Big Brother Tv Series
Big Brother is a television reality show, and it involves
a group of contestants who live together in a big house, that’s
completely cut off from the world, but is always under camera
surveillance. Each installment goes on for about three months,
and usually involves fewer than fifteen contestants. They
all are trying to keep from being evicted from the house,
and the winner gets a huge cash prize at the end. The idea
for the show came during a 1997 brainstorming session at Endemol.
The first incarnation of the show was aired in Holland in
1999, and it has gone on to be a hit in over seventy countries.
Of course, the show’s name comes from the George Orwell novel
1984.
Even though each country’s version of the show is a little
different, the basic idea is the same everywhere. A group
of housemates are confined to a house where their every move
and word are recorded by microphones and cameras, and they
are completely cut off from the outside world. In all versions
of Big Brother, the housemates vote to have one (or sometimes
two) members of the household evicted. In rare cases, no one
gets evicted that week. The last person in the house is the
winner, and they get a large sum of money, and sometimes other
prizes like cars and vacations.
The show’s format allows us to see how people react when
they are isolated with people they don’t really know that
well. Ideas and opinions clash all the time, and most of the
contestants aren’t used to interacting with people outside
their normal circles. Everything happens in the Big Brother
house, from catfights and verbal disagreements to genuine
displays of friendship. Sometimes, people even fall in love!
Not only do the houseguests have to live under constant surveillance
(which is why a lot of voyeuristic people like the show),
they live in a very Spartan, basic environment (no TV, computer,
etc.), and they have to do competitions and various tasks
every week. Don’t forget the “confession room”, where the
housemates vent their thoughts and feelings, and where they
also make their eviction nominations.
Despite widespread panning from many critics, the Big Brother
franchise has been successful worldwide. It’s popular with
viewers because the contestants have no privacy, but they’re
surrendering that in exchange for their “15 minutes of fame"
and a cash prize. And, sometimes the camera can catch some
moments that are supposed to be, shall we say, “private".
Despite the controversy, Big Brother and its various incarnations
continue to enjoy popularity the world over.
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