The show broadly follows the premise of other versions, in which a group of contestants, known as "Houseguests", live together in a specially constructed house that is isolated from the outside world for a cash prize of $750,000 ($500,000 prior to season 23). The Houseguests are continuously monitored during their stay in the house by live television cameras as well as personal audio microphones. Throughout the course of the competition, Houseguests are evicted by being voted out of the competition.
In its inaugural season (which followed the original Dutch format and audience voting determined evictees and the eventual winner), ratings declined, and critical reaction grew increasingly negative,[5] prompting the series to be revamped for the second season, which focused on competition and gameplay.[6]
The show's twenty-sixth season premiered on July 17, 2024;[7] its twenty-seventh season will premiere in the summer of 2025.
Big Brother is a reality game show in which a group of contestants, referred to as Houseguests, live in a custom-built house (known as the "Big Brother House", a set built on a CBS stage in Los Angeles, Stage 18 since season 6), under constant video surveillance.[12][13] While in the house, the contestants are completely isolated from the outside world, without any contact with those not in the house.[14] This rule could be bypassed in the event of a medical injury, a family emergency, or death.[15] The format of the series is viewed as a social experiment that requires Houseguests to interact with others who may have differing ideals, beliefs, and prejudices.[16][17] Although it is a competition, the series allows viewers to witness the relationships formed in the house and the behavior of the Houseguests.[18] While locked in the house, the Houseguests are free to quit the game, though they will not be allowed re-entry.[19] Should a Houseguest break the rules of the game, they could be expelled from the house and barred from return.[20][21]
Season 1
Logo used only in the first season
The premiere season resembled the original Dutch version of the show — a format adapted by most versions. Because it emphasized the social experiment aspects of the premise, the competitive aspects were minimized: Houseguests did not compete for power or safety, and the nominations process were not discussed by the Houseguests.[22][23]
Competitions ("Challenges")
All competitions used in the first season were referred to as "challenges" in which all of the Houseguests had to take part in. Those competitions were divided up into three groups: "food", "tasks" and "live challenges".[24] For most of the food challenges, each Houseguest were required to wager a certain percentage of their allowance, up to 50%, in order to complete a certain objective.[24]
There was also a "luxury challenge" that occurred in its 11th week, in which the Houseguest who finds a lucky golden ticket would then be whisked away to attend the Primetime Emmy Awards.[24]
Nominations and Evictions ("Banishments")
Every two weeks, each Houseguest participated in a mandatory vote called Nomination, which decided a list of Houseguests that are eligible to be nominated for eviction. One at a time, the Houseguests entered the Diary Room (originally called the "Red Room" but also known as the "Confession Room" in other international versions) and secretly nominated two of the others, providing full reasons for their nominations;[25] the two Houseguests with the most nomination votes are then put up for eviction (also known on-air as "Marked for Banishment"). In the event of a tie, three or more Houseguests with the most nomination votes became nominated for eviction.[24] Towards the end of the season, the nomination process was changed to a weekly process.
After the nominations were finalized, the American public then had the opportunity to decide which Houseguest should be evicted ("banished") through televoting, which would last over the course of a full week.[24] The Houseguest with the most votes from the public was then declared evicted from the House (or, in other words, eliminated from the game).[24][26]
The Final Vote
When there are three Houseguests left, the final vote was changed to determine the winner. The Houseguest with the most public votes from that point won the $500,000 prize, while the runners-up left with $100,000 (for 2nd place) and $50,000 (for 3rd place) respectively.[24]
Season 2–present
Logo used for the second through fifteenth seasons.
Having spent millions on the series, CBS announced a second season of the series with major changes occurring to the format,[6] putting more emphasis on competition and strategy bearing resemblance to another one of its shows, Survivor.
Competitions
Head of Household (H.O.H.)
