Agreed, Big Brother was designed as a social experiment and should stay a social experiment.
The US version is much more of a social experiment than what BBUK and BBAU became, when it was just over produced and became about producers favourites. It really is an experiment in power, friendships and alliances and also thanks to some bad casting often brings up social issues like racism, sexism etc. too. This years BBUSA was probably offered more as a social experiment than any Big Brother in recent years.
Believe me once you get into it the fact you don't vote really doesn't matter - you barely have any influence as a viewer voting anyway. However BBUSA never ditched the public vote completely, so if Seven do pre-record it they're losing that opportunity to keep the public involved. Initially they retained the public vote with things like rewarding contestants with letters or a phone call from home, but then expanded it to offer gameplaying opportunities. One season had viewers control a player throughout and another had them control a secret alliance of players, choosing tasks for them. Most recently for the last few seasons (but not this year) the show introduced secret powers (not too disimilar to the BB Aus Superpower) which were generally awarded by viewers in the early weeks.
Does anybody have a link to a single episode of BBUSA that they would point to as being the best example of the USA version ?
I'd like to dip a toe but don't want to watch a whole season just to get there. And yes, it may be difficult with just a single episode, but I'm more interested in the "look & feel" and production smarts.
Now that's a challenge, especially as often the episode is great because there is a pay-off from events earlier in the season, usually when an underdog comes to the forefront.
BB Canada possibly the better option as that follows the US format but had much more influenced in style by Big Brother internationally than the US.
A live double eviction episode is probably the best way to show you the mechanism. Usually these events take place over the week (with an additional comp before the nominations which usually determines food for the week or Haves/Have Nots, or in the US now is generally linked to a power or the ability to make a 3rd nomination), however at least once a season there is a live double eviction where after the usual eviction a whole week of competitions and ceremonies take place live and another person is evicted.
This is an abbreviated 15-minute version of a double eviction episode which shows the complete cycle of "a week":
So to summarise for the uninitiated:
HoH Comp - Houseguests (not housemates) compete to become the Head of Household and win not just immunity, but the power to nominate two people for eviction. The outgoing HoH cannot compete in the next competition, so nobody can be HoH two weeks running with the exception of the final HoH comp.
Nominations - the HoH nominates two people for eviction. Over the years there have been variations which add a third nominee, either directly by viewers, as a consequence of losing a challenge or nominated (usually secretly) by someone who either won a comp or a power.
Veto - the nominees, HoH and usually three players selected at random compete for the Power of Veto. The winner can choose, if they wish, to save a nominee, with the HoH then having to name a replacement. Occassionally there is a strategy referred to as the "backdoor", where the target for eviction isn't nominated in the hope they won't be picked to play in the Veto. The plan then is to save one of the nominees (who'll have been told they're "pawns") and nominate the real target as the replacement
Eviction Vote - all the HGs vote live within the eviction show, except for the nominees and HoH, for the person they want to leave. The HoH will only vote in the event of a tie. The evictee then leaves immediately and is interviewed, though usually rather than seeing clips of their time in the house they just see goodbye messages from the remaining HGs.
At the final three stage a three-part HoH competition determines the final HoH, who chooses one other finalist to join them in the final two. A jury, made up of the last 7-9 evictees (occassionally if an even number of jurors there is also a viewers vote) who will vote for the winner. These evicted HGs are sequestered once they leave the house, so in their interviews nothing is revealed which could out peoples gameplays and those goodbye messages do form part of jury management.
If you're willing to spend a bit longer someone on Youtube seems to sum up series in 2 and a half hours - this is BB2 Canada:
P.S. Also worth noting BB Canada's house is entirely built in a studio, including the back yard, though they do also have an actual outdoor space which includes a hot tub. The house has actually been in 3 different studios over the last 7 years, and although it keeps the same basic layout they have actually made significant changes with each move which keep it feeling fresh. They like to theme their house too so they don't refer to it as a house - in BB5 it was the Oddysey, the season before it was the BBCAN Grand Hotel.