BB10 - In Hindsight - Big Brother

HughOS · 30-10-2009, 23:29

Well, now that the dust has settled somewhat on BB10, I think we can look back over the series with a fresh perspective and properly judge it.

The build up:

Poor, to be honest. There was already a negative air around the hwole thing due to the LF axe and then the half arsed 'tenth anniversary' ads. No anticipation, hardly any promotion, a lot of people didn't know when the launch was. C4 should have gone out of their way to milk the 'ten years' with bill boards, magazine features... the works. What we got in the end were a few ads and hastily thrown together 'documentarys'. Not that I didn't enjoy watching them, but they just felt a bit crap. I will say one thing though, the actual television ads were excellent. I loved of the eye flashes, the star trek graphics and the overall appearances. I've always thought the content of the ads got better and better, they just need to have more. 4/10

The launch:

Well, crap. The idea of having to earn housemate status was good, something they hadn't tried before. The exection however was terrible. The show itself was rushed, there was a terrible atmosphere with the constantly booing crowd and it didn't feel comfortable. All the usual things that we look forward to in the launch were missing, a proper house tour, explanation of this years theme... Even Davina wasn't as hyper as she usuually is. The first task where Rodrigo had to shave Noirin's eyebrow was terrible. I couldn't believe what I was watching. It was slap dashed and poorly planned. 3/10

The housemates:

One of the things they really got right this year imo. One of the best cast group of housemates they've ever had. Dynamic, diverse but most importantly, cheerful. Unforgettable housemates like Marcus, Freddie, Noirin, Bea, Siavash, Angel. Every housemate played a part in the storylines and the development (except Isaac, Tom and Kenneth and the early evictees). I really enjoyed watching Marcus' one man rebellions, Noirin the goddess, Bea the psycho

etc.. You'd find it hard to fault them sheer uniqueness. 9/10

The first half: (up to Karly's eviction)

Good, but not great. The first week was bad with Sophia the 'rude girl', Saffia the waste of space and the terrible housemate twist which lead to Beinazir getting the boot. The next few weeks got better though, the bits with Sophie and Kris were

Freddie/Lisa was probably the dominating storyline here. I know people got upset over it at the time but their battles kept this forum ticking over day and night. Lisa became public enemy number 1 and Freddie was canonised, as per usual DS progression.

Angel was fantastic for sheer oddity and Sree was just an enigma. High points were Kris' eviction, Siavash in the DR, Marcus in the DR, Angel doing anything, Sree stalking Noirin and the different -isms. 7/10

The second half:

Better, much better but still had poor weeks. The week with the new HMs bad. The twist where they had to ensure certain people were up for eviction was potentially good, but sabotaged by BB's lack of clarity and the dimness of the newbies. Kenneth was a terrible idea. It was clear he was never going to stick around after Karly left. Waste of a HM. After that things picked up. Noirin the love machinewith Marcus, Tom, Freddie and Siavash all trying it on, Marcus' two fingers to BB, Lisa's group falling in around her, Charigo, Bea's rampage, Freddie's downfall, Marcus' explosion in popularity and then his untimely eviction. 8/10

The twists:

Possibly the most frustrating part of this series. Some of the were excellent in theory like the housemate status tasks, the newbies having to fix the noms.. but were terribly executed. The so called trials to become a hm were laughable, they could have been though up by primary school kids. I wanted to see proper challenges that affected the gameplay like selecting people for punishments, immunity challenges etc... Not biscuit dunking and answering phones. Other twists were just awful and showed the whole show up, like putting in Isaac, Kenneth, allowing Lisa and David to go to London, giving them magazines. They undermined the program out of laziness instead of coming up with proper ways to change the dynamics.

The production:

Dire. I understand that there were cut backs and everyone was under pressure but from the pile inducing BBLB to the DR gaffs, it was just cringeworthy to watch sometimes. The less said about it the better to be honest. Just no.

The highpoints:

-The Housemates
-Some of the shopping tasks
-Some of the things BB did in the DR and as tasks.
-Some of the eviction panels (Ulrika, the good psych guy, John McCririck..)
-Kris' eviction
-Weeks 8 - 12 (Or as I like to call them 'Bea-gate)
-Charlie coming fourth
-Davina at times

The lowpoints:

-LF axe
-DR Uncut axe
-BBLB
-BBBM at times
-Beinazir's eviction
-Angel's Eviction
-Some of the lazy shopping tasks
-Piss poor birthday celebrations
-Kenneth
-Newbies allowed to talk about the outside world
-Isaac
-Marcu's Eviction
-David and Lisa go to London
-Housemates get magazines from outside world
-BB's inconsistent punishments
-General feeling of indifference paid by C4.

Still with all it's faults, I really enjoyed BB10. Not for the gimmicks, but because the HMs themselves were so entertaining. It was definitely shaped by the quality of the cast, and not the production. I've only seen from BB5 so I would rank it:

BB5
BB10
BB9
BB7
BB6
BB8

Overall 7/10 as a series.

oathy · 30-10-2009, 23:32

AJain@Channel4.co.uk

PLEASE send a copy of this to Angela jain (she wont reply) but will read..

that sums up BB10 perfectly.

OldMongo · 31-10-2009, 08:29

Like the OP, I thought the production was generally Shoddy this year. It was obvious on the Launch Night that Channel 4 was no longer that interested, and the show was being wound down.

Quite how the OP rated BB10 so highly above the other series is a bit of a mystery though.
The casting wasn't that inspired in my view. Marcus, Sree, Angel, Freddie were certainly different...but the rest were re-hashes of what we've had before.
(But to be fair...after 10 years...it's was always going to be difficult for the casting crew to find something unique. The "Black Albino", the "Porn Star", the "Sex Changeling" and the "Tourettes Dude" are hard acts to follow.)

The Housemates had so much contact with the outside world, I'm surprised the producers didn't let them bring in their phones and laptops.
The newbies were a disaster. They knew the HM's better than we did!
Tom was so dull, you have to wonder what the casting guys were thinking of.
Hira-Kira-Dira...whatever she's called was so thick... you have to wonder how she ever learnt to breath! I know that some posters here thought it was endearing...but I found myself laughing at her...not with her.
Kenneth and Isaac...why do the producers thing WE want to see HM's boyfriends/girlfriends? Didn't they learn anything from the damp squib that resulted in BB9's Rex/Girlfriend fiasco?

I enjoyed BB10...but it won't go down as a classic (imho)

wonkeydonkey · 31-10-2009, 08:35

Good post. I agree that the series felt unloved and under funded before it started, and the 'earn housemate status' twist was pointless, depressing and cruel. Who really enjoyed seeing an exhausted, depressed Beinazir, who had spent her entire time in the house sleeping on a hard floor and wearing an overall, being jeered at by Davina for not getting through the almost entirely random selection procedure?

