[MB.]

Originally Posted by BB6

Agree with that.
Plus it got too draining.

CBB15 should've lasted till Nadia's eviction, as after is when ratings dropped to like 2.9m.

The problem is, when they're onto a good thing, they milk it for all its worth. Hence the heavy focus on Katie vs Perez, which ironically probably didn't help the ratings much in the end anyway.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Beetlejuice

The ****ty production and casting is in part because of the lack of the live coverage imo. The desperate stunts are needed because people aren't able to get to know the housemates or keep up with what is going on. A show that once had a sense of urgency and immediacy about it has become very slow. That is devastating to a show that was once all about people being able to keep up with everything that was going on as it unfolded. That is particularly essential in the age of 24/7 social media.

Casuals aren't interested in the feeds. It would have no bearing on ratings.

Live feed is a footnote on the never-ending list of problems leading to the show's deterioration. It is not the top priority.

Its social media platforms and website could do with a huge overhaul even without live feeds.

[Beetlejuice]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Also, when the show came to channel 5 in 2011, lack of live feed was one of the main flaws in its format.

As it stands in 2015, live feed is the LEAST of its worries. EVERYTHING is wrong with it now.

Yes, but in regards to Civilian BB all the other problems stem from the lack of the live coverage. People can't get to know the housemates well enough to care about them anymore, so they rely on pointless twists and desperate stunts. And even bringing back old housemates who people once did care about like Nikki and Brian.

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by BB6

Bringing back live feed won't get the viewers over 2m, anyway.

BB14 was close enough, but still failed.

Getting it to around 1.5m viewers would be good on Ch5, which it would do if people knew that they was watching an organic BB.

[Jason.]

Originally Posted by MB.

The problem is, when they're onto a good thing, they milk it for all its worth. Hence the heavy focus on Katie vs Perez, which ironically probably didn't help the ratings much in the end anyway.

Yeah.

Macie said the same thing.
They cling on to something, which isn't even there, and milk the dead cow.

Had CBB15 lasted 24 days, instead of 31 days, it would've averaged 3.2m.

[Beetlejuice]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Casuals aren't interested in the feeds. It would have no bearing on ratings.

I just think you're wrong about this. Today everything is done on the internet. Casuals will be interested in it the moment there is a buzz about it on twitter. That's how social media works today and the lack of the 24/7 feed has taken away all of that buzz which generates interest among the casuals.

Live feed is a footnote on the never-ending list of problems leading to the show's deterioration. It is not the top priority.

Live feed is the absolute heart of the problem and always has been. The civilian show cannot survive without it.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Beetlejuice

Yes, but in regards to Civilian BB all the other problems stem from the lack of the live coverage. People can't get to know the housemates well enough to care about them anymore, so they rely on pointless twists and desperate stunts. And even bringing back old housemates who people once did care about like Nikki and Brian.

That's because C5 seem to think BB needs constant screaming shouting and arguing. Nothing to do with live feed.

Like a child they said, oooh some of those twists and huge stunts on C4 were popular. But without putting them into the context of a fantastically produced series they think they can get by on just twists, flashing lights, shouting voice overs and drama.

Live feed doesn't even come into it.

[Jason.]

Originally Posted by Mystic Mock

Getting it to around 1.5m viewers would be good on Ch5, which it would do if people knew that they was watching an organic BB.

1.5m with 24/7 is awful.

Had they introduced it back in 2012/2013, the show would be getting at least 2.1m.

Roughly the same as summer CBB rates.

[MB.]

Originally Posted by Beetlejuice

Live feed is the absolute heart of the problem and always has been. The civilian show cannot survive without it.

It's survived for nearly five series without it. Granted, it's been dragged along kicking and screaming for much of that time, but it's still survived.

[Beetlejuice]

Originally Posted by BB6

Bringing back live feed won't get the viewers over 2m, anyway.

BB14 was close enough, but still failed.

BB14 was close and that was the first series to have extra live coverage, and not even the 24/7 coverage. And the website was **** that year.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Beetlejuice

Live feed is the absolute heart of the problem and always has been. The civilian show cannot survive without it.

I feel you're not fully understanding what I'm getting at but I'm too tired to continue trying to explain. No matter.

[ThriceShy]

The most pressing issue is to stop this interfering with nominations. It has killed the show.

I think this series might have developed nicely if they hadn't done the 4in4out thing.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Beetlejuice

I just think you're wrong about this. Today everything is done on the internet. Casuals will be interested in it the moment there is a buzz about it on twitter. That's how social media works today and the lack of the 24/7 feed has taken away all of that buzz which generates interest among the casuals.

You see, that's where it lies. TWITTER.

These social media nerds you speak of like to see things flash up "BREAKING NEWS AARON FREW EJECTED" "OOOH, HELEN AND NIKKI ARGUING AGAIN" followed by a 10 word sentence explaining what's happening or a 30 second video isolating the screaming and the shouting.

Would these people be glued to live feed? No.
Are this generation of people interested in old school Big Brother, getting to know these people and see how they cope in an enclosed environment with strangers? No.

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

No I don't think it would at all. CBB gets a huge audience that doesn't even bother with the civilian version which is long passed its prime.

Evidence in the fact that during its life on channel 5, CBB has INCREASED its viewership compared to civilian which has dropped lower and lower.

Live feed won't change that. The casuals turning away aren't interested in 24/7 feeds. They're just turned off by the general sh*tty production, casting etc.

CBB's ratings look impressive because it gets people that like Celebs watching on top of the Civilian series fans watching too, Civilian series fans won't watch if CBB is the only one on air hence trouble for the series as Ch5 desperately try to save it.

