‘Big Brother Over The Top’ Preseason Details & Everything You Need To Know

We’re just days away from the start of Big Brother Over The Top next Wednesday (Sept. 28th) and the BBOTT cast reveal is coming even sooner than that so let’s do a quick rundown of what we know so far about the series and what’s just around the corner for the new season of Big Brother.

Julie Chen hosts Big Brother Over The Top

Over The Top is the an online-only variation of Big Brother US and will be set in the same house, following the same basic structure of HoH, noms, Vetoes, & evictions, but there will be several major differences separating the BBOTT version from what we watch on TV each summer. Speaking of which, don’t worry, Big Brother 19 will return to CBS TV in the summer of 2017!

How To Watch BBOTT:

Since Big Brother OTT is on All Access that does mean it’s a paid subscription exclusive for those viewers and it is US-only. The cost is $5.99/month after the Free Trial ends and you can cancel anytime in your account settings if you decide you’re done watching. This is the same cost and method we use each summer to watch Big Brother Feeds so for those who are already familiar with that this will be nothing new. For TV-only fans venturing in to new territory I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Feeds have always provided the best insight to the real Big Brother game and if you’ve never tried them before then I expect you will have a lot of fun with this. And don’t worry if you’re concerned you’ll have to huddle around your computer to watch BBOTT. You won’t have to do that. It’s actually very easy to get All Access on your regular TV and watch it just like you do with Netflix streaming or Hulu shows. Check out our guide to how to watch All Access & Feeds on various devices.

BBOTT Cast:

The BBOTT cast will be revealed on Monday at 10AM PT (1PM ET) and will feature 12 all-new Houseguests. Yes, we will have the cast list ready for you here on our site so be sure to come back and visit us on Monday for the cast announcement. CBS will also have video interview footage for them and that’ll be on the open cbs.com website instead of behind the All Access login so everyone can meet the cast for free if you’re waiting to decide on signing up with the Free Trial.

Along with the twelve new players in the game we’ll get one Veteran player, either Jason Roy or Jozea Flores. Voting is now open for that (go here to vote at cbs.com) and runs through Tuesday. You’ll have 20 votes each day so keep supporting your pick though I expect Jason to crush Jozea on this one. The official results will be announced on Wednesday likely with the first live show.

BBOTT Schedule:

Speaking of shows, since this is all online there won’t be any CBS broadcast episodes but there will be shows online along with the Live Feeds. Feeds will run around the clock and there are no scheduled blackouts for things like the comps and ceremonies. We’ll see that all online as it happens. CBS has already released the weekly events schedule for BBOTT so we can turn on our Feeds at the right time and watch it happen. Or if you miss things you can rewind and watch using Flashback.

BBOTT Extras:

Along with what we’re used to seeing from Big Brother there will be new extras like Live Feed Diary Room sessions. Twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:30PM ET we’ll get to see HGs go in the DR which should be great for avoiding those awful segments like Corey trying to read his lines and acting as though he has a pulse at the same time. With no regular shows we won’t get DR sessions otherwise. Really I wish there were more scheduled DR events like this though but maybe they’ll add some if it gets a good response from fans.

A new way of doing nominations will be introduced for Over The Top. Starting on Saturday nights (10PM ET) there will be a “Safety Ceremony” which will reveal at least part of the group who won’t be eligible for nomination. Maybe that’s something we’ll vote on each week to protect a fan favorite. CBS hasn’t said more on that yet. Then on Sunday nights (10PM ET) we’ll have the “Final weekly Safety Ceremony and Nomination Reveal” event. So one way or the other by the end of those two days we’ll know who is up for eviction that week before the Veto comp on Mondays (4PM ET) and PoV Ceremony on Tuesdays (4PM ET).

It’s going to be really strange to have an HoH crowned on Wednesday nights then no nominations decided for three more days. I hope that’s good for more time of stressing for a wider group of Houseguests so I’m interested to see how that goes for the flow of the game.

