How Well Do You Know Big Brother?

Big Brother Franchise: A Summary

• Big Brother is a Dutch reality competition television franchise created by John de Mol Jr.

• The show features contestants called "housemates" or "HouseGuests" who live together in a specially constructed house that is isolated from the outside world.

• As of August 2021, there have been 504 seasons of Big Brother in over 62 franchise countries and regions.

• The contestants are required to do housework and are assigned tasks by the producers of the show.

• Throughout the course of the competition, housemates are voted out (usually on a weekly basis) until only one remains and wins the cash prize.

• Big Brother allows an analysis of how people react when forced into close confinement with people outside of their comfort zone.

• Big Brother contestants are isolated in the house, without access to television, radio, or the Internet.

• Some versions of the show allow private counselling sessions with a psychologist.

• The show typically broadcasts daily updates during the evening, and viewers can also watch a continuous feed from multiple cameras on the Web in most countries.

• Due to the intelligibility of certain languages across several nations, it has been possible to make regional versions of Big Brother.

• Multiple areas and houses, Evil Big Brother, Twin or triplet housemates, and Pairs competitions are some of the twists involving single franchises.

• Big Brother contestants occasionally develop sexual relationships; the level of sexual explicitness allowed to be shown in broadcast and Internet-feed varies according to the country's broadcasting standards.Twists and Formats in Big Brother

• Secret missions are a common element in the show since their introduction during the sixth UK series.

• The third Belgian season introduced a mole, and the eighth US season introduced "America's Player".

• The fourth Argentine series added a telephone in the living room, which rang once a week for ten seconds, and the person to pick up the receiver was given an order or news from Big Brother.

• The UK series has opened with a twist since Big Brother 2.

• The fifth UK series introduced fake evictions, where Big Brother misleads housemates that eviction has taken place, only for the "evicted" housemate to re-enter the house sometime later.

• The fourteenth US season had four house guests from past seasons return to coach twelve new house guests, playing for a separate prize of $100,000.

• The seventh Argentine series incorporated a red button into the Confession Room, which would sound an alarm throughout the house.

• In Celebrity Hijack UK, evicted housemates were given the opportunity to choose if a "ninja" delivered good or bad gifts to the house.

• The fifteenth US season allowed viewers to vote for a house guest to be made M.V.P., who then secretly nominates a third houseguest for eviction.

• The sixteenth and seventeenth US seasons featured two Heads of Household every week and had four houseguests nominated for eviction.

• Each season of the US version has three cash prizes: $750,000 for the winner, $75,000 for second, and $50,000 for who was voted by the viewers to be America's Favorite HouseGuest.

• Big Brother Africa (season 6) was the first season of Big Brother to have two winners, each getting US$200,000.

• The fourth Philippine season introduced the concept of having reserved housemates, and it was eventually done also in the eighth Philippine season.

• In 2020, due to COVID-19, the Big Brother Portugal revival started with a twist, where all the contestants were isolated in different apartments for 14 days.

• Housemate exchanges and evicted housemate exchanges have occurred in various seasons across different countries.Big Brother: A Synopsis of the Reality TV Show

• Noemí Merino from GH13 stayed in the Brazilian Big Brother house for five days.

• Several Big Brother housemates from different countries have visited other franchises, including Nikki Grahame, Jade Goody, and Elettra Lamborghini.

• Some housemates have competed in different franchises, such as Daniela Martins, who competed in Portugal (SS1) after appearing in France (SS3).

• There have been multiple-franchise competitions, including the Eurovision Song Contest and FIFA World Cup.

• The show has a celebrity and VIP version, with local celebrities competing for charity and the prize money donated to a charity.

• The US and Canadian versions have a different format, allowing housemates to strategize and politic to survive eviction.

• Housemates compete in challenges to win power and safety, with weekly evictions until two contestants remain.

• The final Head of Household competition is split into three parts, with the winner choosing the final nominee.

• Big Brother Brasil combines the US/Canada and international formats, with Brazil voting on evictions and the winner, but housemates competing for HoH, Power of Immunity, and Power of Veto.

• Big Brother: The Game is an official mobile game developed by 9th Impact that allows players to use strategies, vote, and evict their fellow players out of the game.

• Castaway filed a lawsuit against John de Mol and Endemol for stealing the concepts of their own show called Survive!.Controversies Surrounding the Big Brother Franchise

• The Big Brother franchise has faced several controversies and lawsuits.

• The first season of Big Brother in the Netherlands was controversial because the contestants were filmed 24/7, leading to privacy concerns.

• Castaway Television Productions sued Endemol and John de Mol for copyright infringement because of the similarities between the reality show Survive! and Survivor. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed.

• The estate of George Orwell sued CBS Television and Endemol for copyright and trademark infringement, claiming that the program infringed on the Orwell novel 1984 and its trademarks. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount of money.

• There have been three documented occurrences of possible rape happening during the show in Big Brother South Africa, Big Brother Brasil, and the Australian Big Brother house.

• In Big Brother South Africa, a male housemate was accused of assaulting a fellow housemate while she was asleep. The male housemate was expelled immediately and later arrested.

• In Big Brother Brasil, a male housemate allegedly forced himself on a female housemate while she was passed-out drunk after a party. The offending housemate was arrested and banned from appearing on the show again.

• In the Australian Big Brother house in 2006, a contestant held down a fellow contestant while another slapped her in the face with his penis, leading to the show's cancellation.

• The controversies have led to warnings to housemates, immediate expulsions, and arrests.

• The show's 24/7 filming and the use of the footage have led to privacy and ethical concerns.

• The franchise has faced criticism for promoting voyeurism and negative behavior.

• The controversies have led to changes in the show's policies and regulations, including the use of more advanced psychological evaluations of housemates.