Are we ready yet for the first officially unofficial Post Mortem on BB4?

Many views and opinions have been expressed and discussions taken place on many threads over the past several weeks....

Things seems to have gone very quiet very quickly, especially compared to the aftermath of BB3..... where the discussions were still lively right up to the start of BB4.

With the dubious benefit of hindsight and a slight cooling off period.... is it possible to take a clear-eyed review of the 'show' that was BB4?

So....

Did you watch it?

How much of it did you watch?

Why did you watch it?

Did it meet your expectations?

What about it was good/bad for you?

Your views on..... individual hms..... the tasks..... the challenges..... the 'gimmicks'..... BBLB...... RI:SE coverage... Dermot's role... Davina's role... Tabloid/media coverage... Endemol.... Channel 4.... the DVD/Video....

.....................................

Because at times the forum was so busy and confusing I got a bit lost ..... ......

Anyone still out there feel the need for a post mortem?

I definitely feel the need for a post mortem on BB4. I don't have time to post at length right now, but I will be back tomorrow to post a detailed response.

Out of respect Pedantic, and I'm sure you don't need it, I'm bumping this thread...

I've been away for a while and have no idea whether this subject has been covered for BB4 yet..? I'm surprised that no-one replied but then the subject is a bit of an animal. Maybe the lack of replies is simply that people are busy doing other things or it could indicate that people aren't too bothered about the aftermath of BB4, as in previous years. It could simply be that a requisite effort is required to formulate some post BB analysis... something that I've not applied recently.

Maybe we are all resting in the BB4 aftermath and recharging our drained batteries...

This is what I think anyway:-
With respect to the winner of BB4 etc and how the show played out.., whatever!

I've not seen many ex BB4 contestants in the newspapers or guesting on other TV programs. I know that many HMs have returned to their homelives, or others are on holiday and that a few have been to recent premieres etc, even with BB3 HMs! But seriously everything has gone quite limp for me now. I'm usually someone who is actually quite interested to see what transpires for the HMs post BB but without any positive media back-up these individuals will easily disappear again into a life of relative obscurity...

...until BB5 that is!

Indiscriminately this year, certain factions of the media don't want these 'liggers' clinging on to any lasting tether of Z list potential. Returning to obscurity is seen as a beneficial course of action for all. I hope this doesn't become the media's raison d'etre. All HMs are not wannabes. And increasingly there are furthermore contractual media obligations for the HMs to fulfil every year. Theoretically, HMs should have more media coverage than at present. I'm also aware of the Diaries programme on E4...

HMs are the ones stuck in the middle of this apparent impasse. When BB was first trailed it was supplicated with the notion of fame and fortune. Now it seems to be a heinous crime to expect fame etc... It's all juxtaposed now. BB is in no man's land. It needs shaking up and more support is needed from producers etc to promote the ex HMs if that's what they really want for them...

No wonder we don't get truth and honesty anymore from the HMs when they enter into the BB house.

The media will create the tapestry for BB, proliferate it and then set it in stone.

Where do we go from here?

Someone beat me to it.


Oh btw, my original comments only scratch the surface of the BB iceberg.

I posted this on another thread a few weeks ago and I feel it's still an appropriate assessment of BB4.

Undeniably the most schizoid BB of the lot and almost a natural end to the "franchise", having eventually stretched the credibility of the format to breaking point.

Initially the low-key feel of BB4 was like a breath of fresh air - a much more intelligent and seemingly likeable group of contestants and a generally laidback, chilled ambience to the house. Sadly, an initial reactionary cry of "BB4 is boring" from BB3 fans has set off a calamitous chain reaction prompting the producers to lose faith in their renewed commitment for a more "back to basics" feel to the show.

Hence increasingly bizarre gimmicks are crudely bolted onto an allegedly "dead in the water" series which would have found its niche had they had the balls to leave it to develop of its own accord. These "innovations" - double eviction, pan-continental housemate exchanges and a new housemate brought in for no good reason - ironically alienate the fans and bring BB's popularity crashing down.

The undeniable saving grace of BB4 was the replay of the "viewer-friendly" BB2 with the rising star of Jon Tickle and the psychological fervour of BB1 where masks subtly dropped despite the presence of more self-aware, media-savvy contestants. As they become increasingly immersed in their own bubble-like environment, the remaining clique were revealed to be possibly the most banal, conceited and utterly charmless set of housemates ever.

