[Red Moon]

Big Brother 3 sold to Polish TV network

Polish viewers will get the chance to enjoy Big Brother 3, the 2002 show that launched Jade Goody's media career, after producer Endemol sold the entire 2002 series of Channel 4's reality show to one of the country's broadcasters.

The TVN network in Poland has snapped up the full series of Channel 4's Big Brother 3, which aired in 2002 and saw Kate Lawler win, as well as 2003's Big Brother 4, won by devout Christian Cameron Stout.

At the time Big Brother 3 was seen as the most outrageous series of the reality format so far, although it is now looked backed on as a more innocent period for the show after last year's Celebrity Big Brother race row rocked Channel 4.

Goody - who eventually came fourth - was pilloried in the tabloids for appearing naked on the show and her lack of general knowledge when she asked questions such as "Rio de Janeiro, ain't that a person?" and "Where's East Angular though? I thought that was abroad."

She had to be given extra security when she was evicted because of the campaign against her, although she turned the tables by becoming a media star and ended up becoming the first UK Big Brother millionaire.

However, Goody's career nosedived after she was embroiled in the Celebrity Big Brother race row last year.

Big Brother 3 was the highest rating of the eight series of the show broadcast by Channel 4, with 9.4 million viewers watching the finale when Lawler won on July 26, 2002 - nearly 50% of the available audience. Channel 4's overall audience share that day, 22.8%, remains its highest ever daily rating.

The 2002 series also proved a phone and text voting bonanza for Endemol and Channel 4, with 22.7 million eviction votes cast across the series and a whopping 8.5 million on the night of the final alone.

Big Brother producer Endemol has concluded the sale of the two Big Brother series to TVN at the Mip TV programme market in Cannes this week.

It is thought to be the first time a foreign broadcaster has bought an entire series of the UK version of Big Brother, and is even more surprising given that Big Brother 3 and 4 were broadcast several years ago.

The American version of the show is more regularly sold abroad, with the eighth series - currently airing on CBS - bought by E4 in the UK, which is broadcasting it in peak time.

A spokesman for Endemol said the 2002 and 2003 UK series were the latest versions to have their international rights cleared and be available for sale.

"The Polish broadcaster will be showing the full series," he said. "We have done ready-made deals for Big Brother before, but it is normally for the US series while it is on air. This is fairly unusual."

TVN is one of Poland's main commercial television networks and is available terrestrially and by satellite. TVN also airs internationals shows including So You Think You Can Dance, Without a Trace, Smallville and Men in Trees.

Source: The Guardian

[Arneldo]

Strange they chose two series which I would say are out of date. Also, compared to BBUK and even Polands BB, these could be seen as dull (well, BB4 will be).

[Spike]

Not surprised they are showing BB3 but why BB4 they could have shown BB5 instead

[*mazedsalv**]

They should of showed BB3 and BB5 or BB3 and BB7. I dont understand why they chose BB4 but BB3 is a good move.

[_Max_]

I really wanted them to be showing BB2 because nobody in the world has it and it would have been perfect to record

[Conor]

I guess it all came down to the price. Although BB8 was rubbsih, the producers seem to think slightly differently on the official forums. BB5, 6, 7 and 8 would all probably not be in the price range of two previous series simply because they are either newer or basicly better.

BB3 yeah. But BB4? I'm gonna guess that was all they had left in budget.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Conor
I guess it all came down to the price. Although BB8 was rubbsih, the producers seem to think slightly differently on the official forums. BB5, 6, 7 and 8 would all probably not be in the price range of two previous series simply because they are either newer or basicly better.

BB3 yeah. But BB4? I'm going to guess that was all they had left in budget.

BB3 and BB4 will all cost the same. The rest will all have individual prices because no two series' have been the exact same length except BB1 and BB2 which will also cost the same.

[Loukas]

Endemol has sold the rights to screen Big Brother 3 to Poland.

According to The Sun, Polish broadcaster TVN has purchased the whole series of the 2002 reality show.

The programme, which featured contestants including Alex Sibley, Jade Goody and Jonny Regan, was eventually won by Kate Lawler.

An Endemol spokesperson said: “We have done ready-made deals for Big Brother before but it is normally for the US series while it’s on air. This is unusual.”

TVN has also bought the rights to Big Brother 4, which was won by Cameron Stout.

Source: Digital Spy

[Harry!]

Good for them.

[Loukas]

Sorry Red, Diden't notice it was already posted.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by DoubleTrouble
Sorry Red, Diden't notice it was already posted.

It's ok it happens. Not all of us can remember what's been posted on a site like this. I have made the same mistake myself.

[monkeymadness]

A Polish digital TV channel is broadcasting old series of Channel 4's Big Brother, including the year the show unleashed Jade Goody on the world, as educational programming for viewers wanting to learn English as a "living language".

Urszula Majewska, chief executive of the Polish TVN Lingua channel, which is dedicated to helping viewers learn foreign languages, said the programme was an ideal way to show how English was actually spoken.

TVN Lingua, owned by Polish media company Grupa ITI, has bought three series of Big Brother, originally broadcast on Channel 4 during 2001-03, from producer Endemol and is broadcasting them in full as an educational tool.

Big Brother 2, won by Irish air steward Brian Dowling in 2001, has already aired on TVN Lingua and next up will be the following year's series, introducing Polish viewers keen to learn English to Goody.

The 2002 series was eventually won by Kate Lawler, with Goody overcoming early ridicule in the media to make it to Big Brother 3's final night and finish fourth.

Goody was pilloried for her lack of general knowledge when she asked questions such as: "Rio de Janeiro, ain't that a person?" and "Where's East Angular though? I thought that was abroad."

TVN Lingua has also bought 2003's Big Brother 4, won by devout Scottish Christian Cameron Stout.

Majewska said: "We are a language channel and the advantage of Big Brother is that it shows living language."

However, viewers who find the language too colloquial have the option of Polish subtitles, she added.

In a move to soothe fears that a generation of Poles will end up speaking Big Brother English, Majewska said the series was not the only showcase for British culture TVN Lingua offered.

"For anyone concerned about the image of Britain the programme [Big Brother] projects, I can offer the consolation that we also show Fawlty Towers and Keeping Up Appearances," she added.

[monkeymadness]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008...ytv.television

[Matt]

Related thread here:

http://www.thisisbigbrother.com/foru....php?tid=81282

[Harry!]

How is Jade educational...