Had an idea while watching Jade write on Celeb Wife Swap (no jokes about her being able to write please).

Why don't Big Brother issue each HM with a diary, some pens, and allow them to write a diary? Each HM must write a daily entry.

Then, at the end of the show, they could release all the diaries in one big book.

Anyone think it would work? Obviously it would be going against the whole "no paper/pens in the house" rule but surely the cameras are good enough now to ensure no one crosses the line between writing their diary and showing someone their diary entries.

The contents of each diary would be confidential until the end of the show, so the HM's could be 100% honest and not feel they have to play the TV audience.

Anyone?

Fascinating idea, but I'm not sure how it would work in practice.

Interesting idea.

Even if they did pass it as an idea because of the no paper/pens rule I'm not sure this would stop the housemates still writing edited versions of events if they realised the diary would be in the public domain after the series.
Those HMs wishing to use BB as a stepping stone to a career, and this is increasingly the main reason most of them seem to apply in the first place, would not want to scupper this would they?

Good idea.

i'd like to know what they were writing, though...
perhaps an electronic notepad so their "diaries" could be shown.

but like elderflower said, you couldn't rely on the housemates telling the whole truth about their thoughts...

..........and crayons.

But at least the HMs wouldn't be able to change their minds later.

Now Bystander you know they already get to play with those before it starts, drawing pretty pictures for the psychiatrists

In BB Oz, they did something like this (near enough) by using a laptop in the Diary Room (it may have been a play or something) however that method here, could work.

I was gunna say, at the end of each day they could be called into the diary room individually to write a diary entry, and the next day it could be shown on the website. That way they cant use the paper and pens to talk about nominations etc as the diaries will only be used in the diary room.

The ostensible BB idea is removal of empowering tools, like the pen.
The whole idea is visual observation and control - not to be relinquished to HMs.
This a whole different beast from the central thread of BB. You are in a controlled environment - think BB1 and lack of "treats" and "reward rooms" and you get nearer the picture.

I also remember when newspapers were just that - they had news in them, as opposed to speculation and titillation and the same with TV news when they presented what happened in the world, not what might happen and two people to present it!

Back to basics BB - surely it was BB itself that decided they would veer away from that idea in BB3? IMO the change did happen in BB3 when BB was seen to be "easy going". I really would like BB to have been harsher - to deal out punishments as well as rewards. Almost every single task in BB3 was passed - though often not according to the rules as set out by BB. The contestants were permitted (without any or much punishment) to push the boundaries .... is that perhaps because with the introduction of the divide that BB themselves were not sure of where those boundaries lay?

As to your comments regarding newspapers reporting facts ....perhaps that is where all media have pushed their own boundaries and they no longer just report facts as seen from an unbiased position .... the news reporters (papers and TV) do provide speculation and their slant on events - one reason nowadays that nobody really believes or trusts what they see or read .....
do they?

The maxim "If it aint broke don't fix it" should apply to BB.
BB1 was fine, absolutely fine. They should stop messing with the "rules" and put some longevity into the format. That's where it all goes to pot these days - change for changes sake, nobody has any stamina or patience any more. It would have been great to see successive years of BB adhere to the original rules and see how different sets of people get on. I though that was the idea - ONE enviroment, and 12 people getting on each others nerves, and privations and control by BB.
Not "Oh lets see what we can introduce THIS year" gimmicks (see BB4 for why THAT doesn't work!)
By BB3 we were into "TV/Money/abrasive made for tv personalities as HMs" and even earlier by BB2 this was evident.
Yes, let them have pens paper crayons - but don't call it BB.
Big Brother is about the all seeing one controlling force on lab rats, not the other way round.

I couldn't agree more, the more they mess with the original format the worse it gets

do you know, i think that maisy's right!

blimey! maisymoo talking sense...whatever next!

OI!! I read that Skazza!
That's you off my Christmas list.....

yeah, right...

Yer well, you'd have to have been on it first of course...

The producer of Big Brother has already said that BB5 will be completely changed. He/she said that there'll be a big surprise in store.

I'd say they'll be able to talk about nominations this year. After the success of BB USA on E4, I think that BB5 will be a lot like that.

Well, that's quite encouraging.

I do believe that BB does need a complete revamp in order to inject some new life.

But isn't 'big surprise' just BB speak for 'more gimmicks'

Probably.

But I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt for now.

Well I'm not. They've totally lost it.
Unless they return to BB1 values forget it.
Take THIS year.
A producer when asked whether there was going to actually be a bar in the BB4 house said:
"Catergorically no! There is and will not be a bar in the house"

That was close then!
Similar to Channel 4's "How" NOT to get in BB" and then displayed how over 70% of BB3's HMs got in the house in exactly the fashion of how NOT to.

Yes, I expect Endemall and Channel 4 to stick to their word.
If that word is b*ll*cks.

Ummm...didn't they return to BB1 last year? It was shit!

BB1 was really good because it was new and fresh and nobody knew what to expect. BB2 worked as well because viewers wanted to see the same thing again. But, it wouldn't have worked again, and that is why the bars were introduced. Then, they go and decide to return to BB1 for BB4, but it didn't work, because it needs something different. It's like Pop Idol - brilliant first time around and good this time as well - but they'll change it next year because it's only just about hanging in there.

Don't expect to see BB as it originally was, ever again. It will be completely changed.