Update: Clearly we were told incorrect information by TVGN. BBAD on TVGN is most definitely still censored (BBAD on Slice is not). We are following up with TVGN to ask why it is being censored and why we were explicitly told it would not be when it most definitely is.
Since the announcement that Big Brother 15‘s “After Dark” series will be moving from Showtime’s SHO2 to the TVGN channel, CBS’s new venture, some fans have loudly championed a return to the old over fears of what this change would mean to their beloved “Big Brother After Dark” episodes. Would the series still be uncensored? What about all the commercials? What’s all this about “curated live feeds”?
Looking to answer many of these unknowns I turned to TVGN’s Leslie Furuta, the Senior Vice President of Communications and Media Relations. Ms. Furuta provided detailed answers to every question we asked and the information she gave us should make a lot of “After Dark” fans very happy.
Will “Big Brother After Dark” be censored on TVGN?:
The biggest question we heard from many fans was whether or not “After Dark” would lose its uncensored privileges when moving from a premium channel to basic cable. “Fans aren’t going to miss out on any context or hot moments happening on “After Dark,” said Leslie Furuta. She went on to explain that while TVGN must adhere to basic cable standards things are already very relaxed during the late night hours. So there you have it. No, “After Dark” will not be censored on TVGN. But wait. There’s more!
What does “Curated Live Feeds” mean for BB15’s “After Dark”?:
We’ve seen over and over again the phrase “curated live feeds” when discussing the 2013 summer season of “Big Brother After Dark.” Yesterday we speculated what this could mean and whether it was just another way of saying there’d be camera selection to avoid views of empty rooms. Turns out that’s exactly it.
“‘Curated’ is just a fancy word we used to indicated that we will bring viewers to where the action in the house is happening,” explained Leslie Furuta. So again, “curated” does not mean “monitored to prevent viewers from seeing something naughty.” It’ll be a “guided tour,” with your best viewing interests in mind.
Will there be commercials on TVGN’s “After Dark”?:
CBS already announced BBAD would run commercial free for the entire first week of the series, but what’s going to happen after that? TVGN will air BBAD with “a shorter, limited commercial load,” she said. Presumably this will be similar to what we were used to seeing on SHO2’s version which did include occasional commercials throughout the show each night.
Will BBAD on TVGN be split-screen with programming guides?:
In its former life, the TV Guide Channel offered a scrolling programming guide alongside television shows. Some readers have expressed fears that Big Brother’s “After Dark” would have to share its screen with “what’s currently airing on QVC?” Not the case at all. Ms. Furuta confirmed that “Big Brother After Dark” would “air in full-screen with no guide.”
To sum it all up, Furuta explained, “there is literally no difference between “Big Brother: After Dark” on TVGN and past season of the show previously on SHO2.”
The TVGN channel is available to 80 million homes and 85% of those homes run its programming sans guide. If you’re wondering whether or not you’ll be able to watch “Big Brother After Dark” on its new home, then visit http://www.tvgn.tv and click on the red box titled “TVGN Channel Finder,” enter your zip code, and find its channel number with your provider.
Now with a full picture about what this change means, how do you feel about “Big Brother After Dark” moving to TVGN? Of course you should check out the Live Feeds as well, but BBAD is a great supplement to the Big Brother experience.
Thank you to TVGN and Leslie Furuta for providing detailed, additional insight to the upcoming season of “Big Brother After Dark” on its new home.