BB UK has forgotten that voyuerism is what made it popular! - Big Brother

bluntbob · 10-09-2009, 10:58

BB has totally forgotten that it was "voyeurism" that made it addictive. They've lost the "goldfish bowl" aspect to the show which is pretty much like taking the legs off a horse. The more they try and turn it into a variety show the less engaging and more pointless the format becomes. They've been losing the plot (and viewers) yearly

Voyeurism isn't dead! formats like Twitter prove voyeurism isn't dead. People like to be nosey buggers.....which is why Twitter works, as they get to follow people's conversations and get all types of gossip. It's a bit like how YouTube lost it's way. YouTube was popular because people were veiwing random people doing random things and making blogs about their random lives. Viewers would end up addictively following the video blogs and lives of any joe blogs from anywhere in the world.

However what happens is that the creative minds are suppressed and overtaken by the money investors and Money heads who demand their investment squeeze out more and more cash and thus they end up running the show and ultimately ruining the original format. What originally starts as a innovative concept turns into a mish mash of "get money quick" ideas from people who have no idea.

When BB say "Back to basics" what they really should do is go back and re-examine and understand what their show is actually about! Once they understand that it's the "goldfish bowl" that made their show popular then the job is to enhance those core elements and add to them, not detract from them.
Live feed, Live Internet access, room access etc get all that interactivity back! How the hell is BB dying when the internet is exploding? Who's running this thing?
The show doesn't need to die if they understood what the show is about!

CLL Dodge · 10-09-2009, 10:59

It's the "compliance" problem again.

Tableface64 · 10-09-2009, 11:00

Good thread!

molliepops · 10-09-2009, 11:08

Great post bluntbob !

zx50 · 10-09-2009, 11:16

Yep. I personally think Endemol is too full of £££ when it comes to the voting system, which is why they're too interested in editing the footage to what they want the viewer to think so that the £££ will start rolling in through phone votes. I would love it if they truly allowed this show to be a REALITY show, and NOT something that they're trying to put across in a certain way. I just take this as an entertainment show now, as the reality element of it is a joke. It's definitely not a true reality show, definitely not.

bluntbob · 10-09-2009, 11:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by zx50

Yep. I personally think Endemol is too full of £££ when it comes to the voting system, which is why they're too interested in editing the footage to what they want the viewer to think so that the £££ will start rolling in through phone votes. I would love it if they truly allowed this show to be a REALITY show, and NOT something that they're trying to put across in a certain way. I just take this as an entertainment show now, as the reality element of it is a joke. It's definitely not a true reality show, definitely not.

I agree. Totally lost it's way trying to "cash in" and going in all the wrong directions to do so!

oathy · 10-09-2009, 11:31

If the idea is true.
Endemol plan to take BB fully online I can see it being a smash Hit.
I always did prefer in BB1 and 2 when the online feed showed it all.

C4 lost its nerve and the show totally suffered

Winsome · 10-09-2009, 11:46

I also think they lost the way a bit with tacit encouragement of the 'fauxmance', and trying too hard to put in personalities that they KNOW won't gel. I suppose it's those two aspects they think will drive the media interest, but as has been shown this year, it's more due to live feed that media interest is sparked.

oathy · 10-09-2009, 11:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winsome

I also think they lost the way a bit with tacit encouragement of the 'fauxmance', and trying too hard to put in personalities that they KNOW won't gel. I suppose it's those two aspects they think will drive the media interest, but as has been shown this year, it's more due to live feed that media interest is sparked.

They have tried over and over to clone the feeling of Bb5.

they wont ever create that its something that happened owing to the types of people they put in there.

BB5 had something of a holy grail to it..they try and get that feeling again but fail.

xtglx · 10-09-2009, 12:15

I absolutely agree bluntbob!

its a shame that C4 wanted to kill that aspect of the show off....... I wish they would accept that the hard-core voters who watched the show from the beginning still want it to work, and though they might not be 25 or under, they still chuck garbage programs out for the over 30's so why be ashamed of that viewing demographic. Live feed is VITAL to the concept of BB. No one would have watched the show in its early days without the buzz that that created.

Voyeurism is natural in everyone....... I quite agree. It helps understand the mundane and repetition of life.

Opaque · 10-09-2009, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLL Dodge

It's the "compliance" problem again.

That's what they say but that's rubbish really.
Everything had to be checked out anyway, is it really too expensive to have people looking over the feed when theres already at least one or two people doing that.
You can include large swathes of conversations by just cutting out the offensive swearwords. It was often a sledgehammer to crush a nut principle, get rid of anything interesting just in case someone complains.