I thought it was a good selection of housemates, but the boyfriends were an unforgiveable intrusion. They were responsible for the spectacular downfall of Freddie, as (as with latecomers through the ages) they just couldn't keep their mouths shut about who was popular and who was unpopular. And they were personally pointless, with no commitment at all to the game.

For me the biggest weakness was the editorial decision to focus for at least three weeks on Noirin, to the almost total excusion of anyone not involved with her. I found the Noirin/ Marcus relationship tiresome and dull in the extreme - they did nothing but lie round bickering, as each of them wanted something they couldn't get from it. When Noirin finally went I felt that we were belatedly getting a Big Brother series back.

The forum was definitely a less pleasant place this year for me. Last year was almost too comfortable - the 'baddies' got picked off one by one and the 'goodies' stayed until the end. The forum majority basked in righteous glee. This year, obviously this did not happen. The housemates most popular on the forum failed to display any trace of unity or even the most basic gamesmanship, even though they were actually allowed to collude for several weeks. Unable to tolerate the fact that their favourites were being outgunned because they simply couldn't be bothered to try, some people on here seemed to throw themselves into a kind of frantic witch-hunt, desperately seeking 'plots' and 'schemes' and even 'cheating' as an explanation as to who was being nominated. A villain was needed, and a villain was created, and credited with the most extraordinary wickedness and power.

I had a better time last year. But there were some really classic, memorable moments this year. Imo the Alice in Wonderland task, the aliens task, even the Greek gods task, were all classic BB. The returning housemates were patchy, but some of them were charming. Rodrigo/ Charlie had one of the funniest/ most exasperating relationships ever.

OldMongo · 31-10-2009, 15:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by wonkeydonkey

Who really enjoyed seeing an exhausted, depressed Beinazir, who had spent her entire time in the house sleeping on a hard floor and wearing an overall, being jeered at by Davina for not getting through the almost entirely random selection procedure?

Me!

Bibbles · 31-10-2009, 15:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by HughOS

Still with all it's faults, I really enjoyed BB10. Not for the gimmicks, but because the HMs themselves were so entertaining. It was definitely shaped by the quality of the cast, and not the production. I've only seen from BB5 so I would rank it:

BB5
BB10
BB9
BB7
BB6
BB8

Overall 7/10 as a series.

A good assessment which I mainly agree with.Some of the peripherals don't concern me however the loss of daytime live feed was very bad-partly made up for by good late feed.Of your sample I'd be very tempted to make it top above even BB5 because of the strong HM mixture.

lovinit44 · 31-10-2009, 15:20

I agree with wonkey donkey, although I did love the Noirin story at first and was hooked but then it went on too long, it should have been just a part of the story I'm sure there was other stuff going on that wasn't shown, I really wanted them to bring in Issac too because I knew noirin was playing everyone and you wanted her to get her just desserts, I think Bea was a great housemate but then it got a bit boring with all the negativity and positivity discussions, I did love this years series though just peed off we missed so much with not having live feed, Loved rod and charlie the most.

richie4eva · 31-10-2009, 15:41

The build up:

Absolutely p**s poor, no hooks to make the most casual viewer want to tune in

Needs much improvement next year if BB is to go out with a bang and not a pathetic whimper

The launch:

Poor as usual, with the customary booing of the pretty girls and cheering of the young men as expected with the 'he'z well fit innit' brigade

Lack of surprise when they were introduced to their surroundings like they were tipped off and expecting it

Crap twist to kick off the new series, whatever happened to letting them settle in to get to know each other

The housemates:

Poor cast I thought. Half of them were recruited from agencies and the test runs

The first half:

Absolute tosh, with fauxmances shoved down our throats left right and centre. Nothing memorable to write home about and no stand out moments

The Benazir eviction really scraped the barrel in terms of evictions with Davina practically gloating about the way Benazir was shown the door

Then there was the customary 'first few weeks' walker in Saffia

The second half:

Ruined by the viewers being shut out of the birthday celebrations and the housemates getting information left right and centre about the outside world which peaked at Lisa and David going out to the outside world

The highpoints:

Were there any? Couldn't really tell without 24/7 live feed

The lowpoints:

No 24/7 live feed, and when the overnight feed did start they were practically all in bed and the scheduling was all over the place
Very poor birthday celebrations which the few viewers they had left were shut out of
BBBM reduced to one day a week
Total bias to make sure they got the winner they wanted
Davina absolutely poor and praising all the bad behaviour
BBLB and BBBM totaly and utterly childish and devoid of any ideas
Their petulance in making fun of Rachel every chance they got all because she won last year
The announcement that next year would be the last for BB in this country

Task and Twists:

How old are these people who set up the tasks and twists

No original thought or imagination whatsoever and felt like they got their ideas from previous series and primary schools

The winner:

Very poor winner, only because they manipulated it so much to make sure the Rachel effect didn;t happen again

It was another girl who did nothing who won, only this time it was a girl who will drop her clothes for the right money. The sort of winner they like and can praise until the final winner is crowned next year

CLL Dodge · 31-10-2009, 17:23

It was shite.

scotch · 31-10-2009, 21:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLL Dodge

It was shite.

ha ha. This is my view too

MD1500 · 01-11-2009, 08:25

Poor on almost every conceivable level.

Lack of Live Feed, resulting in a lack of interest from viewers and a lack of coverage in the media.

Housemates almost entirely consisting of people who had previously been on TV or glamour models. Very few "ordinary" people.

Unprecedented levels of manipulation. Isaac coming in. It was patently obvious that Noirin knew he was coming before he arrived.

Inconsistent tasks / punishments which seemed to favour a certain group of people, ensuring that Endemol would get their chosen winner.

The way that everything seemed scripted. HMs mysteriously waking up just in time for LF. Big Dramas occuring in the early hours of the morning.

BB letting the HMs get away with murder. This year's BB was totally unthreatening. HMs climbed over the walls, broke into the camera runs, refused to nominate, all with little punishment.

Contact with the outside world. Letting HMs go to London, communicate via Twitter, reading magazine articles, informing them about Jackson's death.

The waste of money. Spending 20k to fly Isaac out for just a one-day visit. Holographic messages that people watching couldn't appreciate? What's wrong with a letter?

The lack of impartiality from the presenters and the dumbing down of BBLB and BBBM. Davina was just crude on BBBM and her distaste for a certain previous winner was clearly evident.

The poor tasks. An over-reliance on dancing/singing. Having a Kebab delivery task and an Ice cream delivery task in one series shows a serious lack of imagination. When even the HMs claim the series is "The Sh*ttest BB ever", you know something has gone wrong.

Finally, the weird fixation that cameramen had on focussing on designer footwear, clothes, etc.

