Big Brother Fall 2016 Edition To Be Reimagined: Fewer Blackouts, More Fun

We knew the next season of Big Brother will be arriving earlier than regularly expected with the news that CBS would deliver an online version of Big Brother in Fall 2016 but now we’re getting even more details on what to expect in this newly reimagined variation of the series.

Big Brother host Julie Chen outside the BB18 house

Originally it sounded like the fall season would be BB19 and CBS might alternate between digital, online-only seasons and the summer broadcasts but instead it now appears the All Access version will be an offshoot of the original with season 19 following next summer instead.

Zap2It had the opportunity to talk with CBS execs about this all new kind of Big Brother season, which has yet to even be named, and how it might work out. Interestingly there may still be many aspects that have yet to be decided but they better hurry up because this new season isn’t far away.

Allison Grodner explained that fans will get the chance to watch a lot more of Big Brother when it goes exclusively online as part of CBS’s All Access subscription service with everything happening live and free of the same blackouts we’ve come to know:

It’s interesting because it’s going to be such a different — it’s still ‘Big Brother’ but it’s live… Competitions can possibly play out longer, people will be able to see everything, it won’t be blocked.

Well that sounds awesome. Reminds me of all the way back in the very beginning when you could watch the live shows on the Feeds as they happened on the broadcast.

Speaking of the broadcast episodes, fans are used to a regular schedule and it sounds like the producers are working to make sure there’s something routine in the same way. “We want to create times and schedules so if people just want to pop on for a key event, they can do that,” EP Rich Meehan told Zap2It.

CBS Interactive president Marc DeBevoise added a few bits as well saying that with the show completely on All Access they wouldn’t have the same broadcast restrictions, but that would only effect material we should already be seeing anyway on the Feeds. Unless there’s wild, carefree cursing during competitions I don’t think that aspect will be a huge change for us.

Grodner also added that with a focus now on the Feeds there’s going to be less day long napping. “You see a lot of people asleep — there will be a reason for people to be awake,” says Grodner. No real details going on there, but anything to improve on these days where HGs sleep until 2PM would be nice.

DeBevoise also brought up Julie Chen’s involvement. Now we know she will be there since she said she’d be hosting BB19 this fall, which we now know won’t be call BB19. So what’s she going to be doing? “[Julie] will have her lead role in the show … she’s going to be the main person.” Though he added there won’t be a host in the same way we know it on the CBS episodes. No idea of how that’ll work so we’ll have to wait and see just how Julie Chen will be involved.

What do you think of this bonus season of Big Brother this fall? It’s going to start soon after Big Brother 18 ends and we’ll be enjoying it for around 10 weeks. Now that’s a lot of Big Brother in one year! Then we’ll be right back in to the swing of things with the regular TV show again next summer. Good times ahead!

You can read the full article over at Zap2It for more details.

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88 Comments

  1. I LOVE IT!!! GREAT IDEA!!! I will kepp my subscription and be happy if they keep having a season after the next!!

    • I will be watching :) $5.99 is cheap entertainment if you ask me. I like the idea of not having blackouts and allowing viewers to watch everything as it happens.

    • I will be watching too!! I do wish my chromcast worked on the app though. It would be nice to watch it on my tv.

    • Your loss. $5.99 a month for 24-hour entertainment and a brand new season of Big Brother? I’m more than happy to pay such a small amount for more Big Brother!

      • Yeah, I guess it just depends on the person. $5.99 is basically not going out for ice cream once or twice. I can definitely do that.

      • It’s the principle. I can afford it, but choose not to subscribe. I don’t buy onto all things. Make choices.

      • I’m with you. Averages out to $1.50 a week. People pay more then that for a Starbucks coffee.

      • And if you think that it’ll stay $5.99/month for long, you’re delusional. If they get a lot of people to pay for this, you can bet your bottom dollar the price will go up!

      • Actually, I’m thinking the price will stay the same all season. Delusional seems like a pretty strong word here…

      • I apologize & didn’t mean to offend anyone . I don’t think I clearly stated what I meant to say. I’m sure the price will lock in for the season….I guess I was thinking ahead, that if they continue to do on-line only, that each season will probably see an increase. Sorry!!

      • We haven’t seen an increase, it’s been on all access (feeds) for a few years and they haven’t increased, so far.

      • It’s been $5.99 for several years. I’ve had it since I came out. I’ve watched tons of cbs shows I’ve missed or live TV while I’m out and bored and waiting somewhere. I have directv, and could watch it, but the cbs app is easier and it doesn’t have the bb feeds :)

      • It’s not the $ it’s about paying for something that we’ve come to expect to be free… and they are still selling commercial time too. It rubs be wrong so even if it was commercial free I’d still say no to this $6.00 a month goofy idea.

  2. I will probably read about it if is really expensive. I didn’t know about this site until last season, so I’ll come here.
    I always had HBO, but not Showtime and I think BB was on there, but I was just fine not watching it. They did show a lot of inappropriate things.

