NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Big Brother (UK TV series)

Big Brother is a TV reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large cash prize at the end of the run. It is based on the Big Brother series produced by Endemol. The show's name comes from George Orwell's 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, a dystopia in which Big Brother is the all-seeing leader. Idiot box redirects here. ... Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people over professional actors. ... Channel 4 is a public service television broadcaster in the United Kingdom (see British television). ... Location of different versions of Big Brother Big Brother is a popular reality television format, where, over 15 weeks or so, a number of contestants (typically 12) try to avoid periodic publicly-voted evictions from a communal house and hence win a cash prize. ... The official Endemol logo. ... Eric Arthur Blair (June 25, 1903 â€“ January 21, 1950), much better known by the pen name George Orwell (pronounced ), was a British author and journalist. ... Nineteen Eighty-Four is a political novel which George Orwell wrote in opposition to totalitarianism. ... A dystopia (alternatively, cacotopia[1], kakotopia or anti-utopia) is a fictional society that is the antithesis of utopia. ... Big Brother as portrayed in the BBCs 1954 production of Nineteen Eighty-Four. ...

Main series

The seventh main series began on 18 May 2006 and Davina McCall will be the eviction night host, as she has in all series to date.[1] Big Brother UK series 1 in 2000 was the first season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large... Big Brother UK series 2 in 2001 was the second season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large... Big Brother UK series 3 in 2002 was the third season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large... Big Brother UK series 4 in 2003 was the fourth season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large... Big Brother UK series 5 in 2004 was the fifth season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large... // Big Brother UK series 6 in 2005 was the sixth series of Big Brother in the UK, a TV reality show on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live an isolated existence in a purpose-built house who try to avoid being evicted by public vote, with the... Big Brother UK series 7 in 2006 is the seventh season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live an isolated existence in a purpose-built house who try to avoid being evicted by public vote, with the... May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Davina on the ITV show Dont Try This At Home Davina McCall (born October 16, 1967 in London) is a British television presenter. ...

Nightly updates

Daily updates are narrated by Marcus Bentley. The show is shown Saturday - Thursday at 9pm on Channel 4 with a live eviction night special on Friday nights, beginning at 8.30. Marcus Bentleys 2000 publicity photo Marcus Bentley (born October 4, 1967) is a British actor and voiceover artist. ...

Aspect ratio

Series 1-6 of Big Brother (2000-2006), including the four series of Celebrity Big Brother in between, were some of the very few programmes on mainstream British terrestrial television that were broadcast in the old 4:3 aspect ratio as opposed to the more common 16:9 widescreen format. The reason for this is unclear, but was believed to be because of the size of some of the hidden cameras. However, from Big Brother 7 (2006) the aspect ratio has been switched in favour of the 16:9 format, with Big Brother, and all of its sister shows, broadcasting in widescreen. The aspect ratio of an image is its displayed width divided by its height (usually expressed as x:y). For instance, the aspect ratio of a traditional television screen is 4:3, or 1. ... The inner box (green) is the format used in pre-1952 movies and pre-HDTV television. ...

The house

For the first two series, the house was located in Bow, London near to the Three Mills Studios which housed Davina's interviews and the production crew. After planning permission expired after two main seasons (and the first Celebrity Big Brother), Newham Council ordered the complex to be returned to a natural habitat. [2] Subsequent series have taken place at Elstree Studios, which offers more security than the Bow site (which had a public footpath running alongside the southern border). Even the Elstree site has problems, however: it is close to a residential area, attracting complaints from locals about crowd noise on eviction night. Permission has recently been granted to extend the lease of the house for series 7 and 8 (2006 and 2007 respectively).[3] Bow, historically Stratford-le-Bow [1], is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... Newham Town Hall in East Ham (E6) Arms of Newham London Borough Council Logo on the roadside at sunset The London Borough of Newham is a London borough in East London. ... Historically, the name Elstree Studios refers to any of several film studios that were based in the town of Elstree and Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, England. ...