DDRickyDD · 01-11-2009, 22:06

I enjoyed it up to week 11, when Freddie was evicted, after he had gone it became flat and boring and then when Marcus went there wasn't much point bothering to watch it.

The main lowpoint was the fact that Lisa got to the final week, she should have been evicted the week Karly went.

Barracute · 01-11-2009, 22:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by HughOS

.

Still with all it's faults, I really enjoyed BB10. Not for the gimmicks, but because the HMs themselves were so entertaining. It was definitely shaped by the quality of the cast, and not the production. I've only seen from BB5 so I would rank it:

BB5
BB10
BB9
BB7
BB6
BB8

Overall 7/10 as a series.

Interesting post, some i agree with, well most actually, but i dont agree with you ranking, BB5 is always overrated on DS imo

wonkeydonkey · 02-11-2009, 15:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDRickyDD

I enjoyed it up to week 11, when Freddie was evicted, after he had gone it became flat and boring and then when Marcus went there wasn't much point bothering to watch it.

The main lowpoint was the fact that Lisa got to the final week, she should have been evicted the week Karly went.

Ah well, you cant please everyone. I thought the Aliens in London task and the Beyonce task were two of the top three moments from the entire series. The third one was Hira being Alice in Wonderland. All three made me laugh like a deranged loon.

Sprogg · 02-11-2009, 18:50

The Build Up:

The worst ever. The eye flashes were aesthetically pleasing but just not enough to make people think this series would be any different to the last ones. The build up has been almost identical since Series 6 and it just doesn't work anymore.

The Launch:

I didn't think it was that bad. The crowd was small and it did feel a bit like going through the motions. The housemates didn't react to the lack of furniture like I think was expected. I think I was optimistic about the housemates based on their VT's and therefore I didn't let the silly twist bother me so much. I didn't sit there thinking 'oh my god what has become of this programme?!' when Rodrigo was shaving Noirin's eyebrows off... BB sunk to such levels long before BB10.

The Housemates:

Excellent. Everyone added something I think. Marcus must go down as one of the best housemates of all time. Freddie was marvellously eccentric. Sophie was as stupid as she looked but quite sweet with it and not a complete pushover. There were a lot of strong characters in there. The relationships in the house seemed genuine and binding. Many were clearly from agencies and/or previous applicants but that doesn't bother me as long as it is a good cast... which it was.

The First Half:

Week One was a bit of a shambles. The biggest problem (and major cause of lost viewers) seemed to be that the series didn't get going until Day 4 when the stupid eviction took place. By this time people have already decided they can't be arsed. BB isn't the same show as it was 5 years ago.. At one time it would have kept viewer interest through a nowhere patch like that but they don't have that luxury anymore.

The strange thing about the first few weeks was that the people who were liked in the house showed no unity whilst the baddies grouped together and took complete control over the first rounds of nominations. It was frustrating to watch but also I suppose a good thing. It meant having to play a waiting game as a viewer. Villains are usually a good thing. You want them out for the eviction but want them to stay for the value. The producers largely left the show to progress naturally, not artificially ensuring public enemy #1 was up for eviction asap... (Possibly a positive to come from the lessening of public interest that the producers no longer feel obliged to succomb to it).

Sree took centre stage for the first few weeks. Noirin was the poor harrassed young girl struggling to fend of his unwanted advances, then look what happened! One moment sticks in my mind: How she said Irish girls don't put out. As a viewer you thought 'now there's a girl with morals'. We then had the privilege of discovering that she was indeed quite the opposite.

Freddie became very popular acquiring victim status from the bully-boy tactics of the likes of Kris and Lisa. The baddies continued (apart from Kris) to avoid nomination. It did begin to look like once the numbers dropped we'd get to start picking off the baddies and be left with the victims at the end.

The Second Half:

The newbies changed everything. They were the best set of new entrants ever chosen, IMO. Bea sided with an uber-popular Freddie and was coming across as quite a grounded 'nice' person. David came in instantly began to irritate and sided with the uber-unpopular Lisa. Kenneth was the catalyst for Marcus' increasing rebellious streak. He'd attempted to take on BB before but hadn't managed to get the necessary support of the other housemates. Kenneth wanting to escape finally gave him the role he'd been looking for and he developed it from there. Tom, although forgetable, did bring out the stronger side of Sophie's character when he told her about Kris. Even little Hira became legendary from the entire afternoon spent searching for a key in a massive chocolate cake.

Kenneth's escape was the first part of a wave of rebellion against the absolute power of Big Brother. The second half of the series became a free-for-all. The producers did give up when they allowed talk about nominations. I thought it was all quite refreshing and I think they were the first housemates (Freddie, Marcus and Siavash in particular) who realised and took advantage of the fact that BB only has power if the housemates go along with it.

The Noirin saga did drag on. I never actively disliked her, but her eviction was quite a relief. The atmosphere in the house was awful from the moment Issac walked in to the moment Noirin was evicted. Siavash's played the whole situation completely wrong. It should have guaranteed him the win but instead he detached himself from the game and the others. He became a self-pitying bore and although he did claw back slightly at the end, I still think Sophie's win was only ensured by the way he dealt with being dropped.

Freddie let the hype overcome him and eventually it cost him. Unluckily for him he faced an increasingly popular Marcus (who at one stage never looked more than a week away from eviction). Bea became the biggest villain in history when she turned her back on Freddie. The utter unpredicatability of her behaviour was fantastic to watch. David started to grow in popularity, cemented by the trip to London which is one of the best episodes of Big Brother I've ever seen (only second to the Alice In Wonderland day when they all fell out spectacularly). David's popularity rubbed off on Lisa and she left a million miles away from the hate she had near the beginning. I think she accepted the way her group (and plan) were disintergrating quite well and just stuck to the people she liked.

The last major thing to mention was 'Charigo'. A completely one-sided relationship from where I stood. Rodrigo did fall in love with Charlie and Charlie knew it. Watching Rodrigo being taunted was awful I thought. The sickening level of calculated manipulation shown by Charlie made him to me, the worst housemate I've ever laid eyes on. It's a shame Rodrigo's story is so affected by Charlie but Rodders did have some great highlights of his own and his friendship with Sophie was and continues to be heart-warming.

The Production:

Difficult to analyse really. The moments where BB got involved nearly always fell completely flat. But I think they did allow many of the stories to develop naturally and for that I think they should be congratulated. It was the first 13 week series to actually remain watchable for the duration. The new housemates were introduced at the right time. Bringing in old housemates did liven the series up at the right time as well. Without the mix of housemates I think this series could have been an absolute disaster but I think they got lucky this year. The housemates didn't need much 'guiding'.

The evictions were hit and miss, mostly because of the same old lazy interview techniques and chavtastic crowd. The panel was a decent experiment but I wouldn't want to see it return.

