Skip to main content

Will this year Kill off BB in Australia?

T

The10thDoctor

Well-Known Member
Before the show started i did bag it and poo pooed it.
Now i actually like it and havent missed a second.

But a lot of people dont like it, people who tried to give it a go.

I can only speak about the people i know.

The common things seem to be the sameness of the housemates.

I understand and agree.

They are all within the same age group. The one housemate they had outside of the group was naturally virtually forgotten and soon voted out. The rest are all similar ages and talk the same shit they have talked foe the same past 6 seasons.

I guess the people who started with this show are getting older and are maturing with their attitudes. When you reach certain point in life talking about who is hot or not and sex is just plain boring. The original audience starts to drop away and the kids are just given so much to watch these days so the audience is spread thin.

Ive tried to get people interested in my workplace but people just dont care when they cant relate to the people they are watching.

I will keep watching..but when it comes to the point of them all lying in the yard and continually talking about sex and who is hot..then i will drop off like usual..and i bet many here will do the same if they were being honest with themselves. I am happy to be proven wrong and i really hope i am!

Numbers were up at the start because there was a twist promised and then one didnt happen..well, we got some silly fence thing thats being taken away..so that was a fizzer. Audiences wanted a Big Thing to happen: something that noone saw coming.

We got promised a diverse group of housemates...yeah, that didnt really happen. You could go to any pub in sydney and find this group of housemates.

Why are they so reluctant to actually go the obvious route and really give us diversity? Give us a group of 14 housemates that you know probably wouldnt interact together in the real world and see what happens.
Imagine a 19 year old houso who has 5 kid from 5 fathers being forced to live with a well educated married woman with a decent career?

Or a middle truck driver who doesnt like Gays being forced to live with Ben?

Or how about an anti war person being put with Matt?

Or Bruce Ruxton with someone from the Vietcong?


real people from very different walks of life forced to work together. You will see wars erupts and the most unilkely friendships form.

Give people who have abandoned the show a real reason to come back and see something they have not seen before.

I seriously doubt the show will come back next year. I hope I am wrong and i hope it does. I will support it and always give it a go, but it is getting harder and harder.

Im sure someone will try and say stop being negative and all that and if you dont like just dont watch. Well, if everyone who had issues just gave up then it certainly would go away.

People need to voice their issues, need to say what is wrong..but they still need to at least try to give the show a go.
I know of many previous fans who have given up and it is people like that we need to get back and once again make this the most talked about show in the land


I am sorry if you dont like the comments i have made in the post..but they are my true feelings about a show that i have loved for over a decade. We cant all be positive all the time just for the sake of it..thats when the powers that be think everything is fine.
 
I hope you are wrong, but yes I also feel that this could be the last year for BB Australia.

Channel 10 really should've axed it after 07 based on the ratings, but they went ahead and did another season, and we all know how well BB08 turned out.

2008 is also proof that deviating too far from the original format isn't always a good idea. Twists and shake ups can be good and as viewers we like some variety, but they can't be taken too far or else it is frustrating to watch.

Only time will tell. It all depends on the ratings really.

I guess if Channel 9 ditches it then the chance of Channel 7 picking it up would be zero to nil.

Maybe Channel 10 in their financial disarray will be prepared to take any chance. But that is mighty optimistic thinking.
 
bleachy_dude said:
You can be such an endearing fellow!
Click to expand...

i just say it like it is. If i make a post or a thread i expect that post or thread to be discussed and not attacked for it or told what to do.
If you need to get personal then we have a private message system for that kind of thing. I think the forums should be kept for talking about the show. If I slapped you i would expect you to slap me. Should be the same in reverse. Not that i want you to slap me. I have a wife for that
 
The ratings are good. Unless it nose dives in the ratings. I believe it will be back.

.. But if it does fail, then yes I believe it will be the end of Aus BB, at least for a few years
 
The10thDoctor said:
i just say it like it is. If i make a post or a thread i expect that post or thread to be discussed and not attacked for it or told what to do.
If you need to get personal then we have a private message system for that kind of thing. I think the forums should be kept for talking about the show. If I slapped you i would expect you to slap me. Should be the same in reverse. Not that i want you to slap me. I have a wife for that
Click to expand...

You are so abrasive. Miki wasn't attacking you. Sheesh!
 
jessy_girl said:
I hope you are wrong, but yes I also feel that this could be the last year for BB Australia.

Channel 10 really should've axed it after 07 based on the ratings, but they went ahead and did another season, and we all know how well BB08 turned out.

2008 is also proof that deviating too far from the original format isn't always a good idea. Twists and shake ups can be good and as viewers we like some variety, but they can't be taken too far or else it is frustrating to watch.

Only time will tell. It all depends on the ratings really.

I guess if Channel 9 ditches it then the chance of Channel 7 picking it up would be zero to nil.

Maybe Channel 10 in their financial disarray will be prepared to take any chance. But that is mighty optimistic thinking.
Click to expand...

