Big Brother Australia

Big Brother Australia

"Big Brother Australia" was the Australian version of the international "Big Brother" reality television series.

"Big Brother Australia" was produced by Endemol Southern Star, and shown on Network Ten, Australia. Between 2001 and 2008 it was also shown in New Zealand on TV2 and Prime.

The show's compound is located in Dreamworld, Queensland.

The show was hosted by Gretel Killeen from 2001 until 2007. In late 2007, it was announced that Gretel Killeen would not host the show for its 2008 return. [cite web |url=http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22659067-5005368,00.html |title=Big Brother evicts controversial host Gretel Killeen |accessdate=2007-10-28 |date=October 27, 2007 |publisher="The Sunday Times" ] [ [http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,22658060-10229,00.html Gretel Killeen axed from Big Brother] - The Sunday Telegraph, "28 October 2007"] Radio hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O are her replacements. Mike Goldman provided narration and voice-overs in all seasons.

On July 13 2008 it was revealed that "Big Brother" had been cancelled by Network Ten and the 2008 season would be its last for the foreseeable future.cite web |url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24013120-5007132,00.html |title=Channel Ten axes Big Brother |author=staff |accessdate=2008-07-15 |date=2008-07-13 |publisher="The Daily Telegraph" ]

Main series

For all seasons from 2001 until 2007, eviction night, nominations night and the series finale was hosted Gretel Killeen. Killeen has been praised for her quick-thinking skills and wit, and at times criticised for her "aggressive and rude behaviour" to some of the housemates. [cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/27/1192941403478.html |title=Time for Gretel to go as fans get nasty |accessdate=2007-11-28 |date=October 28, 2007|publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald" ] It is speculated that partly for these reasons Killeen was replaced as a host. [cite web |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22668618-5012974,00.html?from=mostpop |title=Support for departing Big Brother host Gretel Killeen |accessdate=2007-11-28 |date=October 30, 2007|publisher="The Herald Sun" ]

Format

"Big Brother Australia" is based on the international "Big Brother" series produced by Endemol in the Netherlands which began in 1999. The show's name comes from George Orwell's novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four" (1949), which revolves around a dystopia in which dictator Big Brother is the all-seeing leader. The series generally constitutes 14 or more contestants who live in an isolated house for several months. Housemates are at all times under the control of Big Brother, a rule enforcing authority figure who monitors behaviour of the housemates, set tasks and punishments and provides the mechanism for contestants to make external requests.

Housemates are filmed 24 hours per day with edited highlights broadcast during prime time slots, and late night footage broadcast live. Live footage is also broadcast via the Internet using Internet streaming. Housemates must remain in the house, and avoid being evicted by viewers of the show with the aim of winning a substantial cash prize at the end of the series. In order to support the housemates' well-being, all participants have access to the "Big Brother" psychologist Carmel Hill, and a doctor, at all times.

After the series, housemates are required to attend regular promotional appearances around Australia at nightclubs in most capital cities; however this is not compulsory.

Seasons

* "Big Brother 2001": Premise of the show begins; people wishing to audition send in videos of themselves; two intruders enter the house mid season.
* "Big Brother 2002": Similar to the first season; viewers may now vote which intruders are added.
* "Celebrity Big Brother": Celebrity edition of the series.
* "Big Brother 2003": Instead of the one house, two houses are introduced and were merged partway through the season.
* "Big Brother 2004": Prize money raised from $250,000 to $1,000,000.
* "Big Brother 2005": The theme was "sexy, single and competitive". New audition cattle call process launched.
* "Big Brother 2006": Three groups of intruders enter during the series.
* "Big Brother 2007": The prize money was initially zero. Later it was revealed it could be added to with the successful completion of tasks.
* "Big Brother 2008": Returned to the audition process where videos were sent in. Fans could vote for their favourite auditionees on the internet, with the three most popular guaranteed a place in the house. Prize money now revealed to be $250,000.