The Head of Household competition, introduced in season 2, is held at the beginning of each week and is most often occurred during the live eviction episode,[27] unless otherwise specified. The winner of the H.O.H. competition receives immunity from eviction as well as special privileges such as their own personal bedroom, free laundry service and, most importantly, the power to nominate two Houseguests for the upcoming eviction. However, the incumbent H.O.H. is not allowed to compete in the following week's competition, meaning that a Houseguest cannot hold the title for a second consecutive week, except for the final week or any other stated circumstances.[28][29][30]
Most often, the first Head of Household competition will require Houseguests to participate either in pairs or in teams.[31] While seasons 4, 5 and 8 had the Houseguests competing in pairs,[32] seasons 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16 all saw them competing as a group.[33][34]
The live Head of Household competitions are typically quiz-based, and will see Houseguests eliminated in each round.[35] Competitions such as "Majority Rules" have been used numerous times, with the game being played in seasons 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12;[36][37] a variation of the competition was used in season 7.[38]
Some competitions will attempt to cause drama in the house, such as "En Garde", in which the winner of each round selected the next two players to face off against one another.[39] This competition was later used in seasons 10-16.[40][41]
Various competitions throughout the season will be endurance, requiring Houseguests to be the last one remaining. Endurance competitions are often held after game changing announcements, such as when a previously evicted Houseguest returns.[42] Various endurance competitions may have punished or rewarded Houseguests who either fall off first or last.[43][44]
Skill-based competitions also appear frequently throughout the season, some of which may last for numerous hours.[45] Skill competitions, such as the "Big Brother Open" in season 13, are finished during the live eviction broadcast.[46]
Power of Veto (P.O.V.)
The Power of Veto symbol, used since the show's third season
The Power of Veto was first introduced in season 3;[47] this allows the winner of that power to either remove one eviction nominee from the chopping block or leave the Head of Household's original choices intact. This process continues until there are three Houseguests left.
During its first season of use, it was originally known as the "Silver Power of Veto" but it did not allow a nominated Houseguest to use it on themselves;[48] the final Power of Veto that season was the "Golden Power of Veto" and that power allowed a nominated Houseguest to remove themselves from the block.[49] The Golden Power of Veto was later made permanent to use in all future competitions in subsequent seasons, beginning in season 4.[50][51]
Power of Veto competitions differ drastically from the Head of Household competitions, with competitions being more skill-based in nature.[52] Competitions such as "Pop Goes the Veto!", which required Houseguests to find letter tiles and spell the longest word, have been used in numerous consecutive seasons.[53][54]
Competitions such as "Big Brother Boardwalk", which saw Houseguests attempt to guess how much of an item there is, is one of various competitions that do not require Houseguests to compete in a physical-based competition.[55][56]
Other competitions, such as "How Bad Do You Want It?" in season 7, saw Houseguests taking punishments in exchange for advancing.[57] Variations of this competition have been used in numerous subsequent seasons.[58][59]
Selection Process
Before the start of every Power of Veto competition, the current Head of Household and the two eviction nominees get to select three additional Houseguests, thus bringing the total number of players to six, with the H.O.H. always picking first; prior to season 5, all Houseguests were allowed to compete. This process continues until there are six Houseguests left, in which they all get to play in the next Veto competition, which most often takes place in the live Double Eviction episode.
Originally, the H.O.H. and the nominees chose the three additional players by word-of-mouth. This changed in season 7 when they were forced to choose the players by a random "blind draw", pulling out either a ping-pong ball or flat disc, depending on the season, to reveal their choice; should one of them reveal a ball or disc that reads either "Houseguest's Choice" or one of their own names, the player that drew it or got drawn on then gets to make the next available selection by word-of-mouth.
In the event of three nominees joining the H.O.H. (usually because of twists), only two additional players would then be selected.
