I agree andy. You know, this season hasn't impressed me as much as last year's Celebrity BBUK but it is still a great watch, and infinately better than all american reality tv. Its so subtle and way more epic, less whiz bang pow in yo face.
I'd love to track down some of the older seasons, anyone have an idea where I could find them? I think the contrast between american and uk BB really sums up a lot of what is wrong with american television these days. I could write a thesis on it.
This series has been okay. Although there have been other better series I'm not sure how they could come over as it's very of the moment. I can see old series looking dated.
« Last Edit: Aug 21, 2010 20:03:26 GMT by socalledhardcunt »
The quality is shit, and recently daily motion shut down their accounts that had all the backlog of episodes on it, but I've been keeping up to date so it didn't affect me.
The thing is, I'm in the television industry. And there is a great deal of disdain for reality tv amongst my peers, but I've always had a bit of a soft spot for it. I guess I saw the potential, and to me, BBUK is the closest thing to realizing that potential.
On an american show, they shoot everything, and then they bring in a guy who analyzes the footage and writes up a storyline. Then they edit it and produce a series that is very skewed towards a certain meditated arc.
This show is aired the very next day. It eliminates the ability to mold a story and manipulate time. It is infact closer to reality than any so called reality tv we see in Canada. And its a fucking phenominon over there. I couldn't believe the crowds that formed outside the house.
Not to mention the elimination of strategic talk and the tasks that are designed to cause stress create an environment that is less a game and more of a social experiment. I find it fascinating.
And that's just the tip of the iceburg. everything about the editing, the overall package is so much better. Day 42. Dave is in the diary room talking about Jesus. I bet you just read that line in that dude's voice, didn't you? and when they brought him into the house and had him talking next to everyone. Brilliant!
I want a copy of a great series, and I want to show it to my peers because I know they'd get hooked on it, and then maybe they'd see that Reality TV isn't something to hate blindly... its possible to do something good, something big even. I don't think America has done it right yet, not to this extent. I look forward to the day they do. And hell, maybe I'll try to spearhead the movement.... because when held side by side, its glaringly obvious that you guys are doing it right, and we're pandering to the lowest common denominator.
In general the show has got more media savvy as it has gone along. Nowadays all the contestants know what they are getting into and how to play the game. Also the show has become more open as it has gone along. The first series was in theroy a scientific experiment where they wern't allowed to access the outside world. In the most recent series they have let all sorts of people in and out of the house for minor apparences who have let all sorts of information out. Now you get their partners coming into the house as contestants or just for a meal.
I would defintely argue it stands up as an enjoyable tv program and also considerably more interesting on a whole host of levels. Anyone who doesn't watch Big Brother because it's "reality tv" and "everyone in it is a prick" is a bit sad in my opinion.
Through it all the best contestants have always been a bit wacky and prepared to let their own personalitys come through. I would recommend last years based solely on the actions of the Wolfman who was amazing. It's a big show and UKTV will be worse off without it.
This show is aired the very next day. It eliminates the ability to mold a story and manipulate time. It is infact closer to reality than any so called reality tv we see in Canada. And its a fucking phenominon over there. I couldn't believe the crowds that formed outside the house.
it can surely still be manipulated though? I believe from now and then (and I mean very sparsely) watching american reality things and its fair obvious that the chronology is completely dishonest and I gather that they are essiantally just using real footage to make an almost fictional account of whats gone on. but surely the british big brother can after a week have a reasonable idea of how people behave and focus on that and still distort context and the like when they edit the show the next day?
This show is aired the very next day. It eliminates the ability to mold a story and manipulate time. It is infact closer to reality than any so called reality tv we see in Canada. And its a fucking phenominon over there. I couldn't believe the crowds that formed outside the house.
it can surely still be manipulated though? I believe from now and then (and I mean very sparsely) watching american reality things and its fair obvious that the chronology is completely dishonest and I gather that they are essiantally just using real footage to make an almost fictional account of whats gone on. but surely the british big brother can after a week have a reasonable idea of how people behave and focus on that and still distort context and the like when they edit the show the next day?
I read that they totally twisted the John James stuff this week. Apparently one of the old lot let out his mother was in the same hotel as Nathen and he was upset she might cop some abuse his actions and the producers twisted it to look like he was being a loser.