Overall, a really good series. I think the big test of how good a series is, is to look at it 3 months later. 2 months later I still think BB10 was good. I thought BB9 was good at the time but looking back it was totally forgettable even though it was better managed.

Will be interesting to see how BB11 compares but I think I'll end up wishing this year was the last.

9/10 - better than BB5.

Stormier Ziggy · 02-11-2009, 19:19

Well summed up, I think it was a solid series, good characters, just marred by a lack of LF.

DDRickyDD · 02-11-2009, 22:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by wonkeydonkey

Ah well, you cant please everyone. I thought the Aliens in London task and the Beyonce task were two of the top three moments from the entire series. The third one was Hira being Alice in Wonderland. All three made me laugh like a deranged loon.

Yes, the Alien task was good, such a shame about the two people that were taking part in it though. That task would have been the best part of the series if it had been Freddie and Marcus.

Bibbles · 03-11-2009, 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sprogg

Overall, a really good series. I think the big test of how good a series is, is to look at it 3 months later. 2 months later I still think BB10 was good. I thought BB9 was good at the time but looking back it was totally forgettable even though it was better managed

Will be interesting to see how BB11 compares but I think I'll end up wishing this year was the last.

9/10 - better than BB5.

Essentially I agree with you in substance if not every single detail.
I wonder if you(or someone else with a good memory)could do a similarly scholarly appraisal of BB5-so we could see where its flaws rested and why BB10 was better then the "mythic"BB5.(which I happen not to rate in comparison to other FM's-I see it as the start of the disappointing approach of the producers-was relatively popular mainly through novelty value for that reason and a series that diminishes in quality in the memory with time)

wonkeydonkey · 03-11-2009, 10:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDRickyDD

Yes, the Alien task was good, such a shame about the two people that were taking part in it though. That task would have been the best part of the series if it had been Freddie and Marcus.

I couldn't disagree more. The entire charm of the alien task (for those of us who were charmed) was that we had two rather stolid, unimaginative people who hadn't been out and about much suddenly being treated to a trip to 'London Town Centre' and shown the glamorous sights. How utterly charmless if it had been given to someone like Freddie, who has obviously travelled the world in lavish style, or someone like Marcus, who would have sneered at it throughout. Do you think we would have seen Freddie and Marcus lying side by side on their beds almost speechless with the wonderment of the day? It would just have been thrown away on them.

OldMongo · 03-11-2009, 12:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDRickyDD

Yes, the Alien task was good, such a shame about the two people that were taking part in it though. That task would have been the best part of the series if it had been Freddie and Marcus.

My sentiments exactly. The two worstpossible candidates got the task.

lovinit44 · 03-11-2009, 13:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sprogg

The Build Up:

The worst ever. The eye flashes were aesthetically pleasing but just not enough to make people think this series would be any different to the last ones. The build up has been almost identical since Series 6 and it just doesn't work anymore.

The Launch:

I didn't think it was that bad. The crowd was small and it did feel a bit like going through the motions. The housemates didn't react to the lack of furniture like I think was expected. I think I was optimistic about the housemates based on their VT's and therefore I didn't let the silly twist bother me so much. I didn't sit there thinking 'oh my god what has become of this programme?!' when Rodrigo was shaving Noirin's eyebrows off... BB sunk to such levels long before BB10.

The Housemates:

Excellent. Everyone added something I think. Marcus must go down as one of the best housemates of all time. Freddie was marvellously eccentric. Sophie was as stupid as she looked but quite sweet with it and not a complete pushover. There were a lot of strong characters in there. The relationships in the house seemed genuine and binding. Many were clearly from agencies and/or previous applicants but that doesn't bother me as long as it is a good cast... which it was.

The First Half:

Week One was a bit of a shambles. The biggest problem (and major cause of lost viewers) seemed to be that the series didn't get going until Day 4 when the stupid eviction took place. By this time people have already decided they can't be arsed. BB isn't the same show as it was 5 years ago.. At one time it would have kept viewer interest through a nowhere patch like that but they don't have that luxury anymore.

The strange thing about the first few weeks was that the people who were liked in the house showed no unity whilst the baddies grouped together and took complete control over the first rounds of nominations. It was frustrating to watch but also I suppose a good thing. It meant having to play a waiting game as a viewer. Villains are usually a good thing. You want them out for the eviction but want them to stay for the value. The producers largely left the show to progress naturally, not artificially ensuring public enemy #1 was up for eviction asap... (Possibly a positive to come from the lessening of public interest that the producers no longer feel obliged to succomb to it).

Sree took centre stage for the first few weeks. Noirin was the poor harrassed young girl struggling to fend of his unwanted advances, then look what happened! One moment sticks in my mind: How she said Irish girls don't put out. As a viewer you thought 'now there's a girl with morals'. We then had the privilege of discovering that she was indeed quite the opposite.

Freddie became very popular acquiring victim status from the bully-boy tactics of the likes of Kris and Lisa. The baddies continued (apart from Kris) to avoid nomination. It did begin to look like once the numbers dropped we'd get to start picking off the baddies and be left with the victims at the end.

The Second Half:

The newbies changed everything. They were the best set of new entrants ever chosen, IMO. Bea sided with an uber-popular Freddie and was coming across as quite a grounded 'nice' person. David came in instantly began to irritate and sided with the uber-unpopular Lisa. Kenneth was the catalyst for Marcus' increasing rebellious streak. He'd attempted to take on BB before but hadn't managed to get the necessary support of the other housemates. Kenneth wanting to escape finally gave him the role he'd been looking for and he developed it from there. Tom, although forgetable, did bring out the stronger side of Sophie's character when he told her about Kris. Even little Hira became legendary from the entire afternoon spent searching for a key in a massive chocolate cake.

Kenneth's escape was the first part of a wave of rebellion against the absolute power of Big Brother. The second half of the series became a free-for-all. The producers did give up when they allowed talk about nominations. I thought it was all quite refreshing and I think they were the first housemates (Freddie, Marcus and Siavash in particular) who realised and took advantage of the fact that BB only has power if the housemates go along with it.

The Noirin saga did drag on. I never actively disliked her, but her eviction was quite a relief. The atmosphere in the house was awful from the moment Issac walked in to the moment Noirin was evicted. Siavash's played the whole situation completely wrong. It should have guaranteed him the win but instead he detached himself from the game and the others. He became a self-pitying bore and although he did claw back slightly at the end, I still think Sophie's win was only ensured by the way he dealt with being dropped.