Diamond Power of Veto
Big Brother 14 winner and Big Brother 22 contestant Ian Terry, with the Diamond Power of Veto
The "Diamond Power of Veto", a variant of this power used in season 12, allowed one Houseguest to remove themselves from the block as well as choose the replacement nominee only moments before the live eviction.[60][61]
Season 14 also had the Diamond Power of Veto, but that variant carried the same function as the Golden Power of Veto.[62]
Other Competitions
The food and luxury competitions, which have been a staple of the show since season 1, have also changed to match the current nature of the show; Head of Household and Power of Veto competitions can also be used to accommodate special food and luxury privileges.
Food Competitions (Have-Not)
In the early seasons, the losers of the food competition would be placed on a peanut butter and jelly diet and would not be permitted to eat any other foods.[63][64]
Beginning in season 7, the losers of the Have-Not competition were required to eat "Big Brother Slop" for food, and sleep in a special Have-Not room with cold showers and most discomforts such as hard pillows and beds for a week.[65][66][67][68][note 1]
In some seasons, a Houseguest can also win a "Never-Not Pass" which they would be immune from being a Have-Not for the remainder of the season.
Since season 22, subsequent weeks forego Have-Not competitions. Instead, either the current Head of Household or the previous Have-Not recipients decide the next ones for the week, with the exception of a few weeks which reset the process, such as weeks without a Have-Not phase or a competition is held. The choice of deciding the Have-Not can be of any Houseguests except for the reigning Head of Household or the incumbents, or one team in the case of teams (first seen in season 23).
Houseguests can be penalized for not following Have-Not rules, which is usually incorporated with a penalty vote for eviction,[72][73] or in some cases, an additional day of a Have-Not.[74][note 2]
Luxury Competitions
The Houseguests also frequently compete in luxury competitions during their time in the house, with most frequently, the right to watch a film or television show in the house, or a small cash prize.[79]
When competitions for films or television shows occur, an actor or actress from the series may enter the house to host the competition or speak with the Houseguests. Actors such as Jeremy Piven,[80]David Hasselhoff,[81] and Neil Patrick Harris have all entered the house to participate in luxury competitions or rewards.[82]
Nominations
One of the Head of Household's most important duties is to nominate two Houseguests that will be put up for eviction; every Nomination Ceremony takes place at the kitchen table. This nomination process continues until there are three Houseguests left.
Originally, the H.O.H. places the keys of the Houseguests who are safe into the Nomination Box, a circular device with numbered key slots, then places the keys of the remaining two that would be nominated into a small box located in its suite. At the start of the Nomination Ceremony, the H.O.H. pulls the first key, revealing the name of the first Houseguest that is safe and then places that key around the safe Houseguest's neck. The H.O.H. then passes the Nomination Box to that Houseguest, who then proceeds to pull out the next key. This process continued until all the keys were pulled out of the box, in which the two Houseguests who are keyless are then declared nominated for eviction. Beginning in season 16, the H.O.H. simply places the keys of the two chosen nominees onto a smaller Nomination Box. Then, at the Nomination Ceremony, the H.O.H. turns those two keys revealing the photos of the two chosen nominees which appear on the Memory Wall.
In the case of Double Eviction Night, the H.O.H. simply names the two nominees at the living room by word-of-mouth.
Some seasons would also feature special competitions or other ways of nomination (usually because of twists) that can accommodate three or four nominated Houseguests.
Veto Meeting
Two days after the Power of Veto competition, the winning Veto holder calls all Houseguests, who were waiting patiently in the backyard, into the living room. The holder then begins the meeting by explaining its power and ask for the two eviction nominees to give their final pleas, if they are allowed to do so.
If the Veto holder decides to use this power, the Veto is then placed around the neck of the Houseguest that the holder has chosen to save. When that happens, the current Head of Household is then forced to choose the replacement nominee. However, if the holder decides not to use the Veto, it is then placed inside a box situated on the living room's coffee table. Regardless of decision, the holder then adjourns the meeting by closing the box shut.