Who knows though. I'm not really too bothered.
Also:
Glad JJ put it on him. Bizzle is a complete prick.
it can surely still be manipulated though? I believe from now and then (and I mean very sparsely) watching american reality things and its fair obvious that the chronology is completely dishonest and I gather that they are essiantally just using real footage to make an almost fictional account of whats gone on. but surely the british big brother can after a week have a reasonable idea of how people behave and focus on that and still distort context and the like when they edit the show the next day?
I read that they totally twisted the John James stuff this week. Apparently one of the old lot let out his mother was in the same hotel as Nathen and he was upset she might cop some abuse his actions and the producers twisted it to look like he was being a loser.
Who knows though. I'm not really too bothered.
Also:
Glad JJ put it on him. Bizzle is a complete prick.
The quality is shit, and recently daily motion shut down their accounts that had all the backlog of episodes on it, but I've been keeping up to date so it didn't affect me.
The thing is, I'm in the television industry. And there is a great deal of disdain for reality tv amongst my peers, but I've always had a bit of a soft spot for it. I guess I saw the potential, and to me, BBUK is the closest thing to realizing that potential.
On an american show, they shoot everything, and then they bring in a guy who analyzes the footage and writes up a storyline. Then they edit it and produce a series that is very skewed towards a certain meditated arc.
This show is aired the very next day. It eliminates the ability to mold a story and manipulate time. It is infact closer to reality than any so called reality tv we see in Canada. And its a fucking phenominon over there. I couldn't believe the crowds that formed outside the house.
Not to mention the elimination of strategic talk and the tasks that are designed to cause stress create an environment that is less a game and more of a social experiment. I find it fascinating.
And that's just the tip of the iceburg. everything about the editing, the overall package is so much better. Day 42. Dave is in the diary room talking about Jesus. I bet you just read that line in that dude's voice, didn't you? and when they brought him into the house and had him talking next to everyone. Brilliant!
I want a copy of a great series, and I want to show it to my peers because I know they'd get hooked on it, and then maybe they'd see that Reality TV isn't something to hate blindly... its possible to do something good, something big even. I don't think America has done it right yet, not to this extent. I look forward to the day they do. And hell, maybe I'll try to spearhead the movement.... because when held side by side, its glaringly obvious that you guys are doing it right, and we're pandering to the lowest common denominator.
Great post. I'll always love Big Brother despite the fact there's a ridiculous stigma in the UK (and it appears in Canada too) that surrounds watching it. You can't even mention it around alot of people of else it's the stock response of "Oi, Big Brother is shit, ya gaybo!" I'm actually gutted that it's over, especially since they've mixed it up so much for this series, they should have done that years ago. The show taking itself a lot less seriously was a stroke of genius and made it even more watchable. Only Big Brother can have you tuning in for an hour every night even if the housemates are a bunch of retards that you would never consider spending time with in real life. I mean John James is a perfect example, he's a sulky, argumentative reject but he was a great housemate, which in turn made me like him. That youtube clip was supreme too. "Who is this guy?" It's funny because you spend so much time talking about these people for about 3 months and then they disappear and you hardly even remember them nevermind see them again.
It will leave an emotional hole when it finishes. Oh and a 100 hour TV viewing hole too. It was a stupid move to cancel it, especially since it still gets about 2 million viewers, that might be down a whole lot since it started but it's still a decent chunk of viewers, more than most shows on at the same time get.
If I ever won the euro millions roll over and had some serious money to burn I'd buy big brother rights for a year, get all the biffs to come on and in the show, have the audience to greet them and all that, run it as normal but not broadcast any of it at all. except for the part each week where one of them is randomly selected to be booted out and told that they've just spent a week in a house with cunts and no one has actually seen it or ever will see it. that bit would still have davina broadcasting it on tv.
It's funny because you spend so much time talking about these people for about 3 months and then they disappear and you hardly even remember them nevermind see them again.
Oh and a 100 hour TV viewing hole too. It was a stupid move to cancel it, especially since it still gets about 2 million viewers, that might be down a whole lot since it started but it's still a decent chunk of viewers, more than most shows on at the same time get.