Prize money

The eventual winner of Big Brother Australia receives a cash prize as a reward for being the last remaining housemate in their series. In "Big Brother 2001", "Big Brother 2002", and "Big Brother 2003", the cash prize stood at a guaranteed $250,000 AUD, without inclination of the fines system. In "Big Brother 2004", the prize money was raised to a guaranteed $1,000,000, without inclination of the fines system. "Big Brother 2005" and "Big Brother 2006" both continued to offer the $1,000,000 prize money, however, with the introduction of the fines system, the winner of "Big Brother 2005" received $836,000 in prize money. The winner of "Big Brother 2006" received $426,000. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/jamie-wins-big-brother/2006/07/31/1154198074439.html Jamie wins Big Brother] "The Sydney Morning Herald". Published on July 31 2006, URL last accessed on October 8 2006.] Housemates in "Big Brother 2005" and "Big Brother 2006" were given opportunities to regain lost prize money in special "Friday Night Live" events named "The Prize Fight". A 17 April 2007 advertisement for the upcoming season stated that there was no prize money for Big Brother Australia 2007. When the season began it was revealed that while initially there was no prize money, that prize money could be accumulated upon the successful completion of tasks. The Prize Money at the end of the season stood at $450,000. In the 2008 season, the prize money was not mentioned until half way through the series. On 15 June 2008, the prize was revealed during the Eviction show. The prize is hidden somewhere within the house and is $250,000. [Rogue, Ridge. [http://www.bigbrotherchaos.com/diary08i.html "Rhianna evicted, series prize revealed!"] , Big Brother Chaos - BB 8 Commentary Diary, 15 June 2008]

Fines

"Big Brother 2005" introduced a fines system in which the $1,000,000 AUD cash prize is decreased by $5,000 each time a housemates violates a Big Brother rule. The house used for the 2006 season featured a "Punishment Room", which was revealed following the first week of that season, where housemates would sometimes be sent for punishment additional to the $5,000 fine. In "Big Brother 2007", monetary fines were subtracted from the household budget rather than from the prize money, while the "Punishment Room" remained. The 2008 season featured no fines system at all. Instead Big Brother used the original striking system more frequently. When a housemate receives three strikes they are evicted.

Secret Nominations

A fundamental and strongly-enforced rule of "Big Brother Australia" is that nominations, and the use of the Twist, are not to be discussed at all. Specifically, all housemates are forbidden from disclosing who they have previously nominated, who they plan to nominate in the future, or who their Twist has been used on; and they must not engage in conjecture about who may attract nomination votes and why. These discussions are banned and are deemed collusion by Big Brother, as they may give housemates a competitive advantage. Breaking this rule incurs fines, punishment, or loss of the right to nominate in the following round.

During the 2007 series the winner of "Friday Night Games" and their chosen companion in the rewards room were permitted to privately discuss who they plan to nominate, whilst in the rewards room.

Intruders

Every series of "Big Brother Australia" included "Intruders": new housemates added to the house by the show's producers as an on-going housemate after the series has started. Producers try to add housemates that they think might stir things up, or add a significant change to the house. They are eligible to win the final prize. They usually don't last very long in the house, however in "Big Brother 2007", Zach made it to the final 2 and missed the win by 2%.

Location

The purpose built "Big Brother" house is located at coord|27|51|32|S|153|18|53|E|type:landmark_region:AU|display=inline,title within Dreamworld, a theme park attraction located at Coomera a northern suburb of the Gold Coast in Queensland.

The exterior is a large shell housing the interior and camera runs. The interior of the house is usually rebuilt between seasons with a new layout and new design. Series production is usually between April and July. The house is open to the public after production on a season ends, until late December. After December public access closes as renovations and rebuilding begins.

Only slight modifications were made to the interior of the house for the second season and the special "Celebrity Big Brother Australia" series that were screened in 2002. Subsequent to those seasons the interior of the house were either been rebuilt or extensively re-modeled for each new series. Two separate houses were built for "Big Brother 2003", and they were merged 23 days into the season when previously-hidden connecting rooms were revealed. The 2005 season introduced a "Friday Night Games" arena. For the 2006 season an animal enclosure was added to the side of the compound and this was retained for 2007.

Footage from the house is monitored and edited in Dreamworld Studios,"Big Brother, Behind the Scenes at [http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/entertainment/big-brother-behind-the-scenes/2007/05/25/1179601615388.html?page=3 The Brisbane Times] ; accessed November 28, 2007.] There is also an open-air auditorium where live audience orientated shows such as the eviction and finale shows are staged.

During production on the series visitors can access the "Big Brother" auditorium and view live footage from the house.

The auditorium was an existing facility at Dreamworld prior to the first season of "Big Brother", used for live stage shows. The front section is covered with seating. There is also an open-air grass area at the back of the auditorium (cheapest tickets) where audience members bring their own chairs or blankets to sit on. This area is sometimes unavailable due to weather conditions. It is now leased to Endemol Southern Star for the duration of the series each year. The current contract gives Endemol Southern Star use of the studios and "Big Brother" house until 2009.

Theme music

The theme is titled "Big Brother theme", and was adapted from the original theme used in the original Big Brother, which aired in the Netherlands. The theme for "Big Brother Australia" was written by Siew Ooi and 001 Productions in Melbourne. The track is an extended version of the main title theme used in the first two seasons of "Big Brother" Australia, and tracks heard throughout the seasons that followed are shorter, remixed versions of this track. The original track can sometimes be heard in the background when eviction votes, or the nomination tally in the "Nominations" show, are shown on screen, or when eviction phone numbers are announced during a show.

