Big Brother (TV Series) - History

History

Although each country has made its own adaptations and changes to the format, the contestants are confined to a specially designed house where their every action is recorded by cameras and microphones at all times and they are not permitted to make any contact with the outside world.

In all the countries that have produced Big Brother, they have referred to the contestants as "housemates"; however in the American version of the format they are referred to as "houseguests". The term Big Brother originates from George Orwell's novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Besides living together under continuous observation, which is the major attraction of the contest, the program relies on four basic props: The stripped-bare, back-to-basics environment in which they live, the evictions, the weekly tasks and competitions set by Big Brother and the "Diary/Confession Room", in which the housemates individually convey their thoughts, feelings, and frustrations and reveal their nominees for eviction.

Contestants are required to evict one of their own on a regular basis; in the earlier series of Big Brother, contestants were evicted every two weeks, however, as introduced in the UK version, evictions occurred once a week; all of the current series of Big Brother follow this format.

At regular intervals, the housemates each privately nominate a number of fellow housemates that they wish to see evicted from the house. The housemates with the most nominations are then announced and viewers are given the opportunity to vote via telephone for whom they wish to see evicted. The only known exception to this process is the American version, in which the housemates themselves vote to evict each other. After the votes are tallied, the "evictee" leaves the house and is interviewed live by the host of the show, usually in front of a studio audience.

In some cases, two housemates may be evicted simultaneously (a "double eviction"), or rarely, no housemates will be removed for that week. At the end of the game, the last remaining housemate is declared the winner of that particular series and receives prizes, often including a large amount of money, a car, a vacation and (in some editions) a house.

In the first season of most series of Big Brother, the house that the housemates had to live in was very basic. Although essential amenities, such as running water, furniture and a limited ration of food were provided, luxury items were often forbidden. This added a survivalist element to the show, increasing the potential for social tension within the house. Nowadays, almost all series provide a modern house for the contest, with a jacuzzi, sauna, VIP suite, loft and other luxuries.

The contestants are required to do housework and are set tasks by the producers of the show, who communicate with the housemates via the omnipresent authority figure known to them only as "Big Brother". The tasks are designed to test their teamwork abilities and community spirit, and in some countries the housemates' shopping budget or weekly allowance often depends on the outcome of any given tasks. The housemates have a weekly allowance with which they can buy food and other essentials.

Most international versions of the show remain quite similar to each other in that their main format remains true to the original fly on the wall, observational style, with the emphasis being on human relationships. This is taken to the extent that contestants are forbidden from discussing nominations or voting strategy altogether. The US version, however, has since 2001 taken on a significantly different format from the others in their second season; with a far stronger emphasis on strategy, competition and voting where the public does not choose who to evict. In 2011, the UK version controversially adapted the discussion of nominations, before changing this rule back following a poll by Big Brother broadcaster Channel 5, which revealed that 90% of voters believed that housemates should not discuss nominations.