The People reports that Big Brother 6 will run for 15 weeks this year, beginning in May.

They report C4 want to extend the show to maximise advertising revenues.

Well, great if it's another BB5. Not so great if it turns out like BB4.

The UK version has always been amongst the shortest, and making it 50% longer would make it amongst the longest version in the World (apart from BB Germany).

However, the average is around 13 weeks - with 12 contestants, but no evictions for the first few weeks.

I do think uping it to 15 weeks would be a big step, 12 to 13 weeks would be best, with the first eviction in week 2 and no more than 3 contestants in the final. The maximum number of housemates IMO should be 13.

Also, I said last year the nightly highlights were too much - and this would be even more the case over 15 weeks.

I'd prefer 48 hour highlights on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday in hour-long shows, with the live eviction in an hour-long show on Fridays.

That would be brilliant! I've always wanted them to extend the program because 9 or 10 weeks just flys by (if it's a good series) The only downside is that we have to put up with the unpopular housemates for even longer than usual. Also, I just wish they would have more housemates than 12, A number like 15 would be better.

yikes that would be awful!! I dunno how the ohsuemates would cope in there for that amnount of time! And its bad enough being hooked on bb for 10 weeks nevermind 15!

Running a 15 week Big Brother is a big risk if it turns out to be dull and boring as BB4. It would be a huge ratings loser if it turns out to be like this.

like I said on the other thread it's too long.10 weeks this year was too long. You'll need at least 18 housemates to make this work.Weekly evictions have to be part of the show

I agree, it is too long and if this rumour turns out to be true. I might just give BB a miss this year and just read this forum instead.

This forum was more entertaining than the programme for long periods this year.It really added to the enjoyment for me

15 weeks with no evictions for 2 weeks would appeal to me.. challenges during the first two weeks to generate viewers with penalties etc.

agreee with you there if theres no eviction they need something to replace it for the first 2 weeks or they need more house mates so they can have evictions as normal

Or more normal housemates, I thought BB5 was as dire as BB4 for different reasons, it went from dullBB to OTT BB. Can we just have regular people with a blinkin good sense of humour not a load of stereotypes.

agree with that as well

bb5 was way over the top and emabarassing to watch at times(Marco )

I think its a shame if the producers think we want more of the same. I know contestants are more aware now of what goes on, but they could not control the housemates last year so lets hope they select contestants that can entertain us with natural talents.

Oh and no rules during the two weeks of no evictions

I don't think it was the fact that they couldn't control the HM's, it is a fact that they designed the series (and the house) to create conflict and sex.....and it went a bit Frankenstein.

Be great if its another BB5 like show, I'm sure 15 weeks is a bit of a gamble for Channel 4 though.

Lawdy Lord! What are my house and garden going to look like if I'm glued to BB6 for FIFTEEN weeks this year.....

May and June are a bit cold and wet? Huddled indoors for weeks?

15 weeks would be a challenge - you couldn't keep ashow going with an obvious winner like Brian or Nadia for 15 weeks. You would have to havea real competition with twists and people who wouldn't go funny after 7 weeks. That would be really odd as if you look at BB1-5 a lot of the people who made it to the last 4 looked like people who couldn't have stayed there much longer. Brian, Alex, Jade, Helen, Nadia, Jason and Ray might really strugglewith 15 weeks. Kate and Anna would be Ok but many other The people who looked like they could stay longer like Dan, Shell, Elizabeth or Dean might not be obvious BB winners. If the winners didn't stay and the people who would not normally win were left you would have a very strange ending.

I know, my boss will have to my internet at work cut off lol

Id imagine the bosses though have thought this through and will back up the extension of BB from 10 to 15 weeks, with some good twists, extra housemates and good tasks. I really like the idea of two houses which was done in Australia I think.

Big Brother 5 was Evil and it was one of their biggest hits, I'd imagine BB6 could be a mixture of different themes, rather than just one. Evil Big Brother was great though. The same with Big Brother 3, the introduction of the Bars was a kind of evil twist and that produced a brilliant year. I think if you get the right mix of housemates and a good theme you're laughing.

I personally hate watching Big Brother week after week and they're all having a little holiday in there and sleeping til 3 in the afternoon. I hope Big Brother keeps their strict rules this year and their one bedroom, rather than splitting them back into two. Its nice to see relationships and friendships form but its also nice to see some conflict, otherwise its just dull.

If they're gonna do this, keep the 20 and evict each week, it keeps people focused. if it's every two weeks, people will get confused, etc.

20 housemates? wow, that would be rather difficult to watch though at first. When they all enter the house on the first week, its a bit hard to watch live as they're all talking at once, 20 housemates would be a right racket, which I think having two houses would be a good idea.

The absolute maximum number of housemates IMO is 13, as in the US (although the secret twin made it 14 this year!). There version, although with different rules, has no eviction in week 1, and usually ends up with one week without an eviction midway through, which is a good idea IMO as it gives the HMs a break from the game and the chance to switch off - and therefore the viewers the chance to see what they are really like.

As many others on here have said, 15 weeks could be a very good or immensely bad thing depending on the mix of housemates.

However a longer BB could perhaps give us more of a chance to evaluate the contestants, and it would be harder for 'bandwagons' to start rolling. For example, if the same thing with Nadia happened a few weeks into a 15 week BB, there would be no guarantee that in a few weeks or so with more character development that 'craze' would still be going - it could have petered out by then.

15 weeks would also make it harder for the producers to edit contestants in particular ways, which I'm all for.

i bet they would ,make it the ultimate big brother with lots of twists and so on, also i reckon they should do a secret twin thing or 2 houses.

They seem to enjoy messing with the formula each year - instead of learning it the HMs themselves that make or break a show.

I did love watching BB5 but hated the messing around with evictions. For a start it gave some HMs a unfair advantage (Michelle when they had the bedsit for one) and made me resent the fact that they changed 'you decide' to we mess with your voted but take your money anyway. As a consequence I voted a lot less as it did not seem to matter.

I think a 10 week, good quality, unmessed with programme with HMs that we find interesting and annoying is what would amke o great BB this year.

Constantly trying to squeeze every penny out of us is a big turn off.

Oh and I really hope we can do without the sad
"txt msg to mi fmly and bf, stu 2 win, hez so fit" crap next time!!

Ten weeks was almost overkill for me last year, the idea of fifteen weeks puts me off altogether.