It was an interesting concept back at the very beginning - something completely unique that had never been done before, and an interesting insight into the people.
The problem was that past the initial few runs, we all realised that it wasn't that interesting once the novelty wore off, so they had to start screwing with it to make interesting TV, and the contestants were all going in with ulterior motives and playing for the cameras more.
A better public science experiment than an entertainment show...
I think that’s the problem with all reality shows. They started off as more of documentary type things with real people. Once people realized drama sells, they started inventing their own drama or producers starred creating it and they leaned into it. So now you have bad actors pretending to be real people with fake problems. I’d rather watch real actors with a real script.
As soon as they started putting in purposefully eccentric/abrasive/contrasting personalities purely to generate conflict it became pretty morally dubious
Absolutely agree. The idea of what strangers would do when locked together for an extended period is interesting, but I think they quickly realised that what normal people do is try to get along and avoid conflict, so they had to start making up dumb challenges, and throwing in obnoxious narcissists or a flamboyant gay and a homophobe just to create conflict.
There was another show called "Shattered" which was supposed to be Big Brother style except the twist was no-one was allowed to sleep. It could have been a fascinating insight into sleep deprivation but, of course, a TV production company has a duty of care and can't essentially torture people even if they did consent.
That meant contestants had to be allowed minimal sleep breaks which were just enough to stave off the worst effects. But the worst effects were the only thing anyone tuned in to see so it ended up being Big Brother but with people so tired they couldn't be bothered to argue.
The first UK big brother was epic. Totally fascinating as this had never been done before and people were literally, just them selves. No gimmicks. No sponsorship hopes.
Nasty nick was brilliant. He played the game, got caught and went out nicely.
I think I stopped watching after season 3 and I've not even bothered with the celebrity ones.
Same with the first US Big Brother. Just people on vacation in a house, having fun, making jokes. The 40-something roofer guy playing pranks and just being silly was the highlight of the show. But that's not dramatic or sexy enough, so stuff like that was out in season 2.
I used to post on an internet message board about that show during that first season and it was infuriating when would see how the producers were manipulating the storylines, so one day we chipped in and paid for a plane to fly over their backyard with a banner telling them they are being lied to and to get out. The contestants actually saw it and briefly almost all walked out. I think we flew a 2nd banner too? Then other people copied the idea and afterwards whenever a banner plane flies close to the house the production forced everyone to go inside and pull the curtains. It's always been funny to think a bunch of bored people on the internet affected a reality show to that extent.
It's been ages, but I think I remember that! Didn't it make it into the show as one of those pre-commercial teasers, "What's everyone gathering in the backyard and looking at?" And then when they came back from the commercial break it was "ho hum, just a banner plane, never mind what it said."
Even before Big Brother there was a one off in Australia called The House From Hell.
They did a great gag where for 24 hours they could only eat prunes and Fisherman's Friends (a very very strong mint). The exception was one housemate who could order unlimited home delivery.
It was part experiment, part voyeuristic entertainment to be able to watch a group of people 24/7 to see how they would act together, and how they would cope with various challenges and once they started getting comfortable in the house and acting naturally.
It is worth remembering that the first series I believe was a Dutch one in 1999, followed by the British in 2000 - this was one of the first big pieces of reality TV and a precursor to all of the modern reality or gameshows like the Bachelor, Love Island, the Kardashians and their ilk. So at the time it really was something quite unique and a bit of a gamble to air (and so incredibly tame compared to what later series and the following shows all became).
It was rather divisive at the time - entertainment for some, creepy and voyeuristic for others, and just boring to others still...
Much like Survivor, once it had been around long enough that people "knew" how to play the game, it lost pretty much all the charm and interesting aspects.
Plus, it is all scripted. The participants are TOLD to this or that. Sometimes even re-enact what they had said that wasn't properly caught by cameras.
I saw the bullshit in the second season. The manipulation was just so clear to me. I stopped watching immediately.
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u/nrsys 27d ago
It was an interesting concept back at the very beginning - something completely unique that had never been done before, and an interesting insight into the people.
The problem was that past the initial few runs, we all realised that it wasn't that interesting once the novelty wore off, so they had to start screwing with it to make interesting TV, and the contestants were all going in with ulterior motives and playing for the cameras more.
A better public science experiment than an entertainment show...