Freddie let the hype overcome him and eventually it cost him. Unluckily for him he faced an increasingly popular Marcus (who at one stage never looked more than a week away from eviction). Bea became the biggest villain in history when she turned her back on Freddie. The utter unpredicatability of her behaviour was fantastic to watch. David started to grow in popularity, cemented by the trip to London which is one of the best episodes of Big Brother I've ever seen (only second to the Alice In Wonderland day when they all fell out spectacularly). David's popularity rubbed off on Lisa and she left a million miles away from the hate she had near the beginning. I think she accepted the way her group (and plan) were disintergrating quite well and just stuck to the people she liked.

The last major thing to mention was 'Charigo'. A completely one-sided relationship from where I stood. Rodrigo did fall in love with Charlie and Charlie knew it. Watching Rodrigo being taunted was awful I thought. The sickening level of calculated manipulation shown by Charlie made him to me, the worst housemate I've ever laid eyes on. It's a shame Rodrigo's story is so affected by Charlie but Rodders did have some great highlights of his own and his friendship with Sophie was and continues to be heart-warming.

The Production:

Difficult to analyse really. The moments where BB got involved nearly always fell completely flat. But I think they did allow many of the stories to develop naturally and for that I think they should be congratulated. It was the first 13 week series to actually remain watchable for the duration. The new housemates were introduced at the right time. Bringing in old housemates did liven the series up at the right time as well. Without the mix of housemates I think this series could have been an absolute disaster but I think they got lucky this year. The housemates didn't need much 'guiding'.

The evictions were hit and miss, mostly because of the same old lazy interview techniques and chavtastic crowd. The panel was a decent experiment but I wouldn't want to see it return.

Overall, a really good series. I think the big test of how good a series is, is to look at it 3 months later. 2 months later I still think BB10 was good. I thought BB9 was good at the time but looking back it was totally forgettable even though it was better managed.

Will be interesting to see how BB11 compares but I think I'll end up wishing this year was the last.

9/10 - better than BB5.

Couldn't disagree with you more about Charlie, there was no manipulation or taunting. Although I think Rodrigo fancied charlie I didn't see any genuine fondness or kindness directed towards Charlie but lots from Charlie to Rod.
I think Rodrigo was/is more ambitious than people give him credit for and I think Charlie was part of his plan that didn't pan out because he didn't win

wonkeydonkey · 03-11-2009, 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sprogg

. The second half of the series became a free-for-all. The producers did give up when they allowed talk about nominations. I thought it was all quite refreshing and I think they were the first housemates (Freddie, Marcus and Siavash in particular) who realised and took advantage of the fact that BB only has power if the housemates go along with it.

I like your thoughtful analysis, but think this sentence misses one of the main points of BB10, which is that Freddie, Marcus and Siavash between them managed to throw away the whole game. I really, strongly believe that a lot of forum members misinterpreted the situation when they fretted on about Lisa 'plotting and scheming' her way to the final week.

When the housemates were allowed to discuss nominations, the trio of Marcus, Siavash and Freddie held all the cards. Lisa had by then ceased to have any influence, and indeed never had any again other than with David. David never had any status in the house. ALL the other permanent housemates were up for grabs.

Sophie loved Siavash and Rodrigo, and would never have done anything to hurt either of them. She didn't like Marcus or Freddie particularly, but to please Siavash would have accepted them with a bit of wooing, and would have had no problem in nominating David at least, even if not Lisa.

Charlie was desperate to associate with the winners, and made no attempt to hide this fact. When he was told that Lisa was the most unpopular housemate with the public he made that long, rambling, frankly unimpressive speech about how 'awkward' he felt; that he liked Lisa, but didn't want to be associated with someone so unpopular, so it was all very upsetting for him. He then made strenuous efforts to get in with Marcus, who never looked even slightly grateful for them. Again, given a bit of wooing, Charlie would have thrown his lot in with the perceived 'winning' group, the self-named 'alphas' or 'amigos'. He would have been flattered to be invited among them, and would have produced tortured, apologetic, remorseful nominations for both Lisa (whom he liked) and David (whom he didn't mind).

Rodrigo was not interested in inter-personal politics, but really really loathed rule-breaking. He was anybody's really if they had shown 'reespect' to both him and the game.

Bea was obviously the wildest of wild cards, but if it had come to it I don't think she would have sided with Lisa and David against the rest of the house.

Victory was there for the taking. But they didn't take it. Look at their faces when they were told that they could discuss nominations: Lisa and David, who hated rule-breaking, looked miserable; Marcus all but had an orgasm. But when it came to it, none of the lovely plotting and planning Marcus envisaged even got off the ground because he had no one to plot and plan with. Siavash was so devastated by the fact that Noirin had, as Spoiral put it, "made of fool of me on national television" that all he wanted to do was bring down the house and conceal his shame in the rubble. Freddie just misjudged the whole situation for a crucial week, thought (quite reasonably, given the circumstances) that he was on course for victory at the head of 'the popular group', behaved badly over it and alienated those he failed to realise were essential for his victory. Marcus never had much respect for the young, rather spoilt people who made up the bulk of the housemates, was not much into dissembling, and really couldn't be bothered to go on a charm offensive among people like Sophie and Charlie.

So, far from Freddie, Marcus and Siavash 'taking advantage' of the realisation that BB could not control them, they revealed the fact then threw it away, gaining nothing at all by it other than a brief feeling of triumph. Siavash's main triumph was that he managed to deprive the winner of quite a lot of money - a fact which probably doesn't give him a warm glow of satisfaction every time he thinks of it. Freddie managed to turn what looked like certain victory, by a large margin, into a mid-series defeat. Only Marcus got a bit of fun out of it, and arguably threw away a reasonable chance of winning by doing so. Did he get £100,000 worth of fun? I doubt it.

It was just poor play by all three of them. If they had kept their eyes even slightly on the ball, both Lisa and David would have been out early, and all three of them might well have made the final week.

intoxication · 03-11-2009, 13:58

Quote:

The launch:

Well, crap. The idea of having to earn housemate status was good, something they hadn't tried before. The exection however was terrible. The show itself was rushed, there was a terrible atmosphere with the constantly booing crowd and it didn't feel comfortable. All the usual things that we look forward to in the launch were missing, a proper house tour, explanation of this years theme... Even Davina wasn't as hyper as she usuually is. The first task where Rodrigo had to shave Noirin's eyebrow was terrible. I couldn't believe what I was watching. It was slap dashed and poorly planned. 3/10

This is the only part of your post that I disagree with. Although not exactly the same, this years twist reminded me of BB7 where the housemates had to get into the Big Brotherhood and the ones that were left (Bonnie and Glyn?) faced eviction. I don't recall there being random tasks to determine this though, I'm sure that the housemates had to pick who got in?

wonkeydonkey · 03-11-2009, 14:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by intoxication

This is the only part of your post that I disagree with. Although not exactly the same, this years twist reminded me of BB7 where the housemates had to get into the Big Brotherhood and the ones that were left (Bonnie and Glyn?) faced eviction. I don't recall there being random tasks to determine this though, I'm sure that the housemates had to pick who got in?