    • She didn’t cast it, thankfully! I’m not sure how involved she was! I hope not very! She needs to go!! I can’t believe they’ve kept her around knowing that the viewers can’t stand how she’s taking the show!! I’m really shocked!! It’s a very huge deal how she’s been casting the last 5 or so years!! We keep saying, “maybe next summer” and then we got the worst cast ever this season. Then they actually think they’re the best ones yet…smh

      • I TOTALLY AGREE!!
        My personal take is that she is somehow well connected to Les Moonves, hence her longevity on the show.
        As I’ve mentioned in other posts on this Board, I actually stopped watching bb several years ago and joined a ‘Fire Alison Grodner’ FB page because I was so disgusted by her influence on the show. The FB movement seemed to gather a lot of momentum and fury but obviously resulted in no change. The only explanation is that AG has an ‘in’.

  3. I’m all ready hearing complaints about this upcoming Fall experiment. There’s a huge risk of failure here.

  4. My cable bill is already astronomical so I’m not paying for All-Access in addition to that. Just a money maker for CBS. Plus it doesn’t sound like they have put a lot of thought into this so I’ll pass.

  5. I’m confused. Are there going to be ‘episodes’ of the show where they condense the events into something that we can watch with diary room sessions, etc, or is it JUST feeds?

    • Sounds like there will be some type of “show” and not just 100% feeds. Not sure how they’ll do all this, but it’s going to be interesting.

    • That was hilarious. I’m glad they showed that side of Paulie. I don’t like him at all and I hope he gets negative attention after he comes out. I feel this is who he really is.
      I do think that he was joking with Natalie when they were hiding. The booty thing would make someone uncomfortable, but she was giggling.

      • That was funny espeically Paul’s little dance in the DR. I loved it. And Paulie REALLY, you crying like a little Bitch, You the so called Big man of the house, “I’m gonna win this I’m gonna win that” running to Corey crying YOU BIG BABY BITCH. You can dish it out but you TRUELY can not take it…..Girl Bye..Ha Ha Ha

  6. I just don’t think I will watch the online version at all. I applaud CBS for doing this though but my time is more valuable than watching a show on my computer even if I can hook it up to my TV.

  7. I’m pretty excited about this new BB version. Love that it’s shorter in length, the current format has grown too long over the years. Put more urgency on the HGs to make moves and play the game from the time they get in the house. Less HGs would be better as well and a slightly older/mature cast. It sounds like CBS may be treating this as a beta version of sorts, simplifying the show and bringing it closer inline with the original concept.

    I already pay for the feeds so there’s no more investment here for me. My biggest concern is that CBS will force advertisements on us that we cannot avoid. Right now I DVR the episodes so I can save time and skip the ads. That’s unlikely an option with this All Access version and that’s probably a part of the appeal for CBS and their advertisers.

  8. I’m sorry, I cannot stop laughing at Paul. I’m busting a gut!!!! €:^¥

    Shut my mouth

    • He gets no sympathy from me. He’s just a sore loser.
      Nicole is going to get jealous if Paulie and Corey keep snuggling together.

      • Nicole is seeing corey for the first time when he said he wanted to party in miami, while she wanted a Hawaiian vacation.

  9. Paul sitting in the HOH bed eating Cheetos while Paulie was making an ass of himself and the DR dance was hilarious!! I had alot of dislike for Paul when the game was getting started but he has continued to grow on me since he has gotten out from under Paulie’s control!

    • Victor and Paul jumping from one side to the other was also funny to me. I disliked Paul and didn’t care much for Victor when they were with Jozea. Now I am voting for Victor to get that care package and hoping they keep their deal for final four with James and Natalie. Hopefully Michelle is #5 and not obnoxious Nicole.

  10. It seems like a lot more people are against this idea than I thought there would be. I have all access anyway for feeds and I have no problem keeping it for 2 and a half more months to see how this goes. Hopefully it will be worth it, but I’m definitely looking forward to giving it a shot. No blackouts are for sure a plus for me :)

    • With so few good programs on network TV, it seems like CBS could squeeze a few episodes of BB per week into their lineup. If it’s worth doing, it ought to be worth airing the regular episodes on network TV. I think CBS is missing the chance at keeping the regular viewers who would watch if it were on regular TV broadcast.

      • I can definitely see your point. Big Brother is honestly the only CBS show that I watch so I have no idea what their fall line up looks like. I’ve really thought since the beginning that they’re trying to delay the all access cancellations after BB. Guess we’ll see how it works out and if it’s successful maybe they will move it over to TV next year.

      • But again, they are not changing what they do on network TV. BB19 will happen next summer. 1 per year like always.

        This is a new online spinoff.

        You could argue that they should do multiple seasons per year, but 3 episodes per week is a big scheduling commitment, and they risk viewer burnout too

      • The few consumers who are willing to do away their dish or broadcast programming are an inconsequential drop in the bucket. The majority of profits for CBS and everyone else are dependent upon conventional broadcast and it will be for many years to come. It matters little whether or not you acknowledge that, it is a fact.