Another interesting twist on the season is that fans will vote for the winner of BBOTT. Now I’ve seen some different wording on that which could mean we’re either one vote toward deciding the winner or we alone are deciding the winner. If it’s the latter then there’d be no need for a Jury or a post-eviction Jury House. I wouldn’t be surprised by that if they just let the HGs back in to the wild when their game is done. That’ll be interesting to get their involvement on Twitter for the rest of the season.

BBOTT House:

Yes, they’re using the same house and since there are only a few days between the end of Big Brother 18 and the premiere of BBOTT we should not expect any major changes to the house design. CBS told us in a conference call that there may be some changes but the overall theme will be the same.

Expect the Departures board, Tokyo bedroom, etc. to be the same. Maybe even the Have-Nots too because that punishment aspect of the game is definitely back though there will be no fan voting on punishment foods for at least the first few weeks.

Update: Miss Cleo on Twitter is reporting there will be changes to the Have-Not room, Tokyo bedroom, and possibly more so maybe they’re getting a few overhaul efforts done in a few short days.

BBOTT Premiere Week Events:

There’s not much time between the end of BB18 and the start of BBOTT so get ready for things to come at us quickly next week. On Monday we’ll get the 12 HG cast reveal at 1PM ET (10AM PT), Tuesday voting will end for Jason vs Jozea, Wednesday is the premiere & reveal of 13th HG, Thursday is the first HoH competition live on your Feeds (4PM ET), then we should hit our regular routine.

Okay, I think that’s everything we know so far. Cast on Monday, premiere on Wednesday, and then 10 weeks of Big Brother to follow with all the usual coverage you’ve come to expect here on the site. You can also download our free Big Brother App, join us on Facebook and Twitter, and get our Email Updates for the total package and a Big Brother overload!

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38 Comments

  1. I’m still excited for this OTT version, but a little worried about it too. Same house (who wants to be constantly reminded of the previous season?), fans voting for the winner (hopefully not 100%), and this “safety ceremony” are a few concerns.

    I really love the idea of live DRs, fewer HGs, shorter season, etc. Holding out hope that it turns out to be a refreshing change from the BB we’ve become used to.

    • Do you think they’re doing this season to debunk productions rigging conspiracy theories? I notice the rumors are getting more intense by the season. Myself included. It’s why I have no interest in subscribing to season 19.

      • It’s suspected so greatly that I think they cant totally ignore it any longer. I think it should be cancelled. It’s ran its course. The contestants are getting more more ridiculous every year, And dumber. It’s obvious! How did NICHOLE outsmart 15 people??? Her I was thinking bb16 was the least intelligent cast ever, this is evidence that its getting worse. I barely could pick a player to root for.

  2. I was really hoping that horrid Tokyo room would go away..it is so awful. It is going to take me some time to get adjusted to the new schedule. I did find one on facebook..so I printed it out and put by my computer..until I have it memorized. I am excited to see how this goes..should be fun! At least we have 11 new HG’s…of course, they just had to have a returning player…but, I do like Jason..I am sure he will make it in.

    • Ooh the shower was backed up the day before finale. They were wearing shower shoes to wade thru it. I would be gagging

      • You’re east coast right?..So what do you think of the time slot? You don’t care..lol You stay up late on feeds anyway…Excited about this?

      • Yeah I don’t care if it’s late I don’t have a schedule being retired. But I do lose a lot of sleep when I have things going on. I can’t wait for it to start. Glad it’s a short season though because BB has consumed too much of my time. Lol.

    • They have to send in some sort of maid service or something when it gets too bad, or force the have-nots to clean the house, or something. It can’t continue the way it has been going. That’s just disgusting and nobody should be forced to live like that. Soundstage or not.

      • I don’t miss season one’s format at all. It became a big lovefest with everyone trying to one up each other’s wholesomeness. Well, until George’s family targeted Brittany for eviction. Good times.

        Wow that takes me back. Calling in to get people voted out. Whoa that sounds old now just thinking about it.

      • Canada’s version actually started years before it started airing on Slice/Global.