The title theme was initially released as a single. The track was an extended mix of the main title theme used in the first two seasons, and was released with an acoustic "Diary Room" mix and more trance influenced "Eviction" mix. It barely scraped in the top 50, but was re-released a few months later where it reached #12 on the ARIA charts in 2001 with a B-Side of The Sirens' hit "Don't You Think That It's Strange", which was also co-written by "Big Brother 2001" housemates; the "Diary Room" mix; and an extended version of the "Big Brother Uncut" theme.

Companion shows

During each series, specific elements of the competition have a special show dedicated to them, usually presented on a specific evening. Each weeknight and on Sunday evenings a compilation of the general events in the House for the previous day are presented. All live shows are broadcast with a 30-second delay so that images or language that cannot be broadcast due to Australia's censorship laws can be cut. These programs add up to approximately 16 hours per week. No "Big Brother" shows are broadcast on Saturdays.

Opening Night

"The Opening Night" is the first episode of the "Big Brother" series that introduces the new housemates and the house for that year. It was hosted by Gretel Killeen until 2008 when she was replaced by Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O. In different seasons it ran under various titles such as "Launch", "In They Go", "Game On!".

Daily Show

The "Daily Show" is aired Mondays from 7:00pm - 8:00pm and Tuesday - Friday at 7:00pm — 7:30pm plus Sundays at 6:30pm — 7:30pm. For the 2001 through to the 2007 seasons, on screen it simply carried the title "Big Brother". For the 2008 season the on-screen title was shown as "Big Brother: Daily Show". It reports on the previous day's happenings inside the House. Sunday editions cover the preceding Friday and Saturday. The "Daily Show" is narrated by Mike Goldman.

UpLate

"Big Brother: UpLate" is a late-night show screened every weeknight throughout the "Big Brother" seasons in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and hosted by Mike Goldman. The show was first introduced with "Big Brother 2003". The show aired at 11:15pm on Monday—Thursdays, 10:30pm on Fridays and 10:10 pm. Episodes usually had a duration between 60 and 120 minutes.

The show features live footage from the House; interviews with evicted housemates; and brain teasers where viewers attempt to solve challenges such as word games, and may phone in for a chance to win $1000 AUD. An online stream was made available for the 2006 season at QuizTV.com.au specifically for viewers in states that do not receive "UpLate" live on television (i.e. South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory), enabling them to enter the competitions. It was possible for this stream to be viewed by those outside of Australia. During the 2007 season of "Big Brother" a Sunday evening edition of the show was added.

"UpLate" did not return for the 2008 season of "Big Brother".

Nominations

"Big Brother Nominations" was a one hour special show that aired on Monday evenings after the "Daily Show" for the 2002, through to the 2007 seasons.

In the first series of "Big Brother" Australia there was no special show for nominations; they were simply shown as a part of the "Daily Show" on Tuesday evening. In the first season of the series housemates did not have to give reasons for their nominations. Subsequent seasons added a special dedicated to the nomination process. This was usually pre-taped; in "Big Brother 2005" the announcement of which housemates were nominated for eviction was presented live. For the first half of the 2008 season the housemates no longer nominated, and there was no special nominations show. When nominations resumed in the middle of that season they were shown as part of the Monday evening Daily Show.

Where there was special dedicated to the nomination process, this episode presented footage of the housemates as they explain in the "Diary Room" who they nominate for eviction. Housemates each have three points to appoint to two other housemates. Their first nomination appoints two nomination points to a housemate, the second gives another housemate one point. If "Big Brother" feels a housemate's nomination is not clear and concise, he can give the nominating housemate one nomination point. The three housemates with the highest number of points are revealed to the housemates. In the case of a third place tie, all those tying for third place are eligible for eviction. On these occasions more than three housemates would be up for eviction.

An innovation introduced in "Big Brother 2005" was the "Three Point Twist" whereby the winner of "Friday Night Live" must subtract three nomination points from one of the nominated housemates. If they themselves are included in the original lineup of potential evictees they may opt to subtract the points from themselves. This occurs after the initial nominations have been announced to all housemates, and while housemates may not discuss which housemate they remove points from, where the line-up changes it is often clear which housemate has had their nomination points deducted. The three housemates with the highest number of nomination points after the "Three Point Twist" will face eviction. Again in the case of a third place tie, more than three housemates may be up for eviction. The "Three Point Twist" got its name as part of a sponsorship deal with KFC. "Big Brother 2007" introduced a new version of the "nominations twist" where the winner of Friday Night Games must now entirely remove a housemate who is nominated for eviction, and then nominate a new housemate to be up for eviction.