Live Feed will probably mean a better cast too as it will get genuine people to audition.

[Beetlejuice]

Originally Posted by MB.

It's survived for nearly five series without it. Granted, it's been dragged along kicking and screaming for much of that time, but it's still survived.

You've answered your own response. It's best year, or at least its most successful year was the year of the 2 hour live coverage. And that came later. And indeed, the ratings went up and were maintain after going up in week 4 (the week the 2 hour live feed came back at midnight).

If that live coverage had been there from the very first night like it used to be with Channel 4 people could get much more involved and want to stick with it from the start. When it's not there, you just give up on trying to keep up with the show.

Remember, the launch night still does well when it is well publicized, they need to find a way of keeping those viewers hanging on, but when it's just 45 minute HL shows that tell you hardly anything about any of them, the show is doomed.

[rionablue]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

I think it's had it's day now tbh.
When you look at all this desperate crap they're having to do to pull in more viewers i reckon it's a definate sign that it's time to close the lid on civilian BB.
The premise of the show can't stand up on its own anymore.
When the producers have to start injecting fake drama in the style of TOWIE just to get anyone to watch then its time to call it a day.
I think BB has just been going on too long now,Its been done.It was a stroke of genius and it had a good innings but it's become so fake and forced now that it's more like watching Eastenders than a reality show.
The term 'reality' has become warped these days into scripted drama.
Even CBB feels more natural to watch.Atleast you expect to be watching media savvy celebs before you watch.

I always prefer it to Celebrity Big Brother and still do

[Jason.]

If Live feed would bring in viewers.

Then how come those insulting 30 minutes we get every Friday, can't even rate above a million, or even 2 million for January CBB?

If people can't watch for 30 minutes, I doubt they will be able to watch for even 3 hours.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Mystic Mock

CBB's ratings look impressive because it gets people that like Celebs watching on top of the Civilian series fans watching too, Civilian series fans won't watch if CBB is the only one on air hence trouble for the series as Ch5 desperately try to save it.

Live Feed will probably mean a better cast too as it will get genuine people to audition.

The show already gets genuine people auditioning, production decides to cast certain types of people and then cast through agents certain types of people.

There's always genuine people willing to go on, they're just not being selected.

I don't see where you're getting the impression BB fans wouldn't watch CBB anyway?

If what you're saying is true, we'll take the BB viewers and subtract them from the CBB audience, the funny thing is that the CBB rating would STILL be more than double the civilian viewership. That's how unpopular the civilian version now is.

[Beetlejuice]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

You see, that's where it lies. TWITTER.

These social media nerds you speak of like to see things flash up "BREAKING NEWS AARON FREW EJECTED" "OOOH, HELEN AND NIKKI ARGUING AGAIN" followed by a 10 word sentence explaining what's happening or a 30 second video isolating the screaming and the shouting.

Would these people be glued to live feed? No.
Are this generation of people interested in old school Big Brother, getting to know these people and see how they cope in an enclosed environment with strangers? No.

It's not a question about them being glued to the live feed. It's the question of the buzz that can be created through watching things unfold live. The fact that you can actually get to know the housemates and care about them.

The show cannot survive with housemates no one cares about, and it's now slow moving format is just a drain. There used to be thread after thread on Digital Spy about what was going on in the house, now there's nothing. Everything about this show is now so slow and laborious it is damn near impossible to give a damn about any of it. The only way they are able to make people care is by relying on housemates we once were able to get to know and did care about.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by rionablue

I always prefer it to Celebrity Big Brother and still do

I prefer real BB over CBB.

In their current forms, give me CBB every time.

[Jason.]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

I prefer real BB over CBB.

In their current forms, give me CBB every time.

This.

CBB13 and CBB15 gave me that hype feeling, that BB5-BB7 used to give me.
That's the first time I've ever felt that in BB, ever since.

[Beetlejuice]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

The show already gets genuine people auditioning, production decides to cast certain types of people and then cast through agents certain types of people.

There's always genuine people willing to go on, they're just not being selected.

I don't see where you're getting the impression BB fans wouldn't watch CBB anyway?

If what you're saying is true, we'll take the BB viewers and subtract them from the CBB audience, the funny thing is that the CBB rating would STILL be more than double the civilian viewership. That's how unpopular the civilian version now is.

Not really. The Summer CBB rates poorly compared to January.

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by BB6

If Live feed would bring in viewers.

Then how come those insulting 30 minutes we get every Friday, can't even rate above a million, or even 2 million for January CBB?

If people can't watch for 30 minutes, I doubt they will be able to watch for even 3 hours.

Who's gonna watch over 30 minutes of something that's not gonna be on for another 5 weeks when they could be watching the Soaps on the other side?

Live Feed I would put on the Ch5 website that you have to pay to watch anyway.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Beetlejuice

It's not a question about them being glued to the live feed. It's the question of the buzz that can be created through watching things unfold live. The fact that you can actually get to know the housemates and care about them.

That can happen without feed.

"AARON FREW EJECTED. HERE IS THE VIDEO."

That's the entire point of their website, they update with the big moments and the updates and the "buzz" worthy events but the small moments are all discarded.

Are these viewers interested in the small moments though, do they really care to "get to know" the housemates in such small ways through a feed? No, they're not.

[Beetlejuice]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

I prefer real BB over CBB.

In their current forms, give me CBB every time.

So you agree that the old format of BB was better? All some of us are saying is that it needs to return to that in some way. We just happen to think the live coverage is a more important part of that old format than you obviously do.