In the event of two Vetoes being held (usually because of twists), the first Veto holder makes the first decision, with the current H.O.H. then being forced to name the replacement nominee should that Veto be used, followed by the second holder who then follows the same process.
Evictions
At the end of the week, on the Live Eviction episode, all Houseguests, with the exception of the Head of Household and the two nominees, cast a vote, one by one, privately inside the Diary Room to determine which one of the two nominees should be evicted; prior to season 10, the Houseguests' eviction votes were revealed in prerecorded segments. The Houseguest receiving a majority of the eligible Houseguest's votes is then evicted from the House.
In the event of a tie in the voting, the Head of Household then gets to cast the deciding vote, but only on nights in which the H.O.H. is allowed to do so.[83][note 3] Once the Houseguest is evicted, the evictee must then, on instructions given by the host before the revealing of the votes, take a few moments in bidding farewell messages to any remaining Houseguests and gather his or her personal belongings before walking out the front door.
Variants
Some eviction ceremonies have at least one week with a different variant which was first seen since season 5.
A notable variant, called Double Eviction, has been done in two forms. The first, dubbed Double Eviction Week (or "Fast Forward Week"), had all weeklong events occur in an accelerated format, so that two Houseguests are evicted over a week; the Double Eviction Week has become a staple of the show, particularly in the penultimate week featuring the Final 5 and Final 4 evictions. The second, Double Eviction Night, introduced in season 7, had the events of the week occur over the course of the Live Eviction episode, with the event also becoming a staple of the show.
Season 22 introduced the Triple Eviction Night, where two weeks' worth of game events are played within an extended Live Eviction episode so that three Houseguests are evicted; the Triple Eviction Night was previously used on Big Brother Canada with a different format – where a single live round was played, with three nominees and two Houseguests being evicted within a single round.
Another variant is Eviction Competition, as seen in seasons 14 and 18, in which Houseguests compete in a series of competitions for survival in the house, and the Houseguest who finished last may face automatic eviction; if it is a team competition, all the members from the losing team are eligible for eviction as if they are nominated. An Eviction Competition was also proposed as a twist in the premiere of season 19 but was not held as the majority opted for an eviction vote instead of a competition.
Twists to the Game
To keep the series intriguing, each season typically features a new twist to the format of the game. This began in season 3 with the famous "Expect the Unexpected" twist;[84] the show would later adopt the "Expect the Unexpected" saying as its official motto.
Other seasons featured smaller twists that have had a smaller impact on the game, usually affecting a single week. The most notable example was Pandora's Box, a twist that originated in season 11.[85] The twist sees the Head of Household for that week being tempted by the box and can choose to either open the box or leave it. Should that Head of Household choose to open it, either good or bad consequences could be unleashed, which would cause an impact on all Houseguests.[86][87] Similar variants have been applied in later seasons, such as the Den of Temptation introduced in season 19 and the Coup d'État, introduced in season 7, which allowed the holder, determined by a vote from the American public and must be kept a secret until it is revealed in either one of the next two eviction nights, to overthrow the reigning H.O.H. and remove one or both nominees from the block on the given eviction night, as well as choose who is nominated in their place.[88][89][90]
In some seasons, such as seasons 8, 10 and 16, the public voted for a set of Houseguests who would work with the public. On each pre-determined period throughout the entire season, the public voted for one of usually two possible actions the Houseguests would want to perform, and Houseguests would earn prize money if they were able to complete the action.
Many seasons have featured twists in which evicted Houseguests (except for those who either quit or were expelled) can win re-entry into the House, either by a public vote or special competition. Normally, this involves sequestering each evicted Houseguest individually or in the Jury House (depending on whether the twist occurred pre-Jury or post-Jury, respectively).
Final Competitions
Power of Veto
When there are four Houseguests left, they get to participate in the final Power of Veto Competition of the season. The winner of that competition not only secures a spot in the Final Three but also decides which Houseguest gets to cast the sole vote to evict on one of the two nominees.
