They ask 'what went wrong?' with BB4 and why has it turned into the disaster it is and they include the comments of a couple of TV critics.All of them agree that the choice of housemates was the key factor......they essentially picked a bunch of bland,middle class people around the same age,all of whom are media savvy,playing the game and trying to win.

As one of them points out,peoiple don't want to see sex,but they do want to see drama,conflict,bust ups,romance etc.A house where boring people get on with each other and who lie around all day talking about the weather was always going to be a catastrophe for BB

I do

Why is Big Brother so dull?

Me too! But it's not an essential ingredient.....the three previous BB's were a success without it

You couldn't post a weblink to it could you?

Or copy and paste the article..?

Of course, I'm joking, but has anyone here got PCTV and teletext and could... Pretty Please.

Sissy, Justine and Tania middle class? Ha! Common as muck!

Thanks again Tamara, our posts clashed.

I really was joking after all... The speedy and attentive possibilites of individuals always astounds me.

It's quite a long article too Papyrus (seven pages) but I think they've hit the nail on the head with their observations

Have a look here http://www.teletext.co.uk/tvplus/

These experts think people don't want to see sex, could they explain why there are so many pay per view sex channels on digital TV then?

I hate people who appoint themselves as experts. It is normally used as a cover for the fact they want to be paid for talking nonsense.

Page 2 of the article goes on to say:

"So what should the makers of BB4 have done to improve it?

1) They should have picked a mix of older and younger people.

2) This year's version desperately needs a Jade or "Nasty" Nick Bateman. Or why not have an ex-lover turn up?

3) The house itself is virtually the same as in previous years. What about a sauna or getting them to do some mud wrestling?"


Please please let them bring in nush's ex boyfriend - the one she allegedly attacked with a screwdriver! Ratings would go through the roof!

Very common but done with a posh accent

I think they mean sex is not a prerequisite,not that people are opposed to sex in BB per se.

They had a lot of nudity.
and PJ & Jade

"They have put in bland, middle-class kids. In the past they had common as muck people such as Jade and the hippy Sada," she says. "And they are too media savvy. They know how it is edited and they won't slag off other people."

Be careful of the ignominy in this article. Sada was not in the least common... and she had a book in the pipeline prior to BB. And whatsmore Sada left within a couple of weeks. She couldn't hack much more and was falling apart at the seams in there.

If the HMs "won't slag off other people" then what are they doing now, legitamately or not... And media-savvy Lisa has confronted BB with this mentality since she entered...

Just be wary.

Indeed they had (and with Kate too) but sex on screen would be a different matter altogether.

Agreed!

Both of these reports were nothing less or nothing more than standard and perfunctory...

But you can't argue with the basic tenet of the article that BB4 has been a complete disaster Papyrus.Everyone seems agreed on this,even the pople on these forums.

Sissy - Scouse
Justine - Edgware Road (market end)
Tania - Essex

Posh? Who?

So being middle class is now another justification for non entry into the BB house

Stuck up media types again making our decisions. Maybe, just maybe if TV production execs. left the Groucho bar for ten minutes and actually thought about the general public, who pay for the White Russians in the Met Bar, we wouldn't have had the almighty b***s up we have had this year.

Don't get me wrong I agree that BB4 has been boring, but critcising peoples backgrounds and upbringing is pretty rich. Tania Baker, wowee, really has the reading of the pulse of the nation, what the h**l has she ever done in the real world? Her little world is like an edition of Hello! Her opinion is probably the last person in the world I wish to hear........... Oh and A A Gill as well...................... and Jeremy Clarkson.......................... probably Gary Bushell................ and John Pilger (should I stop now?)

You're right I am not entirely happy with the way there has been a downtrend since Jon and Fed etc left and I am fully aware of the ethos of the consensual majority.

I argued at the beginning of BB4 about the format and programme being so diluted nowadays that it is really hard to magically create a spontaneous success... Emulating past BB's successfully is a tricky measure. For many varied reasons. Boredom playing a large part.

I do agree in part, that the mixture of the people is fundamental to any requisite BB success but do not solely hold them accountable for the current apathy. Also, I do not hold the producers whole-heartedly responsible either.

There are a myriad of combining factors that have led to this apparent demise. And earlier on the FA2 forum I sent out a message to the Producers at Endemol/BBC, warning them that personality choice is 'key' for that programme based on what I've read here...

There is a principle in Psychology that is called the primacy/receny principle and therein I could construe that regular watchers of BB would and could easily be bored by following BBs.

However, I know there are many newly converted viewers that are also feeling mired in the apparent dissolution of BB.

I won't categorically state that BB has been a 'complete disaster' because the notion of Reality TV lies exactly in those words. If someone ever tells you that 'reality TV' isn't reality; then explain that it's very similar to real reality in as much as you create your own.

...And maybe that's part of the problem there, the remaining HMs have created for themselves a distorted vision of even their own reality.

Categorically, all I will say in BBs defence at this time, is that I hope BB5 satiates the viewing public alike yesteryear.

And that's the most balanced view I can offer after being up for over 24 hours...

...I commented in this thread because it interested me and not because I wanted to over-rule your actual comments in any way...

Not that I thought you would think that...

Just to punctuate the point!


Oi, cheeky!

But of course these HMs are media savvy! With the amount of coverage and publicity previous the show has received and the treatment of HMs in the media, particularly with last year's show, what on earth were people expecting? I don't quite understand that particular criticism to be honest.

I may be a lone voice but I'm quite enjoying this series of Big Brother. I'm not going to deny that I thought it was dull as dishwater early on, particularly after the eviction of Anouska, and I was convinced the show was going to be a wash-out after Fed was evicted (I didn't mind Jon going as I didn't particularly like him anyway) But I find myself disliking the HMs that I thought were interesting and have now been evicted, and growing quite fond of the remaning HMs. Watching Jon, Fed, Anouska, Justine and Tania these past few weeks and I can't see why I ever thought any of them was worth the bother. Last year I found it very hard to like any of the contestants and while it was exciting to watch, I disliked every single person in BB3 This year is a pleasant change as I quite like the remaining HMs |(with the exeception of Ray!) the Lisa bashing not withstanding.

Besides, we've had the conflict, the bitching, the teasing signs of romance, the tears and tantrums... it's just not as full-blown as it was in the highly volatile BB3.