Irish Big Brother was 'in the pipe line' about 3 years ago

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/905856.stm

One of the big worries with it (from someone I talked to connected with RTÉ) was that the 'pool' of contestantds was too small. Everyone (really does) know everybody else.

In Ireland, you a have a very small and concetrated population,
the public vote could very easily be controlled.

Then again - it could be great; or it could end up being the Dunnes Stores version of Marks & Spencers

Whch is why I think they would go with contestants from the four corners of Ireland.The only way it would work would be for them to have 12 HM's from 12 different Irish counties as far apart as possible.

Whose accounts would those be now?.

To the best of my knowledge the Big Brother format is a trademark owned by Endemol.A TV company can't just put a show on air with an identical format and call it 'Big Brother' without acknowledging the Endemol connection.....Endemol would be entitled to some of the proceeds.

Apparently Tyrone Productions have offered to produce Irish BB for RTE,but I'm sure Endemol would have to be mentioned in the credits.But from your question it seems you don't accept that this would be the case......feel free to elaborate if you know differently.

In the articles I read about it, Its a show that runs from 7am-7pm every day and will just have the zzzz list celebs in there working environment

If that's true Linda,then they can't call it 'Celebrity Big Brother',they'll have to call it something else.

But from what I've heard,Big Brother 'proper' is under consideration by RTE probably for the 2004-05 season,but it's early days yet.

Eurostar ppl have been discussing this for years. Where's the proof? It's all commnent and speculation IMO

Of course it's all comment and speculation as absolutey nothing has been decided yet.We're probably at autumn 2004 at the earliest for such a show.

But this story *has* been covered in recent weeks in the Irish press,as recently as two weeks ago (not that you'd ever guess it from some of the Irish contributors to this thread).

A recent article from the 'Irish Independent' for those who seem convinced I've made the whole Irish Big Brother story up :

http://content.eircom.net/content/un...view=Eircomnet

And there have been similar stories elsewhere in the Irish press.

Removing the conjecture here are the facts from said report...

An RTE spokeswoman last night confirmed the channel was considering the idea, despite BB4 having shed viewers by the million through boredom this year.

"A spokesperson" and "an idea".... how vague can you get?

According to one Sunday newspaper, Tyrone Productions have in mind a celebrity version of the show - like the British 'Celebrity Big Brother', in which chatshow host Vanessa Feltz lost her head completely and comedian Jack Dee climbed out over the wall to escape the madness.

Someone in a Sunday paper, which could be the Sunday People for all we know, suggested that Tryone Productions are considerign a celebrity reality TV event.

I won't hold my breath...


However there is always the great Digital Spy Project!DSP

Well Michael,I said all along that a Irish BB was 'under consideration',no more than that.But of course they've made no decisions as yet.....I'm sure Cabin Fever 2 and You're A Star 3 are other ideas floating around.But at the very least an Irish BB is an option at this stage.

Btw the other reports I read said that Celebrity BB would be used as a dry run for BB proper,they'd first gauge how Celebrity BB went down with the public before making any decisions.

Look at all the resource needed to stage Big Brother... the house, hte security, the production team, the crew etc. Running A Celeb Big Bro on its own at first makes no sense... not in the sense that we know Big Brother.

Until we have a digital platfrom in Ireland any attmept at Big Brother would pale in comparison to the Chanel 4/E4 product.

I agree on all of that.A show like Big Brother would be a massive undertaking for a TV company of RTE's size.Cost is without doubt the main reason they've never attempted it before.

Shows like Youre A Star,Cabin Fever and Treasure Island are a much safer option for them at present.As you say they may wait until they have digital channels before finaly taking the plunge.

Looks like Irish Celebrity Big Brother is a certainty to go ahead and not just a rumour.I was listening to David Norris on radio this morning,and he said he was approached by the show's producers recently and was asked to take part but that he declined.

If that newspaper article I referred to is correct,the show is imminent.

