Episode BBAU 2020 - Episode 20 Discussion (21 July)

[Fuzz]

I don't know what a "footy" is, but:

• I feel only about 30% of this season was affected in some way by covid. Most still played out as planned.
• The rushed, disposable nature of this BBAU season has set a precedent for the series and it won't change. Phone interviews are already happening for the 2021 season, which films in a matter of months. The house will not be changed, maybe a new couch. It'll be like that Doctor Who episode where there are 60 Big Brother houses running at once.
• The complete focus on physical challenges in this season will only serve to attract more jocks, athletes and bland people to apply for the show.
• Showmances, bromances and other lazy production tropes will continue. Bogans love em. This seems to be an Australian (and partly American) cultural thing. Other versions of BB use these shortcuts but don't completely rely on them like we do.
• Scarily, things have evolved so much from back in 2013, when we used to scoff at Instagram influencers going on the show for being "fake". Now the housemates are literally coached from the sidelines on what to say and do. They're basically low-cost actors in a scripted show.

My major gripe Tim is the removal of a public vote. I have stated often I have no knowledge of overseas versions of bb and their machinations.
But in my experience of an oz format, public voting is essential. Its the literal spanner in the works. It makes the housemates think and adapt without a slow long drawn out predicatable conclusion. It forces them to change. To evolve. Much more interesting than a prevailing alliance. And a true measure in my eyes how to adopt stragegically, socially etc. A true measure of a worthy winner.

 

[Affable]

If that idiot Sophie wins, I will never watch another episode of Big Brother again.

 

[chumly]

Lets be honest. And I know most of you dont follow footy but there is an allegory.
Its a covid season full of compromises. Yes. Cast was weak imo. Rushed format didnt allow the prime reason to watch bb.
The development over time to watch interactions grow and foster and twist and turn. The crucial element, interaction between them, was just glossed and forwarded over.
Like this afl season, this winner will have an asterix in my eyes as it was so compromised.
Having said that, I hope post covid, the format changes. Public vote is essential in my eyes. It removes a power or an illusion of power in the housemates eyes. They adopt, redact and change having seen public vote outs. That for me was always more interesting. Cos it shows an ability to adapt on the fly rather than "umm herp derp you good in challenges, ill stick with you or hook up with you"
A public vote imo ensures a fluid game.

Totally agree! Unfortunately it's impossible to cast the show like the early seasons because nowadays, so many applicants are striving for a media career as an outcome and are too savvy to be unguarded; but there must be at least some people applying who are genuinely interesting, eccentric, entertaining, etc. The most important element is the casting, and they got it so wrong this season, and IMO for a lot of the later seasons. The producers got lazy, or greedy, or power mad, or something, that it was no longer enough to put an interesting mix of people in a house and see what happens. Somewhere along the line they decided it had to be pretty people who looked good strutting about in their undies. Problem was, all the fun, witty, diverse conversations went out the window and all the pretty people just lay around getting a tan. Hardly scintillating viewing. The remedy wasn't to start castng interesting people again, it was to introduce challenges and scrap the conversations and insights into house dynamics altogether. I'm not sure it could ever return to the innocence and exuberance of early BB, but it could definitely be improved on with careful casting and loosening up the format again so we can actually see real human beings interacting ad building relationships again.

 

[Tim]

My major gripe Tim is the removal of a public vote.

Don't hold your breath on that. Giving the public the vote is obviously relinquishing too much power for the show producers to be comfortable with. They want a show that they can tightly control - that's what they sold to Channel 7.

Public votes are obviously seen as an annoyance as well. Endemol have to pay an agency to run it, pay for the website, pay for auditing etc. etc. I mean, they care so little about the vote at this point they didn't even put the website address on tonight's episode.

The only, ONLY reason that the finale of BBAU 2020 has a public vote is because of the brand's history. If Big Brother was a completely new concept premiering this year, it would not have any public vote.

 

[Tim]

If anyone wants to see an example of good reality TV casting in action - season 2 of The Circle UK.

The casting was so successful, it was turned into a template and repeated identically on all the international versions of The Circle that ended up on Netflix.

 

[mia]

Did you use same email? or different? I quickly read though the main T&C and it saids one vote per email, didn't have a limit per ip address but did say it would stop votes if too many come from the same ip address.

It doesn’t even get that far. If I start from scratch and click through to the voting page it just displays the “Thanks for voting” image. No other option.

 

[It’s Not]

and in a shock reversal for 2020...
Madonna and FUZZ.
A straight footy playing genteel educated bloke (non birthplace of broken hill) to break the hex.

@MADONNA and @Fuzz definitely have the best banter of the season. It has been a pleasure to witness.

 

[Columbo]

@MADONNA and @Fuzz definitely have the best banter of the season. It has been a pleasure to witness.

Hear hear! I for one hope it continues into the future beyond this season of big brother.

 

[Fuzz]

Don't hold your breath on that. Giving the public the vote is obviously relinquishing too much power for the show producers to be comfortable with. They want a show that they can tightly control - that's what they sold to Channel 7.

