What I told Channel 4

Here are some of the answers I gave a researcher for a Channel 4 debate show about Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack. (The got in touch because of this thing I do). It won't be used anywhere else, they decided not to go with bloggers in the end, and just have an audience of viewers. So I thought I'd share here. Should say - this was just an informal preliminary chat thing, not particularly well thought-through, but hopefully it serves as an alternative to a 'proper' blog post (since when have I done those?) for the time being.


Are you enjoying the new series of big brother celebrity hijack?
Very much so. Possibly my favourite series.


Do you think it's a good thing that they have changed the format or do you think they should have stuck with the original celebrity big brother i.e. having the celebs in the house?
I prefer it this way, but of course it's a bit disingenuous to call it a 'hijack' - the celebrities seem to be enjoying themselves, the overall stress levels are much lower, there's very little chance of anything catastrophic happening. Personally I find it quite pleasantly relaxing viewing, but I suppose there are people who miss the tension and 'car crash' aspect of seeing celebrities put under pressure. As it is, the housemates and celebrities are almost on the same level; the kids are already very used to being put under pressure and being watched, and don't really know what to do with themselves in the house. There's a sense they're a 'group of individuals' - but because all their skills are different they seemed to abandon any competitiveness after about the first day. The celebrities obviously aren't REALLY at the helm, pulling the strings - they're just doing a day's work - a fact emphasised by the slightly strange decision to show them taking their headphones off and clocking off as soon as it's home time.

Everyone seems happy with everything, with takes the pressure off all-round, but also makes for a tamer show.


Why do you think Channel 4 have decided to put it on E4?
I'm not sure, and there are a lot of theories. I think it's probably a combination of a few things. Channel 4 wants to refresh the programme, avoid controversy, but also honour its three-year deal with Endemol to air two series per year. The summer show is the big one with a lot riding on it, so the risky one's been softened, and keyed down, there's very little chance anything outrageous or controversial will happen, and if it does fewer viewers will see it. It's a bit like locking your crazy old relative up in the attic when you're about to have a dinner party.
Having said that, E4 will do really well out of the exposure.


Do you think it was a good move to move big brother to E4 instead of having it on the main Channel?
I think it's a shame, in a way, because people are now asking these questions and looking at Endemol and Channel 4 even more critically and suspiciously than usual. It does look like they're going to lose some ad revenue this way, but time will tell whether it works out for them. They've obviously got the budget to try these kind of experiments, and it doesn't make any difference to me which channel it's on (because I'm lucky enough to get E4) but those who don't get the channel might feel rather overlooked.


Do you think people are beginning to get fed up of BB in general or will it always be popular?
There's something slightly extreme about Big Brother, the makers are very good at taking risks and surprising viewers, and there aren't many shows that have that anything-can-happen experimental aspect to them. But I think mistakes were made with last summer's show - mostly that it just went on for far too long. That might put some people off this summer, but there will always be a hardcore group of fans. In fact, we're seeing a second generation of young fans coming in now, which is why doing a celebrity show about good looking young talents, rather than ageing has-beens, was such a canny move.

People like watching people interacting - not necessarily doing anything taxing or complicated, sometimes just hanging around or sleeping - which is why I think this show will always be interesting and successful. The transparency and voyeurism that characterises the show seems to have been extended to the producers too, who we watch with almost as much interest as the housemates. They'll be criticised whatever they do, but I think that outside comment has become part of the way the show works now.

Apart from those who flatly refuse to watch it, most people who are interested in people are at least a little interested in Big Brother. In the end it's going to come down to whether the makers can keep it interesting and different, and that's probably going to depend on whether the numbers stack up.