Skip to main content

Big Brother's best/worst cast season

BBantUK07

The Legit Boss šŸ’µ
Hello,

I just wanted to start a thread to get peoples thoughts on what the best/worst cast season of Big Brother Australia was as well as the direction the show should go with casting in 2020 and also peoples thoughts on what would make a bad cast.
 
My opinion would be that 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2014 had the best casting. Despite the 2008 and 2014 season doing poorly, the casting was actually really good, and the issue was more so to do with what was going on behind the scenes.
I think in these seasons, the casting was very diverse and somewhat represented australia. Most of the housemates in these seasons were intelligent (mainly 2003/8), entertaining and they could hold interesting conversations. They also mixed really well and the relationships that formed were interesting.
IMO the casting in the years 2001, 2002, 2012, the people were too similar, and the casting was basically white washed. I didnt like the direction the show took from 2004-2007 being "hot, sexy, singles". IMO these housemates were not very interesting and all we saw of them was flirting and making jokes/having too much fun. No-one seemed as though they had depth or substance, apart from a few such as (Tim, Vesna, Dave).
In saying that... I do feel as though Australia is yet to see a season of Big Brother which accurately represents Australia and the true diversity we have here. I want a casting like TARA. I feel like past seasons have been polarizing, unrelateable and only representing a very small portion of Australia. I want interesting characters who can hold interesting conversation.. people with depth, substance. I want big characters who are going to make good TV, and also lots of light-hearted moments/not too serious.
 
2003 casting was great, except for the odd housemate, but they were generally evicted early.

2005 cast had some great housemates (Tim B, Vesna), but quite often it became too much of a boys club thing.

2007 cast was half boring half interesting. Once Emma left the show wasn't quite the same.

2008 was probably one of the more combative casts ever. I seem to remember them having arguments nearly every night. Unsurprising considering it had the combative Bianca and professional troll Nobbi in the house (or rather kombi).

2012- Apart from Estelle it really was an awful cast. Too cliquey for my tastes.

2013- Became too much of the tim dormer show.

2014- There was potential in the cast, but a lack of live feeds made this a missed oppurtunity.
 
I feel like past seasons have been polarizing, unrelateable and only representing a very small portion of Australia.
...and yet you include 2008 in your top four. Terri was cast to be polarizing and when she got voted out by HMs in Day 1, frustrated producers put her back in. That is reason alone that that season was terrible. Not least because she bizarrely went on to win it.
 
I really enjoyed how diverse 2008's cast was, it was the first time in a long time Ten had taken a huge risk with who they put on TV and it's sad that it didn't really pay off for them. I think they tried to capture the essence of BBUK6's casting choices but kept it ever so slightly more PC to appease their dwindling advertisers. They totally tried to make their own Nikki Grahame with Brigette and it backfired so bad because she had no sense of humour or self awareness under the bratty act.
 
I really enjoyed how diverse 2008's cast was, it was the first time in a long time Ten had taken a huge risk with who they put on TV and it's sad that it didn't really pay off for them. I think they tried to capture the essence of BBUK6's casting choices but kept it ever so slightly more PC to appease their dwindling advertisers. They totally tried to make their own Nikki Grahame with Brigette and it backfired so bad because she had no sense of humour or self awareness under the bratty act.
I quite liked Brigette. "Get stuffed Saxon"... how could anyone forget?šŸ˜‚
 
I really can't think of a more unwatchable bunch of housemates than one which contained Benjamin, Michael, Stacey and Bradley, plus Surly the talking fish.
Does that make it the worst cast though, or just the least likeable?
 
I didnt like the direction the show took from 2004-2007 being "hot, sexy, singles". IMO these housemates were not very interesting and all we saw of them was flirting and making jokes/having too much fun.

I think that started with 2005's whole 'sexy singles' opening schtick. 2004 still had a pretty mostly you could say 'conservative' mix, the only housemate I can think of who would possibly fit in the years following with a lot more 'insta-fame' model type casting would be maybe Krystal (2004, evicted third) maybe Ashalea & Monica. The Guys weren't really big gym junkie types either from what I recall. Remember the whole hoopla over Ryan (drunkenly IIRC) pointing out Krystal's past as a stripper or something and making her cry?

