Ah nostalgia. I think I've got to that age where I don't want to move forward anymore, the past is so much nicer. It's definitely like another bloody country!

Which meant the power and the group dynamic in the house were constantly shifting. Forcing HM together caused relationships and rapport to be forged between individuals who were not perhaps in the same clique. And of course stresses and strains woudl show up in other groups. It made for a far motre interesting sert up to observe. Now its just a game show puire and simple and it seems with a relatively pre-determined winner.

Yes, with a hell of a lot of gratuitous sexuality, nudity and sex talk. That's not accidental.

even the idiots were nicer, Helen says a brilliantly stupid thing in that launch show, Amma says she works as a table dancer and Helen replies "oh, I teach dancing"

Bless. "I like blinkin', I do".

One of the best things about Brian getting the push from BB is that Narinder never appears on SOTS any more. As far as panellists go she was almost as bad as Katona for shouting the odds and interrupting other guests

Katona. *Shudders*. She hurts my eyes and ears.

Great housemate.

Awful presenter.

true, though I think Rylan will be awfuller

Aah I still love Brian. If he ever did appear in the Ultimate Ultimate I'd not only start watching but voting for him again just to make a point to the dumbed down producers.

I don't see why a long task wouldn't be engaging if it was well thought through and had proper consequences for failing.

It was a simpler time

Some VT of their actual lives, their personalities, their home life, who they are.

It's a world away from a scripted studio interview "Yeah, I'm gonna cause some drama, I don't take prisoners, if people want an argument I'll give it and I like f**king too."
That seems to be the MO for the past few years anyway.

I thought it was funny how they made it seem like a maximum security prison 'doing a last minute sweep for listening devices'

Also Bubble saying 'this is reem, this is reem, this is reem' few years ahead of Mr Essex.

I think it's what they want that matters.

Bakeoff is wonderfully gentle and you get to know the people and it's fascinating. I love all the shows which show people demonstrating or learning something, it's a great way to get to know them.

I sometimes think that BB helped promote THAT sort of interest and these sorts of shows.

Sadly though, it's always had that seedy side, and now it's gone hopelessly sleazy and the demographic has shifted and narrowed.

Most that watch BB aren't those that watch Bake off now.

But there is ALWAYS a market for the gentler reality shows, because it's fascinating.

BB just doesn't do it now, but because in some important way, it was seminal, we want it to HAVE that quality, at least in part.

BB doesn't want to have it or be it, anymore. It's positioned itself very differently.

In the gutter.

The drama, arguments, animosity and showmances are more important than the people and their personalities.

It will soon be a fully contrived show pandering to people with limited understanding and attention spans.

Exactly.

It's nearly there, it's just the die hard fans that are sometimes in the way.

good drama needs to build slowly, then when it comes it is truly dramatic, in BB2 we had to wait quite a while, then we had the Amma/Stuart row and Brian screaming about Josh, and I never forget that night

Agreed An ,I loved the early BBs and the days long Tasks ,Arguing over the shopping Lists ,the normal Conversations etc and of course the 24/7 LF ..Brian still remains one of my all time Favourite HMs and Voting for him in the BB2 Final was the last time I ever Voted on BB

Now like you say it's just a game show pure and Simple ,with a lot of ''scripted'' Scenes a-la TOWIE

Brian made me LOL every night without fail, now I am lucky to get a LOL a fortnight

Brian was funny in a natural and not forced and "look at me, folks" way. Gone are the days!
Everyone is aware of the ins and outs of the show, and it's not fresh anymore.

Brian would agree, he was a part of a show that attracted viewing figures in the millions, I doubt him and Davina would touch it with a barge pole now.

II don't think we're in the way anymore, the new style BB has barged past us without so much as a backward glance.

Most of the tasks were fun and tested them, now all the producers want are tasks that cause conflict and bad feelings.

Or try to make them throw up

I'd love that. Not that I want Marcus to leave but hearing Brian would be good. Though he might see it as a huge step down, even an insult (and we dont mean it that way).

Love Brian... he will always be number one housemate for me. But as much as he gave it a good go... he just was not cut out for the main presenting role. He did not have the experience or the training. Emma did have it all and really should have been given the main role from day one with perhaps Brian put in the Rylan role. ..... She does a great job with what she is given. Trouble is .... the producers have run the show into the ground in recent years and it's nothing more now than a cheap porn fest.