Yes, but that was cruel, random and rubbish as well. Personally I think there should be no evictions at all until the end of week 2, so all housemates have the chance to establish themselves. The first eviction should then be done perfectly straight.

Dixon · 03-11-2009, 14:54

I enjoyed most of it while it was on, but looking back it was very average fare. Still better than 8 & 9, but a million miles away from bb at it's brilliant best.
At first i missed the live feed, but from what i saw of the late night stuff i don't think we missed a great deal. For the most part on the live feed they looked as lazy and dozy as those dullards in BBCH.

I gave bb10 around a 7 out of 10 after it finished, but now i'd only give it around a 4 or 5.

31-10-2009, 15:41	#8
richie4eva Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Gotham City Services: Proud member of the LFLF Posts: 62,799 Blog Entries: 13	The build up: Absolutely p**s poor, no hooks to make the most casual viewer want to tune in Needs much improvement next year if BB is to go out with a bang and not a pathetic whimper The launch: Poor as usual, with the customary booing of the pretty girls and cheering of the young men as expected with the 'he'z well fit innit' brigade Lack of surprise when they were introduced to their surroundings like they were tipped off and expecting it Crap twist to kick off the new series, whatever happened to letting them settle in to get to know each other The housemates: Poor cast I thought. Half of them were recruited from agencies and the test runs The first half: Absolute tosh, with fauxmances shoved down our throats left right and centre. Nothing memorable to write home about and no stand out moments The Benazir eviction really scraped the barrel in terms of evictions with Davina practically gloating about the way Benazir was shown the door Then there was the customary 'first few weeks' walker in Saffia The second half: Ruined by the viewers being shut out of the birthday celebrations and the housemates getting information left right and centre about the outside world which peaked at Lisa and David going out to the outside world The highpoints: Were there any? Couldn't really tell without 24/7 live feed The lowpoints: No 24/7 live feed, and when the overnight feed did start they were practically all in bed and the scheduling was all over the place Very poor birthday celebrations which the few viewers they had left were shut out of BBBM reduced to one day a week Total bias to make sure they got the winner they wanted Davina absolutely poor and praising all the bad behaviour BBLB and BBBM totaly and utterly childish and devoid of any ideas Their petulance in making fun of Rachel every chance they got all because she won last year The announcement that next year would be the last for BB in this country Task and Twists: How old are these people who set up the tasks and twists No original thought or imagination whatsoever and felt like they got their ideas from previous series and primary schools The winner: Very poor winner, only because they manipulated it so much to make sure the Rachel effect didn;t happen again It was another girl who did nothing who won, only this time it was a girl who will drop her clothes for the right money. The sort of winner they like and can praise until the final winner is crowned next year

30-10-2009, 23:29	#1
HughOS Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ireland Services: Supporting Marcus, Rod, Freddie and Noirin! Posts: 415	BB10 - In Hindsight Well, now that the dust has settled somewhat on BB10, I think we can look back over the series with a fresh perspective and properly judge it. The build up: Poor, to be honest. There was already a negative air around the hwole thing due to the LF axe and then the half arsed 'tenth anniversary' ads. No anticipation, hardly any promotion, a lot of people didn't know when the launch was. C4 should have gone out of their way to milk the 'ten years' with bill boards, magazine features... the works. What we got in the end were a few ads and hastily thrown together 'documentarys'. Not that I didn't enjoy watching them, but they just felt a bit crap. I will say one thing though, the actual television ads were excellent. I loved of the eye flashes, the star trek graphics and the overall appearances. I've always thought the content of the ads got better and better, they just need to have more. 4/10 The launch: Well, crap. The idea of having to earn housemate status was good, something they hadn't tried before. The exection however was terrible. The show itself was rushed, there was a terrible atmosphere with the constantly booing crowd and it didn't feel comfortable. All the usual things that we look forward to in the launch were missing, a proper house tour, explanation of this years theme... Even Davina wasn't as hyper as she usuually is. The first task where Rodrigo had to shave Noirin's eyebrow was terrible. I couldn't believe what I was watching. It was slap dashed and poorly planned. 3/10 The housemates: One of the things they really got right this year imo. One of the best cast group of housemates they've ever had. Dynamic, diverse but most importantly, cheerful. Unforgettable housemates like Marcus, Freddie, Noirin, Bea, Siavash, Angel. Every housemate played a part in the storylines and the development (except Isaac, Tom and Kenneth and the early evictees). I really enjoyed watching Marcus' one man rebellions, Noirin the goddess, Bea the psycho etc.. You'd find it hard to fault them sheer uniqueness. 9/10 The first half: (up to Karly's eviction) Good, but not great. The first week was bad with Sophia the 'rude girl', Saffia the waste of space and the terrible housemate twist which lead to Beinazir getting the boot. The next few weeks got better though, the bits with Sophie and Kris were Freddie/Lisa was probably the dominating storyline here. I know people got upset over it at the time but their battles kept this forum ticking over day and night. Lisa became public enemy number 1 and Freddie was canonised, as per usual DS progression. Angel was fantastic for sheer oddity and Sree was just an enigma. High points were Kris' eviction, Siavash in the DR, Marcus in the DR, Angel doing anything, Sree stalking Noirin and the different -isms. 7/10 The second half: Better, much better but still had poor weeks. The week with the new HMs bad. The twist where they had to ensure certain people were up for eviction was potentially good, but sabotaged by BB's lack of clarity and the dimness of the newbies. Kenneth was a terrible idea. It was clear he was never going to stick around after Karly left. Waste of a HM. After that things picked up. Noirin the love machinewith Marcus, Tom, Freddie and Siavash all trying it on, Marcus' two fingers to BB, Lisa's group falling in around her, Charigo, Bea's rampage, Freddie's downfall, Marcus' explosion in popularity and then his untimely eviction. 8/10 The twists: Possibly the most frustrating part of this series. Some of the were excellent in theory like the housemate status tasks, the newbies having to fix the noms.. but were terribly executed. The so called trials to become a hm were laughable, they could have been though up by primary school kids. I wanted to see proper challenges that affected the gameplay like selecting people for punishments, immunity challenges etc... Not biscuit dunking and answering phones. Other twists were just awful and showed the whole show up, like putting in Isaac, Kenneth, allowing Lisa and David to go to London, giving them magazines. They undermined the program out of laziness instead of coming up with proper ways to change the dynamics. The production: Dire. I understand that there were cut backs and everyone was under pressure but from the pile inducing BBLB to the DR gaffs, it was just cringeworthy to watch sometimes. The less said about it the better to be honest. Just no. The highpoints: -The Housemates -Some of the shopping tasks -Some of the things BB did in the DR and as tasks. -Some of the eviction panels (Ulrika, the good psych guy, John McCririck..) -Kris' eviction -Weeks 8 - 12 (Or as I like to call them 'Bea-gate) -Charlie coming fourth -Davina at times The lowpoints: -LF axe -DR Uncut axe -BBLB -BBBM at times -Beinazir's eviction -Angel's Eviction -Some of the lazy shopping tasks -Piss poor birthday celebrations -Kenneth -Newbies allowed to talk about the outside world -Isaac -Marcu's Eviction -David and Lisa go to London -Housemates get magazines from outside world -BB's inconsistent punishments -General feeling of indifference paid by C4. Still with all it's faults, I really enjoyed BB10. Not for the gimmicks, but because the HMs themselves were so entertaining. It was definitely shaped by the quality of the cast, and not the production. I've only seen from BB5 so I would rank it: BB5 BB10 BB9 BB7 BB6 BB8 Overall 7/10 as a series.

