[Hooly One]

As the fifth Big Brother series on Channel 4 comes to an end, BBC News Online looks at whether the format has passed its sell-by date.
Channel 4's Big Brother was recently voted one of the most innovative programme genres of all time, by a panel of TV experts for Radio Times.


The full line-up of Big Brother 5 contestants


Enlarge Image


But innovation can quickly become dated if it does not continue to evolve and push boundaries.

After a moribund series in 2003, Channel 4 has been under pressure to restore interest in the format.

Their success can be determined in three ways - ratings, the numbers of eviction votes and tabloid press interest - and on all three counts the latest series has been a success.

The fifth series has averaged 4.9 million viewers, up 9% on the same period last year, although the peaks are not as high as in previous years - pointing to a series which has developed a core audience but is no longer able to generate the excitement of "event television".

Channel 4 long ago dropped any pretence that the show was a psychological experiment and has concentrated on making the programme the epitome of tabloid TV.

"It's all pantomime," Davina McCall whispers into the ear of each evicted housemate as they face the inevitable boos and cheers.

And as televised pantomime, Big Brother is the best thing on screens during the summer.

Amiable

Last year the series flopped because the producers chose a group of contestants who were so determined to be amiable and agreeable that it came as no surprise that the winner was a Bible-reading, Scottish virgin.


The warring parties had to be held apart during a mass brawl
The producers have made no such mistake this time, billing the series as 'Big Brother gets evil' and selecting 12 individuals seemingly on their ability to irritate and wind each other up.

The result has been explosive - literally. One late night row was so aggressive that security guards had to rush in to the house and separate the contestants, while distressed viewers called the police because they were worried about the scenes unfolding on their screens.

The fact there was anyone watching the programme in the small hours shows just how addictive this series has been.

The fighting factions, bickering, sexual tension and jealousy have made this year's series the most unmissable yet, driven by the TV producers' ability to divide the housemates and cultivate suspicion.

Nudity



Nadia is favourite to win the series
This series has also been marked by a degree of nudity not seen before - inhibitions were quickly shed in the house and the programme has been awash with breasts and bums.

Whether this has been a deliberate calculation by the producers or the general erosion of inhibitions over a number of series is not clear - but it has certainly ensured high profile coverage in the mass market papers.

And while the Big Brother sex barrier has also been broken this series, allegedly - it has been of secondary interest to the arguments and divisions that have arisen in the house.

The producers have significantly improved the tasks given to the housemates too - making the group chain each other up in pairs for several days was a master stroke, ratcheting up the pressure.

Big Brother ultimately stands or falls on the quality of its contestants - and in Victor Ebuwa, Nadia Almada, Michelle Bass and Marco Sabba, Channel 4 has unearthed some of the best pantomime characters in many years.

BBC News

[Hooly One]

BBC BB Opinions Page ->

Have you been watching this series? Do you think the fighting and nudity is a new low in the programme's history or has it proved engrossing?



There's no social experiment (unlike the BBC's series on the island of Taransay), there's no entertainment value (other than that to be had by watching any city centre pub at closing time..) and it pains me that people actually watch it. The sooner it ends up on some minority cable/sat channel ('live TV'/topless weather forecasts etc is about its level I seem to recall) the better.

Andy Jones, UK

Please god make it stop. I think we've all suffered enough.

Ben Temperton, Wiltshire, UK

BB this year has been the best yet. BB has been even more evil than before and the house mates have responded in such interesting ways. they have all been very big characters this year making it extremely addictive.

Diane , reading

I do feel very strongly that reality TV is killing scripted television. It's probably cheap to make compared with a drama, which is probably why it's so popular with programme makers. For some reason, people watch these things. I guess it must be the voyeur part of the human nature that it appeals to, hence the reason why so many watch, presumably hoping to see the next flash of tantalising flesh or on-screen brawl. In my view, it's tabloid television and I really do wonder sometimes why I bother having a TV in the house at all.

