon!

Keep it up!

[Magic]

Originally posted by Brekkie
OK, another idea from the archives - this time a multi-house idea. Don't switch off yet, there isn't a House Next Door in sight!

The Safe House


There are three houses who share a communal garden, the diary room and the Inner Circle, which is multi-functional and as well as where all the HMs gather for eviction night it'll also act as a challenge arena and reward room at times too.

The three houses are:

• The Wood House - rustic but basic, with the toilet, shower and kitchen outside in their own courtyard
• The Town House - a comfortable living quarters
• Glass House - the most stylish and luxurious house - but with absolutely no privacy as the name suggests

Initially the housemates (15 or 18 on launch night) would decide for themselves which house they lived in. However once they make the decision they are forbidden from entering any other house without permission - they can only mix with the other houses in the communal areas.

So they can all socialise with each other and get to know each other, but ultimately each house operates independently.


At the beginning of each week each house must elect a "House Captain", who will be responsible for a number of decisions throughout the week.

The live task show returned on Saturdays for the "Safe House" challenge in which the three houses battle to win immunity for the week.

On Sundays the House Captains must choose one person in their house to compete for the Safe Spot - one place in the safe house and guaranteed immunity. For the losing houses this is giving someone the chance of immunity, but for the Safe House the House Captain is putting someone at the risk of nomination.


Nominations take place on Mondays and are slightly different (and hopefully end four hour nominations marathons!)

• Only the two losing houses nominate.
• Each HM must nominate one housemate from their house.
• The two House Captains each nominate two people from their house. (NOTE: Losing house captains are not immune)
• The Safe House Captain also nominates, nominating one person from each house.
• The one (or more) nominees with the most votes in each house face the eviction vote.

Tasks are also revamped with regular "Captains Challenge" and ad-hoc reward challenges.

The food budget is still decided by the weekly task, but again the houses work independently. Each house gets a £100 budget which they must risk.

• They will face two challenges, one against each house, and must decide how much they'll risk on each challenge. (e.g. £35 on the first house, £65 on the second).
• If they fail, they lose that money to the other house - and if they win, they gain the money risked by the other house.
• The houses shop independently of each other and cannot share their budgets - but they can trade items.

There would also be regular opportunities for households and individuals to swap houses, and at some point down the line one house will be closed or converted into something else.

New housemates are always inevitable to provide a mid-series boost and could either enter as Team Captains or as a whole new household.


Depending on viewers reaction once the numbers dwindle down the idea of competing for immunity could be scrapped all together or become a weekly individual challenge.


And that is yet another multi-house twist idea - but I hope it's a bit different to some we've seen before. All thoughts welcome on both of these formats - especially if they're nice.

Love this idea!

[Barbie]

Not keen on the ideas it seems too much like shipwrecked battle of the islands without the sun heat and sand instead its a fancy house in london. i think BB should remain a load of people living together access all areas of the main house not different sections

[Brekkie]

Thanks for the replies (just realised there's more than one!).

To be honest for this year I'd agree that them all together in one house and re-establishing the core format is what is required, and that's the starting point for my new format which I'll post soon (when I've thought it through properly!)


I know though both the two (or more) house scenario and making things more competitive really seem to split the BB fans - some really would like to see it, and some really wouldn't. The trick for the producers I suppose is satisfying both sets of fans. Easy.

[bbcanada]

Good ideas, I love the safehouse idea, its just, I duno, it might be a little to confusing. I know I was kind of lost.

But your floorplans are amazing! Lol.

[Brekkie]

Just wish I had the patience and talent to make my floor plans into the 3D sketch-up houses which this forum is famous for. Sketch-up has well and truly beaten me - massive respect to all of you who've managed to master it.

[Brekkie]

OK, last one from the archives. To be honest it's my least favourite of the three, though I do think the Outhouse idea could be the basis of a good twist - I just didn't get it right this time. I think really it probably needs to be a short term secret house, and as we know secret houses at Elstree are virtually impossible really.