For the first five weeks of the "Big Brother 2008" season there were no housemate nominations viewers could vote to nominate and the housemates voted to evict. Those housemate eviction votes were delievered on air during the Sunday evening eviction show. Half way through the season nominations made a return after the eviction process was reverted to the original format in which the housemates nominate and the public may vote to evict. There was no special show for the nominations in the 2008 season, they were screened in an extended (one hour) "Daily Show" on Monday night.

Camilla Halliwell holds the record for the most times nominated for eviction. Halliwell, who finished runner-up in the 2006 season, faced the public vote ten times. Rory Ammon, who appears in the final season of the show, faced possible eviction on nine occasions.

Eviction

Housemate evictions occur in a program titled "Big Brother Live Eviction". The housemate who has attracted the most viewer votes to evict is evicted. The eviction shows are televised each Sunday night at 7:30pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time). Actual events start a short time before 7:30 pm. Proceedings are conducted in an auditorium in front of a live audience at Dreamworld.

These shows are broadcast live. In this show usually one housemate, but occasionally two, is evicted from the house, usually at around 7:45-8:00 pm. Shows that feature two evictions are called "Double Eviction". The first Australian "Double Eviction", described in advertising hyperbole as a "world first", took place during "Big Brother 2002". "Big Brother 2006" added the "save" vote, allowing viewers to vote to "save" a housemate as well as "evict"; in the final tally housemates' save votes are subtracted from their evict votes.

The 2008 season introduced a new nomination and eviction process. For the 2008 season the public vote for which housemate to save from eviction. The three housemates with the least amount of save votes are nominated for eviction. The housemates then vote to evict one of the three. From week five this new routine was abandoned the original eviction procedure reinstated: housemates nominate each other and viewers may vote only to "evict" those nominated. The first viewer-voted eviction of the season occurred June 8 2008.

In "Big Brother 2004" after the eviction of Bree Amer, it was found the votes for that eviction had been incorrectly counted. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/05/1088879414515.html "Bree to re-enter Big Brother"] , "theage.com.au", Published July 5 2004, URL accessed July 18, 2007.] Amer had not received the most eviction votes, and she took up the option of returning to the house the following Monday night. A special eviction was held on the following Thursday evening in which the housemate to actually receive the most votes, Wesley Denning, was evicted. A representative of Legion Interactive, the company that manages eviction votes and compiles the results, appeared on the second eviction show to explain how the error occurred.

Big Brother's Big Mouth

"Big Brother's Big Mouth" is a panel show introduced for the 2008 season of the show, based on the Big Brother UK show of the same title. It aired at 9.30pm each Monday night from 6 May 2008 to 23 May 2008. Due to a ratings decline and the premiere of new show Mark Loves Sharon, Big Mouth will be moved to the new time of 10.00pm Monday from 30 June 2008. [ [http://www.behindbigbrother.com/posts/2008/2111 "Big Mouth moves timeslot"] , Behindbigbrother.com, 13 June 2008] It is hosted by Rebecca Wilson and Tony Squires. Former housemates Tim Brunero and Nathan Morris were regular panelists on the show. Each week different former Australian housemates guest star on the panel. There was a total of 11 one hour episodes."Big Brother, Big Changes at [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23411198-5009160,00.html The Daily Telegraph] ; accessed March 23, 2008. ]

Friday Night Live

"Big Brother Friday Night Live" is a live show based on Big Brother UK's spin-off Saturday Night Live hosted by Mike Goldman and former "Big Brother 2004" housemates Ryan Fitzgerald and Bree Amer, showcasing a live housemate games competition conducted in an arena attached to the "Big Brother" compound every Friday evening. The housemate evicted the previous week joins the hosting panel. The show was introduced with "Big Brother 2005", aired on Fridays at 7:30 p.m..