If the last Veto winner is one of the two eviction nominees, that holder then decides, as in the Diamond Power of Veto, to use it either on itself or the other nominee and have the only replacement nominee available take its place. If the winner is the current Head of Household, then the H.O.H. decides, as normal, either to use the Veto on one of the nominees, with the replacement nominee taking that person's place or leave its original choices intact. However, should the replacement nominee win the Veto, then no Veto Meeting is held and the H.O.H.'s final nominations are automatically locked in.
Regardless of result, the H.O.H. is not allowed to cast the sole eviction vote; only the Houseguest who is not a nominee does this action.
Head of Household
When there are only three Houseguests left, they get to participate in the final Head of Household competition of the season.
This competition is divided into three rounds: the first is endurance-based, the second is skill-based (often with a memory component), and the final is quiz-based (usually narrated by the Jury members).[91][92] The winners of the first two rounds then get to participate in the final round; the winner there not only secures a spot in the Final Two, as well as being guaranteed at least the second place cash prize, but also gets to cast the sole eviction vote on one of the remaining two Houseguests, since those two are nominated by default, automatically leaving the other in the House to prepare for the Jury Vote.
The Big Brother Jury
The "Big Brother Jury" plays a key role in voting for the winner of the season between the Final Two Houseguests; the winner for that season receives the grand prize, in cash, of $750,000 ($500,000 prior to season 23) while the runner-up goes away with a consolation cash prize of $75,000 ($50,000 prior to season 23).
First Format
The first format, used in seasons 2 and 3, featured all evicted Houseguests, except for those who either quit or were expelled, that became eligible to vote.
Before the final votes could be made, each of the evicted Houseguests asked one question apiece to the final two, who can only hear their voices but do not see them, in determining how they might vote for them, after which each of the Final Two Houseguests made their final appeal. Then, each evicted Houseguest chose a gold key from its own set of two, each one representing a vote for one of the two Houseguests that they wanted to win, and then inserted that chosen key into one of twelve slots on the voting box. Then, before the evicted Houseguests reveal their votes (as it was only seen in season 2), each of the Final Two had one last chance to change its outcome by choosing to eliminate one of the keys from the box, thus nullifying that evicted Houseguest's vote; the Final Two had to make their choices carefully without any knowing of how anyone voted. The rest of the keys were then pulled from the box, one by one, by the remaining evicted Houseguests, each revealing their choice to win (versus stating their choice to evict, as in all other votes); the evictees revealed their votes in no-particular order in season 2, then in order of their eviction in season 3. The Houseguest that received the most votes from the evictees, after all the votes have been revealed regardless of outcome, was then declared the winner of Big Brother and received the grand prize.
Second Format
Due to the possibility of a tie and a vote from the American public would be decisive during the first format, the jury was revamped to its current form, allowing only the seven recently evicted Houseguests (known as the Jury of Seven), beginning in season 4, before increasing that number to nine (Jury of Nine), beginning in season 15;[93] the jury selection gets underway about halfway through the game. In this format, the evicted Houseguests become members of the Jury who then get to live in a very different house, known as the "Jury House"; while in the Jury House, the Jury Members saw all group events and competitions but are not shown any Diary Room interviews or any other footage that may include strategy or details regarding nominations.