I dont think Ch10 would be sillly enough to take it on again especially now that they are starting to gain some success.
But if they did, surely they wouldnt take the same behing the scenes crew that have made the last two seasons.

It is a pity Peter Abbott wont come back, he gave us three great seasons and the third is usually regarded as the best of them all..and you know what was different? They did have diverse housemates...perhaps not in ages, but in lifestyle and experience.


If by some miracle the show returns again to 9 then i think they really need to rethink their publicity and casting decisions.

Yes, this group of housemates does work better than the last...but would they have done so had the house not been divided?
 
bleachy_dude said:
The ratings are good. Unless it nose dives in the ratings. I believe it will be back.

.. But if it does fail, then yes I believe it will be the end of Aus BB, at least for a few years
Click to expand...

well, we can look at numbers in a hundred different ways and come up with many meanings.
But some nights they are getting the 700Ks. Hey Hey is Saturday got those numbers and was canned..and that show cost near nothing to make. I love BB more than any other Aussie show and like many others here i have seen over 40 seasons from all around the world...i WANT it to survive and to regain its glory days..but the numbers show it isnt. Heck, it has been topped by Masterchef a couple times anf everyone hates that show now. This year needed to be very different from last and when you get down to it, it hasnt changed. If by some miracle it returns, it truly needs to be something different..
 
.
You make some excellent points The10thDoctor.


The10thDoctor said:
I guess the people who started with this show are getting older and are maturing with their attitudes. When you reach certain point in life talking about who is hot or not and sex is just plain boring. The original audience starts to drop away and the kids are just given so much to watch these days so the audience is spread thin.
Click to expand...

As one of those original audience, who's been with BB since it began, every season, I think this is a particularly good point. Yes, those of us who started with this show are indeed getting older and more mature. And, yes, some of the "younger" discussions we see on the show about who's hot and sex etc do indeed get boring.


The10thDoctor said:
I've tried to get people interested in my workplace but people just dont care when they cant relate to the people they are watching.
Click to expand...

These days I get ridiculed at work if I mention that I watch BB. Interestingly, I am getting ridiculed by people who once used to watch the show, but have now turned off it. As you say, they have just "matured" to a point where the show is no longer relevant to them anymore. They cannot relate to it now. And with all the "gimmicks", it just doesn't attract them anymore.

For me, it is not about whether the "younger" housemates are talking about who's hot, or sex, or whatever ... it is more about the social experiment. Yes, the exact thing that they tell us the show is about. I love watching the friendships form, only to be pulled apart when there is a fight or an eviction. The interactions and alliances change as the season wears on. I enjoy watching the back-stabbing, the hypocrisies, the people like Rohan and Tully who think it is going to be easier than it really is ... etc etc etc. THIS is the stuff that keeps me watching. And if that means the show needs gimmicks such as a talking fish, or a sham marriage, or whatever else to cause some good interactions in the house, then so be it. For me it is not the discussions, it is the social experiment itself that keeps me coming back.


The10thDoctor said:
We got promised a diverse group of housemates...yeah, that didnt really happen. You could go to any pub in sydney and find this group of housemates.
Click to expand...

That might be true. But I doubt you could mix housos with educated people, homophobics with gays, and anti-war campaigners with war heroes. That house would be too "destructive" and too confrontational, and the show would definitely be pulled off the air very quickly.


The10thDoctor said:
I seriously doubt the show will come back next year. I hope I am wrong and i hope it does. I will support it and always give it a go, but it is getting harder and harder.
Click to expand...

Sadly, I think you may be right that the show may be pulled and not come back next year. I hope you are wrong.

One thing to remember is this ... whether it returns or not is not necessarily about RATINGS, but is instead about REVENUE. If it makes its revenue and sells the products that we see on the ads, AND it is profitable for the network, then it will return.

Note worthy is that this very same discussion took place last year. I recall the posts ... "It's not rating, so they are probably not going to show it next year ...". But, no, here we are again. It is indeed back on ... and, look, just like last year we are once again questioning whether it will be returning again next year.


The10thDoctor said:
Im sure someone will try and say stop being negative and all that and if you dont like just dont watch. Well, if everyone who had issues just gave up then it certainly would go away.
Click to expand...

I don't think you're being negative at all. Rather, the subject is one I have been thinking about for a while. I just didn't take the time to post anything. You did. It will be interesting to hear what others think ...

On the subject of people watching the show ... and continuing (or not) to watch the show ... it is interesting to read these forums year after year and see all the "negative" posts about "this isn't a twist" or "same old housemates again" or "what a bitch she is" or "what an a-hole he is" or "that's not original" etc etc. And then, against all of that, you have the same number of "positive" posts commenting as well and providing a balance. All said, the people making these comments, whether they be negative or positive, are all (generally) WATCHING the show ... or else they wouldn't be able to comment. It certainly has a fan base.

