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Monday, August 18
WITH under a month to go, it seems like it could still be anybody's game. In as much as the concept remains a game.
Normally I have a favourite well and truly chosen on opening night - as well as who I think will likely win.
This year, having been away on opening night, it felt really weird not making a choice there and then, based on initial reactions and gut feeling when they all arrived.
I've not had much of a favourite at all this year, and I haven't bothered that much about the evictions. I've only voted once to evict in the nine series history of the programme and I have to admit, it was a successful spend!
During this series, as usual, I have refrained from spending to get any of them out - and I was starting to think that I was losing my passion for the whole thing.
Then again, I have never been at this stage of the game without a favourite and
a clear leader in the polls.
Instead of losing interest, it's actually causing me to want to pay more attention and see who will actually swing it. Who'll 'deserve' to win? Will we have a 'worthy'
winner?
I'll probably be a little bit tense come the eviction, just to see who's out - and I think that's a good thing. I don't go in for the screaming and nonsense, but if my adrenaline is going, the programme is doing its job.
The other exciting thing about liking most of the housemates is that this tension will build from now till the final. Even though somebody like Rex might not be my favourite housemate, he's been a unique addition to the house.
I don't want him to win, but I don't suppose I'll grudge him it if Davina does eventually crown him in three weeks' time.
Tuesday, July 29
FINALLY there's something going on in the Big Brother house that's making things interesting.
The nominations pod has really set the cat among the pigeons - on both sides of the fence. First of all it seemed as though the heavenly housemates had taken to the idea quite well but once the impact of what was going on had settled in it was a different story.
You can never be sure that what Big Brother serves up as a treat is actually as straightforward as it seems.
In our series, Ray was head of house - he loved it for a bit but when the impact of being the person solely responsible for nominating struck him, it was a different kettle of fish.
And it seems a bit like that with this lot. Too much or too little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and after discussing their nomination ideas on the heavenly side, housemates were shown the entry videotapes of the housemates in 'hell'.
You're always warned about Big Brother playing with your mind, and I think this has been the first masterstroke this series.
It's about time something happened!
Thursday, July 17
Mikey seems to be getting a bit of stick all over the internet forum pages. Mind you, so did I hahahaha!
With the news that Big Brother has been axed in
Depending on what figures you believe, this year's series had the lowest-ever viewing figures for a launch show at 5.3 million - and it's had the lowest-ever figure for a single episode since the phenomenon arrived in the UK in 2000.
Last year's series could possibly be to blame for the poor figures at launch.
A spokesperson has confirmed that Endemol has two more years to run with the show on Channel 4, so I guess we can expect a BB10 next year and then a winners' series or some kind of Big Brother "Gold" the following year.
I think they would be hard pushed to get all the past winners to agree to take part mind you, so who knows what might be on the cards.
Maybe they'll just axe it right here, right now without telling the current crop of inmates, and keep them in there for the next two years. That's the thing with Big Brother. You never know!"
Wednesday, July 9
The MBE is normally an honour. But what about in the Big Brother house? There's a list as long as Mario's CV of what it has come to mean.
Mario's Big Ego Mario Boasts Excessively Mario Bores Everybody Mario - Braggart Extraordinaire Maybe Bex will be Evicted... Go on - have a go yourself.
There's LOADS more you will come up with I'm sure.
The thing about it is I think it's safe to say that Mario's Bound to Exit this Friday. I've only ever voted for an eviction once in the nine years of the programme so far. But the dilemma for the voting public again manages to polarise opinion.
Weighing up Mario's comedy value against the irritation he causes could prove problematic for the thinking voter.
Is his constant flow of gems worth voting out his opponent this week, Bex? Or have we Maybe Been Earbashed enough to show him the miserable back exit?
It's a question that's existed and caused ructions since the start of the concept. Do you vote the annoying ones out, or do you evict the bores? I find the ones who are there just to make a noise the most irritating.
The one last year who did nothing but talk over everybody almost had me reaching for the phone.
And this year, Big Brother's decision to remove Alexandra for much the same reason saved some of us a small fortune.
People complain that the "big" characters are voted out early, and housemates who fly "under the radar" stay in the house longer. The thing that a number of people seem to forget is that viewers can only vote on who's been nominated by the housemates.
Big Brother's catchphrase "Who goes?... YOU decide!" is only valid once the candidates are nominated.
The housemates themselves nominate who they least want to live with. The viewers vote to evict who they want least on their screens.
Housemates' and viewers' needs are often very different. Inside the house it's important to live with the people you get on with. Outside the house it's important to be entertained. The quandry is whether conflict is what you find entertaining or more of a team effort. Maybe Both are Entertaining.
Wednesday, July 2
I love this jail idea in Big Brother 9. They say there's nothing new under the sun and I suppose they're right.