Was reading in the Sundays today, that a celebrity version on RTE.... sort of equivalent to I'm a Celebrity .. Get me out of here...... will be on later on in the year....... is this the celebrity big brother mentioned....... apparently it will be set on a working farm, as opposed to some tropical paradise...... with the "celebs" having to muck out and do all the shitty jobs one takes for granted on a farm..... weekly public evictions taking place as per. The one photo in the paper celeb wise was of course TWINK would would turn up for the opening of an envelope. Oh well....... at least thats the Mutton and Lamb element caterered for on the farm.

That sounds like it might be it celticgirl.If so,a lot of the papers are getting their facts all jumbled up.The Star referrred to it as 'Celebrity Big Brother' as did the guy interviewing David Norris.

It may be that there are copyright problems around the Big Brother name.I do know for a fact that Tyrone Productions offered to produce Irish Celebrity Big Brother for RTE.....perhaps they've knocked that on the head and created their own show.

Apparently they have....... and have had to keep it just enough outside of the Big Brother format, so they dont have to pay Endemol any royalties. David Norris has apparently refused to take part, saying he considers these type of shows "vulgar". Louis Walsh has also refused stating ( and lets face it, its true) the only "celebs" who agree to these shows are those whose careers are down the toilet and who are desperate to revive their flagging status. Should be interesting therefore to see exactly who makes up the line up of desperate divas. Would imagine even Twink's panto days are in decline, unless they decide to make a re make of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane". No make up needed for that one. Names being thrown about at the moment as possible participants are Mikey from Boyzone, Brush Sheils ( I thought he was dead !!! ). Its due to start on September 6th I think with the entire line up being paraded on the Late Late Show on September 5th. God... how bad could a career be that you have to shovel shit for a week. I think this could actually be fun in a sadistic voyeuristic sort of way hee hee.

I've been reading more details too celticgirl.The show is called 'Celebrity Farm' and actually sounds nearer to 'I'm A Celebrity.....' than Big Brother.

You'll be relieved to hear the ghastly Twink has also declined There will be 8 'celebrities' apparently who will be voted off by the public.

Very interesting to see if this is produced by Tyrone Productions.....they are the ones who want to produce BB for RTE at some point in the future.From what I've heard,RTE will be watching the ratings for this show very carefully to see what sort of a future BB might have in Ireland.

If you though Celebrity Big Brother 1 was eventful folks,what with Anthea and Vanessa's tantrums,you ain't seen nothing yet.The Irish equivalent has developed into a real pressure cooker job with the first three evictees launching spectacular verbal attacks on each other and on the remaining housemates.

To give you an example,the most recent evictee Kevin Sharkey (a former TV presenter),live on national radio today described the HM's as a 'shower of f**king w*nkers' and 'animals' who he never wants to lay eyes on again.He was partly angered at being accused of smoking pot by one of the other HM's (which he hasn't entirely denied!).The other evictees have been speaking in similar terms of he and the others.Real car crash television

Sounds worth a peek ....
is it broadcast on DS?

Don't think you can see it anywhere outside Ireland.

The one thing it has in common with Celebrity BB1 is that the HM's evicted so far have emerged overwrought and on the verge of cracking up.But in the Irish case,they are angry and determined to get even.Not only have the HM's come under attack but also the production team (at one stage of his radio interview,Kevin Sharkey had to be warned that the things he was saying about the producers were libellous)

yet if I'm not mistaken, you can receive UKBBs in Ireland....?

Yes,but directly on Channel Four (through cable TV along with the other British channels - all cities in the Republic are fully cabled and the take up rate is in the region of 95%).

Wow! When's it on? Does RTE broadcast on Sky Digital? I know we get some Gaelic channel or other.

Doesn't matter if it doesn't because my mum has an RTE aerial so I could pester her to tape it for me.

It finished tonight Edna!

But it made Celebrity Big Brother 1 look like a vicar's tea party.Several of the contestants emerged on the verge of cracking up (a bit like Vaness Feltz),but unlike in the UK they've let rip on the national airwaves with no holds barred attacks on each other (think of Ray Shah on his worst day and you get the general idea!).The radio talk shows and newspapers have had an absolute field day