The winner of the overall games is rewarded with the following:
# Becoming Head Of The House
# Taking One Fellow Housemate Into The Strategy Room
# Evicting A Fellow Housemate With Double Points
# The power to change the nominated housemate lineup

"Friday Night Live" returned for "Big Brother 2006". A fourth prize was added for the winner, a "luckydip" type prize draw where they are presented with three boxes, each containing a prize, and may choose one box, not knowing what any of the boxes contains. The three boxes are themed on a specific country, and the three boxes featured a holiday to that country after the conclusion of the competition, a privilege that may be used within the house (such as laundry services or a special dinner), and a booby prize. Booby prizes have included a bow tie and a chunk of Camembert cheese. On one occasion the three boxes were replaced with a special prize where the winner was allowed to go on an excursion outside the Big Brother House to Tiger Island at Dreamworld, where they were treated to a feast and a tiger show. They then had the entire park to themselves for a night. The winner on this occasion was Gaelan, who invited Krystal to share in his prize. On a second occasion, the winner of "Friday Night Live", Jamie, was given the four usual prizes, and a fifth "mystery prize". The prize involved Jamie and the person he invited to the Rewards Room, Chris, leaving the House to get a first go on FlowRider, a new ride at Dreamworld.

For the "Big Brother 2007" season "Friday Night Live" remained largely unchanged. For this season the prize boxes generally contained an overseas holiday, a large item such as expensive watches or a scooter, and a booby prize. But a twist in the power to change the nominations lineup made this a more valuable than ever prize for the winner of "Friday Night Live" in "Big Brother 2007" as they were able to remove themselves altogether (if nominated) or another housemate from the nominees for that week, and replace them with another housemate, rather than in the last two series where the winner had the power to change nominations by deducting 3 points from a nominee. The "Friday Night Live" format was reused in the Network Ten spinoff series "Friday Night Games" which began in February 2006 and ended before "Big Brother" resumed for 2006. This weekly program is also filmed at Dreamworld, and features two teams of celebrities (who are joined by members of the public) to compete in a series of games. The program was again hosted by Goldman, Amer, and Fitzgerald.

The 2008 season of "Big Brother" did not include a rewards room, instead allowing the winning housemate entry to the new "Strategy Room" with one other housemate of their choice. Due to the changes in the nomination and eviction process, the winner was able to save one housemate from eviction, and votes with double points during evictions.

Big Brother 5's Logans, Big Brother 7's Andrew and Big Brother 8's Nobbi currently hold the record for most wins. Each of them have won three games during there time in the house. 17 different male housemates have won while 15 different female housemates have won Friday Night Live since it began in 2005.

It's official end was on Friday, 18th of July, 2008 due to the axing of the show. It exactly ended at 9:38:24, with views of the staff inside the control room.

Finale

The "Finale" of Big Brother Australia is a significant event conducted in front of an audience at Dreamworld and broadcast live on television. The television presentation has been scheduled to run as long as three hours, and has been known to progress even longer in some seasons. The 2007 season finale was was extended by close to an hour due to a delay in finalising eviction vote tallies.

In all Australian series the "Finale" features footage from the final day in the house, by which time there are only two housemates remaining, culminating in the announcement of the winner. Usually the runner-up leaves the house in the manner of an evicted housemate, and is interviewed by Gretel Killeen on stage. Later the winner is asked to leave the house, finally joining Gretel on stage as well. The final two housemates of "Big Brother 2004", "Big Brother 2005" and "Big Brother 2007" left the House together, and were on stage with Gretel when the winner of those seasons was announced. "Big Brother 2006" had featured the original format where the winner is announced while the final two housemates are in the House, and they both left separately. "Big Brother 2008" had the finalists on the stage with Kyle and Jackie O.

Previous housemates of the season sometimes put on a musical or dance performance. Sometimes the performance is set to popular music and is based on several of the tasks the housemates had participated in during the season. In 2006, Danielle Foote sang her single, while the other housemates did dance routines around her, using costumes and elements from various tasks of that season.

The 2007 finale was the last "Big Brother" program to be hosted by series host of seven years, Gretel Killeen. In 2008, the "Finale" was hosted by the replacement "Big Brother" hosts Kyle and Jackie O. The 2008 finale featured a special dedication to past series as the 2008 season would be the last for the foreseeable future. [ [http://www.behindbigbrother.com/posts/2008/2195 "Finale Details"] , Behindbigbrother.com, 28 June 2008]

Uncut / Adults Only

Originally named "Big Brother Uncut", and renamed "Big Brother: Adults Only" for "Big Brother 2006", this program showcased adult content from the Big Brother House unsuitable for the early evening "Daily Show". This mainly consisted of footage of the housemates showering, general risque behaviour, and discussions about sexual matters. Each episode was one hour long. During the early seasons of "Big Brother" it aired at 9:30pm on Thursday nights. It later switched to 9:30pm Monday nights, and then 9:40pm Monday nights. It was rated MA15+ (deemed unsuitable for viewers under the age of 15), and hosted by Gretel Killeen.

