Well Tam, it is a shame nobody thought to point that out to the likes of Kate last year, they seemed unable to cope with the idea of leaving any in a bottle.

However, to go back to Matt's question, I think it is probably a case of BB no longer providing the housemates with enough to do. Back in BB2 where the tasks were designed to get them working as a team and were more involved than 2 minute wonders, the housemates didn't seem to need to be plastered to be enjoyable to watch. BB3 showed a few glimses of this (the egg and spoon obsticle course, etc.,) but BB4 seemed to have totally lost the plot again. The only task which seemed to bring back this sense of fun for me was the horsejumping one this year. Add to that the IMO very poor selection of contestants and it is no wonder so many of us saw it as a flop. I don't think even unlimited booze would have livened this year's lot up.

BB will never ever again have the impact that BB3 especially had. because everyone saw how some of the housemates got treated and the abused by the public and the media . Its not surprising that this years lot were scared stiff to do anything slightly interesting.
The fact that the most interesting person this year was interesting precisly because he was 'boring', speaks volumes.
nope,,it wasnt the people this year, its the public reaction to any sort of behaviour that actually makes interesting tv.
the paranoia about being booed, the endless personal insults..
nope...the public killed the golden goose imo.

I think that both Edna's and Guitarman's posts are very incisive. Drink doesn't necessarily make dull people funny, or even funny people funnier - and at times drink made people in both BB3 and BB4 just plain embarrassing. I was indifferent about Stef all the way through, but felt that with the benefit of hindsight and the real world, she will have deeply regretted the fact that TV viewers knew that she had copiously redecorated the bathroom with technicolour vomit. Kate's excesses were, on one occasion, rather disturbing, and certainly did not make for good television.
One of my all time favourite times from the BB series was a long, extremely funny account by Spencer (not my favourite, by the way), of his cars. It took place in the early hours, and his dry sense of humour was wonderful. Also numerous Alex and Jon one liners stemmed not from drink, but from their personalities. In contrast, the falling over jeans/off a couch incidents didn't amuse me at all.
Guitarman summed it up - after BB3, the contestants were frightened of being natural, and the producers, having had the 'success' of Jade, tried to attract viewers by the most downmarket form of editing and gimicks. I agree; we did kill the golden goose. Heaven knows what sort of strange disfunctional misfits they will thow at us next year in an attempt to recapture the glory days.
It is said that a zebra is a horse designed by a committee. A winning housemate designed by a committee of Endemol producers for next year's show is a frightening thought indeed.

I thought Stef was a funny drunk, tho I was a bit worried about how much spirits she had had It was funny seeing her lobbing potatoes, and the "its not good, is it?" moments.

I would let them have alcohol but not spirits.

"Let them eat cake"

Excellent points. A lot will be riding on BB5, but methinks it's just a case of hammering the nails into the coffin now.

[QUOTE
It is said that a zebra is a horse designed by a committee. A winning housemate designed by a committee of Endemol producers for next year's show is a frightening thought indeed. [/b][/quote]

I thought that was this year's winner

cameronistas?