The tasks

Housemates are regularly set tasks by Big Brother. These vary from a short job for one housemate (often conducted without the other housemates' knowledge) to tasks over several days involving the whole house.

Shorter tasks are generally rewarded with "treats" such as cigarettes or alcohol. The longer ones usually determine the size of the weekly shopping budget. If housemates fail these tasks, they are provided with basic rations only. Tasks often involve an element of performance, dressing up, or artistic endeavour.

In more recent series, some tasks have also rewarded or punished housemates with regard to nominations, such as the now infamous 'Pants of Power'.

Series 3 of Big Brother introduced the "Big Brother : Live Task" programme. Each Saturday at 9.00PM, the housemates would take part in a short task which could change the way they live in the house, one task gave the housemates the chance to remove the bars (rich / poor side divide).

The live tasks were continued in series 4, where winners of the task were treated to special rewards in a hidden 'reward room'. The live tasks were discontinued in the third week of Big Brother 5 to make way for further highlights from the house.

Live

The action from within the house is streamed live over the internet (for a monthly fee). Since the second series Channel 4's sister station E4 has also carried live pictures and audio from the Big Brother house. However the stream had a delay of 15 minutes so that audio and/or pictures can be edited out to comply with TV regulations. An interactive service available to digital viewers allows 24/7 access to the stream, even when E4 is carrying normal programming. In 2005 for Series 6 this service became available and free for 5.1 million viewers who have access to Freeview. During series 2 - 4 the interactive service via digital TV also carried up to 4 separate video streams; 2 containing live footage from the house, both focusing on different groups of people in different areas of the house whilst the others contained highlights from recent house action. Only a single feed appeared from Series 5 onward. Channel 4 is a public service television broadcaster in the United Kingdom (see British television). ... E4 may refer to: E4, the postcode for Chingford. ... E4 may refer to: E4, the postcode for Chingford. ... Freeview logo Freeview is a form of digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom, using the DVB-T standard. ...

Although Channel 4 said that they have scrapped their red button Interactive TV for Big Brother 7, Freeview viewers will be able to watch it for part of the series on a channel replacing More 4+1, and Sky viewers can watch it through the red button. [4]. Subscribers to NTL or Blueyonder UK broadband internet services can also watch the live stream free over the Internet. Interactive television describes any number of efforts to allow viewers to interact with television content as they view. ... More4 is a digital television channel produced by United Kingdom broadcaster Channel 4. ...

Series 7

The seventh series of Big Brother began on Thursday May 18, 2006 at 9pm, and is the first series to begin on a Thursday. Fourteen housemates have entered the house initially. The series will run for 13 weeks, scheduled to end on Friday August 18. The new Big Brother 7 eye was also released to the public on May 2nd, 16 days before the official launch. May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Series 7 will be the first series to allow a random member of the public to enter the house. 100 golden tickets will be placed in Kit-Kat chocolate bars, granting the finder a chance to enter the Big Brother house. The competition began at 10:30pm on May 18 2006, the launch date of Big Brother.[5] Original Kit Kat (USA) Original Kit Kat (USA) The name Kit Kat or Kit Cat originates from Mr Kit (= Christopher) Cat/Kat (= Catling)[1]. The most widely known item named after Kit Kat is the Kit Kat chocolate bar. ...

