It was another whirlwind week for Big Brother 19 with Paul continuing his domination of the house along with a fantastic guest host in Bobby Moynihan. Then to top it all off Julie Chen announced fantastic news: Celebrity Big Brother. Amazing! We’re thrilled and had to find out more, but it sounds like we’ve got some waiting to do on that.
Read what Big Brother Executive Producer Allison Grodner had to say on all the action this past week and what we can look forward to with “BB Celebrity” this winter.
Big Brother Network: A new Big Brother series! Celebrity Big Brother sounds fantastic and we’re very excited. How will Jury be handled or will the public be voting for the winner of CBB? And will that winner be playing for charity?
Allison Grodner: Whoa! We just announced that this is happening and we still have a crazy BB summer to finish. We are very excited to dive in and figure out the creative details as soon as BB19 crowns a winner.
Bobby Moynihan was a fantastic surprise guest for the Houseguests (and the fans out here), especially since he’s also a big fan of the show. How hard was it for Bobby to hold back and not reveal anything since he’s a fan?
Grodner: We loved having Bobby in the house and he genuinely had a great time with the houseguests. It is always best when the special celebrity guests who visit are also fans of the show. It seemed like he couldn’t stop smiling and I thought his diary room interview was one of the highlights. He played by the rules in the house and we would welcome him back anytime as a visitor or a houseguest.
In a preseason interview you described bringing back Paul as “one returner shouldn’t skew things too much for people that don’t appreciate that.” Now that we’re down to F5 and have seen how much of the season has gone how would you respond to that same topic of a returning player and the impact on this season?
Grodner: I would say that what happened this season is unique. We would never have predicted that one returning player would be able to control almost every one of his housemates and avoid eviction for an entire summer. These people knew who Paul was and that he made it to finals last year yet they still chose to keep him, not put him on the block, and trust him 100%. Every season is different and I highly doubt we will ever see this happen again.
Thank you!
Okay, so no more early details on Celebrity Big Brother, but we did get lots of info last night and they’re obviously going to wait until BB19 is over before shifting the spotlight. Speaking of CBB, does it sound like there could be an opening for Bobby in there??
As for Paul’s impact on the season, well Paul’s takeover of the season, at least Grodner admits it was more than they expected. Hopefully that’s something her team considers when the inevitable discussion comes up again for more returning players on Big Brother.
I don’t know why I bother reading Gardner’s interviews. She never gives an answer to any of the questions. They’re all professional non answers that don’t tell us anything.
She will get fired soon enough. I thought the same thing, but wanted to read the questions .
This is probably for the people who only view the live shows.
But then they wouldn’t see these questions and answers with her. Unless I misunderstood your comment?
I don’t believe she will get fired any time soon. The ratings are too good.
Her script choices are not.
We know that but they only care about the ratings.
I agree she won’t be fire, unfortunately. I think as far as ratings this has been 1 of the best seasons for BB, again unfortunately. We’ll continue to get vets every season.
I totally agree with you. I read an article that said that BB has had high ratings for the past several years. You know that they are not going to fire Allison Grodner as long as the ratings are good. I, for one, do not like some of the things they do but I still watch at BB every season and I will continue to do so.
I agree! She always dodges the hard questions
I am not sure she knows the answers
I love that last question! But of course Grodner didn’t answer it.
I always love the questions asked, and it’s so frustrating when she never answers them.
I guess Bobby may be one of the celebs in the new BB. Of course it won’t happen again since the fans are extremely annoyed with production interference so they should stay behind the cameras.
Bobby is lame, they will messup that season too lol
“We would never have predicted that one returning player would be able to control almost every one of his housemates and avoid eviction for an entire summer.”
Well you (production) gave him 5 weeks of safety, right?
Three weeks safety but yes you are right
Tinalee do you agree these people need to get over productions interference….they also gave Cody and Jess a lot of help including a pitiful battle back…fixed…..what would have made better television, Paul goes home week one and then Cody runs the house while Raven realizes she discovered another disease….
Cody would not have run the house without a fight. Alex didn’t go for his partnership so we might have seen a classic divided house.
Yeah, I agree as long as Paul was gone! There would’ve been a clear divide in the house. I think Cody’s side with Mark and Matt would have likely come on top due to physical comps and Alex being the only physical threat with her side of the house.
I think giving Paul the safety was a huge mistake and reinserting Cody was to try and get the house to actually split. But Paul got the bulling tactics going and no one wanted to take the abuse. I feel that is why there was no jury fight back. Because the outcome was going to be the same
Umm, that’s a tough question for me. I have been a fan since season one, episode one and I have religiously watched every season sinse!