Jo, Scotland

When BB first came out it was an interesting new format, nothing more... now it's the biggest waste of time out there and another example of dumbing down TV and unoriginal scheduling and formatting. If this rubbish were on the BBC I'd be asking for my licence fee back! If people want reality, try getting your bums off the sofa for more than the time it takes to get a packet of crisps and try living a little!!
Jon Finch, London

Yawn... can we have some real TV back on, rather than the same old drivel every night... Having watched all 5 series, I can definitely say that the latest is far more watchable than the rest, but only as a consequence of the very diverse backgrounds from which the housemates hail. However, that very diversity has a very positive effect on our society and our cultural perceptions as a whole. Nadia is a case in point. Without previous B.B. series, would the British Public have been sufficiently open-minded to take her to their heart?

Anon., Broadstairs UK

Absolutely fantastic viewing - well done Big Brother - not in the slightest bit offensive - contestants well selected - tasks superb - I will be sorry when it ends tonight.

Erica Glynne, Barnet, Herts

I think Big Brother has gone on way too long!! I lost interest after the first series, when it was novel, but now it is just trashy TV and should be axed. It is shame that the people in charge of TV think viewers are interested in this rubbish. If this is the way TV is going, then I will switch off.

Neil, Guildford, UK


I think that the new show is refreshing in that it's the first of all 5 big brothers were there are housemates in their genuinely being themselves and behaving as they would in a real situation. Nudity and fighting happen in day to day life and it isn't the fight that is the factor it's the ability and strength of individuals to recover from that scenario and progress that is addictive viewing.

Leona, Edinburgh, Scotland

As always, entertaining to watch intermittently. Long live Big Brother for its summer time antics.

Alastair, UK

The fighting was definitely the low point of this series and the nudity has not been engrossing in the slightest. However this has been the best Big Brother since series 2. I still don't understand why the public choose to vote out the 'characters' and keep in the quieter ones...

Alan, Glasgow, Scotland

The latest series of Big Brother manipulates the housemates and the viewers. But who cares? It is still engrossing to watch. With dire programmes like Celebrities Under Pressure, Simply The Best and Passport To Paradise clogging up the schedules, is it any wonder that this new series of "Big Brother Gets Evil" is a huge hit? The contestants are game, the producers have pulled out all the stops and the viewers have responded. Has the fighting and nudity been a new low in television history? Go into any City on a Saturday night and you will see a lot worse! Well done Channel 4 for reviving a lame duck! "This is Big Brother. Channel 4 ... you have passed this year's task which was to liven up British television."

Glenn Meads, Manchester, UK


I watched the first two and two was enough. So what if someone's having sex - if I wanted that I would watch late night Channel 5 or hire a dodgy DVD. C4 viewing has been restrictive as every other program was yet another BB update. Why can't C4 transfer it to E4 - Those that want to watch it then have to subscribe instead of everyone else having to put up with it. Or better still make one of the tasks a real game of Russian roulette on the opening night so we wouldn't have to put up with this worn out formulae.

Richard, London UK

Too little, too late. To think they have been contracted for 8 series is now a bit of a nightmare. The channels have now reached saturation point with all manner of "reality" shows. The irony? Big Brother is the most removed from reality you are likely to get. By far the best series since BB1. It's been entertaining to watch almost all the way through. However what does concern me is what the Endemol team are going to try and do to top it next year.

Dave, Coventry, UK

After 5 series, no, it isn't ground-breaking. No, I don't watch it, and I'm fed up with endless me-too "reality" TV shows filling the schedules. All BB is, is 10 people in a house - big deal, who cares? They're all petty attention seekers. It would be nice if there were some decent, high quality alternatives scheduled against it.

Alan, Northampton UK

There's no such thing as low-brow entertainment. That's a concept devised by the self-appointed intelligentsia in order to elevate themselves above the crowd. Active minds will always find something of interest in these kind of programs, so don't kid yourself that reality television viewers are of low intelligence. It has the virtue of being socially binding, for instance, at my place of work nothing gets done until we've discussed the merits and demerits, in a light-hearted way, of the housemates behaviour during the previous day. I began watching BB last year to see what all the fuss was about, and have since become hooked, but having said that, it doesn't detract from my interest in politics, philosophy, or my dabbling in a bit of lay-psychology - on the contrary, all of these interests can be applied in someway to the show. BB is about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, and I for one would rate it as more entertaining than 90% of the so-called extraordinary people Michael Parkinson has been interviewing over the years.

