How does Big Brother work? The CBS franchise, explained

June 2024 · 9 minute read

Like Survivor, Big Brother has remained a staple fact festival display on CBS for over two decades. However, as an alternative of marooning contestants on an island with the bare necessities to continue to exist, Big Brother has taken a distinct technique to difficult a group of hopefuls while dangling in front of them a hefty grand prize.

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Big Brother airs each and every summer on the community, that includes avid gamers residing in a area in combination, bring to a halt from the outside world. That approach no cellphones, laptops, or conversations with any individual but even so their fellow houseguests, the franchise’s manufacturing workforce, and longtime host Julie Chen Moonves.

They combat against each different for weeks while the competition dwindles till one individual exits the area with a champion’s accolade and a six-figure check.

So, how does Big Brother work? In this text, I’ll undergo the general structure of a season and the elements that guide the houseguests via it. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Big Brother follows the identical standard fashion year after yr

Big Brother — which has several international versions and spin-offs — premiered in the United States in July 2000. Throughout its first few seasons, the truth pageant display developed its format till it landed on a construction that it’s adopted, roughly, since the 3rd iteration.

The number of houseguests in line with season has larger as smartly. Nowadays, 16 wide-eyed, burgeoning reality tv stars are invited into the area through Julie. They willfully surrender luxuries and — sometimes — their sanity to win the $750,000 grand prize (it used to be $500,000 till season 23). The number of days the gameshow runs varies from season to season also. But houseguests can expect to spend round 80 to ninety days competing if they make it to the finish.

Contestants move in and are living together whilst America watches their each transfer thru live feeds, that are available for most of the week.

At the starting of the recreation, Julie introduces some kind of new theme and twist that’ll shape the season in a technique or another. For instance, season 14 positioned houseguests into 4 teams with a veteran participant heading every, and seasons 7 and 22 featured only Big Brother all-star players.

Regardless of what’s brought into the sport, the display in most cases follows the similar drift. I’ll write about the competitions and powers on the whole phrases, although there will also be some differences relying on the season (as an example, the selection of Head of Households every week). Further, the following events play out inside seven days via three episodes each and every week. That being mentioned, right here we move.

Head of Household competition

The maximum robust place a houseguest can hang is the Head of Household (HoH), and a new one is made up our minds weekly.

At the get started of the sport’s week, an HoH competition is held that involves all of the houseguests besides the outgoing HoH — a person can't win the title two weeks in a row.

Once the dust clears, anyone will have a key necklace wrapped round their neck, signifying their ascendance into energy. The HoH receives a number of perks, together with their very own private bedroom and toilet, a television to secret agent on the different competitors with, and a letter and private items from house. But most importantly, the HoH is secure; they cannot be nominated for eviction. In fact, it’s the HoH’s accountability to designate two gamers to face possible elimination from the game — extra on that later.

Food and luxury pageant

If living with a bunch of strangers whilst their each move is watched isn’t uncomfortable sufficient, the avid gamers will generally compete in a food/luxurious festival subsequent to determine who is eating “slop.” Slop is described as a bland, porridge-like substance and has occasionally brought even the most resilient houseguests to their knees.

The problem will resolve which houseguests should live on a slop-only diet for the week and which is able to consume what they would like. These competitions incessantly characteristic different rewards and punishments as smartly, like having to undergo dressed in a leotard or successful a vacation prize.

On paper, those competitions are much less the most important than the others as they don’t actually impact the contestant’s standing in the sport. But, their still ever-so-important to the houseguests’ psychological and physical well being.

Nomination rite

As discussed in the HoH section, it’s their duty to appoint two houseguests for eviction. No different participant is safe from the block at this point in the week unless there’s some form of protection twist that’s performed out.

The nomination rite typically happens at some extent after the food festival. The houseguests sit down around the circled kitchen desk whilst the HoH reveals their two nominees.

Just like maximum other truth festival displays, the technique and politics of the game broaden during the avid gamers’ social time. And in Big Brother, there’s now not much to do as opposed to hang out and chat with the others trapped within the house.

