Well, it's now the third series of Big Brother and each of the series is very different from each other. If I were to sum the series up, I would do so in this way:

BB1

Little media playing-up by housemates as they were unaware of the hype surrounding the show after it started.

C4 were inexperienced in running the programme and the housemates constantly broke the rules.

Nasty Nick Bateman was the main attraction of the show because of his careless and funny duplicitiousness.

House was very sparse, creating a 'backs-to-the-wall' type of atmosphere.

Felt very raw and very unedited.

Tasks made to stretch over days to provide housemates with opportunities to interact and discuss new experiences.

Housemates tried to get on, but in the end probably just tolerated each other.

BB2

Huge build-up to it, creating a sense of anticipation for it. People were hoping there would be another Nasty Nick in it - they were let down.

Eleven contestants instead of ten this year. Most people tried to get on with each other - there were no real backstabbers in the house.

House was luxurious - there no was real attempt to provide a sense of deprivation. Housemates were never not in comfort.

Tasks made to stretch over days to provide housemates with opportunities to interact and discuss new experiences.

Housemates tried to get on, and probably achieved it. Only real friction was provided by Stuart's short temper.

Full of TV wannabees playing up to camera, mainly Brian (although I vote for him to win), Stuart (see www.stuarthosking.tv), Dean (that freeking guitar).

BB3

Again there was a sense of anticipation, but the novelty of the format had worn off as anyone who would watch BB already has and it would only really attract the viewers of the previous series.

Twelve contestants this year. An initial attempt was made for the housemates to get on, but they never really achieved it. There is much tension in the house, especially against those who had 'paired'.

Sandy was BB3's Nasty Nick. Instead of pretending to like the contestants he disliked, he just did not interact with them. This created more division than perhaps Nick did after he was found out.

Real sexual tension in the house for the first time.

Tasks last 30 mins max, and no stimulation is provided for housemates - reading literature is not even allowed (save the rule book)

An attempt to create division with the Heaven and Hell format.

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A very rough guide I know, but three very different series.

I probably watch BB to see friction and tension, as I find it far more interesting than seeing the people get along. I found BB2 very dull (I know I am in the minority there) and I did not think BB1 could be bettered.

But perhaps BB3 is the one to prove that theory wrong....

How would you sum up the differences between the series, and what elements do you like and dislike?

I think the key to success of both of the first series was the fact so many of the housemates were entertaining characters. Nick Bateman's shenanagans was not all that clever but it was very very funny to watch. Nick,Caroline, Craig, Sada, Darren, Brian, Narinder, Bubble and Helen these characters were entertaining and worth watching.

I think that, this year, there just arent enough funny and entertaining characters in there. For me Spencer, Alex and Alison are the only ones who really make the grade. The inclusion of the boring, antisocial Sandy raises serious doubts about the selection process.

I was watching the BB1 video the other day and, sad as it is, I felt myself really missing those characters. It's weird but I just don't seem to have 'connected'/got to know this series housemates as well as I did the first, and even second time. There seems to have just been so much interchange this year, people leaving, people coming in, more housemates than usual, etc etc

The first series seemed much more intimate and we got to know the housemates personalities so much more. I still found myself laughing at Anna, the drag scene, etc.

Aww. Oh well

C

I have lost interest in BB3. Any interest I did have was lost last Saturday, when the house was split. The way BB3 encourages artificial conflict takes away the appeal which both BB1 and 2 had in abundance. I simply couldn't care less who is evicted.

I think you've summed it up for me too Leanne.
I don't really *dislike* (except Jonny possibly) any of the HMs, but I also dont *like* any, I really don't care which ones get evicted now. I still watch it, so I know what's going on, but there's no real tension/excitement for me, it's merely "interest".

Especially as it's so obvious thst Spencer will win from the current crop.
Let's hope the new chap can liven things up. (hmm never heard that before...)

cheers

jack

Especially as it's so obvious thst Spencer will win from the current crop

Thats another great thing about the USBB, you just dont know who is gonna win. If you had watched it last year, say the first three weeks and i told you the eventual winner at that point while you were drinking a cup of tea you would probably spat it back out all over me (unintentionally ofcourse).

It was the same thing with Brian last year too after Bubble went.

