Big Brotheris one of the longest-running reality TV competitions on the air, but after years of using a familiar format,the show quietly removed one of the most crucial components of its weekly live episodesmuch to fans' irritation.Big Brother,which airs three episodes per week, has one live episode each week to orchestrate the live elimination of a houseguest.
While there have been format shifts through the 25 years of the show, the weekly live episodes have featured some specific pieces from year to year, up until the most recent season. Pointed out by fans likeu/cloudywachanceofmbon Reddit,Big Brother’sweekly live episodes have shifted recently andno longer feature weekly live Head Of Household competitions, which viewers typically enjoy.
“I do not understand why the 90 minute episode isn’t on Thursdays,“u/FalynTshared,exasperated about the fact that theBBBlockbuster competition has taken over as the live competitionfor the week. Rather than the tension of going into an HOH immediately post-eviction, the houseguests get the opportunity to move through the eviction and take time prior to the competition to prepare.
Without as much urgency, some of the magic has been lost between the live episode airing and the BB live feeds coming back up to reveal who’s won the HOH competition.Live Head Of Household competitions always allowed for more intensity, and showing even"a little of the next HoH competition”,according tou/OhHelvetica73,would ultimately help resolve the issue.
What Big Brother’s Live HOH Competition Being Replaced Means
It’s Not A Permanent Twist, But It’s Still Stifling
AlthoughBig Brotherhasn’t always featured a live competition during the eviction episodes,theBBBlockbuster has changed things for the long-running show. Whilelive Head Of Household competitionsonly happened a few times each season, they still typically started things off immediately post-eviction, which gave viewers a glimpse into what was to come. Even so, the Blockbuster has changedBB’sDNA.
Evenwith the Blockbuster in the mix, theBig Brotherhouseguests still jump into the Head Of Household competition shortly after the night’s eviction. Regardless, something about the competition happening live on the air or quickly in the live show’s aftermath has been important for the series, and viewers are missing that urgency surrounding someone who’s still in the game.
Our Take On The BB Blockbuster Vs. The Live HOH
They Both Have Different Stakes
While theBBBlockbuster, a secondary iteration of the AI Arena fromBig Brother26, has become a part of the game, it’s less integral to the forward momentum of the game than the live HOH competitions.It makes sense for the Blockbuster to be a big piece of the episodes, but may make sense to reorganize the live show to fit both components.
If theBBBlockbuster could happen at the top of the episode rather than mid-way through the show,it’s possible Big Brother would be able to fit both of the competitions into the showseamlessly. Without taking anything away from viewers,Big Brothercould choose to host both competitions live or partially live, bringing the most satisfaction across their viewership.
Big Brotherairs Sundays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS.
