What is 'Big Brother' About?:
Big Brother is a reality TV competition where a group of strangers are isolated in a house without contact with the outside world. During the three months in the house, everything cast members do and say is captured by cameras and microphones. It's a little bit of a social experiment where viewers can see how people cope with a loss of privacy and being forced to interact with people they would normally avoid.
How Does 'Big Brother' Work?:
Big Brother cast members (known as HouseGuests) compete with each other for a $500,000 prize. HouseGuests compete in various challenges for the chance to win safety from elimination. Each week contestants vote to evict one of the HouseGuests. The last person in the Big Brother House takes home the cash.
Usually some of the HouseGuests are returning "veterans" from other seasons. Each season Big Brother producers also add various twist and surprises to the show, which adds to the conflict in the house, builds suspense and keeps fans watching.
'Big Brother' Origins:
Watching 'Big Brother':
The cameras and microphones on Big Brother run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, capturing everything the HouseGuests do and everything the HouseGuests say. The 24-hour feed airs live online through a special internet subscription service.
Big Brother runs July to September, airing Wednesdays 8/7C, Thursdays 9/8C and Sunday 8/7C on CBS. Some of the events are aired live while others are covered in weekly highlights. Every week a live show airs the eviction vote and host Joan Chen interviews the eliminated contestant.
'Big Brother' Host Julie Chen:
Julie Chen, the host of Big Brother is the co-host of the CBS talk showThe Talk. The television journalist formerly co-hosted another CBS show, morning news program The Early Show. Chen is married to CBS president Les Moonves.
'Big Brother' Controversy:
Whether it's airing a live internet feed of HouseGuests having sex, censoring or not censoring certain offensive statements from the on air broadcast, Season Two's violent HouseGuest Justin Sebik, allegations of producer manipulation or Jeff Schroeder's homophobic rant on Season 13; 'Big Brother' has sparked controversy nearly as long as it has been on the air.