Don Swift, Birmingham

This series has been entertaining primarily because of the factions and alliances that quickly developed and the intelligent tactical voting by the Jungle Cats. In previous series the contestants were cautious in case they were perceived as playing up to the cameras - in Big Brother 5 they have finally realised that that is the whole point of the game.

Neil Hopkins, Sheffield, UK

This series has been good. Last series was boring, because everyone was so nice the whole time. Its true, it IS a pantomime, and people watch it as such. Everyone I seem to speak to has had their favourites, and people they have disliked - it's not reality, and people know that, but that's WHY people watch it.

Dawn, Chichester, UK

I loved the first couple of series, then the novelty wore off and I refused to watch the last one. Rightly so, by all accounts. After a glimpse of the characters on show early in this series I once again decided to give it a miss. These people were all truly obnoxious. I wouldn't have them in my home, even via the box. And then I catch a glimpse of a fight whilst channel hopping and get hooked again. Now I feel grubby. It's like I've just witnessed a car crash and am fascinated by the pools of blood. The only way this series can go now is towards snuff TV. The bottom of the barrel approaches. Don't let me watch it, please.

Smike, London

After the mind-numbing BB4, I was determined not to get sucked into this years, however after 2 weeks of total avoidance I caved in and think this has been the best season yet, I have loved most of the tasks (especially the Wedding task and Boot Camp Task - although Big Brother does seem to have a fetish for fish guts). What I would like to know is why do the Great British Public insist on evicting the best characters (Victor, Stuart, Marco) and keep the ones who really bring nothing to the house in (Shell). Dan to win!!!

MLC, oxford, UK

Big Brother has surpassed itself this year. The reason simply being that this year BB had its/his own personality. The best yet.

Roisin Scott, Belfast Ireland

This year's Big Brother has been extremely entertaining. Aside from the massive characters whose arguments and laughter have been an integral part, this year Big Brother has developed its own character. In previous years, the BB "voice" has been very neutral and uninvolved. This year, "Evil" BB has been almost impish at times, adding a new and welcome dimension to the programme.

Carolyn, Leeds, West Yorkshire

I watched the first series of BB and even then soon got tired of it... and I'm in their key demographic! It seems to me to be very sub-scripted in that the producers select contestants and control situations in order to get the response they want. I despair when I'm talking to friends and colleagues who utter the phrase "did you see Big Brother last night"?

Simon, Gloucester UK

What really stands out about series five is the friendships that have developed despite the producers' obvious attempts to create conflict. It is clear that the producers have attempted to manipulate the atmosphere of the house by inserting characters who would not naturally work well together, yet despite this bonds have formed between many members and they have successfully put aside their differences to create some of the most charming scenes on television this year. One great example was the disastrous wedding when Victor and Shell where baying for each other's blood. The event was exactly what the producers wanted, violent and emotional, however the quiet forgiveness felt the next day was what really entertained. So despite the best, or worst, wishes of the producers, it would seem that honest humanity is the true winner of Big Brother series 5.

Matthew, Winchester, UK

Well it just shows it is the people who make the programme and not the programme who make the people!! And if this year's show is anything to go by - who cares if it is innovative - it has been the most entertaining series ever! And as for breaking down barriers and being important TV then just look at the winner - NADIA!!!!!!!!!! She is an inspiration!

Andrew Denman, Leeds

Big brother is only for those people who lack the intelligence to cut up their own food. If you have nothing better to do that watch 10 dull wannabes in a house doing dull things then you really need to get some friends.

Jem Clarke, Wales

Undoubtedly the best series by FAR! Most enjoyable viewing.

Tracy Owen, Bristol, United Kingdom

This year has been the best BB ever and I have been totally engrossed in every episode. It has been a vast improvement on last years series, and the talking point of most people's conversations for the last 10 weeks.