  11. Has there been any word on if Canadians/places outside the US will have access to this as well? I don’t want to get my hopes up for a new season to realize I won’t be able to watch it

  12. Cable subscribers pay extra for sporting events all the time. It’s there. It’s a choice. Nobody is holding a gun to your head.

  13. I wonder if we will still get fished when someone sings or talk about their ex like Paulie continues to do for his pitty party.

  14. I have watched every season of Big Brother, either live or recorded on my DVR. I am very disappointed that CBS have decided to go with an online only version for the upcoming “season”. I would have hoped to be able to watch the normal broadcast episodes on some TV channel. Why couldn’t they work out a schedule on some alternate channel like Pop or the TV Guide channel, if they can’t fit it into the regular CBS lineup. I have no plans to pay to watch anything online.

      • This isn’t “the future” , it is a weak knock off of the real thing. If it’s worth doing at all, it is worth doing right. If you have big screen HD TV and satellite DVR why would you want to monkey around with anything online for your entertainment dollar.

      • Perhaps but with less convenience and added expense. You shouldn’t have to pay more and work harder just to watch TV. Particularly when you have already spent a considerable amount of money on equipment and programming.

      • You can just hook up a hdmi cord from your computing device to your TV. Not really that much of a hassle. They only cost $5 on amazon. But with a smart tv you can do it wireless.

      • Hate to tell you but Satellite/cable DVRs are not the future. Subscription content direct via the internet is the way things are trending. It will just take awhile to get there.

        Your complaint is the equivalent of someone 20 years ago complaining that an Album was put out on CD only, not cassette.

        CBS could keep you happy any not do this, and the result would simply be their slow death as more and more business shifted to the new model.

      • You seem to miss the point. HDTV and satellite broadcast with DVR’s are the state of the art reality for the forsee-able future. We’re not talking about 8 track, cassette and VCR. CBS are simply trying to get something for nothing and will lose viewers they could have had. Online content is not the convenient mainstream way people watch TV.

      • No. They are NOT the state of the art.

        The state of the art are streaming services. Netfix. Amazon Prime, etc. All not only streaming old content but producing their own original content, much of it far superior to network TV.

        This content is also far more flexible to provide enhanced definition as bandwidths and TVs improve, and renders space eating DVRs unnecessary because the content is on demand, not appointment based.

        Networks and cable and satellite providers are scrambling to get a toe in to that market, because that is how the younger generation expects its content. Any device. On Demand

      • To each his own. That is up to the viewers and CBS to decide. It is not necessary to spend extra for Netflix and etc. There is plenty of HDTV entertainment available with dish and a modern DVR. If you want to spend your money buying separately offered programming be my guest. Sounds kind of like renting VHS tapes, instead of already having it there when you want it.

      • Again, you are not getting this.

        This is not about extra content. People are switching OFF cable/satellite and getting content the new way. A few people pay for both, but a lot are skipping the old way entirely. And CBS risks missing the boat.

        But again, if you like the old way that is fine. YOU ARE LOSING NOTHING. This is an extra program provided by a different service, that will not prevent you from getting the regular BB seasons you got before.

        If you don’t want to pay for it, don’t.

        You are instead making the argument that nothing new should be created for people who may want this service, and that is rather silly.

      • No you seem to be confused. I get this, I just don’t agree with you. I have all of the equipment and technology required. I am not interested in your opinions about the future, I was commenting on the present reality. Many BB fans would watch this offering but not if they have to pay extra for it and only have access to it online. What part of that don’t you get.

      • Many BB fans would watch BB and subscribe to new content but won’t pay for a cable or satellite subscription just to get CBS.

        You were complaining that you don’t get this as if it were something you were entitled to, or at least something they were taking away, Its not.

        If you don’t want to pay, by all means, don’t. And if all bb fans feel like you, it will be a short lived idea.

    • They have already re-upped the next two regular seasons on the traditional channel.

      This is extra content. If you skip it, you miss NOTHING.

  15. I’m keeping my subscription. Ugh that means another 10 weeks before I have a life again. Lol But really I’m not complaining. I just hope you can watch episodes like you can now if you miss one.

  16. OMG if you are watching BBAD right now — James needs to RUN in the other direction! Natalie = High Maintenance

  17. I don’t know how well it will do considering what it probably costs them to make. I guess it depends on how many are willing to pay. I have all access now so I could get caught up on BB after my vacation but will I keep it? I dunno yet. I already pay for cable and netflix.

  18. Cable prices are far too high these days and I refuse to be blackmailed by CBS. If people subscribe then you will find NBC, ABC and other major stations doing the same. STOP THE MADNESS!!!

    • Or you can cut the cord on cable, and subscribe to the type of content you like and only that.

      CBS all access is not really about doubling up content charges with and without cable. It is about pulling in the growing segment who are bypassing old style broadcast TV entirely.

  19. I wonder if Canadians will be blocked out of this online version of Big Brother like they are feeds?

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