"Big Brother" has plenty of fans in the United States, but not too many of these fans are familiar with the celebrity edition of the series from across the pond. Although "Big Brother" is an entertaining guilty pleasure in the states, "Celebrity Big Brother UK" proves even more fun to watch. After all the success the American version has had with regular casts, I am amazed that CBS has not attempted to adapt the celebrity franchise here at home.
The premise of "Celebrity Big Brother" is very similar to the American version's format. The show takes people into a house, isolates them from the outside world and forces contestants to nominate and evict one another until there is a winner. One major difference between the U.S. and the U.K. versions is that the viewers have much more influence over the U.K. series than they do here. With each eviction, the U.K. public votes on which housemates they want to stay, and they eventually vote on who wins the series. In the United States, the houseguests vote on who gets evicted, and they vote as a jury to decide who wins.
While each format works well its in respective nation, the U.K. celebrity series is a more entertaining show due to its outrageous cast. Most of this season's "Celebrity Big Brother" cast consists of British reality stars and soap opera actors. As an American, I am not familiar with their previous work. Luckily, CBB enlists some American celebrities each season, such as reality stars Jonathan Cheban and Tiffany "New York" Pollard, who draw American reality TV fans like me into the show.
I came to the show for New York, but I stayed for the sheer insanity and shocking behavior of the British housemates. Of course, I also stayed for New York, who provided one of the best moments in recent reality television history when she mistook housemate Angie Bowie's ex, rock legend David's death for housemate David Gest's death.
New York has undoubtedly been one of the most entertaining housemates, but her co-stars are sometimes just as outrageous and fascinating. Particularly, British reality star Megan McKenna's meltdowns and ex-soap star Stephanie Davis's scandalous love affair with model Jeremy McConnell have amused viewers for days.
If I enjoy watching British celebrities whom I am not familiar with on "Big Brother," imagine how much more I would enjoy the series with an all American celebrity cast. Please try to picture one of the Real Housewives, a contestant from the "Bachelor" franchise and one of the fame-hungry members of the Lohan family trapped in a house together. This would make incredible television, right?
Here is my free tip to Les Moonves, Julie Chen and everyone else involved with "Big Brother" at CBS: A 20 to 30 day winter version of "Big Brother" starring celebrities would be a gold mine. Keep the American format of the show because viewers appreciate the strategic element of the game, and keep the summer version starring everyday people. Nonetheless, us American "Big Brother" fans, and fans of reality TV, in general, would live and breathe for a "Celebrity Big Brother" U.S. I'm looking forward to it, CBS. Please don't let us down.
Annenberg Media