The winner of BB1 wasn't obvious, even on the last night. In fact, Craig was an outsider until he was involved in the Nick scandal and even after that, he was still nominated by the housemates.

Anna didnt win even after my friend and I copied 200 posters with her eviction number billed to my english teachers copier account and distributed them around town.



"I hate being on TV"

C

I think I enjoyed BB1 the most, mainly 'coz the HM had no idea about how huge it was going to become - their reaction to the crowds on leaving the house was genuine, they weren't constantly playing up to the cameras and they were less guarded in their behaviour - a little less conscious that thousands of people were watching.

There seemed to be far more 'characters', Nicola, Caroline and Nick in particular. In BB3 the selection process seems to have gone pear-shaped. To me Alex and Johnny, and mebbe Adele (still undecided) are the only people with any real charcacter at all and I even find them annoying wannabes at times. Goddess only knows how Jade got past the psychological selectors

I know that everyone has their own 'favourites' in the house, but surely you gotta admit that this lot are a fairly bland bunch

Differences
BB1 - new, exciting, lots of tears, tantrums & conflict, diverse bunch of characters & wider age range - very poor quality web cam, no 24/7 E4
BB2 - not so new but still novelty factor,lots of tears, tantrums & conflict, diverse bunch of characters , fairly wide age rang, increased TV coverage & better web cam as I has broadband
and BRIAN
BB3 - new format, which is not necessarily an improvement, no real characters except perhaps Alex ( Sandy had the potential but not the interest) - boredom, boredom & more boredom so
why am I still addicted? as an eternal optimist, I'm hoping for improvement

i agree that BB3 is lacking that something that makes me want to tune in.

Last year i was watching E4 all the time and Ch4 whenever BB was on. This year i am only watching if nowt better is on.

The housemates they have chosen are trying to copy what has gone before

Kate = MEL
Sandy = Nick
Alex = Brian
Jade = Helen

Are the ones that sand out to me but because we have seen it all before it feels old and boring.


The only new style person that entered the house was Alison she was 100% genuine and wanted to have fun after she left so did all chance of the show being fun.

I think out of the first two, BB2 was definatly better than BB1.
I think there were more characters that stood out, from BB1 the only people that stood out really were Caroline, Nick and Craig.
From BB2 there was Penny, Narinda, Helen, Bubble, Paul and Brian. Plus a lot more seemed to happen through the whole show, starting with Stuart and Penny's arguement, plus Brian and Josh fighting and Helen and Paul becoming a couple.
Where as after Nick left BB1, not much happened.

As for BB3, the people seem not bad, Alison seemed good, but has already gone.
Like her or hate her, Jade is quite a character, Jonny im not so sure about now that Alison has gone.
The devide has really ****ed up this years BB, it's gone downhill this week, although you never know what could happen next.

So id say Big Brother 2 is the best (could be BB3, ill decided later in the series)

but do you not think that 'coz in BB2 & 3 the contestants are so aware of the media/audience attention that was/is being paid to them that it's different to BB1. For me the last two have lacked something that the first had, I can't quite put my finger on it tho' - maybe its novelty value and nothing else, I dunno.

I know what you mean, Diva. The first one had an almost underground cult-like quality - the popularity of the show was gained by word-of-mouth.

BBs 2 and 3 are much more corporatised - they are heavily trailed and promoted. Perhaps we all feel a little over-exposed, because of the coverage of E4. Perhaps one of BB1's appeal is that we were rationed on its exposure.

Yeah, it seemed more 'sparse' (dunno if thats the right word), the house as well was less luxurious too. Thats why treats were more important, they had to work for them. I know what you mean about the 'underground' quality too, it just seemed more exciting to me.

Is it me or does BB3 bare a resemblance to Eastenders? Whereas the first two series have been full of almost, pantomime characters, this one is full of normal, boring people. They are all too similar with no distinctive qualities. They follow each other too much and dont do their own thing. Maybe its because they have the knowledge of who won both series before and what possibly made them win.

when this house is down to a handful of ppl, it's gonna be so dry with no real characters... did BB think about this when they chose their top 12? After all, it's also likely to be the least contoversial, aka the most boring lot, that will stay in. Good things ahead? Well, BB better have some good plans up it's sleeve!

Wouldnt it be good is 'Tim' was actually code for......BRIAN!!! bring Brian back for some controversy