I particularly love reading comments such as "I'm never going to watch this show again" or "that's it, this BB/producer has no idea, I'm outta here" ... only to see posts from these same people again, next week, or next season. They may say they are never going to watch it again, but they keep coming back. Sure, the show may have lost some of the more "mature" and "older" folks who started watching it way back when ... but, there's also a fair few (myself included) who are STILL watching it. And, even though viewer numbers may APPEAR to be down, I do think it still gains some brand new viewers each season as well. In a way, this too is part of the social experiment. It is not necessarily just what is happening inside the house that is the social experiment, it is also what is happening outside the house as well.

I am enjoying this season so far. And I hope to see it back next year! Fingers crossed.
 
Last edited:
I am really enjoying the cast this year. Not as much diversity as promised, but more than last year definitely.

To reference 08 again... that is an example of diversity not necessarily being a good thing. That whole house was pretty much a result of stunt-casting and it did not pay off.
 
Nine only cares about getting decent ratings in the timeslots to stop losing to Seven. As long as it does that, without causing embarrassment, then they'll keep it.
 
freddy said:
.
Yes, those of us who started with this show are indeed getting older and more mature. And, yes, some of the "younger" discussions we see on the show about who's hot and sex etc do indeed get boring.
Click to expand...

This is a self perpetuating cycle though. Channel Nine and Southern Star had the opportunity to make Big Brother a more mature show, but they've specifically chosen to go with the daycare centre soap opera format. Basically everything is set up for the teen / early 20s demo:

  • 7pm timeslot
  • Bubblegum show theme titles and music
  • No live streams
  • Endless supply of token "bubbly" and good looking (yet dull) housemates
  • Contrived situations forcing "couples" together on an almost daily basis (last year's intruder speed dating was the worst)
  • A complete saturation of the couple theme - presidential suite and so on...

I get that house romance is one of the essential storylines in a Big Brother season, but it's not the only storyline. There's plenty more themes that keep viewers interested and engaged with the housemates. The problem is that successive Big Brother producers have just come to rely on the couple hookup theme as the sole driver of the show. There's just so much focus put on hookups / who thinks who is hot / who kissed who that there's no time for viewers to actually build a connection with housemates, and that's why people shrug and don't care anymore.

Alex M is especially a fan of the couple theme it seems. They should just pull him out and plonk him running Farmer Wants a Wife or something.

Just now I've visited the official site and some of the main stories are:
  • Feeling Edgy! The Four Cornered Square Love Affair .... kewwwwl, I don't believe this has ever happened on Big Brother before! :rolleyes:
  • Flirting With Danger! Could Drew Turn Tully? .... yawn.

Earlier seasons were not so focused on the hookup culture. Looking back at season 3 yes there was still plenty of 20-something sex talk and hookups (the round house, Jo and Saxon, lol) but it only made up a smaller chunk of other plot lines - conflict, household duties, and lets not forget the all important just getting to know the housemates (something the current producers have forgotten completely). In fact I think the last few weeks of the 2003 season were relatively sex/couple/hookup free. There was just plenty of character exposition and that's why people loved Chrissie and Reggie so much.

Then came 2004, Kris Noble and the whole Ryan hooking up with Miriam thing and it all started to go downhill. Since then producers relied more heavily on couple plotlines. 2005 there was a huge gender divide (boys club / girls club), then in 2006 they pushed it too far and the turkey slap happened.

So the main problems I see with BBAU right now are:

  • Producers lazily falling back on tired storylines
  • Lackluster casting (diversity doesn't mean casting an asian chick and an indian guy)
  • General aversion to try anything new (rehash, pluck an idea from a European BB, rehash. Hell, even the current format and logo has been plucked straight from Channel 5's version of BBUK)
  • No risk taking whatsoever which conflicts with the couple theme (because couples have SEX shock horror). So it results in this weird sanitised Home and Away style romance where the producers are pushing horny 20 somethings together but WE CAN'T SHOW ANYTHING SEXY. Gimme a break!

Anyhoo. The problem is with the Australian TV industry is that they're fine to keep flogging the formula as long as the ratings are maintained. If the ratings stay steady I think BB will be back next year, and still pulling the same old crap. Ratings and revenue are closely tied - Nine needs good ratings to be able to command certain advertising prices.
 
For the main problem is the lack of lived feed. The entire attraction of BB is that it is not scripted and things can happen that surprise everyone but both ch10 and ch9 attempt to control everything about the game including who get evicted and who wins.

The original concep was good, watching people talk, live, and get to know them is interesting, sadly they do not longer believe in the game so they throw twist after twist to "keep us interested".
 
I don't have a problem with the housemates, and although I haven't been paying as much attention to these forums as I used to, I think that most people are fine with the housemate selection. The problems all lie in the lack of Uncut, Up Late and live streaming (once the three best things about Big Brother!) as well as the bad editing and and poorly scheduled daily shows. I could even tolerate the gimmicky nature of the daily shows if they had some live content to back it up with.
 
The10thDoctor said:
But if they did, surely they wouldnt take the same behing the scenes crew that have made the last two seasons.
Click to expand...

Channel NINE doesnt make BB. Southern Star Endemol does. It's many of the same crew making the show as have been making the show since season one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top