The House


Basically there is the main house and the Out house. No more than ten people live in the main house, which has the features you'd expect of a Big Brother house. The Outhouse is home to the "Outsiders", and is basically the poor house - straw beds, wooden furniture, outdoor shower etc.

There is a solid door linking the two, which is generally locked. The only communication with between the two houses is in the garden, separated by a wire fence. The houses are also linked by "The Match Room", which would be used for head to head challenges.

There is obviously a little bit of Rich-House, Poor-House in there - but ultimately it's all done slightly differently.


Launch night
BB8 begins on a Sunday, lasting for 90 days. Davina does the guided tour around the main house and then reveals the Outhouse, explaining the twist about The Outsiders.

Only ten HMs will move in on launch night, but by the end of the launch show one person will move out. That person will move to the Outhouse and be automatically nominated for the first eviction.


Week 1: The Outsiders
Six more HMs move in over the first week, two on Monday, two on Wednesday and two on Friday.

When they move in the HMs in the main house must immediately decide on one of them to stay and one of them to become an Outsider, living in the Outhouse and being automatically nominated for the first eviction.

In addition on Tuesday and Thursday additional votes take place in the main house to choose another Outsider. By the end of the week there are six Outsiders and they will face the first eviction one week later.


***NOTE: After this it gets a bit too complicated - I wrote this last year, and from this point I'd probably rework it now - and may indeed get around to that at some point.***


The Prize Twist
The second main twist in format is related to the Prize Money. Each housemate has their own individual jackpot fund - but they can only add to it while they are in the main house. Those living in the Outhouse risk losing money.

Each of the HMs begin with £10,000 and automatically earn an extra £1000 every week they are in the main house (for example).

There will be occassional group challenges where money can be won - but the main challenges take place in the Match Room. When the Match Alarm sounds one person from the main house must go to the Match Room and pick one Outsider to challenge.
The Outsider can not win money - but they can lose money, which if they lose the challenge is won by their opponent.

Therefore, as Outsiders can lose money at the beginning of the week they'd be a competition between them to win the right to bank their cash and avoid facing challenges in the Match Room.


Who's in, Who's Out?
At the end of each week the Outsiders can challenge any of the housemates they've defeated for their place in the house. In addition, the Outsider who won the right to bank their cash can challenge any other HM of their choice.

The challenges would take place during the second live show on Friday (the eviction and interview would be done in the first) and would be on a bigger scale to the Matches, taking place in the garden. (The crowd would have gone home by then and Davina will be hosting from the studio).


Nominations
A slight twist to nominations, which due to the initial Outsiders twist wouldn't begin until week 3. All HMs are eligible to be nominated - but only the housemates in the main house can nominate. The Outsiders can not nominate!

Same process as usual - two nominations each, the two (or more) with the most votes up for eviction and the viewers vote to evict. Note any jackpot fund is lost when a HM is evicted.


The series continues...
There would be six Outsiders each week initially with the number in the main house reducing by one each week. As the series progresses and numbers in the main house fall, the number of Outsiders would also fall accordingly until ultimately the Outhouse is closed.

Once the Outhouse is closed (with around 8 HMs left) the matches will take place amongst the HMs, going head to head to compete to steal money for their jackpot fund off each other.

The second live show on Friday nights would continue, including further challenges for both the jackpot and possibly immunity, and of course the occasional double evictions.

There might be a couple of extra HMs introduced midway through the series, but the aim would be to be down to just 4 HMs in the final week - and certainly by the final night.


So that's The Outsiders. As I said though I like the general idea of having the main house and the "Outhouse", in hindsight I think it's far too complex - especially the prize twist and the way in which it's determined who lives where. It could work by just simplifying it into a straight forward weekly competition to decide who lives where, but I think the best thing to do would be to phase the Outhouse out after it's served it's initial purpose for the first eviction.

That's the last of the trawl through the archives - for my next idea I'll have to come up with something new - though I think at the moment it's going to be much more about re-establishing the traditional format than trying to innovate it into something different.