The 2006 series of "Big Brother: Adults Only" ended early after politicians warned Network Ten that its screening of the show could harm its push for media reforms. [(June 23, 2006). [http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,19563555-5003402,00.html Ten shuts Big Brother - Adults Only] . The Courier Mail. URL accessed 4-7-06.] [(July 3, 2006). [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/07/02/1151778811490.html Big Brother in bigger bother] . The Age. URL accessed 4-7-06.] The last episode of "Adults Only" was aired on 19 June 2006.

The program was not produced for the 2007 season of "Big Brother" Australia. That season's host Gretel Killeen, and producer Kris Noble, cited the absence of the program as a reason for the 2007 season's reduced ratings.

Saturday

"Big Brother Saturday" was a one-hour long show aired on Saturday evenings during "Big Brother 2001", with Gretel Killeen presenting an overview of press discussions of the series that week, interviews with fans by reporter Sami Lukis, and footage of what evicted housemates were up to. The show featured little actual footage originating from the Big Brother House itself. This show did not return after the first series, largely because Network Ten acquired the rights to televise Saturday night Australian Football League games after the first series of Big Brother ended, with these telecasts taking the show's timeslot.

Criticism and controversy

While "Big Brother Australia" has managed to lure millions of viewers a week, the television show has received a large amount of criticism from media and audiences for its sexual content and sexual discussions and language. Thus, as a result, it is occasionally referred to as "Big Brothel" with reference to the sexual content of the "Uncut" episode.cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/big-brother-or-big-brothel/2005/06/21/1119321722133.html |title=Big Brother or Big Brothel? |accessdate=2007-11-28 |date=June 22, 2005|publisher="The Age" ] The criticism has even been voiced within the Australian Government, with one politician referring to it as "...toxic television..." [ [http://www.newstext.com.au/docs/SML/2005/get.jsp?docid=SML-20050612-2-013-4063157V34@QLD-METRO-2006-2005 Anger at Big Bro sex] ] Complaints about "Uncut" led to it being rebranded "Big Brother: Adults Only" for the 2006 season. "Adults Only" was cancelled early in the series due to continuing controversy.cite web |url=http://www.newstext.com.au/docs/TCP/2006/get.jsp?docid=TCP-20060624-1-014-K178243@QLD-CP-2006-2005 |title=Axe falls on adults-only Big Brother |accessdate=2007-11-28 |date=June 24, 2006|publisher="The Cairns Post" ]

After the 2005 series, complaints prompted the Australian Communications and Media Authority to launch an investigation into "Big Brother: Uncut". [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/were-sorry-bb/2005/06/22/1119321787422.html 'We're sorry': BB] "The Sydney Morning Herald" Published on June 22 2005, URL last accessed on October 8 2006.] The main complaint was that Network Ten had breached the industry code of practice by broadcasting footage that went past the maximum MA15+ rating for Australian commercial television. The ACMA found Network Ten had breached the code on two occasions: the airing of housemate Michael massaging Gianna with his penis exposed, and the song about sexual fetishes. [ [http://www.acma.gov.au/acmainterwr/aba/newspubs/radio_tv/investigations/broadcast_operations/documents/television/2005/1557%201558%201559%20ten%20bbu.pdf Report: Investigations No. 1557, 1558, 1559] "Australian Communications and Media Authority". Published on October 5 2005, PDF last accessed on October 8 2006.] The ACMA did not impose any direct punishment on Network Ten, however outlined requirements for the 2006 series of "Uncut". Included in those requirements is a commitment by Network Ten to compile show footage far enough in the future so that censors can edit it if necessary. Two censors were taken on by the network specifically for "Big Brother", and crew were trained on the restrictions of the MA15+ television rating. As a result, the show was renamed "Big Brother: Adults Only" for the 2006 season.

2006 alleged sexual assault controversy

:"See also: Big Brother Australia 2006 - Controversy"On July 1, 2006 two housemates, Michael Cox (using the alias Ashley for the show) and Michael Bric (using the alias John), were removed from the house for allegedly sexually assaulting a female housemate, Camilla Halliwell, [(July 3, 2006), [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/07/02/1151778811490.html Big Brother in bigger bother] . The Age. URL accessed 4-7-06.] in a season of the series that had already attracted significant controversy. Following the incident the live feed was temporarily replaced by an old UpLate update of the housemates completing their football task, continuously loopedFact|date=February 2007, and the forums on the Big Brother website were removed. Queensland Police were shown the relevant footage, but opted not to conduct a criminal investigation. [(July 3, 2006). [http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/police-rule-out-bb-probe/2006/07/03/1151778842469.html Police rule out BB probe] . The Age. URL accessed 4-7-06.] Subsequent to this incident former housemate Rita Lazzarotto reported that she had been subjected to a similar incident during her time in the Big Brother house in the 2005 series. [(July 4, 2006). [http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,19677151%255E661,00.html Big Brother should be axed, says PM] . The Herald Sun. URL accessed 4-7-06.]

