Reviews by Just Another Robot

Oh dear :)
Whatever you might think of 'Reality TV' in general, you have to admit that when Big Brother first came out in July 2000 (UK), it was quite an innovation. 24-7 cameras on a willing group of unknowns who had to pull together to gain food or favours from BB, and survive a weekly round of voting to rid them from the house...

The first series was required viewing for a huge section of the UK audience, and the initial BB winners along with the likeable losers (including 'Nasty Nick') became tabloid sensations... for while. By the third series 'celebrities' were getting in on the act, initially for charity. But as the shows continue, the 'celebrity' arm has become a vehicle for 'forgotten faces' to re-vitalise their careers.

And yes, there's plenty you can say about the controversies that surround BB, from misleading edits to exploiting the vulnerable in order to gain higher ratings - like BB's treatment of Pete, the guy with Tourette's syndrome. But set aside those issues, and BB is great 'switch-off your brain' entertainment, especially the celebrity version - there are genuine laughs to be had, and you can er... catch-up on the stars of yester-year and act like you know your TV trivia. Top marks to BB for experimental programme-making.

Watched this series on TV as a kid along with my brothers, and we loved it. Even though I didn't know what was going on exactly, it felt powerful, and in my tiny-young mind, all the characters were superheroes... Returned to the series as an adult and felt uplifted. Tapped into the deep and mystical meanings I missed as a kid, and can see how influential the narrative and battle sequences have been on recent action epics. Seminal. x

On BBC 2 1976-78. Got the image from amazon
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