30-10-2009, 23:32	#2
oathy Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Gender: Male Location: Wales. Services: UKOnline/Thor/hotbird. Posts: 5,827	AJain@Channel4.co.uk PLEASE send a copy of this to Angela jain (she wont reply) but will read.. that sums up BB10 perfectly.

31-10-2009, 08:29	#3
OldMongo Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Manchester Posts: 789	Like the OP, I thought the production was generally Shoddy this year. It was obvious on the Launch Night that Channel 4 was no longer that interested, and the show was being wound down. Quite how the OP rated BB10 so highly above the other series is a bit of a mystery though. The casting wasn't that inspired in my view. Marcus, Sree, Angel, Freddie were certainly different...but the rest were re-hashes of what we've had before. (But to be fair...after 10 years...it's was always going to be difficult for the casting crew to find something unique. The "Black Albino", the "Porn Star", the "Sex Changeling" and the "Tourettes Dude" are hard acts to follow.) The Housemates had so much contact with the outside world, I'm surprised the producers didn't let them bring in their phones and laptops. The newbies were a disaster. They knew the HM's better than we did! Tom was so dull, you have to wonder what the casting guys were thinking of. Hira-Kira-Dira...whatever she's called was so thick... you have to wonder how she ever learnt to breath! I know that some posters here thought it was endearing...but I found myself laughing at her...not with her. Kenneth and Isaac...why do the producers thing WE want to see HM's boyfriends/girlfriends? Didn't they learn anything from the damp squib that resulted in BB9's Rex/Girlfriend fiasco? I enjoyed BB10...but it won't go down as a classic (imho)

31-10-2009, 08:35	#4
wonkeydonkey Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Gender: Female Location: London Posts: 16,655	Good post. I agree that the series felt unloved and under funded before it started, and the 'earn housemate status' twist was pointless, depressing and cruel. Who really enjoyed seeing an exhausted, depressed Beinazir, who had spent her entire time in the house sleeping on a hard floor and wearing an overall, being jeered at by Davina for not getting through the almost entirely random selection procedure? I thought it was a good selection of housemates, but the boyfriends were an unforgiveable intrusion. They were responsible for the spectacular downfall of Freddie, as (as with latecomers through the ages) they just couldn't keep their mouths shut about who was popular and who was unpopular. And they were personally pointless, with no commitment at all to the game. For me the biggest weakness was the editorial decision to focus for at least three weeks on Noirin, to the almost total excusion of anyone not involved with her. I found the Noirin/ Marcus relationship tiresome and dull in the extreme - they did nothing but lie round bickering, as each of them wanted something they couldn't get from it. When Noirin finally went I felt that we were belatedly getting a Big Brother series back. The forum was definitely a less pleasant place this year for me. Last year was almost too comfortable - the 'baddies' got picked off one by one and the 'goodies' stayed until the end. The forum majority basked in righteous glee. This year, obviously this did not happen. The housemates most popular on the forum failed to display any trace of unity or even the most basic gamesmanship, even though they were actually allowed to collude for several weeks. Unable to tolerate the fact that their favourites were being outgunned because they simply couldn't be bothered to try, some people on here seemed to throw themselves into a kind of frantic witch-hunt, desperately seeking 'plots' and 'schemes' and even 'cheating' as an explanation as to who was being nominated. A villain was needed, and a villain was created, and credited with the most extraordinary wickedness and power. I had a better time last year. But there were some really classic, memorable moments this year. Imo the Alice in Wonderland task, the aliens task, even the Greek gods task, were all classic BB. The returning housemates were patchy, but some of them were charming. Rodrigo/ Charlie had one of the funniest/ most exasperating relationships ever.

31-10-2009, 15:20	#7
lovinit44 Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,334	I agree with wonkey donkey, although I did love the Noirin story at first and was hooked but then it went on too long, it should have been just a part of the story I'm sure there was other stuff going on that wasn't shown, I really wanted them to bring in Issac too because I knew noirin was playing everyone and you wanted her to get her just desserts, I think Bea was a great housemate but then it got a bit boring with all the negativity and positivity discussions, I did love this years series though just peed off we missed so much with not having live feed, Loved rod and charlie the most.

31-10-2009, 17:23	#9
CLL Dodge Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Surrey Posts: 39,690	It was shite.

01-11-2009, 08:25	#11
MD1500 Forum Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,472	Poor on almost every conceivable level. Lack of Live Feed, resulting in a lack of interest from viewers and a lack of coverage in the media. Housemates almost entirely consisting of people who had previously been on TV or glamour models. Very few "ordinary" people. Unprecedented levels of manipulation. Isaac coming in. It was patently obvious that Noirin knew he was coming before he arrived. Inconsistent tasks / punishments which seemed to favour a certain group of people, ensuring that Endemol would get their chosen winner. The way that everything seemed scripted. HMs mysteriously waking up just in time for LF. Big Dramas occuring in the early hours of the morning. BB letting the HMs get away with murder. This year's BB was totally unthreatening. HMs climbed over the walls, broke into the camera runs, refused to nominate, all with little punishment. Contact with the outside world. Letting HMs go to London, communicate via Twitter, reading magazine articles, informing them about Jackson's death. The waste of money. Spending 20k to fly Isaac out for just a one-day visit. Holographic messages that people watching couldn't appreciate? What's wrong with a letter? The lack of impartiality from the presenters and the dumbing down of BBLB and BBBM. Davina was just crude on BBBM and her distaste for a certain previous winner was clearly evident. The poor tasks. An over-reliance on dancing/singing. Having a Kebab delivery task and an Ice cream delivery task in one series shows a serious lack of imagination. When even the HMs claim the series is "The Sh*ttest BB ever", you know something has gone wrong. Finally, the weird fixation that cameramen had on focussing on designer footwear, clothes, etc.

