It's a big possibility that this will be a waste of time, and the death of BB, but on the other side of things, a big change could well be the reinvention of Big Brother. Who really knows?

I guess no one really knows what is going to happen until all the HM's go into the house.

You're right - it's a bit like going into the unknown.

Darn it, I think I just posted almost exactly the same point without noticing this thread I agree, it smacks of throwing the vehicle into reverse when all it needed was a little nudge to the side, or something like that.

But sometimes you need to go backwards to go forward

Paula Abdul sang that once... "One step forward, two steps back!"

The ratings (and me) don't agree with you. BB2 had lower ratings than the first series, while BB3, the most radically different so far, had easily the highest ratings of all BB.

While alot of it depends on the people, the show needs a strong format that innovates every year. At first people watched BB because it was our first opportunity to be voyeurs as a nation, but now a show airs every other week which offers uncut streaming of people living together.

What Big Brother needs more than ever is to strengthen it's format. The fundamentals such as no outside contact and the public voting should not be removed, but everything else needs to develop.

From what was in the People today, don't read to much into it. The changes so far affect one night a week and these "punishments" will essentially be much tougher reward challenges. I'd much rather see a housemate humiliated by being a dog for a day to win a reward rather than them playing Charades or drawing straws.

The week area of BB4 especially was the task - certainly the live Saturday challenges. This year they will be tougher, Evil in fact, and that will make for better viewing.

What u say is true Pete, they have to try hard this year after last year being absolutely tragic, simple as that.

I wish they would realise that the only thing that matters is the housemate choices..... FULL STOP.... and all the structural changes to the house and the "evil" theme this year are secondary to that. I was looking back at the DVDs for series one and two...virtually no gimics at all.... which left us to thoroughly enjoy what we were supposed to enjoy.. observing PEOPLE! Series three did have its rich side/poor side element, but it was the housemate choices that year that made it probably the best BB yet. Now there was a movie that was cast to perfection !!!! The only thing wrong with BB4 was the housemate choice.... thereby virtually guaranteeing the entire series would be a total disaster. Here's hoping the only decision that matters will be right this year.

I couldnt agree more. HM's are the most important to the show, get them right and the rest is just icing on the cake. BB2 & 3 were great and I really want BB5 to be as good!

Personally I don't. It seems to me in bad taste, especially in light of the recent Iraq prisoner abuse outrage.

That notwithstanding, it's rather tacky to say the least. The People illustrated it with an S&M depiction, which is the imagery it conjures up (besides Abu Ghraib).

As for the other rumours (if they are to be believed);

"Kill and skin a turkey for barbecue" -- rather ironic, given BB refused Alex's request re the chickens in BB3.

"Lick whipped cream from the private parts of naked HMs of either sex"
"Strip off and cover themselves with painful bulldog clips"
-- If I wanted to watch this kind of thing for cheap thrills I would rent a porn video. I hope BB5 is not going to be a televised ten week-long college hazing or 18-30 holiday. That was one of the things I disliked about Jonny and Alison in BB3. I bet they must wish they were in BB5.

I hope these rumours aren't true. Must buy more salt.

OK... I agree they are trying a bit too hard this year... however I also agree they have to... BUT its a big BUT

I hope some of the rumors arent true like the couple thing... seems too desperate for sex... if Sex does actually happen it would be better if it was not planned people might think the couple were paid for that and could end Big Bro as people would turn against it..

and all this evil thing I HOPE THEY DONT GO TOO FAR.........

AND HOPE THEY DONT CHANGE NOMINATIONS AND EVICTION TOO MUCH...Because they say they will make it easier to get rid of bores it could mean you just vote on all of them with no nominations on their part.... which would not be as fun.. as there wouldn1t be those evil ones who we love to hate left in the house like ADELE as we would just vote them out straight away or like JADE we would vote her off the moment she got nasty and wouldnt have seen her kebab and all her chipsticks and mingin comments as well as her turn around...

Re -
I can sense BB5 being a big dissapoitment, with all the changes they will impliment. Hopefully i'll be wrong


I get the same feeling as well I read that they quite a few
on stand by, if true would indicate expected walk outs.
Another thing if the house is smallish it doesn`t give
people the scope to have a proper talk about other
housemates.
I wish they had left the big brother house alone the decor
alone does not create a (romantic) or relaxing
atmosphere.

I'm not alone!!! I thought i was the only one. That was one of my thoughts, could we see a barrage of walk-outs this year because of this 'evil' gimmick?

And i am another not hoping for these ridiculous punishments of acting like a dog for 24hrs, c'mon!!!

In BB, if the cast is good, the show is sorted, then they can do whatever they want with the show. All you need is a good cast, but if you have a bad one, enforcing numerous twists and new gimmicks won't help.

I am hoping to be proved wrong though, i am hoping for a good cast, and for the producers to go with the flow, and not go OTT with the show.

Thanks
Pete

I agree that they are trying hard this year. With so-called gimmicks before we start. There has to at least be some pre-show hype/build up/advertising whatever... And for me, it's all got the 'feel-good' factor at the moment.

Last year it was 'back to basics' as per BB1 and this year it's 'back to evil' as per the most-successful and profitable BB3... Nothing new there then.

Read into that what you will.

I totally agree. As Clinton might say... It's the personalities, stupid!