The last few years people on here have been talking about production manipulation and the show being more scripted. Up until this season I disagreed. I just didn’t see it or maybe my subconscious just didn’t want to believe it. However, the three weeks safety was clearly meant for Paul. Production knew we would give Paul the safety because he was a Vet, underdog and we didn’t want him to go week one. HOWEVER I still said whatever about that. But then when Raven received the “no have not pass for the entire season,” and then finding out about her “diseases and strict diet,” I felt duped with her being the “lucky one to receive that pass! ”
That was a clear set up & instead of big brother just telling us all “listen, Raven has Gastro, she’s on a strict diet and she is unable to eat slop (which of course we all know is BS now but she EVEN duped CBS/BB) “so, she will receive ‘such and such’ when she is a ‘have not” but instead, they played out that whole ‘fake slop pass’ which was a big eye-opener to me on how easily they cannot only Control the HG’s (none of them took the pass as they were obviously told not to) but also how they put the pass out there for no other reason than for Raven not to eat slop! I just felt after 19 seasons and five seasons of BBC that BBC clearly set up a situation to happen. And I didn’t understand why, when there were other alternatives! You know what I mean? So yeah, as a super fan (for lack of better words, I am no good at remembering anything from other seasons) LOL I was pissed off.
AND I have since open my eyes a little wider and I do believe situations are manipulated to some degree. Not the degree that a lot of people on here feel, but I do believe certain situations are manipulated, again going back to Paul receiving the safety. Manipulated knowing we would choose him to get the safety.
As far as the Cody getting battle back, I don’t believe that was set up “fixed” for Cody. It was already in the works before Cody’s exit so that would not make any sense. You know what I mean?
And from my knowledge, I don’t recall any situations regarding Jessica and Cody that were clear manipulations!?!
That all said, I’m a little confused by your comment, you first ask me if I agree with “these people” need to get over production interference. Manipulation in regards to Paul? or manipulation in regards to the whole game? Or manipulation in regards to there is no manipulation? Are you saying “these people” need to get over it? & stop talking about it because it’s not happening?
I don’t quite understand your comment/question because then you say it was “fixed” for Cody to come back. So I don’t quite understand what you mean?! Do you think it is manipulated? And if so, you are one of “these people” you speak of. Make sense?
AND lastly in regards to your question/comment regarding Paul going home the first week. Well, yeah I wish she went home the first week! Look at how pathetic this entire season has been! A bunch of mindless morons wanting their 15 minutes of fame instead of trying to fight for 500,000! A bunch of morons playing for Paul to win the $500,000 because they think Paul is God for whatever WEIRD reason! So yeah, of course knowing what I know now I would’ve preferred Paul to be gone a long time ago and Cody and Jessica to be running the show! At least people would be playing for themselves!
I am a fan of that prefers the organic seasons. I dislike the twists, Temptations, America’s choice, battle backs, NO VETS coming back etc.
Yes, some of these twists have worked out in my favour due to previous HGs coming back due to battle back such as Cody or Jessica receiving the HH and other twists in previous seasons but I would be a lot more happier with on organic season!
Hopefully I answered your question and then some LOL
tinalee well said and AMEN.
I think no matter who won the Battle Back, Paul was probably told by production to lose. If Cameron won the comps, he would be back. Hgs were probably told to have Paul as the house representative to play. IMO
Don’t forget the ‘okay’ for Jingle Bells to play the RUNNING comp.
Good points, tinalee.
I don’t like the idea of having veterans on the show; but if a veteran was to be brought back, s/he needed at least some help, otherwise the sensible thing for other guests to do would be to evict him/her ASAP.
Paul getting the friendship bracelets should have been enough OR him openly getting 2 weeks of protection would have been enough in my opinion. (Three weeks was too much, I think.)
Again, my preference is not have veterans at all on the show.
So let’s do some math:
Friendship bracelet = 1 week of safety
Pendant of Protection = 3 weeks of safety
Save A Friend (from Mark) = 1 week of safety
Unless if I’m missing something, Paul definitely had 5 weeks of safety.
Oh ha ha, yeah true. I wasn’t thinking of Mark saving a friend but that was just Marks stupidity, not big brothers and Paul was safe regardless. But yeah I forgot about the friendship bracelets, that was so stupid!
So I stand corrected! Technically 5 weeks. I thought you were just talking about the actual safety. I apologize
Forgot about save a friend. But that was a farce. He wasn’t going up.