Before they cast their final votes, they get to participate in what's called the "Jury Roundtable", in which they debate the overall gameplay of the remaining Houseguests. Prior to the start of Finale Night, the Jury Members were asked, as a group, to come up with three questions for each of the Final Two Houseguests. After they were brought back to the studio, the Jury Members then, one at a time, asked one of those questions assigned to that finalist, with the exception of the last recently evicted Houseguest, who can ask only one to either finalist; prior to season 11, while they were still in the Jury House, all the Jury Members, including the third-place finisher, asked one question apiece to any one of the Final Two. After the interrogation is complete, each of the two finalists made their final plea on why they deserve to win. Then, one by one, in order of their eviction, choosing from their own set of two, each of the Jury Members securely inserted the key with the name of the Houseguest that they want to win into the slots on the voting box, providing a final brief statement to any one of Final Two before doing so without giving away their decision. Then, after a few moments (with all of the early evictees returning), the host pulls out the keys from the box revealing whom each Juror chose to win; in season 4, however, the Jury Members themselves pulled the keys, as part of a slight modification of the first Jury format, continuing until all the Jury's votes were revealed regardless of outcome. The Houseguest that received at least 5 votes from the Jury (4 votes prior to season 15) is then declared the winner of Big Brother and receives the grand prize.[94]
Any Houseguest who either quit or got expelled once the game has reached the halfway point results in the loss of a Jury Member; in this situation, the American public would be serving as a juror in their place.[note 4]
Usually because of twists, the current nine-member Jury format can change back to the original seven-member format (along with the "four-votes-to-win" requirement), as it was done in seasons 25 and 26.
America's Favorite Houseguest
Since season 7, viewers of the show vote to determine the winner of a special award called "America's Favorite Houseguest" in every season except for season 8 and the Over-The-Top spin-off; the winner of that award also receives a cash prize of $50,000 ($25,000 prior to season 23). The results are announced following the finale of each respective season.
During its debut, the award was only eligible to the Jury of Seven (hence the award was called America's Choice Jury Prize), before expanding the eligibility to all Houseguests (including the season's winner, with the exception of any Houseguests who either quit or were expelled from the game), beginning in season 11. The voting percentages were revealed live until dropped in season 17.[96]
Jeff Schroeder, who participated in seasons 11 and 13, is the only Houseguest to have won the award twice. In addition, Taylor Hale, who participated in and won season 24, is the only Big Brother winner to have also won the award to date.[97]
The series was bought by CBS in early 2000 for an estimated $20 million.[98] The American version of the series officially premiered on July 5, 2000, when the original ten housemates entered the house.[99] Since its inception, the show has been hosted by television personality Julie Chen Moonves.[note 5] It is produced by Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan for Fly on the Wall Entertainment and Endemol Shine North America (formerly Endemol USA).[100] The success of the series has spawned several spin-offs. The series airs once a year, during the summer, except for the ninth season, which aired in the spring of 2008, and the Over the Top spin-off series broadcasting in fall 2016. Currently, 25 seasons of the show have aired, along with one digital season.[101]
The show has aired a total of 936 episodes as of October 13, 2024 (not counting the celebrity editions and ''Over The Top'' since it premiered, with the September 5, 2013, airing marking the 500th episode.[102] To date, there have been a total of 353 Houseguests compete in the series.
In an effort to promote diversity, CBS announced a new rule for Big Brother that 50% of all contestants must be BIPOC for the 2021–2022 broadcast season and from this point forward.[103]
Companion shows