Power of Veto festival

Once the selected players are firmly sitting on the chopping block, the Power of Veto (PoV) pageant looms massive. The PoV is the second strongest power a participant can succeed in to lend a hand carve their trail through the game. The winner of the golden bling will not only have the skill to avoid wasting one nominated houseguest from the block, however they’re safe from being selected as the replacement nominee.

Unlike the fight for HoH, only a make a selection selection of contestants can play for the PoV weekly. Also, a person can play for the necklace each week, which is in stark distinction to the HoH.

The HoH and the two nominees are automatically allowed to duel in the PoV festival. Then, 3 players are generally picked thru a random draw to sign up for the different three. Six competitors will face off to peer who will wield that week’s PoV.

Power of Veto rite

After a person walks away with the triumph, the PoV rite is up subsequent, although no longer rapid. This is when the PoV is played; then again, the holder doesn’t have to make use of it if they don’t want to. They’ll stand in entrance in their fellow housemates and reveal in the event that they’re saving one among the two nominees. If they do, the ex-nominee will rise up from the nomination chair and take a seat amongst the other contestants. They can leisure simple.

The HoH is forced to make some other choice: they should throw some other houseguest into the fire. The PoV holder and the recently saved participant are secure from being nominated. Once the HoH chooses between the ultimate houseguests, the nominations are locked in till eviction night time.

Live eviction

The live eviction takes place at the end of the sport’s week, when solid contributors are sent packing. The episode typically features a reside audience sitting outdoor the space’s front door, with Julie main the price.

After days of scheming, development and breaking relationships, and fine-tuning strategies, it’s time to vote someone out.

The players take a seat in the living room, and as soon as recommended to, they input the Diary Room to claim who they want to do away with out of the two nominees. Each vote is made in privacy from the other houseguests. The HoH and two nominees aren’t allowed to vote either. Once all the votes have been tallied, the contestant with the maximum is evicted from the area and should leave the premises instantly. If it comes down to a tie, then the HoH receives one ultimate little bit of power. Single-handedly, they choose who receives their walking papers.

The person who simply had their dream beaten is then despatched out of the door and into an interview with Julie in entrance of the audience. Once that concludes, the ousted player both is going home to their real-life or joins the season’s jury — more on that later. Now, it’s time to determine a brand new HoH.

Rinse and Repeat

These events will repeat week after week while the roster shrinks. As discussed, the season’s theme and twists may also play a significant component in the game, they usually may affect some of the powers and competitions.

One staple of Big Brother is the “Double Eviction,” and there’s sure to be at least one each unmarried season. These mark a few of the most fun episodes of the iteration, and so they cross down all over the live eviction night time. First, one participant will probably be kicked out as same old. Then, a complete week of Big Brother is performed inside of the episode. The houseguests will throw down in an HoH and PoV competition while avid gamers are nominated, and any other one is sent packing that very same night time.

The winner is chosen on finale/reunion night time

As the weeks pass through, more and more avid gamers are evicted. The first few houseguests taken out head house and will watch the rest of the season play out there. When the game hits the mid-way point, the jury area opens up. Every participant evicted from that point on is shipped to that house, which is still bring to an end from the outdoor international.

Like Survivor, it’s the jury participants’ duty to resolve who will win the grand prize. Only two houseguests could make it to the very end of the season. The final three gamers are decreased to the most sensible two all through finale evening. And after the final two volleys of questions from the jury, the gamers they evicted decide their fate. The jury at all times has an bizarre selection of houseguests, so a tie doesn’t happen.

Once the votes are learn by means of Julie, a brand new Big Brother champion emerges from the house and again into reality. That evening additionally serves as a brief reunion between all of the forged members from the season.

So, in case you’re now able to dive into Big Brother’s newest season, the wait received’t be much longer. Season 25 is scheduled to premiere on August 2 at Eight p.m. ET on CBS.

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