Sister shows

Big Brother's Little Brother

A second daily show, Big Brother's Little Brother, presented by Dermot O'Leary, shows news, gossip and behind-the-scenes details. During Celebrity Big Brother 4, BBLB was renamed to Big Brother's Little Breakfast as it was in a new 8am timeslot. Big Brother's Little Brother has been moved back to E4 for the seventh series to accomodate Channel 4's successful daytime schedule, Deal or no Deal and The New Paul O'Grady Show. Now the show will air weekdays on E4, live at 7.30pm, although the Sunday lunchtime outing on C4 will remain. Big Brothers Little Brother is a magazine television programme shown on Channel 4 and its sister digital channel E4 during a series of Big Brother in the UK. Commonly known as BBLB, it is presented by Dermot OLeary. ... Big Brothers Little Brother is a magazine television programme shown on Channel 4 and its sister digital channel E4 during a series of Big Brother in the UK. Commonly known as BBLB, it is presented by Dermot OLeary. ... Dermot OLeary Sean Dermot Finton OLeary (born 24 May 1973), better known as Dermot OLeary, is a television and radio presenter. ... Celebrity Big Brother is a British TV reality show shown on Channel Four in which a number of celebrity contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large cash prize being donated to the winners nominated charity... Channel 4 is a public service television broadcaster in the United Kingdom (see British television). ... Deal or No Deal is a television game show format owned by Dutch-based production company Endemol, known for creating such shows as Big Brother. ... The Paul OGrady Show is a British comedy chat show on Channel 4, formerly aired on ITV1. ...

Big Brother's Big Mouth

The fifth series saw the start of a talk show about the happenings in the house called Big Brother's EForum hosted by the irreverant Russell Brand, shown only on digital channel E4 with late-night repeats aired on Channel 4. The sixth series saw EForum renamed and updated to Big Brother's Big Mouth, and now in its seventh series, the show will air at 10pm, Tuesday-Friday, immediatly after the main highlight show on c4, with a mixture of fans of the show and celebrities all airing their sometimes controversial opinions on the show; all mixed together with Brand's unusual, risque humour. Big Brothers Big Mouth is a discussion programme based around the reality television series Big Brother. ... Russell Brand Russell Brand (born June 5, 1975 in Essex, England) is an English comedian best known for hosting the E4 discussion show Big Brothers EFourum, now known as Big Brothers Big Mouth. ... E4 is a British digital television channel launched as a pay-tv companion to Channel 4 on 18 January 2001. ... Big Brothers Big Mouth is a discussion programme based around the reality television series Big Brother. ...

Big Brother's Big Brain

Big Brother's Big Brain is a discussion programme based around the reality television series Big Brother. It will be broadcast on Channel 4 every Monday. Big Brothers Big Brain is a live discussion programme based around the reality television series Big Brother. ...

Nominations Uncut

A show shown only on E4 which covers uncut footage of that week's nominations. During the last series, this show was shown at 7:30pm on Tuesday nights. E4 is a British digital television channel launched as a pay-tv companion to Channel 4 on 18 January 2001. ...

Diary Room Uncut

Similar format to Nominations Uncut, but shows just diary room footage from that week. During the last series, it was shown on E4 at 7:30pm on Thursday nights. In season 7 it is shown at 7:30pm on E4 every Monday E4 is a British digital television channel launched as a pay-tv companion to Channel 4 on 18 January 2001. ...

Special versions

Celebrity Big Brother

There have been four Celebrity Big Brother series featuring well-known names as housemates (apart from the 2006 winner). Celebrity Big Brother is a British TV reality show shown on Channel Four in which a number of celebrity contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large cash prize being donated to the winners nominated charity...

Jack Dee (born September 24, 1962) is a British stand-up comedian known for his sardonic, deadpan style. ... CD cover of second album In Your Own Time Mark Anthony Patrick Owen (born January 27, 1972 in Oldham, Lancashire, England) is a member of the boy band Take That. ... Bez and maracas, freaky dancin at T in the Park. ... Chantelle Houghton Chantelle Houghton (born August 21, 1983 in Essex, England) was the first non-celebrity to feature in the Channel 4 reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother. ...

Teen Big Brother

A special version of Big Brother, featuring eight 18-year-old teenagers, was broadcast in October 2003 on Channel 4 and E4 as Teen Big Brother. Teen Big Brother was a UK spin off of the popular television program Big Brother in which teenagers inhabited the house. ... A separate article is about the punk band called The Adolescents. ...