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard asked for "Big Brother" to be cancelled, saying, "Here's a great opportunity for Channel 10 to do a bit of self-regulation and get this stupid program off the air"; Leader of the Opposition Kim Beazley and Senator Steve Fielding supported this view. Queensland Premier Peter Beattie argued that the show employed many Australians in production and that, because of the already diminished size of the Australian television industry, the show should continue. [Australian Associated Press (2006). [http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/axe-this-stupid-program-pm/2006/07/03/1151778841147.html Axe 'this stupid program': PM] . Retrieved July 3, 2006.]

Other media

In July 8, 2003, a DVD entitled "Big Brother: Unseen/Uncut/Unreal" by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, featuring risqué moments from the series was released and became marginally successful. It was rated M15+ (currently known as M due to its nonrestrictive nature), which means that the DVD requires a mature perspective, however there is no legal restriction on access. [ [http://www.oflc.gov.au/special.html?n=46&p=156&sTitle=Big+Brother&sMediaFilm=1&sMediaPublications=1&sMediaGames=1&sDateFromM=1&sDateFromY=1970&sDateToM=8&sDateToY=2006&record=187098 The Office of Film & Literature Classification] Published on June 2 2003, URL last accessed on September 3 2006.] The DVD is broken down into three sections. "Unseen" showed "Launch" and "Eviction" episodes, while "Uncut" features clips from "Big Brother Uncut"; speaks of how television censorship laws of different countries that have Big Brother seasons differ to Australia's; footage of the audition process; and a package where Peter Abbott, the voice of Big Brother for the first three seasons, was "Big Brother'd" for a day, where a camera followed him from the time he woke up to when he went to sleep. "Unreel" section has information on the first three seasons' housemates, including "Big Brother 2003"'s housemates' introduction packages shown at "In They Go"; an image gallery with information on what the 24 original housemates of the first two seasons were doing at the time of the DVD's release; and an interactive tour of "Big Brother 2003"'s Houses before and after they were merged.

Notable contestants

* Blair McDonough, had an on-going acting role with daily serial "Neighbours" from 2001 to April 2006, now working in the United Kingdom.
* Nathan Morris is now a radio host in Perth on Nova 93.7's breakfast show "Nathan and Nat"; was a regular guest on "Big Mouth" in 2008.
* Pete Timbs is a journalist for "TV Week" magazine and co-hosts "The Know" on the subscription channel "MAX". He also appeared on the chat show "The Catch-Up" as the gossip columnist.
* Sara-Marie Fedele enjoyed significant celebrity status after the series, releasing a CD single, pyjamas, a book, and endorsed Nicorette Patches in television advertisements. She was a celebrity contestant in "Celebrity Big Brother Australia" in 2002 and "Dancing with the Stars" in 2005.
* Brodie Young, an intruder in "Big Brother 2002", hosted "Quizmania".
* Wesley Dening, hosted children's television show, "Totally Wild"
* Regina Bird, taped a pilot for her own show for Network Ten which never made it to air. Was a frequent guest on "Big Brother UpLate", and a contestant on Nine Network's celebrity skating competition series "Skating on Thin Ice" in 2005.
* Bree Amer was a regular co-host of "Big Brother Friday Night Live" and "Friday Night Games".
* Ryan Fitzgerald was a regular co-host of "Big Brother Friday Night Live" and "Friday Night Games". He is also a radio host on the breakfast show on Nova 91.9 in Adelaide, and appears frequently on Network Ten's "Before The Game" (he is a former AFL Footballer having played for the Sydney Swans and Adelaide Crows.)
* Tim Brunero wrote a weekly column on "The Chaser"; was a regular guest on "Big Mouth" in 2008
* Simon Deering hosted "The Uplate Game Show" in 2005-2006.
* Greg and David Mathew, the Logan twins from "Big Brother 2005", filmed a trek to the North Pole and had selected segments aired on "Big Brother UpLate" in May 2006.
* Krystal Forscutt had a one year contract in 2006 with "Zoo Weekly" to feature in a weekly column. In 2007 Forscutt was a contestant on "It Takes Two". [ [http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,21604022-10229,00.html "Krystal's on a high note"] , "The Daily Telegraph", 23 April 2007] She also appeared as a character in the video game "". [ [http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=7801 Big Brother's Krystal to appear in new Need for Speed] PALGN Gaming Network]
* Danielle Foote released a single, a cover of the song "Underneath the Radar in 2006.
* Rob Rigley was a regular co-host of "The Uplate Game Show" with Simon Deering
* Camilla Severi is one of the three hosts of Labrat Camilla and Stav on Brisbane's B105.
* Gordon Sloan from Big Brother Australia 2001 died in Beijing on September 13, 2007, supposedly of a drug overdose.
*Zach Douglas was a panelist on the 7HD talk show "The NightCap".
*Michael Crafter, previously a member of metalcore band I Killed The Prom Queen.