Public votes are obviously seen as an annoyance by production. They have to pay an agency to run it, pay for the website, pay for auditing etc. etc. I mean, they care so little about the vote at this point they didn't even put the website address on tonight's episode.

The only, ONLY reason that the finale of BBAU 2020 has a public vote is because of the brand's history. If Big Brother was a completely new concept premiering this year, it would not have any public vote.

I agree. But it kinda doesnt make sense. In their own fiscal interest. Make it pay to vote. By any medium. But that in itself presents a logistical nightmare. Unless you can magically paypal enable every social media outlet. Im a complete luddite and have zero social media voice or identity or knowledge how this could even be done.
But surely, smarter minds can develop a system that it costs to vote. Incentivise the dedicated. Sway the indecisive. And make blooody money to keep the whole "social Experiment" credo breathe slightly again.
BB is not survivor. BB needs a public voice and vote at each and every turn. They are different beasts and trying to assimilate them as the same is doomed for failure. Survivor as it essence is outwit, outplay, outlast. BB is about developing solely purely social relationships.

 

[Affable]

Chad >>>>>>>>>>>>> Dan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sophie.

 

[Columbo]

I agree. But it kinda doesnt make sense. In their own fiscal interest. Make it pay to vote. By any medium. But that in itself presents a logistical nightmare. Unless you can magically paypal enable every social media outlet. Im a complete luddite and have zero social media voice or identity or knowledge how this could even be done.
But surely, smarter minds can develop a system that it costs to vote. Incentivise the dedicated. Sway the indecisive. And make blooody money to keep the whole "social Experiment" credo breathe slightly again.
BB is not survivor. BB needs a public voice and vote at each and every turn. They are different beasts and trying to assimilate them as the same is doomed for failure. Survivor as it essence is outwit, outplay, outlast. BB is about developing solely purely social relationships.

Social relationships are still important in Survivor.

 

[derspatz]

Good on ya++ Chad n Mat. Cheers++ also to Cornelius/BB n the BB team for what you presented to Oz n the BB archives today.

Tonight's show had me literally applauding you in my own living room as I really had not ever expected to see such good sportsmanship n "hey true blue" exampled at this stage of a BB season.

Pretty darn good n regardless of who now "wins" (personally, assuming no other prizes, I'd like to see the prize winner splitting the prize money equally with the other final two) I'm proud of you all

REgarrrrDs

 

[Fuzz]

Social relationships are still important in Survivor.

One of many aspects in survivor.
At its essence BB is about pure social relationships.
BB annointed at its inception as a"social experiment"

 

[Columbo]

One of many aspects in survivor.
At its essence BB is about pure social relationships.
BB annointed at its inception as a"social experiment"

Which was great twenty years ago. But times have changed and new twists to that format like the circle have done up. Adapt or die.

 

[Gayspie]

Tonights episode really was a bit mixed for me. Good thing to see the bad bromance finally broke up once and for all. Bad thing for 7 forgetting to tell us how to vote for the winner.

 

[the Theorist]

mixed

 

[sav0001]

Which was great twenty years ago. But times have changed and new twists to that format like the circle have done up. Adapt or die.

Big Brother Brazil is live and is one of the most popular shows on TV over there currently. It has been running for 18 years, the second most behind the USA. It also has public voting and this year got billions of votes whilst at the same incorporating aspects of the American version of the show. It can be done.

 

[Columbo]

Big Brother Brazil is live and is one of the most popular shows on TV over there currently. It has been running for 18 years, the second most behind the USA. It also has public voting and this year got billions of votes whilst at the same incorporating aspects of the American version of the show. It can be done.

I doubt it would in Australia.

 

[Fuzz]

Which was great twenty years ago. But times have changed and new twists to that format like the circle have done up. Adapt or die.

Adapt what?
The credo or the absolute premise of the show is that. Without it, then make it mafs, love island voice hybrid.
Its not about adaption in this case. I just dont see why the preclusion of a public vote seems no longer viable. Its incongrous to me.
I understand that tastes change, and must compete to survive but bb is one of the reality shows i loved cos of the the single basically unchangeble premise.
It cant exist without that. Just get them cooking and hooking up as evolvement. And then fuck.
Once the pure social aspect is removed or diluted to such an extent with phsycial challenges and the like, it is nothing but a catching up of other formats and no longer has a purpose or a distinctive discerning difference

 

[Columbo]

Adapt what?
The credo or the absolute premise of the show is that. Without it, then make it mafs, love island voice hybrid.
Its not about adaption in this case. I just dont see why the preclusion of a public vote seems no longer viable. Its incongrous to me.
I understand that tastes change, and must compete to survive but bb is one of the reality shows i loved cos of the the single basically unchangeble premise.
It cant exist without that. Just get them cooking and hooking up as evolvement. And then fuck.
Once the pure social aspect is removed or diluted to such an extent with phsycial challenges and the like, it is nothing but a catching up of other formats and no longer has a purpose.

Adapt to the new ways of tv.