Actually 4 weeks. The week he came in and Cameron went then safety for 3 weeks.
But he was safe with the friendship bracelets. It made him and the people he gave the friendship bracelets to safe.
That’s what I said. The first week and safety 3 weeks = 4 weeks of safety.
Wrong, actually.
How many weeks did Paul have safety?
Whoa! if still having a crazy summer of Big Brother to finish means limping up to the finish line and slowly slinking over it I guess Ms. Grodner still has a crazy summer of Big Brother to finish before she can start in on the details of the Celebrity Edition.
Get real Alison! This crazy summer season could have been salvaged back in July or even as late as the beginning weeks of August. You made the purposeful decision to just let it swing in the wind like an empty, broken and beaten pinata. Didn’t have to be this way. And you know it. Just own your shame.
Why bother dodging the question about celebrity big brother? Why not tell us a little bit?! As if she doesn’t know the details yet!
We have to expect the unexpected or we won’t watch.
LOL yeah that’s right, silly us! We won’t watch if we know the format.
Just like we’re not watching the worst season ever! LOL
LMAO! Isn’t that the truth! Haha
It is just sad when production can’t admit the mistake of giving a oily Vet like Paul the advantages of a month of safety, a Friendship Coronation ceremony where the VET gets to choose who goes on the block in the first week as just business as usual. Ms. GRODNER in VALLEY Girl Speak for Ya: “Gag Me With a Spoon”.
When I heard that Paul had three weeks of safety + the one week of friendship bracelet safety already, I was shocked because the show rarely has ever given anyone power even close to that level. My thought at the time was they looked at the cast and got concerned with the folks they had picked keeping people’s interest. I felt like bringing in a single vet also reveals this same thing, they didn’t like the cast at go time. Looking back at the season now there is some truth to that. Matt, Raven, Kevin, Ramses, Dominique, Jillian, Megan hardly played at all. The other relied on final three deals with Paul. My guess is they probably panicked and knew Paul needed to stay at all costs. I would like to see Josh win, he has tried to play and make moves at least.
Allison interviews are a whole lot of nothing. But I do have to say that while I normally loathe celebrity drop-ins into the house during the season and I really really can’t stand plugs for new TV shows or whatever, I have to admit that Bobby really rocked it. I’d love to see him as a houseguest in Celebrity Big Brother.
That is not going to happen because he is the star of his own CBS sitcom. Celeb BB will be like the UK’s for Trainwrecks & D listers who need a paycheck bad.
They’re probably already in negotiation with Aaron Carter.
WHO???
Yeah and another train wreck who needs drug money badly is Mischa Barton.
I generally hate the celebrity drop ins as well, but he was great. Sadly he won’t be on celebrity big brother. First off he has his sitcom he is working on so he won’t have the time, second and most importantly it is a cbs sitcom and since he is employed by cbs he would not be able to compete on a show of theirs that gives away money, third he is too big a name the celebrities will all be people way past their “prime”.
I was very happy Bobby did not react to Ravens pacemaker. It was pretty obvious his feelings about her LOL
I think that was my favourite part!
Observation: so many people complaining worst season ever and can’t stand to watch it yet keep on watching and posting. And the hate comments about certain houseguests are interestingly as mean and petty as said houseguests. And to Matthew, thanks for interview questions. Seems you are often blasted for not asking certain questions or giving her time of day. I like reading them!
Oh, absolutely. We all get catty. And let’s face it, we always see those “worst season ever”and “won’t ever watch again” comments, and we mock them every time because they never follow through. Just the way the BB fandom – well, any fandom, really – works.
Good point.
That’s what this site is for. So we can come and debate, joke, bitch and moan. ;-)
So true. 😊
It’s hilarious. I don’t even know how many seasons I have see “this is the worst season ever. I will never watch again.” then that same person is back the next season making the same comment. and the next. and the next.
She and Mehan are the reasons we get this boring crap. This is what the 2nd or 3rd season in a row we have returning vets, the vet won last year, the vet will win this year and we are just supposed to believe this season is an anomaly? Does she think the audience is stupid? I knew premier night that Paul would never be voted out. They gave him “friendship bracelets”, in order to stay you have to try to impress Paul? Why? And don’t even get me started on the 3 weeks safety they gave him. “But there was America’s vote”. Where were the results? It’s all a lie, it’s a summer replacement show that USED to be a game no matter what Grodner tries to tell us
Reveal to the viewers on premier night (and periodically thru out the season) the order of twists/temptations/rewards/DEs, etc. That would eliminate the appearance of gearing such to a particular HG(s) in order to “choreograph” a particular outcome. Additionally, Julie should simply announce the evicted HG, but not the vote total. HGs would then be much more likely to vote his/her conscience …. creating all sorts of speculation about loyalty and alliances.