Awards

*"Big Brother" also received a "Best Reality Television Series" nomination at the 2007 Logie Awards.

Cancellation

On July 13 2008 it was revealed that "Big Brother" had been cancelled by Network Ten and the 2008 season would be its last.

The series had been experiencing poor ratings in the 2008 season. Media commentators suggested that after so many seasons the show's potential for surprise and novelty had gone and the possibilities of the format exhausted. The replacement of Killeen by new hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O was also described by commentators as being a mistake. [cite web |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24015916-661,00.html |title=Channel Ten's Big Brother 'out of ideas' say media commentators |author=Sarah Wotherspoon |accessdate=2008-07-14 |date=July 14, 2008|publisher="The Herald Sun" ] Ten's chief programmer, David Mott admitted the series had recently experienced "audience erosion" and widespread media criticism of the new hosts.cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/ibig-brotheris-eight-year-run-comes-to-and-end/2008/07/13/1215887442035.html |title=Channel Ten evicts Big Brother |author=Michael Idato |accessdate=2008-07-14 |date=2008-07-14 |publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald" ] There was also persistent criticism of the replacement hosts on fan forums.cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/time-to-go-big-brother/2008/07/14/1215887483097.html |title=Ten confirms axe to fall on Big Brother |accessdate=2008-07-15 |author=AAP |date=2008-07-15 |publisher="The Age" ]

The series ended after 1,316 episodes. Network Ten's final episode aired on July 21, 2008. Nationally, the 2008 series had the lowest ratings of any season. It mostly failed to reach the one million mark and slipped in the 7pm weeknight time slot to run fourth behind the Australian Broadcasting Corporation news. In the 2001 season, ratings as high as 2.8 million had been attained. At the program's end a total of 162 housemates and guests had appeared in the series. [cite web |url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24015133-5016681,00.html |title=Ten confirms it's bye bye to Big Brother |accessdate=2008-07-16 |author=Marcus Casey |date=2008-07-14 |publisher="The Daily Telegraph" ] Some reports of the cancellation suggested the program's format was still "viable" and may return in future in a modified form, perhaps on a different network. [cite web |url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24018935-7642,00.html |title=No home for Big Brother after Channel 10 axing |accessdate=2008-07-15 |author=Amy Harris |date=July 15, 2008 |publisher="The Courier Mail"] During the final moments of the "Big Brother 2008 Finale" Big Brother stated: "That is all... For now".

Initial rumours suggested that Network Seven and Foxtel might take it. [cite web |url=http://au.messages.yahoo.com/tv/big_brother/12/ |title=Why would C7 help promote BB??|author= |accessdate=2008-07-14 |date=2008-07-14 |publisher=Yahoo7 ] Nine Network had also reportedly shown interest in the series. [cite web |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24033932-7582,00.html |title=Nine may resurrect Big Brother |author=Amanda Meade |accessdate=2008-07-14 |date=2008-07-14 |publisher="The Australian" ]

See also

* List of Australian game shows
* List of Australian television series

References

Bibliography

* cite book
last = Johnson-woods
first = Toni
authorlink = Toni Johnson-woods
year = 2002
title = Big Bother: Why Did That Reality TV Show Become Such a Phenomenon?
publisher = University of Queensland Press
location= Australia
pages = 256
language=English
id = ISBN 0-7022-3315-3

External links

* [http://bigbrother.com.au "Big Brother Australia"]
*
* [http://www.google.com/Top/Arts/Television/Programs/Reality-Based/Big_Brother/Big_Brother_Australia/ Google Directory - "Big Brother Australia"] — a directory of Big Brother Australia fansites.
* [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21408093-5006002,00.html Big Brother's boozy boast] - Daily Telegraph
* [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/confidential/indepth/feature/0,22045,5016767,00.html Big Brother 2008] - Daily Telegraph Feature
* [http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/summary/summary.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;page=0;parentid=;query=Number%3A498212%20|%20Number%3A566802%20|%20Number%3A599958%20|%20Number%3A657866%20|%20Number%3A676018;querytype=;resCount=10 Big Brother at the National Film and Sound Archive]
* [http://www.who.com/who/search/results?wlist=Big+Brother Big Brother eviction interviews] WHO.com


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