The Big Picture
With a brand new Big Brother spin-off show on the way, another season of Celebrity Big Brother may have been a better route for producers to take. This past summer, Big Brother reached its milestone season 25. With a later-than-usual premiere date, the season lasted through the fall. Now, because of the brand-new spin-off show, Big Brother will be back on air much sooner than fans are used to.
Season 25 came to an end on November 9 when Jag Bains made Big Brother history by becoming the first ever Sikh-Punjabi winner of the show. Additionally, throughout his time inside the famous house, Jag broke the record for the most Power of Veto wins in one season. Originally, Big Brother legend, Janelle Peirzina held the title with five wins during season 7. Then, during season 24, Michael Bruner took over the title when he won six Power of Vetoes. Michael did not hold the title for long as Jag beat his record with seven wins this past season.
After Jag was crowned the winner during the Big Brother finale, longtime host Julie Chen Moonves made a big announcement. She revealed that Big Brother would be returning to television much sooner than fans expected. A brand new, spin-off show, Big Brother Reindeer Games, will air this holiday season. The show will premiere on December 11 and last just two weeks, with three brand-new episodes each week. The cast will consist of nine past Big Brother players who are considered to be legends of the show. One of the returning houseguests will be from season 25.
Although the entire cast has already mastered the Big Brother game, this spin-off show will feature a brand-new version of the hit reality show. The entire competition will be pre-recorded. Therefore, there will be no live feeds for the short season. Additionally, the cast will not actually be living inside the famous house. Although the show will take place there, the cast of legends is allegedly staying in a hotel while filming. Another major difference is that Julie will not be hosting. Instead, three past players will return as “Santa’s Elves” to help guide the players throughout the game. These alums will be season 11 winner Jordan Lloyd as well as season 23’s Derek Xio and Tiffany Mitchell. These three past players will not actually be competing on the show.
Each episode will consist of three holiday-themed competitions all leading up to the “Santa Showdown.” The details of the Santa Showdown are quite vague; however, it is assumed that this will determine which player is eliminated from the game. One player will be eliminated at the end of each episode. The final episode will feature the final four players who will compete for the $100k cash prize. The cast of Big Brother legends has yet to be revealed. It is assumed that their names will not be announced until the days leading up to the premiere.
Contestants must compete against each other for a chance to win $500,000 in a house wired with cameras and microphones, capturing their every move for a TV and Internet audience.
Release Date July 5, 2000
Cast Julie Chen Moonves, Clayton Halsey, Nicole Franzel, George Boswell, Daniele Donato, Janelle Pierzina
Main Genre Reality TV
Genres Reality TV
Rating TV-MA
Seasons 25
Studio CBS
A Celebrity Season of ‘Big Brother’ Would Have Been More Entertaining Than a Holiday Spin-off
Although a brand-new holiday-themed version of Big Brother does sound exciting, another season of Celebrity Big Brother may have been more entertaining. Across social media reactions, it appears that many fans are not actually excited for Big Brother Reindeer Games. The show sounds much too different than a typical season of Big Brother. Unfortunately, because of all the major differences, especially the lack of live feeds, Big Brother Reindeer Games does not sound as appealing as another season of Celebrity Big Brother would have.
Celebrity Big Brother typically airs during the winter months. Similar to the new spin-off show, Celebrity Big Brother is also a shortened version of Big Brother. This is not only because it airs in the winter, but also due to the busy schedules of the celebrities that agree to compete on the show. Aside from the length of the season, the show is nearly identical to a typical season of Big Brother. The celebrities live inside the famous house, cut off from the real world for the entire duration of the game. They compete in the same competitions as the regular season in hopes of winning power and remaining in the house. Most importantly, fans still get to watch their every move on the 24/7 live feeds. This gives them the opportunity to see these celebrities in somewhat of their natural element. From waking up in the morning to going to bed at night, these celebrities are truly in the spotlight while competing on the show.
The celebrity rendition of Big Brother is fun to watch as it takes a group of stars from all different industries and of all different ages outside their element. Many times, these houseguests have a harder time adapting to being cut off from the real world than a regular season’s cast. This adds an extra excitement to the show. Additionally, most of the celebrities who agree to do the show have never actually watched Big Brother. In fact, very few are actually fans of the show. This adds a messiness factor to the game as they all try to navigate through winning and utilizing the game’s powers.
While Celebrity Big Brother is shorter than a usual season, it gives viewers just enough to get them through the long winter until a brand-new season airs in the summer. Typically, a season of Celebrity Big Brother lasts for about one month. Unfortunately, Big Brother Reindeer Games will not be able to do the same as it will only be two weeks long. Despite having a cast of familiar faces, it will still be like watching a completely different show. Viewers, along with the players, will have to learn the new rules and layout of the game in such a short amount of time.
Although a fourth season of Celebrity Big Brother would have been more exciting to see unfold this winter, Big Brother Reindeer Games still has the potential to be fun to watch. While the cast of Big Brother legends has yet to be confirmed, it has been rumored that they will begin filming any day now.
The holiday version of the hit reality show will premiere on Monday, December 11 at 8pm EST on CBS. Past seasons of the show are available to stream on Paramount Plus.
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