Right on.
**whispers very, very softly – She absolutely thinks the audience is stupid.**
I would like to see the vote totals. Just for transparency!
Once again no real answers.
I know right! I’m not surprised! She needs to go!
Could we be so lucky
Grodner: I would say that what happened this season is unique. We would never have predicted that one returning player would be able to control almost every one of his housemates and avoid eviction for an entire summer. These people knew who Paul was and that he made it to finals last year yet they still chose to keep him, not put him on the block, and trust him 100%. Every season is different and I highly doubt we will ever see this happen again.
She’s not wrong. As much as we armchair-produce the show, Paul was definitely an X factor, other than obviously winning fan polls early on.
That said, she did say “almost control every one of his housemates”, the allusion clearly being Cody and Jessica. And this is why I am voting for Cody as America’s player. This season, other than Jessica, he was the one to go against the grain, the one to say, “no Paul, you don’t run this house.”
Just my .02
I agree to a part of that, however hg have talked about production trying to push them a certain way of thinking. That’s when BB will say. Your not allowed to talk about yyour Dr sessions. So they steered some of this.
This woman must be fired. BB should not be a scripted show.
It’s not. Since they are playing for money if the show was scripted or rigged in any way it would be illegal and Allison would be in prison.
Exactly
I’m on the fence about Celebrity BB. I fear it will be a bunch of D list celebrities (like DWTS), most of whom I have never heard of, competing to be the most outrageous HG. Let’s face it if you have time to spend 3 months in the BB house you obviously don’t have much going on career wise. These “celebrities” probably view it as an opportunity to get some face time and jump start their careers again. Also, I can’t believe that AG and CBS haven’t already determined who the celebrity HGs are as I doubt they would announce a show without assurance that they have a cast. Having said all that I will give it a shot but anticipate a train wreck of a season.
Couldnt agree more. We all know, as most of us are superfans, we’re going to watch this trainwreck and critique the crap put of it. But that’s what makes this site awesome! If it wasn’t for this site, id have “nobody to talk to”, learn more about what’s going on, and have more of a open mind with others opposing views.
That is something I fear as well. My hope is that it is not 3 months. I would love to have a lot of big brother, but 3 months is a long time for actual celebrities to take off. Make it more like a month or 6 weeks (more double evictions maybe make the “weeks” 2 episodes instead of 3 to speed up the game) and you can get real celebrities who are ok taking that amount of time off. Sadly my guess is 3 months of lousy celebrities who don’t know the game well where the celebrity I am most familiar with is “oh that’s the guy who was on a season of that show 10 years ago”.
Here is who I am guessing will be the “celebrities” on the celebrity season (I don’t know the actual celebrities, but there is a good chance at least a couple of these commonly used “celebrities” are on it)
Kathy Griffin
Stephen Baldwin
Tila Tequila
Dennis Rodman
Hiedi Montag
Vanilla Ice
Snooki
Blac Chyna
Carrot Top
Aaron Carter
Flava Flav
“New York”
Joey FatoneHaylie Duff
Brooke Hogan
“fan favorite” Frankie Grande
“I highly doubt we will ever see this happen again. (a returning player control the whole house for the whole summer)”
Well, Allison, see to it that it does NOT happen again!! :-)
I loved every minute of Paul coming back, Its always fascinating watching how people can manipulate other people. I wasn’t his biggest fan but I am now. There are always haters and always going to be no matter what happens. I’d love watching more of them. People complain that Paul had an advantage, many of them did and didn’t use them to further their games. Paul will be the best big brother Player in BB history in my eyes if he pull this off. Other than Dr Will of course. Paul had to work 100 times harder than anyone else. He has Played an amazing game. I’m so disappointed in past vets reactions, I see Jealousy. Derrick for instance, He wasn’t a great player. He just happened to be in a house full of giant personality’s he could hide behind. I am disappointed he went into BB19 house and gave Josh advice. He had no right to interfere with the game. I’m an avid superman and I’ve loved this season.He didn’t lay in bed all day, he’s Playing the game. I adore some of the other HG especially Josh. I love it! Good Job Allison!
Yet again another blah, blah, blah interview of AG. Get rid of her CBS.