Emma Dutton, Northwich, Cheshire, England

This series of Big Brother has proved as vapid and superficial as those that preceded it. Series 1 was the only (vaguely) interesting series and only because of "Nasty Nick" and his creative efforts to win the game. This year's crop of contestants have been the shallow, phoney attention-seekers we have come to expect from Big Brother, a bodybuilder who enters the house in a thong, the mix of a man who openly admits to "not liking" gay people and a gay man. This is tabloid newspaper on TV, nothing more, and is a dull and uninspiring waste of the TV schedule.

Martin, London, UK

I have been hooked to it and I think that the nudity and violence probably helped. Everyone always watches the worst in society like watching a bad car crash, it does not mean that we approve though! However it is still not as nail-biting as when Nasty Nick was thrown out of the first series for possessing a pencil!!! Which was fantastic at the time - I don't know how they will beat it next year?

Colin Simmons, UK

Get a life. Real life is out there on a Friday night, not on TV. I feel sorry for anyone who thinks that this is entertainment, what sad lives they must live!

Jon, Winchester, UK

Being an inveterate channel hopper, I keep coming across Big Brother accidentally, and I have to say, it has to be some of the most mind-numbingly dull TV ever - nudity or not. The idea that four million people could actually plan to sit and watch this bunch of vacuous, asinine plebs, who's only talent is to be stupid enough to be locked up together for months, makes me wonder... well, just wonder, what Orwell would make of it.

Dan, UK

As Davina McCall describes it as pure pantomime, then what better final four could we have in the cast as: Jason (The Evil King); Shell (The Princess); Dan (Widow Twankey): and of course, the wonderful Nadia (The Grande Dame). All brilliant stuff, but not reality TV: this series is in fantasy land, but all the better for it . . . as Jason would say "Well done youse guys!".

David M, Preston, England

I was addicted to the previous four BBs but this year I vowed not to watch it. I finally clicked that there is no reason to watch these self-obsessed, fame-ravenous people who are only 'famous' for being selected by a group of TV execs to show themselves up nationally. And my life has been richer for not watching and being sucked into the inanity of it all.

Keeley, London, UK


What is "reality" TV? As far as can see from programmes like this, they have nothing to do with reality - it's just a group of people - completely devoid of talent - who want their 15 minutes (or should that be seconds?) of fame and will go to any lengths to achieve it. Their only ambition it appears is to be on the front of the tabloid press and join the ever increasing band of Z-list "celebrities". Doesn't say much for future generations does it?

Suzanne Phillips, Rhondda, Wales

[golden~rose]

kool, seems like bb5 has been the best so far, bb has done a good job this year and so has the entertaining hms

[Hooly One]

They have and i hope they do the same again next year Isha

[golden~rose]

i hope so too, hope bb sticks to this trend and interesting hms are picked once again!!!

[Sunny_01]

Long Live BB - how on earth would we cope!!!

[golden~rose]

i have no idea sunny

[Kore]

i'd cope
if i had too

[Sunny_01]

You would only cope if you still had us lot to keep you going ma wee pal

[golden~rose]

[Hooly One]

Originally posted by Sunny_01
Long Live BB - how on earth would we cope!!!

I'll cope, i'v got a job interview on Monday and if i get the job, i'll be busy.

[golden~rose]

lucky hooly, im still waiting for a reply on an interview!!!!!

[Sunny_01]

Originally posted by Hooly One

I'll cope, i'v got a job interview on Monday and if i get the job, i'll be busy.

Good luck Hooly but I am sure just like we do that they will LOVE you - I have an interview on the 17th for a new job - if I get it that will mean I have to leave Hells though that would make me sad

[Hooly One]

Thanks sunny & good luck..

[Sunny_01]

we will be fine Hooly

[Hooly One]

We will indeed

[Sunny_01]

Oh my god it is the adverts before the show starts oh my god oh my god I am peeing my pants now lol

[Hooly One]

Same here! i'm jumping for joy!

I'm also a little sad that BBs finishing

[Sunny_01]

me as well 'sniff' I have a check list

Kleenex - check
Vodka - check
Vodka - check
Vodka - check

Ype got everything I need

[Hooly One]

2 mins to go! it's getting closer.

[Kore]

chilli - check
strongbow - check, lol
music for the adverts - check
TV - check
free house - check

[Sunny_01]

sounds like we are the only 2 organised as usual Kore