And the mask has finally dropped for Endemol and Channel 4 too, irrefutably revealing them to nothing more than cynical, avaricious, bean counting, dodgy sales people flogging a used vehicle, worn out and well past its MOT.

On the point of newspaper coverage, Jon Tickle refused to sell his story to the tabloids, arguing that it wasn't worth £7000 to have a load of lies printed about you. Consequently the tabloids have resolutely avoided giving him any coverage except the occasional reference to Tickle the Geek. As he was the undoubted star of BB4 they have missed out. We've been stuck with the stereotypical "are they or aren't they?" stories about Scott & Nush and speculation about Cameron's sexuality, sex being the only thing the tabloids are interested in regarding BB.

As revealed elsewhere, Jon has now secured a TV deal but it does appear that most of the others will deservedly slip back into obscurity.

Superb observations!
Yes BB1 was a landmark, a 24/7 obsevation of incarcerated humans.
Not now though is it? It's 24/7 observation of Endemols swelling bank account and C4's dwindling terrestrial coverage in favour of best-buy-best-bits DVD.
That saddens me as I loved BB1 and in fact the whole concept. They have not only killed the golden goose but got Bern*rd Mathews to serve it up to us as well.

So you're saying it was foul then????

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

Caz

My previous BB experience....

I dipped in and out of BB1 and BB2 without too much involvement.... I wanted Anna to win BB1 and Brian to win BB2... By the time BB3 arrived I had access to E4 and decided to try and find out what all the fuss was about... I became hooked and by the end was emotionally committed to Alex...

The 'success' of BB3 generated enormous interest in BB4. The media and public were hyped up to the max by the pre-show Publicity... the anticpation was almost electric... however, I personally had very mixed feelings....

To me the success of the show depends largely on the hms and getting the right mix.... Until I saw the whites of their eyes and the cut of their jib... I remained sceptical....

And so it began... with a large, anticipatory audience...

I was not impressed by the decor and layout of the house. I was put off by the clinical space-age design and god-awful colour schemes..... I thought it provided a claustrophobic environment.... especially in the bedrooms..... The garden was fine... particularly the sun-trap area....

My immediate and very first impressions of the hms.....

Positive.... Steph, Justine, Cam, Lisa
Negative.... Ray, Anoushka, Fed
Indifferent.... Sissy, Nush, Tania, Gos, Jon, Scott

24 hours later.....

Positive.... Steph, Justine, Cameron, Jon
Negative.... Ray, Anoushka, Fed, Nush, Sissy, Lisa
Indifferent.... Tania, Gos, Scott

1 week later....

Positive..... Jon
Negative..... Ray, Anoushka, Fed, Nush, Tania, Gos, Sissy
Indifferent.... Steph, Justine, Cameron, Scott, Lisa

By the end of the Show...

Positive.... Jon, Fed, Lisa
Negative.... Cameron, Ray, Justine, Steph, Tania
Indifferent..... Scott, Gos, Sissy, Nush, Anoushka

More anon.....

First night

Positive - Cameron (!), Justine (!), Nush, Scott, Steph.
Negative - Anouska, Federico, Sissy.
Indifferent - Gos, Jon (!), Ray, Tania.

Weeks one-two

Positive - Anouska, Cameron, Jon, Scott, Sissy, Steph.
Negative - Federico, Gos, Justine.
Indifferent - Nush, Ray, Tania.

Weeks three-four

Positive - Anouska, Federico, Jon, Scott, Sissy.
Negative - Cameron, Gos, Justine, Nush, Ray.
Indifferent - Steph, Tania.

Weeks five-six

Positive - Anouska, Federico, Gaetano, Jon, Sissy.
Negative - Cameron, Gos, Justine, Nush, Ray, Scott, Steph.
Indifferent - Lisa, Tania.

Weeks seven-nine & post BB4

Positive - Federico, Jon, Lisa, Sissy.
Negative - Anouska, Cameron, Gos, Justine, Ray, Steph.
Indifferent - Nush, Scott, Tania.

Having watched the BB2 Video.

Simply get people in that are themselves (like Jon and Fed) and make the house smaller. It seemed to be HUGE compared to the BB2 one.