Since its premiere, there have been numerous companion programs about the show. In 2004, the web series House Calls: The Big Brother Talk Show (2004–2008) began airing.[104] The series, which lasted for thirty minutes and aired on weeknights, allowed fans to call in and discuss the events of the game.[105] This made House Calls the first live Internet talk show produced exclusively for a television network.[106] The series was initially hosted by Gretchen Massey and Big Brother 3 House Guest Marcellas Reynolds during its first two seasons.[107] Beginning with the show's third season, a new co-host was featured on the series each day, with some returning more than once.[108] During the show's fifth and sixth seasons, each co-host was given a designated day of the week to host alongside Gretchen.[109] Following the show's sixth season, it was confirmed that it would not be renewed.[110]Big Brother: After Dark, a second companion series, was debuted in 2007 and aired on Showtime Too nightly from 12:00 midnight-3:00 am Eastern Time.[111] The series continued this schedule until 2013, at which point it was moved to TVGN (now Pop), where it remains today.[112][113] Former House Guest Jeff Schroeder began hosting the Big Brother: Live Chat online discussion show in 2012, where he interviewed the House Guests both before they enter the house and following their evictions. He also performed post-finale backyard interviews with the cast.[114] On August 10, 2017, Schroeder announced that he was moving to Colorado and would no longer be able to do the interviews.[115] For Big Brother 20, the "Live Chat" was replaced by Off the Block with Ross and Marissa. Hosted by former Celebrity House Guests Marissa Jaret Winokur and Ross Mathews, the show is set to air on Fridays on Facebook following the live eviction.[116]
There have been three spin-off editions of Big Brother. In October 2016, CBS premiered a spin-off web series, Big Brother: Over the Top, as an original series for CBS All Access. Unlike the flagship, television version, it was broadcast exclusively online with a shorter, 10-week season.[117][118] The second spin-off, Celebrity Big Brother, aired its first season on CBS on February 7, 2018.[10]Celebrity Big Brother was renewed for a second season, which premiered on January 21, 2019, and concluded on February 13. However, on January 1, 2020, CBS announced there would not be a Celebrity Big Brother in 2020.[119] In September 2021, CBS announced that the celebrity edition of the show would be returning for a third season on February 2, 2022. In November 2023, CBS announced that there would be a special holiday spin-off called Big Brother Reindeer Games set to air for six days across two weeks starting on December 11, 2023. The season would feature nine returning players dubbed as Big Brother Legends and was entirely pre-taped and did not feature live feeds, nor did host Julie Chen Moonves return.[11][120]
Though not actual spin-offs, both the English and French versions of Big Brother in Canada are, to date, the only franchises to fully adopt the American format;[121] the 2020 revival of Big Brother Australia also uses the American format, but still relies on the Australian public to decide the eventual winner. Other global franchises, such as Big Brother Brasil, have also adopted individual elements of the American format while still maintaining the international public vote format for weekly evictions and final vote.
Broadcast
Since its launch in the United States, Big Brother has aired on CBS.[122] The show is simulcast in Canada on Global.[123] The fourth and ninth seasons have both aired in the United Kingdom, the latter airing in the Spring season.[124] The first season featured a total of six episodes per week, though all future installments would air three nights per week.[125] Of these three episodes, the weekly eviction episode is the only one that is live; this is the only episode to feature host Julie Chen Moonves. This show generally airs on Thursdays.[126] To date, there have been a total of 820 episodes of the series to air.[127] With the exception of the ninth season, the series typically airs once a year during the summer season.[128][129]Big Brother was the final primetime show to make the switch to high-definition television: the first 15 seasons aired in standard definition, with the sixteenth season being the first to be produced in HDTV.[130][131][132] However, the live internet feeds would not broadcast in HD until Big Brother 17.[citation needed] Before the series made the transfer, it was the last remaining regularly scheduled prime-time series to remain in standard definition.[133][134] CBS released the entire third season as a nine-disc set on Region 1 DVD.[135] This made it the first season to receive an official release, and has since become a rare item to find.[136] The fourth season saw the release of a two-disc highlights DVD, featuring previously unseen footage deemed too racy for the main broadcast.[137] To date, these are the only seasons to see a physical release. Beginning with the seventh season, all future seasons are available for purchase on digital retail sites.[138] With the 15th season, TVGN (now Pop) began airing re-runs of the series at later dates, making it the first season to be aired following its premiere; this continued with the 16th season.[139] Subscribers to CBS All Access are able to stream the complete run of Big Brother—including the differently-formatted first season—and an episode of Big Brother 2 that did not air in most markets due to ongoing coverage of the September 11 attacks. CBS aired the spin-off series Celebrity Big Brother from February 7–25, 2018. It was the first spin-off to air on the broadcast network and the second season overall to air in the winter television season (the other being season 9). The celebrity edition aired in a concentrated run with fewer episodes, but with multiple episodes each week.[8]