01-11-2009, 22:06	#12
DDRickyDD Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Manchester,UK Posts: 308	I enjoyed it up to week 11, when Freddie was evicted, after he had gone it became flat and boring and then when Marcus went there wasn't much point bothering to watch it. The main lowpoint was the fact that Lisa got to the final week, she should have been evicted the week Karly went.

02-11-2009, 18:50	#15
Sprogg Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Gender: Male Location: Leeds Posts: 12,378 Blog Entries: 3	The Build Up: The worst ever. The eye flashes were aesthetically pleasing but just not enough to make people think this series would be any different to the last ones. The build up has been almost identical since Series 6 and it just doesn't work anymore. The Launch: I didn't think it was that bad. The crowd was small and it did feel a bit like going through the motions. The housemates didn't react to the lack of furniture like I think was expected. I think I was optimistic about the housemates based on their VT's and therefore I didn't let the silly twist bother me so much. I didn't sit there thinking 'oh my god what has become of this programme?!' when Rodrigo was shaving Noirin's eyebrows off... BB sunk to such levels long before BB10. The Housemates: Excellent. Everyone added something I think. Marcus must go down as one of the best housemates of all time. Freddie was marvellously eccentric. Sophie was as stupid as she looked but quite sweet with it and not a complete pushover. There were a lot of strong characters in there. The relationships in the house seemed genuine and binding. Many were clearly from agencies and/or previous applicants but that doesn't bother me as long as it is a good cast... which it was. The First Half: Week One was a bit of a shambles. The biggest problem (and major cause of lost viewers) seemed to be that the series didn't get going until Day 4 when the stupid eviction took place. By this time people have already decided they can't be arsed. BB isn't the same show as it was 5 years ago.. At one time it would have kept viewer interest through a nowhere patch like that but they don't have that luxury anymore. The strange thing about the first few weeks was that the people who were liked in the house showed no unity whilst the baddies grouped together and took complete control over the first rounds of nominations. It was frustrating to watch but also I suppose a good thing. It meant having to play a waiting game as a viewer. Villains are usually a good thing. You want them out for the eviction but want them to stay for the value. The producers largely left the show to progress naturally, not artificially ensuring public enemy #1 was up for eviction asap... (Possibly a positive to come from the lessening of public interest that the producers no longer feel obliged to succomb to it). Sree took centre stage for the first few weeks. Noirin was the poor harrassed young girl struggling to fend of his unwanted advances, then look what happened! One moment sticks in my mind: How she said Irish girls don't put out. As a viewer you thought 'now there's a girl with morals'. We then had the privilege of discovering that she was indeed quite the opposite. Freddie became very popular acquiring victim status from the bully-boy tactics of the likes of Kris and Lisa. The baddies continued (apart from Kris) to avoid nomination. It did begin to look like once the numbers dropped we'd get to start picking off the baddies and be left with the victims at the end. The Second Half: The newbies changed everything. They were the best set of new entrants ever chosen, IMO. Bea sided with an uber-popular Freddie and was coming across as quite a grounded 'nice' person. David came in instantly began to irritate and sided with the uber-unpopular Lisa. Kenneth was the catalyst for Marcus' increasing rebellious streak. He'd attempted to take on BB before but hadn't managed to get the necessary support of the other housemates. Kenneth wanting to escape finally gave him the role he'd been looking for and he developed it from there. Tom, although forgetable, did bring out the stronger side of Sophie's character when he told her about Kris. Even little Hira became legendary from the entire afternoon spent searching for a key in a massive chocolate cake. Kenneth's escape was the first part of a wave of rebellion against the absolute power of Big Brother. The second half of the series became a free-for-all. The producers did give up when they allowed talk about nominations. I thought it was all quite refreshing and I think they were the first housemates (Freddie, Marcus and Siavash in particular) who realised and took advantage of the fact that BB only has power if the housemates go along with it. The Noirin saga did drag on. I never actively disliked her, but her eviction was quite a relief. The atmosphere in the house was awful from the moment Issac walked in to the moment Noirin was evicted. Siavash's played the whole situation completely wrong. It should have guaranteed him the win but instead he detached himself from the game and the others. He became a self-pitying bore and although he did claw back slightly at the end, I still think Sophie's win was only ensured by the way he dealt with being dropped. Freddie let the hype overcome him and eventually it cost him. Unluckily for him he faced an increasingly popular Marcus (who at one stage never looked more than a week away from eviction). Bea became the biggest villain in history when she turned her back on Freddie. The utter unpredicatability of her behaviour was fantastic to watch. David started to grow in popularity, cemented by the trip to London which is one of the best episodes of Big Brother I've ever seen (only second to the Alice In Wonderland day when they all fell out spectacularly). David's popularity rubbed off on Lisa and she left a million miles away from the hate she had near the beginning. I think she accepted the way her group (and plan) were disintergrating quite well and just stuck to the people she liked. The last major thing to mention was 'Charigo'. A completely one-sided relationship from where I stood. Rodrigo did fall in love with Charlie and Charlie knew it. Watching Rodrigo being taunted was awful I thought. The sickening level of calculated manipulation shown by Charlie made him to me, the worst housemate I've ever laid eyes on. It's a shame Rodrigo's story is so affected by Charlie but Rodders did have some great highlights of his own and his friendship with Sophie was and continues to be heart-warming. The Production: Difficult to analyse really. The moments where BB got involved nearly always fell completely flat. But I think they did allow many of the stories to develop naturally and for that I think they should be congratulated. It was the first 13 week series to actually remain watchable for the duration. The new housemates were introduced at the right time. Bringing in old housemates did liven the series up at the right time as well. Without the mix of housemates I think this series could have been an absolute disaster but I think they got lucky this year. The housemates didn't need much 'guiding'. The evictions were hit and miss, mostly because of the same old lazy interview techniques and chavtastic crowd. The panel was a decent experiment but I wouldn't want to see it return. Overall, a really good series. I think the big test of how good a series is, is to look at it 3 months later. 2 months later I still think BB10 was good. I thought BB9 was good at the time but looking back it was totally forgettable even though it was better managed. Will be interesting to see how BB11 compares but I think I'll end up wishing this year was the last. 9/10 - better than BB5.

02-11-2009, 19:19	#16
Stormier Ziggy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bonnie Scotland Posts: 190	Well summed up, I think it was a solid series, good characters, just marred by a lack of LF.

03-11-2009, 14:54	#25
Dixon Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 4,219	I enjoyed most of it while it was on, but looking back it was very average fare. Still better than 8 & 9, but a million miles away from bb at it's brilliant best. At first i missed the live feed, but from what i saw of the late night stuff i don't think we missed a great deal. For the most part on the live feed they looked as lazy and dozy as those dullards in BBCH. I gave bb10 around a 7 out of 10 after it finished, but now i'd only give it around a 4 or 5.