Unlike all other Big Brother series, Teen Big Brother was pre-recorded and shown some months after the contestants had left the house.

Big Brother Panto

E4 and T4 broadcast the special Big Brother Panto series, bringing together selected members of the various Big Brother series to perform a pantomime of Cinderella during December 2004. The people who took part in the pantomime were: E4 is a British digital television channel launched as a pay-tv companion to Channel 4 on 18 January 2001. ... T4 is a scheduling slot on Channel 4 (UK) from about 9 a. ... The Christmas Pantomime colour lithograph bookcover, 1890 Pantomime Pablo Zibes In Great Britain, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand pantomime (informally, panto) refers to a theatrical genre, usually performed around the Christmas and New Year holiday season. ... Gustave DorÃ©s illustration for Cendrillon For other uses, see Cinderella (disambiguation). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Nick Bateman (born 5 November 1967 in London, England) is a British television personality who found fame as a contestant on the first series of the British version of Big Brother. ... Big Brother is a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large cash prize at the end of the run. ... Publicity still of Jade Goody. ... Kathryn Kitten Pinder was a young lesbian anacharist contestant on the 5th series of Big Brother in 2004. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Trivia

Chantelle Houghton Chantelle Houghton (born August 21, 1983 in Essex, England) was the first non-celebrity to feature in the Channel 4 reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother. ...

Show sponsors

Southern Comfort (sometimes referred to as SoCo) is a flavored [[liqueur] made of peaches produced since 1874, beginning in New Orleans, Louisiana, and moving to Memphis, Tennessee in 1889. ... The O2 plc logo. ... The O2 plc logo. ... The O2 plc logo. ... TalkTalk is the home telecommunications branch of the mobile phone retailer The Carphone Warehouse. ... TalkTalk is the home telecommunications branch of the mobile phone retailer The Carphone Warehouse. ... Logo. ... Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. ... Dubble is a Fairtrade chocolate bar sold in the United Kingdom. ... The O2 plc logo. ... TalkTalk is the home telecommunications branch of the mobile phone retailer The Carphone Warehouse. ... Logo. ...

External link

Categories: Channel 4 television programmes | Big Brother (UK TV series) Big Brother UK series 1 in 2000 was the first season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large... Big Brother UK series 2 in 2001 was the second season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large... Big Brother UK series 3 in 2002 was the third season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large... Big Brother UK series 4 in 2003 was the fourth season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large... Big Brother UK series 5 in 2004 was the fifth season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large... // Big Brother UK series 6 in 2005 was the sixth series of Big Brother in the UK, a TV reality show on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live an isolated existence in a purpose-built house who try to avoid being evicted by public vote, with the... Big Brother UK series 7 in 2006 is the seventh season of Big Brother in the UK, a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live an isolated existence in a purpose-built house who try to avoid being evicted by public vote, with the... Celebrity Big Brother is a British TV reality show shown on Channel Four in which a number of celebrity contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large cash prize being donated to the winners nominated charity... Teen Big Brother was a UK spin off of the popular television program Big Brother in which teenagers inhabited the house. ... Big Brothers Little Brother is a magazine television programme shown on Channel 4 and its sister digital channel E4 during a series of Big Brother in the UK. Commonly known as BBLB, it is presented by Dermot OLeary. ... Big Brothers Big Mouth is a discussion programme based around the reality television series Big Brother. ... Big Brothers Big Brain is a live discussion programme based around the reality television series Big Brother. ...

Contents

Main series GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Nightly updates

Aspect ratio

The house

The tasks

Live

Series 7

Sister shows

Big Brother's Little Brother

Big Brother's Big Mouth

Big Brother's Big Brain

Nominations Uncut

Diary Room Uncut

Special versions

Celebrity Big Brother

Teen Big Brother

Big Brother Panto

Trivia

Show sponsors

External link

Main series