I've been hoping for ages for a series of BB with just normal people in it (good luck with that) but I was wondering: would a series filled with humanitarians and artists and doctors and Buddhists work out.

I'd love to see a show with genuine characters, people with depth that can relate and communicate and work things out. It would be fascinating to see them working and interacting and generally not screeching at each other in every show.

Or would that be totally dreary? I guess, again, it depends on who you get in the house.

The whole premise of the show is based on the creation of conflict .. pleasant reasonable people ( even if they were interesting or amusing pleasant , reasonable people ) would be much harder to antagonise - which for a show with a limited timespan is a 'downside' I guess . Pity really.

I know. I hate the conflict.

There's been SO FEW moments of fun this series. Really. Very very few moments of pure stupidity and mucking about. Janice started, but she's quickly faded into the background.

Producers have been scarred for life due to BB4 hence why they won't ever purposely cast people who are normal and calm. They cast normal people in BB1-BB4, but BB1 it was starting out so people were interested in the characters rather than conflict but they became more interested with Nick. BB2 and certainly BB3 cast normal people too but they made their own storylines and were brilliant, it was BB4 where they ran scared. In the shows of BBLB, Dermot announced in a later doc that he tried to fill time because nothing happened in BB4 and didn't know how to continue the show.

BB5 came along and never turned back.

Just keep American reality "stars"out of it.
Their shows thrive on in your face bitching and fake angst, and they are brought over to "liven up" the British BB.
Even with " normal" UK housemates there will always be conflict, if that is what the producers want, which is just human nature and the winner should be the one who rises above it and is a general "good egg" in spite of what happens.
The false, deliberate setting people against each other just isn't needed, and is so tedious.

AGREED! Why they felt the US inclusion this series was a good idea...

What are the viewing figures like?

They'd end up at each others throats. However, the series on young up and coming talents was one of my favourites.

There's a ratings thread on Page 2 of the main forum.

It has been the lowest ever, BUT the last week has picked up a fair bit and is slowly closing the gap. In fact last night was the highest rated since launch.

To sum up:

Last summer averaged officially 2.13m
This series averaging so far 1.91m (after the first 11 days of officials)

Good people don't want to go on the show.

I don't mind them putting in some arsey types, I quite enjoy watching the odd kick-off, but lately it's been to extremes, such as Hopkins and now the ugly sisters. No thanks