I watched avidly from the first night until the double evictions, then I tailed off in protest, started watching a bit more once Lisa went in (hoping she'd give the Shabby Crew a hard time) and then started watching avidly again once Jon went back in.

I watched it because I love BB and didn't get a chance to watch as much as I'd have liked last year because of long working hours.

It didn't really meet my expectations. I was hoping we'd have something more like BB1 or BB2. I was a bit disturbed by the manipulation of the housemates last year by Endemol - especially Jade, so I thought with the 'back to basics' announcement that Endemol would stop fiddling so much with what was going on and let things develop by themselves.

First night:

Positive.....Federico, Justine (!), Tania, Sissy, Cameron (!)

Indifferent....Jon (!), Scott, Gos, Nush.

Hated......Anouska, Ray, Stephanie.

Towards the end:

Positive....Federico, Jon, Lisa.

Indifferent.....Scott, Gos, Nush, Ray, Tania, Sissy.

Hated.....Anouska, Stephanie, Cameron.

The tasks were dull and didn't provide any interesting viewing. That goes for the tasks for the weekly budget and the reward room. The only two tasks that stick in my mind as being remotely interesting were the tug of war and the charades (thanks to Federico on that one).

Davina done as good a job as ever - I think people criticised her more this year since she's the very public face of the show, rather than for her own performance.

BBLB was awful I'm afraid. It fitted too much in and ended up concentrating on nothing.

Tabloid coverage was just the same as usual, although I think they've learned a slight lesson from the Jade-bashing last year.

Endemol tried to play us for fools though - and that's my major gripe about the programme. I'd like to say the biased editing and blatant fixing of the result was a one-off, but from what I've seen on the message forums about last year's show, I'm not holding out any great hopes.

If the concept is to survive we don't really need to worry about gimmicks or house design. Instead Endemol need to give out tasks that will get the housemates working together (or arguing) and hand out tasks that will force the housemates to reveal a bit more about themselves early on in the show.

Most importantly they have to stop fiddling with the eviction process. Let the public see the real personalities of the housemates and let us make up our own minds. That way even if a housemate I dislike wins, I can live with it.

If there was one design change I'd suggest it would be to have three bedrooms. It would go some way to stopping a boys/girls split so early on in the show. Oh, and please, please, please drop the campaigns to get housemates having sex together. There's plenty of channels to cater for that sort of thing if it's what people want to see.

All very true. I was watching the BB1 DVD last night, and it looks so stark and primitive compared to later years. It was raw and brilliant. I would argue that BB2 simultaneously refined the formula and also degraded it. BB2 was an enjoyable show, but it was more personality-centred and glossy-looking which rather went against the original "warts'n'all" concept.

My post-mortem assessment of the "franchise" would be BB1 was "the best" due to its purity of form. Then BB2 and sadly both BB3 and BB4 (despite Jon's best efforts) were vastly inferior, although BB4 was *initially* the closest we got back to BB1.

Absolutely. I intended to stop watching after the double eviction because there was no-one left in the house who really interested me. Then Gaetano came in and then Lisa, so I basically kept watching. Jon's return ("Evening!") was a classic moment even though it was inherently an admission of defeat by Endemol/Channel 4.

First night... Thought Jon, having been nominated, was a cert for eviction. Anouska started to irritate, couldn't believe no one nominated Sissy for that grating voice.

Grew to loathe Justine

Jon & Federico grew on me more & more.

End of Week 4 devastated when they both when, stopped watching all but BBLB.

End of Week 7 Jon's return... brilliant television, started watching again.

Overall..............................

Positive:

Jon & Federico... Great entertainment in and out of the house.
Gos & Nush... came across very well outside the house, indifferent inside the house.
Steph... Not entertaining but lovely.

Indifferent: Can't be bothered to type their names.

Negative:

Anouska... Appalling wanabee
Justine... Appalling wanabee without Anouska's looks.

Special Award for Best Actor: Cameron

Sorry Victoria... and who exactly are you? Oh sorry, I forgot that you have ultimate exclusivity on anything in life... Your oh so obvious omnipotence is BORING now!:yawn:

Please remember Victoria that your articles do not predicate with any real influence. If they did then you would not be able to sleep at night with some of the soul-destroying rubbish you try to proliferate about so-called 'minutae' celebs.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2003371881,00.html