But even then 2005-2007 had a mix of different HM's just overall it was in favour of that kindof scene it seemed.
 
Last edited:
Bringing back this interview w/ Kyle Sandilands:

"We have to take some sort of responsibility," Kyle says. "But really, the show was not what I (thought it would be) ... I wanted extreme differences of the population, not just one frat-house vibe. It was not as extreme as I would have liked and they had a few last-minute pull outs, like the Muslim extremist that was supposed to go in."

"He also says the show should have been "more like the UK version where they are just all loons and it's fun to watch."

Idk how I feel about an extremist at least - but I really do believe Kyle was pushing for more diverse casting choices. He's mentioned it in his book too from memory. I still think BB08, for the most part, was well cast - but definitely could have done without some deadweight.
 
The issue with 08 is that they cast that year based on archetypes first and foremost. They had a checklist of quotas they wanted to fill which was a lazy, haphazard appeal to diversity that overlooked the need for personality.

Being elderly is not a personality.
Dwarfism is not a personality.
Having an unusually high pitch voice is not a personality.
Being a blonde bimbo is not a personality.
POC is not a personality.

Also, Kyle deserves zero credit for anything. I know for a fact that he contributed nothing behind the scenes. He was not involved the creative or casting at all. He arrived, read his lines on the teleprompter and left. There were weeks he didn't even turn up for rehearsals. It was 100% a paycheck job.
 
Also, Kyle deserves zero credit for anything. I know for a fact that he contributed nothing behind the scenes. He was not involved the creative or casting at all. He arrived, read his lines on the teleprompter and left. There were weeks he didn't even turn up for rehearsals. It was 100% a paycheck job.
I refuse to believe he was legitimately ā€œsickā€ when he was suddenly absent for a bunch of live shows during the season too. It was a little too convenient that he suddenly disappeared the week after he lost his shit during a live cross to the house and called Nathan a dog and started shouting his opinions at the HMs. Mikeā€™s comments the following week about ā€œnever knowing what Kyle is going to sayā€ and that he is ā€œcar crash TVā€ said it all.

Jackie O could - and should - have carried that show alone.
 
It is very difficult to judge the cast because I don't really know them.
The fact that we don't see them interact for a decent amount of time, makes me feel not close to any of them, just Angela was different.
Also the break from Wednesday to Sunday, or now Monday is far too long. I moved on by then. I need to see it at least 5 days, so I am a little involved. Honestly I don't care if BB stops now, but will watch tomorrow and get a little excited again, but I don't have that much interest after such a long break
 
Jackie O could - and should - have carried that show alone.

She really wanted the job and had to convince him because it was a package deal. Ten were willing to take the risk on him because they believed he could bring enough controversy to bump the ratings.

Whether Ten wanted them or not, it was clear K/JO wouldn't be doing another year and - without sharing too many details - that contributed to a failed renewal pitch. It's not entirely on them though, there were other elements in play. It all fell to shit pretty quick.
 
Also, Kyle deserves zero credit for anything. I know for a fact that he contributed nothing behind the scenes. He was not involved the creative or casting at all. He arrived, read his lines on the teleprompter and left. There were weeks he didn't even turn up for rehearsals. It was 100% a paycheck job.
There were weeks when he didn't even turn up for the show itself.

Jackie O was more than capable of hosting solo and I'm still annoyed Ten pulled the plug when so much could have been learned from BB08, and I think a 2009 series hosted solely by Jackie O would have been a significant improvement if the lessons had been learned. In reality though it wouldn't have matched up to what Masterchef got - still baffles me how that was so popular.
 
still think 2006 is the worst cast. worst winner, so many pot plants and showmances, sexual harassers who spent a lot of time talking about why they werenā€™t sexual harassers, and even the ones who were entertaining like michael were entertaining in noxious ways instead of fun ways
 
Think I agree with that - the 2005/2006 cast pretty much blend into one to be honest. 2007 was a bit more interesting.
 
Back
Top