PaulB1973 · 10-09-2009, 12:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by oathy

They have tried over and over to clone the feeling of Bb5.

they wont ever create that its something that happened owing to the types of people they put in there.

BB5 had something of a holy grail to it..they try and get that feeling again but fail.

Think there is some truth in that - BB5 was the year of evil Big Brother. It almost seems if the show producers want to continue on with that. It seems to have become competitive and more adversarial since that time. I have always thought BB5 was the last really popular show with the public - certainly the last time the actual voting figures were published.

bluntbob · 10-09-2009, 14:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulB1973

Think there is some truth in that - BB5 was the year of evil Big Brother. It almost seems if the show producers want to continue on with that. It seems to have become competitive and more adversarial since that time. I have always thought BB5 was the last really popular show with the public - certainly the last time the actual voting figures were published.

I don't think they had any real clue why BB5 was successful and have been tinkering and messing with things ever since.
It's like having a ham and cheese sandwich which tastes good, then the next day putting some relish, mustard and lettuce in it and thinking "wow that tastes really good, I wonder why? It must be the mustard and relish!"....and then deciding the next day to remove the Ham and cheese.

They've taken away the core eliments of their sandwich and are selling us the relish!

Fried Kickin · 10-09-2009, 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by oathy

If the idea is true.
Endemol plan to take BB fully online I can see it being a smash Hit.
I always did prefer in BB1 and 2 when the online feed showed it all.

C4 lost its nerve and the show totally suffered

I still think it will fail as online only tbh.
It will appeal to us lot here at DS but the general public won't care.
IMO it really needs terrestrial TV in the UK to maintain it's popularity.
Also I mentioned this in another thread .. If Endemol plan unlimited Global coverage of BB:UK via the internet,how would this effect the other BB franchises around the world?
For example I can't see CBS taking to kindly to Endemol running a BB online when they pay dearly for the brand in the US.

NightSwimmer · 10-09-2009, 14:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluntbob

Voyeurism isn't dead! formats like Twitter prove voyeurism isn't dead. People like to be nosey buggers.....which is why Twitter works, as they get to follow people's conversations and get all types of gossip. It's a bit like how YouTube lost it's way. YouTube was popular because people were veiwing random people doing random things and making blogs about their random lives. Viewers would end up addictively following the video blogs and lives of any joe blogs from anywhere in the world.

I agree with what you have said bluntbob, although I think there is slightly more to it than that and I am not sure you can get it back.

When BB1 was on, relatively few people were on the net, so only a small number of people watched the live feeds. That small number passed the information on to a larger number of people on forums, who in turn passed it on to workmates, etc. This flow of information created a hive of gossip and a buzz about the show that everyone wanted to be part of. And in turn, that buzz made people want to watch the HL show to see for themselves what had happened. (As an example of just how much 'gossiping' was going on, when the Nasty Nick confrontation was held at the table so many people were clammering for scraps of information that it brought down the SMS system!)

When they started showing the live feeds on e4, for the next few years only a relatively small number of people had access to this, so that need for and flow of gossip, etc. was still there.

However the past few years society has changed. The majority of people now have net access, and access to the channels that carry live coverage. There isn't that demand for information because everybody has easy access to it, so there just isn't that same need to share information or to go looking for it. Afterall, whats the point of sharing gossip with your neighbour, if they already know it?

I am not sure how you can go back to the early years. Even if you just went back to having livefeed on the net, so many people have broadband now that I am not sure this would create the same kind of buzz that the early shows had.

So yes, I agree that gossip and voyeurism is at the heart of the show, but I am not sure even if we are given decent 24hr live feed, that the show will ever create the interest through gossip that it once did.

sarahcs · 10-09-2009, 15:17

Stupid dance tasks/random country stereotype tasks didn't help either.

JoJo4 · 10-09-2009, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluntbob

I don't think they had any real clue why BB5 was successful and have been tinkering and messing with things ever since.
It's like having a ham and cheese sandwich which tastes good, then the next day putting some relish, mustard and lettuce in it and thinking "wow that tastes really good, I wonder why? It must be the mustard and relish!"....and then deciding the next day to remove the Ham and cheese.

They've taken away the core eliments of their sandwich and are selling us the relish!

I totally agree bluntbob - they couldn't leave it alone when the format was good.

However, I have sympathy as nothing stays the same, society has changed and our expectations have altered.

Their mistake in my view was trying to 'popularise' the end product and to that end, short circuiting the selection process. It's as though they suddenly realised that they were recruiting the ordinary wo/man in the street, and that this couldn't possibly be interesting to watch!

In fact, the more ordinary the HMs the more interesting I find them - and it's important not to confuse 'ordinary' with 'boring'.

