Launch Show

Big Brother: In They Go! started on Channel 10 at 7.30. A black screen follwed by the familiar bulging Big Brother eye was follwed by black and white flashbacks from both Big Brother 1 and 2, and featured mainly footage of Big Brother housemates getting down and dirty with each other (in a clean sort of way). Viewers were then asked “are you ready for something new?”.

Cue brand new Big Brother visuals and a remixed theme, sounding more ‘trance-like’ and ‘futuristic’. The new visuals include your favourite animated pixels being followed by cameras, riding the tower of terror at dreamworld and logging onto the Big Brother website live feeds.

Out comes Gretel on a small stage by the Big Brother compound wearing a suit with a short hair style which makes her look like she just came from the last Danni Minogue video clip. Again we see the plasma screens up on the launch stage and a crowd of BB fans cheer her on as the show starts. Once again we are treated to Gretel’s metaphores, such as the housemates will be “shining like the sun”, a guy in the audience yells something out at Gretel. Gretel introduces the show in her normal fashion.

Cut to audition tape footage of housemate potentials saying what they love. Quite a lot of footage of Steve Irwin impersonators.

We then switch to Tim Ferguson who is standing among the audience, asking them about the rumours they have heard so far. One girl says she’s heard that Kylie Minogue will be going into the house.

Back to Gretel – she states she’s been told nothing about the new season of Big Brother (and as we soon learn, that is not the case at all). She says she snuck into the house with Tim Ferguson to see what the fuss was all about. Cue pre-recorded footage, a very short tour of the new house.

It is completely enclosed around bright blue walls with a boxed garden which looks like something you would find in a shopping mall. It seems like an outside courtyard. Crazy retro furniture fills the house (which is much smaller than usual). We learn that this is the circle house because all the inside designs have circles on them. The diary room has been transported through time from the 70s. The bedroom is very small and there are only 5 or 6 beds, the room itself is elevated above the living area. Camera portholes everywhere! It reminded me of European Big Brother series I have seen in the past, where the living area has been quite cramped.

Turns out there is no real kitchen and showers must be taken outside. Tim moons the camera but Gretel covers it up with some water. It begins to rain.

The first lot of housemates pull up in a convertable… Tamara (24) who loves to travel and Benjamin (28) who is a former undercover police officer. Gretel talks to them for a few moment when suddenly Big Brother’s voice orders Tamara back into the car! Initially everyone is a bit shocked but the show continues… Benjamin enters the house while fireworks go off.

Cue profile footage on Benjamin. He has a serious girlfriend, he is lazy, a manipulator. “You will love him or he will be a national disgrace”.

Benjamin wonders around in the house looking quite shocked and confused. Back to Gretel who tells us she will be right back.

AD BREAK

7.15pm – Back to Gretel. Next car pulls up. Regina, a married fish and chips shop worker (29) and Saxon, a surfer uni student. Both housemates are told to get back in the car and are driven away!

Switch to Benjamin walking around and inspecting the Big Brother house… he nods along while the audience laughs. Next car pulls up: Belinda (20) a hair dresser and Daniel (27). Daniel is told to get back in the car. Belinda stands up top the stage… a plasma screen above her switches to her name. It is obvious these people are being sent off to the second house.

AD BREAK

7.30pm – Tim Ferguson in the camera run watching Ben as he just sits there. Next two housemates pull up. Clair (25) and Joanne. Joanne is ordered to go while Clair stand on the stage. Clair’s profile is shown.

Next housemate: Vincent a structural engineer. Gretel scares him with talk of some housemates being rejected, and conveniently just at that moment Vincent is rejected. Gretel ‘argues’ with Big Brother. The crowd is not happy and some one swears, which is bleeped out.

AD BREAK

7.40pm We return to images of Benjamin in the house. Gretel misnames the show saying it’s something like “they go inside”. Some one yells out “you got it wrong Gretel”. Ben is called into the diary room and asked when he expects more people to be coming, he says tonight, Big Brother lets him go. Tim Ferguson adds that for a former police detective, he doesn’t have a clue.

AD BREAK

Zoom into Dreamworld. Benjamin is lying on a couch. Gretel states she doesn’t know what’s going on. Next housemates: Irena (29 – Gretel gets her age wrong) and Lea (18). Lea gets kicked out and the crowd boos with dissaproval. Irena’s profile: she’s loud, an exhibitionist, has a boyfriend.

AD BREAK

7.56pm – Rain is pissing down. Gretel drops her umbrella. Partick (29) and Carlo (21). Patrick gets sent away. Gretel says “luckily we’re wearing water proof makeup”. Carlo’s profile shown. Gretel says there is only one car left.

AD BREAK

8.05pm – Two more cars come. Chrissy (29). Gets sent away. Gretel ‘argues’ with Big Brother about it and doesn’t do a very convincing job. Big Brother says his decision is final. The crowd chants “stay stay stay”.

Jamie, a cleaner in a alternative band. Gretel makes him try and list the reasons why he should be let into the house. Big Brother says he doesn’t need to and lets him stand on the stage. Jamie’s profile is shown. He says he’s going to “go hard real fast”. Benjamin is still lying on the couch.

AD BREAK

8.14pm – Gretel collects the housemates to take them into the house. She asks Carlo for an umbrella, but calls him Jamie in the process. Housemates are let into the house. A few photo snaps are taken and Gretel leads them down the road past the audience members onto a dark path. Carlo won’t stop swearing. He says it’s “really ‘wet’ if you know what I mean”. The housemates are kept in the camera run area while an ad break happens

AD BREAK

8.24pm – The housemates are let in. Gretel is at the doors to the house but is cut off by a censor beep as Carlo swears again. The housemates are shocked at the new surroundings and call out for Benjamin but he is no where to be found. The insides of this house are square designed. Housemates inspect everything and start to sit down and talk. The beer supply is found. Meanwhile Ben is in the other house all alone. Carlo won’t stop swearing and being the centre of attention. The housemates are all served dinner. The store room in the Circle house is opened and inside Ben finds dinner for one. Poor Ben: “Oh dear”.

Back to Gretel, she tells us there will be another surprise every day this week. Tomorrow BB1,2 runners up Blair and Marty will be making an appearance. Gretel reads out the website address emphasising the “optus” part. She says “yes I got it right”. Credits role as housemates get to know each other. Ben picks his dinner (and his nose).

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