I've sometimes bemoaned the lack of inspiration behind the tasks in past years and although a housemates' holding cell is not a new idea, I'm glad they've introduced it in the
And housemates needn't complain - apart from the fact that they're blooming lucky they have a place in that house at all, and they don't suffer the indignities placed upon the Big Brother Africa housemates in the second series of BB Africa. In their (admittedly) much larger cell, evildoers were given tasks according to their crime.
Sometimes sorting household garbage into plastics, tins and food waste. Not a great job! Mind you, if they go on getting more of the basic shopping there wouldn't be a lot of garbage to sort out anyway!
Saturday, June 21
AAARGH! I'm off on this perennial Big Brother quandary again. Do I sympathise with the stresses and strains of life in the goldfish bowl or do I wish they'd shut up, build a bridge and GET OVER IT?
Poor wee sleekit timrous beastie Dennis has been wanting to leave the house. Is it for any serious issue? Was he one of the housemates intimidated by ejectee Alex?
No, no. He "doesn't see the point of being there".
I wouldn't be as harsh as to suggest that viewers may have wondered exactly the same thing - I genuinely think that housemates are chosen on individual merits, not necessarily for our viewing pleasure uniquely.
My heart does go out to him because he won't have known what life in there would be like.
It's certainly not 23 minutes of highlights in a row, that's for sure.
It's 24 hours of pretty noisy company, by the look (or sound) of things at the moment. On the other hand, I do have to ask if he gave any thought to what the point of being there was BEFORE he auditioned.
Come on lad, stick with it - it's worth it!
Thursday, June 19
THE intereference on the telly has finally subsided a little. Now that Alex has been removed from this year's premises I'll be able to put the volume up just a little.
I don't know if I can remember such a noise on the programme in any of the previous series, although last year's Charley was a hard one to beat.
This year there seems to have been an unbearable amount of meaningless and mindless NOISE going on in the Big Brother house.
I know a lot of people think the whole sorry experiment is without any merit whatsoever but I would still like to defend the sociological values of the concept. Except this year I haven't been able to before now, principally because I have hardly managed to bear listening to them.
Then again, to witness them talking over one another, having attitude with one another and generally "disrespecting" one another is part and parcel of the micro-society that is BB9.
Different years cast up different aspects of certain individuals' characters and I've always tried to look behind the reasons for disliking this trait or that before 'dissing' a housemate out of hand.
It's not easy to separate an individual from their personality. But is it fair to completely write somebody off because part of their character is incompatible with our ideal? I would like to think that I have learned a bit about tolerance since experiencing the goldfish bowl from both sides.
That said, I'm glad the noise has begun to settle down a bit now. I'll be able to fetch my slippers and pipe soon.
Monday, June 16
THAT’S them well and truly underway. They’ve had their first eviction, their first task and their first meagre shopping budget.
For the first time at this stage I hardly know their names, and I’m not sure whether I’m pleased or disappointed!
To me this year the house seems cluttered and busy, more like the BB3 house - famous for Jade Goody’s first foray into the big brotherhood and
I always like to see what they’ve done to the house. Sometimes I like it and sometimes I don’t.
For BB4 they planned to have a harmonious household, and the house was suitably comfortable and relaxed. Nice big open spaces and attractive living areas.
Contrast that to the famed fight-night series that followed where they raised the floor, lowered the ceilings and had aggressive decor and harsher furnishings. The sofas were like something out of a French bus terminal – it was horrible!
So this year I’m not quite sure yet what they’re aiming for with their seemingly more random approach. Maybe they want a random look, or perhaps they’ve just run out of ideas.
They certainly don’t seem to have had particularly inspired ideas about the tasks for the past couple of years. That’s been one of my biggest bugbears with the whole thing.
I think tasks are key to the success of the programe. It frustrates me when little thought is put into the tasks, either by the producers or the housemates. So DON’T WHINGE ABOUT BASIC RATIONS IF YOU’VE NOT PUT IN ANY EFFORT!
I enjoyed the music task, although not from a musical point of view. Tasks display how people work together (or not) and can reveal some interesting character traits.
I hope the housemates can keep the instruments and have a weekly tune to learn – a series-long task would be a first for the Big Brother house and would show that some fresh thought has gone into the prep for the show.
Unlike what normally happens, I was away for the launch this year. Opening night normally helps me to pick a winner or at least enables me to identify those I think will do well.
Not having seen the opening live is an odd sensation. It is difficult to describe but it’s a bit like starting to read a book at chapter two without the scene being set or the characters being introduced.
Ironically enough I’ve felt a bit “at sea” so far, but the lack of influential footage from the opening sequences might result in a more intriguing series for me.
I can always hope…
What do you think of Big Brother 9?