If the selection of HMs is a balanced and interesting mix, and the tasks are well thought out, preferably taking more than 10 minutes to be completed 'for a party' they should be left to get on with it, with no more interference unless it's a H&S issue.

mickmercer · 10-09-2009, 18:53

What they need to do is say to all HMs before they enter you are personally liable for any statements and behaviour, then stop editing the sound and let them do and say whatever they like, allowing the public to judge them accordingly.

shermanbunny · 10-09-2009, 22:56

Great post and agree with its sentiments entirely. By all means give the HM's tasks (some of which definitely bond them) but remember it is personalities, relationships and interactions which really keep us watching... and not drunken idiots, drunken rows and the chance of seeing a drunken "quickie".... I think?

MrsCloumbo · 10-09-2009, 23:06

Great thread. Can't disagree on any point.
Biggy - if only - please take note

bluntbob · 10-11-2009, 19:06

is there any more news on BB taking the format towards an interactive internet format?
CBB is all set to become another pile of contrived crap with them drip feeding us a tiny p*ss poor amount of live feed...again!!!

astro · 10-11-2009, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickmercer

What they need to do is say to all HMs before they enter you are personally liable for any statements and behaviour, then stop editing the sound and let them do and say whatever they like, allowing the public to judge them accordingly.

that's a damn good idea

oathy · 10-11-2009, 19:23

wonderful post.

1.the compliance issue could vanish..if the feed went on the net (back then it allowed Craig to run around naked with no problem)no laws have changed and ofcom confirmed the freedom of a NET based feed is much greater (anything goes)

2.they could have a PPV feed or pay for pin system on various formats.

that truly is the crux of the problem it lost the goldfish bowl effect CBB and BB10 this year felt like a show we had missed a few weeks of and impossible to get back into it.

they act dumb...but they knew to kill the show and format dead (so no other station would prove they were wrong in making BB work)..they had to remove the lungs and just let it die a slow painful death.

chelle6 · 10-11-2009, 20:05

Hear, hear
I say go further with the internet aspect and encourage HMs to be a part of the social networking.

Let them create their own content and let them tweet. If the HMs can communicate with us directly then that would be more interesting. Ok don't let us talk to them they still need to be in the bubble but let them say what they want to us.

Follow the HMs you want or all of them and they will be part of your day. The gossip comes from retweeting. And don't censor it at all.

MsParfum · 11-11-2009, 06:48

Agree with everything you said, bluntbob.

As soon as people stopped being able to watch everything the housemates were doing, they were bound to start losing viewers. It's not rocket science. As for the state of BBUK now: if people want to play peeping tom, they aren't wanting to watch just the heavily edited highlights of things that only the production team got to see, or housemates mostly just asleep on the very late night live feed. Doh!

I agree oathy, they want it to die a slow death so no one else can take it and make it work, and show C4 up for the crap work they have done managing BB the last few years. Cowards!

10-09-2009, 10:58	#1
bluntbob Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 6,111	BB UK has forgotten that voyuerism is what made it popular! BB has totally forgotten that it was "voyeurism" that made it addictive. They've lost the "goldfish bowl" aspect to the show which is pretty much like taking the legs off a horse. The more they try and turn it into a variety show the less engaging and more pointless the format becomes. They've been losing the plot (and viewers) yearly Voyeurism isn't dead! formats like Twitter prove voyeurism isn't dead. People like to be nosey buggers.....which is why Twitter works, as they get to follow people's conversations and get all types of gossip. It's a bit like how YouTube lost it's way. YouTube was popular because people were veiwing random people doing random things and making blogs about their random lives. Viewers would end up addictively following the video blogs and lives of any joe blogs from anywhere in the world. However what happens is that the creative minds are suppressed and overtaken by the money investors and Money heads who demand their investment squeeze out more and more cash and thus they end up running the show and ultimately ruining the original format. What originally starts as a innovative concept turns into a mish mash of "get money quick" ideas from people who have no idea. When BB say "Back to basics" what they really should do is go back and re-examine and understand what their show is actually about! Once they understand that it's the "goldfish bowl" that made their show popular then the job is to enhance those core elements and add to them, not detract from them. Live feed, Live Internet access, room access etc get all that interactivity back! How the hell is BB dying when the internet is exploding? Who's running this thing? The show doesn't need to die if they understood what the show is about!

10-09-2009, 10:59	#2
CLL Dodge Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Surrey Posts: 39,523	It's the "compliance" problem again.

10-09-2009, 11:00	#3
Tableface64 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 201	Good thread!

10-09-2009, 11:08	#4
molliepops Forum Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: woking Services: sky, bt Posts: 2,450	Great post bluntbob !