        BBCAN started as Loft Story in Quebec which lasted a good few seasons before being renamed Big Brother in 2010. It took two years for a national English-language version to finally be realized.

    • Yeah, I don’t like that idea. Could you imagine an entire house of James & Natalie HGs starting every conversation with “America, …” and pandering to viewers ALL season long instead of playing against each other? Blerg.

      • I haven’t seen season 1 so I decided I’d watch it:.. I literally forced myself to watch the first 7 episodes and couldn’t stand another one. It. Was. Unbearable. I’m planning on starting with Season 2 and skipping the first. I didn’t discover BB until season 10 so which season that I missed would you consider the most memorable?

      • That’s why I didn’t care for UK/Aussie version. I watched some of them, just didn’t get the same thrill I get from our version. Canada is ok.

    • Usuallu the housemates are the ones to nominate. The.public will either vote to save or evict. Th is basic old school BB.

      But what failed the first time was that BB1 did not have a strong cast to begin with as there was not a lot of diverse and contrasting personalities that could provide story for the show.

  3. Random question for everyone…

    I didn’t discover BB until season 10. Of the seasons I missed, not counting season 1 (tried to watch it, 7 episodes in I gave up… Didn’t like it at all!) which season stands out as the most memorable to you all between seasons 2-9?

    • I’m gonna include Season 1 here just because it did have a lot of potential but the casting was not up to quality.

      I’d say Will throwing the first task to screw the house was a big highlight for me that season. He was not afraid to speak his .ind make it all about him and Eddie was there to counter him when they had that big fight on week 1/2.

      But my fave moment would be when Eddie won a luxury massage session in the DR, and unknowngly had Will as his masseuse.

      Fun times. :)

      • Now you’ve sparked my interest in season 1 for sure! I’ll have to give it another go!! Thank you!

  4. I’m so bitter, I cant watch 19. Lol I can’t believe Nicole won. That was my worst bb18 nightmare. I’m taking another 8yr break from BB. I’m just returning from one lom

    • Yeah the fix was in — we were talking about it all season long and there is lots of evidence and they even talked about it multiple times. Nobody wanted to believe it until it happened. It’s rather pathetic isn’t it?

      • DEFINITELY! I had a suspicion she would win the second she popped out to of that chest day one, because she resembles a young Hilary Clinton. Lol I know that’s silly to say but I was right. Lol. I have another crazy suspicion l feel strongly about; I suspect production uses a more sophisticated, less detectable (to us the audience) form of tampering with the players through subtle hypnosis. Lol Sometimes they enter and exit the DR with 180 diffences in mood, not even because they are in danger or suspicious of another player. It’s weird. I’ve heard them mention this to each other. Its not noticeable if you’re not paying close attention. I noticed Cory went in one time normal and came looking like he was literally walking dead! They talk about dreams they have that are identical etc…Paul being so passionately dead set on taking Nicole makes no sense to me whatsoever, no matter how you flip it. It’s just plain weird.

  5. Sounds like BB will be doing some type of house makeover for OTT. Read on Twitter (MissCleoBB) that the bumper cars were moved out today and Tokyo was wallpapered over. Good news!

  6. Us choosing the winner is catastrophic, and not good. I like the HGs playing the game and determinating what happens. The problem with us choosing is that idiots that loved Natalie would have made her won bb18 for terrible game play. We all would have evicted Paul in the first three weeks, instead of him proving his worth and heart and almost winning. If you hated the people playing up to the cameras the last couple of years expect it more times 1,000,000. It’s not the real game and not good. Come up with better ways for us to “participate” EXCEPT voting for evictions and who wins.

    • Well except that we don’t get to evict… they do. We just pick the winner. Kind of cool…. you have to play the game to the end… and not piss off America.

      • Yeah, you’re specifically the type of fans that I hate. It shouldn’t be a popularity contest in the slightest, ever.

  7. The more I read this the more it sounds like Big Brother UK (which is super boring to watch in this format). Here is to hoping it’s not.

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