As far as the TV biz goes there’s always gonna be a bit of fire wherever there’s a hint of smoke, and as far as the heavily rumoured Big Brother reboot in 2020 is concerned that is one smokey bitch.
[jwplayer 2TT8ymo7]
Adding to that smouldering heap, OG host Gretel Killeen has weighed in on the speculation, with the TV icon seemingly pretty keen to see the show return to screens next year, but that’s not without the odd reservation or two.
The rumours, in case you haven’t kept up, state that Channel Seven is very seriously circling a potential rehash of the series in 2020 as it attempts to cling onto a slice of the youth viewership market. Channel Nine (who wholly owns this publication but refuses to give me access to the Big Brother House because “flying to the Gold Coast to fart in the grotty hot tub is not a story”) still owns the rights to the format in Australia, having last aired it in 2014. Herald Sun TV writer Colin Vickery reported last week that Nine has to decide whether or not to retain the rights or shift them on.
Rumours swirling that Channel 7 is chasing Big Brother to woo younger viewers in 2020. Nine has to decide whether or not to retain rights.
— Colin Vickery (@Colvick) September 23, 2019
Killeen appeared on KIIS FM with Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O yesterday and made her thoughts on the rumoured reboot fairly clear, stating that the reboot would be a “hoot” that might actually help people access a certain amount of introspection.
“I think the essence of Big Brother is brilliant because when we first started that show it was about just watching humans interact without interference, just seeing what humans do. It wasn’t ‘Who’s going to win?’ It was: Let’s just see what relationships form and how people pass their time and converse.”
“I think watching ourselves is something we could actually learn from now. I think this is a time of analysis and introspection and redefining our values, so I think it would be a hoot.”
Conversely though, Killeen did wonder if the time for the show had passed, given the instant celebrity nature of social media and the practically unquenchable thirst for fame that reality TV contestants often possess.
“Reality TV can attract a different kind of person now who wants to be famous, so perhaps that level of purity, maybe the time has passed. But maybe that’s a matter of casting.”
What does it all mean? Who bloody knows at this point. Needless to say, it’s a space that needs to be watched.