Live Internet feeds
One of the main aspects of the series is the live feeds, in which viewers can view inside the house at any time.[140] The live feeds have been a part of the series since its inception, initially being offered as a free service during the first season.[141] From the second season onward, a subscription to the live feeds has been required, with the price ranging each year.[142] The first season's feeds were available on the show's official site, hosted by AOL.[143] From the second season to the 14th season, the feeds were available through RealNetworks either as a subscription or as a free addition for Gold members.[144]
Since 2016, the live feeds have aired on CBS All Access (known as Paramount+ since March 2021), again requiring a subscription from users.[145] Though advertised as being available at any time, the feeds are shut off during the weekly nomination ceremony, Power of Veto ceremony, and the competitions and evictions for that week; this is to provide suspense for the series.[146] Slanderous statements and singing of copyrighted music are also blocked for legal reasons.[147][148][149]
In 2023, the live feeds launched on Pluto TV with limited commercial interruption, marking the first time they have been offered for free since the first season.[150]
^ abFor the first season and Over the Top, the public voted to determine the winner between the three finalists. The voting percentages were not revealed for Over the Top; however, it was revealed that the margin of victory was within 20,000 votes between the winner and the first runner–up.
^Also known as Big Brother: 'Til Death Do You Part
^Although technically containing 11 episodes, the two episodes between episode 5 and episode 7 were officially numbered 6.1 and 6.2, leaving the official episode number at 10.
^For the Reindeer Games, the winner was determined by a competition tournament between the four finalists.
Critical responses
Since its inception, Big Brother has been criticized following reports of "HIB" (Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying),[155] violence in the house, obscene language,[156][157][158][159] breach of integrity,[160][161] and the physical and mental strain of appearing on the series.[162] Several seasons have also been criticized for racism and discrimination, most notably season 15 and season 21.[163][164][165] On September 9, 2018, Chen's husband, Les Moonves, resigned as President of CBS after a second wave of reports of sexual misconduct allegations against him. On September 13, Chen closed out that evening's episode by saying, "From outside the Big Brother house with Brent, I'm Julie Chen Moonves. Good night." As Chen had previously never used Moonves professionally, many saw the move as Chen standing in solidarity with her husband.[166] Following her resignation from The Talk on September 18 after eight years as co-host, there was speculation on whether Chen would continue as host of Big Brother. Chen did return to host the following year, and has become increasingly spiritual and religious on and off the program in the wake of such revelations.[167][168]
Accolades
Big Brother was nominated for Best Competition Show at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards.
^Slop has proven to be an issue for some Houseguests. In both cases on Season 9, hypoglycemic Houseguest Amanda Hansen fainted and had a seizure after only a few days of being on the slop diet,[65] while Houseguest Allison Nichols had an allergic reaction to the slop;[69][70] both women were medically evacuated from the house, though they returned the following morning.[71]
^A controversy occurred during season 21 in which Jackson Michie, the season's eventual winner, broke the Have-Not rule, but was not issued a penalty due to the obstruction of the camera view behind the shower walls while eating non-slop,[75][76][77] resulting in the Have-Not being unseen for the remainder of that season.[78]
^Unlike other versions of Big Brother, the Houseguests may discuss the nomination and eviction process openly and freely.
^The first such occurrence happened in season 11 in which Chima Simone was expelled from the game for a rule violation regarding her dismantling of the house's recording equipment.[20][95] On Finale Night, host Julie Chen locked in the key with the winner of the American public's vote on Chima's behalf; on the revealing of the votes, "America's Vote", which became first in line, decided on the winner of season 11, Jordan Lloyd.
^The host officially began using her married name of Moonves on the 35th episode of the 20th season.[citation needed]
^Powell, John (August 23, 2003). "'Big Brother' twist unveiled". JAM! Showbiz. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^Michael Langston Moore (September 2, 2011). "Is Big Brother 13 Rigged?". The Morton Report. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
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