10-09-2009, 11:16	#5
zx50 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Consett area Services: Pentium 4 XP Professional Laptop 10.9Mbit/1.3MB/s Be* Pro Posts: 23,725	Yep. I personally think Endemol is too full of £££ when it comes to the voting system, which is why they're too interested in editing the footage to what they want the viewer to think so that the £££ will start rolling in through phone votes. I would love it if they truly allowed this show to be a REALITY show, and NOT something that they're trying to put across in a certain way. I just take this as an entertainment show now, as the reality element of it is a joke. It's definitely not a true reality show, definitely not.

10-09-2009, 11:31	#7
oathy Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Wales. Services: UKOnline/Thor/hotbird. Posts: 5,598	If the idea is true. Endemol plan to take BB fully online I can see it being a smash Hit. I always did prefer in BB1 and 2 when the online feed showed it all. C4 lost its nerve and the show totally suffered

10-09-2009, 11:46	#8
Winsome Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,239	I also think they lost the way a bit with tacit encouragement of the 'fauxmance', and trying too hard to put in personalities that they KNOW won't gel. I suppose it's those two aspects they think will drive the media interest, but as has been shown this year, it's more due to live feed that media interest is sparked.

10-09-2009, 12:15	#10
xtglx Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Brigadoon...... Services: <3 SIAVASH <3 Posts: 3,408	I absolutely agree bluntbob! its a shame that C4 wanted to kill that aspect of the show off....... I wish they would accept that the hard-core voters who watched the show from the beginning still want it to work, and though they might not be 25 or under, they still chuck garbage programs out for the over 30's so why be ashamed of that viewing demographic. Live feed is VITAL to the concept of BB. No one would have watched the show in its early days without the buzz that that created. Voyeurism is natural in everyone....... I quite agree. It helps understand the mundane and repetition of life.

10-09-2009, 15:17	#16
sarahcs Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5,406 Blog Entries: 4	Stupid dance tasks/random country stereotype tasks didn't help either.

10-09-2009, 18:53	#18
mickmercer Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Redhill Services: none of that, thank you! Posts: 7,051	What they need to do is say to all HMs before they enter you are personally liable for any statements and behaviour, then stop editing the sound and let them do and say whatever they like, allowing the public to judge them accordingly.

10-09-2009, 22:56	#19
shermanbunny Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 128	Great post and agree with its sentiments entirely. By all means give the HM's tasks (some of which definitely bond them) but remember it is personalities, relationships and interactions which really keep us watching... and not drunken idiots, drunken rows and the chance of seeing a drunken "quickie".... I think?

10-09-2009, 23:06	#20
MrsCloumbo Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: North East Posts: 86	Great thread. Can't disagree on any point. Biggy - if only - please take note

10-11-2009, 19:06	#21
bluntbob Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 6,111	is there any more news on BB taking the format towards an interactive internet format? CBB is all set to become another pile of contrived crap with them drip feeding us a tiny p*ss poor amount of live feed...again!!!

10-11-2009, 19:23	#23
oathy Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Wales. Services: UKOnline/Thor/hotbird. Posts: 5,598	wonderful post. 1.the compliance issue could vanish..if the feed went on the net (back then it allowed Craig to run around naked with no problem)no laws have changed and ofcom confirmed the freedom of a NET based feed is much greater (anything goes) 2.they could have a PPV feed or pay for pin system on various formats. that truly is the crux of the problem it lost the goldfish bowl effect CBB and BB10 this year felt like a show we had missed a few weeks of and impossible to get back into it. they act dumb...but they knew to kill the show and format dead (so no other station would prove they were wrong in making BB work)..they had to remove the lungs and just let it die a slow painful death.

10-11-2009, 20:05	#24
chelle6 Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 4,080	Hear, hear I say go further with the internet aspect and encourage HMs to be a part of the social networking. Let them create their own content and let them tweet. If the HMs can communicate with us directly then that would be more interesting. Ok don't let us talk to them they still need to be in the bubble but let them say what they want to us. Follow the HMs you want or all of them and they will be part of your day. The gossip comes from retweeting. And don't censor it at all.

11-11-2009, 06:48	#25
MsParfum Forum Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Somewhere in Magyarország Services: BBUK is toast, get used the the idea! Posts: 6,269	Agree with everything you said, bluntbob. As soon as people stopped being able to watch everything the housemates were doing, they were bound to start losing viewers. It's not rocket science. As for the state of BBUK now: if people want to play peeping tom, they aren't wanting to watch just the heavily edited highlights of things that only the production team got to see, or housemates mostly just asleep on the very late night live feed. Doh! I agree oathy, they want it to die a slow death so no one else can take it and make it work, and show C4 up for the crap work they have done managing BB the last few years. Cowards!