Brekkie Boy Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 MODS: Please don't merge this thread - I want to get feedback about this subject specifically. Thankyou. I've mentioned this briefly numerous times over the years, but I thought I'd go into a bit more detail and see what people think about it. While Big Brother USA had it's huge revamp for season 2 with the introduction of HoH, and subsequently the Veto in season 3, in most other versions the first big twist to the format has been the Rich-Poor divide. The idea is simple - in place of the weekly food challenge the houseguests compete each week as either teams or individuals to determine which side of the house they live on. The rich side get the luxury accomodation including the kitchen and bathroom, the comfy bedroom, the pool and perhaps a few extras such as a gym. Housemates on the rich side also get the week's food supply. The poor side takes back to basics to the extremes. Inside the housemates have a basic living area with uncomfortable wooden furniture, plus a basic bedroom - with many versions having straw beds! The toilet is at the end of the garden, and the houseguests have to shower and cook outside too - with only basic rations (i.e. slop) available. Some versions also restrict the amount of clothing those on the poor side can have. The two sides of the house are divided by bars, so they can communicate but can't cross sides. Passing items from one side to the other is also forbidden. I think this could work really well for Big Brother USA next year, replacing the food competitions and making living conditions much tougher for the housemates (on the poor side). The HoH would stay, living on the rich side obviously - meaning the added privilege for the rich HMs of being able to communicate with the HoH about nominations. The house would need a bit of work, but it could be done - possibly making the current gym, bathroom into the poor area and revamping the existing bedrooms to include a new bathroom and gym for the rich HMs. For me, this proven twist (it still is the UK's best rated series) would do exactly what Big Brother USA needs and make life tougher for the houseguests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rejuvenated Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 Brekkie, I appreciate your enthusiasm for BB worldwide. However, I think BB USA has just taken a different approach overall. Although I liked some of your previous suggestions regarding monetary penalties, I don't think this current suggestion would work in the US game. The powers that be don't enforce the current rules, few as they are. There is no way they would enforce more. Furthermore, most reality show contestants here are in for the glamour, even Survivor, bug bites and all. They wouldn't tolerate outdoor toilets. Thanks to Dr. Will, BB is at a point where there is no turning back where rules are involved. He broke every rule there was and suffered no penalties. BB has become a game run by the HG's, not the producers or anyone else. The precedent has been set for making demands that must be met. Pampered faux-stars who can have tantrums, destroy property, do what they want, all in the name of "good TV". Now he is taking his demands to The Amazing Race. Unless someone at CBS grows some balls, we are going to be facing Will & Booger, round 3. I would bet the the shy unassuming Dr. Will would shelve the Devine Miss Brodie in a heartbeat if CBS stood their ground and said American has had enough of the two of you, its you and Janelle or nothing, we'll take Janelle & ______________. Ok, that got a bit off track, sorry. IMHO, BB in this country is too far gone to implement the ideas you suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brekkie Boy Posted September 17, 2006 Author Share Posted September 17, 2006 Interesting points, but after All Stars there is the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and for Big Brother to enforce their authority. With the two sides divided by glass or metal bars, it's pretty easy to enforce! There is also an instant punishment available of placing houseguests automatically on the poor side if they break the rules! Anyhow, this is how the week would pan out: The live eviction and HoH comp would take place as usual on Thursdays, with the poor HMs entering the rich garden for any competitions. The HoH would automatically secure a place on the rich side (where the HoH suite is accessed). On Friday in place of the food comp we have the weekly Rich-Poor competition, where the winners get a place on the rich side and the losers face a week of outdoor showers and straw beds! The nominations then take place as usual - there are no restrictions so the HoH can nominate people from either side. However, those on the rich side have the advantage of being able to chat to the HoH in the HoH suite. The Veto challenge takes place as usual, but at the Veto ceremony there is a twist. If the Veto isn't used, the Veto winner can instead choose one HG to swap sides. The HoH would decide who they swap with. This process would continue for the first half of the series until either the divide is removed or the HGs compete as a group to decide which side they live on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uvp Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 not meant for usa bb. it takes way interaction which makes bb runs. i can go for it if no bars are involve and they arent separated they just cant use the equipment that the winning team earn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brekkie Boy Posted September 17, 2006 Author Share Posted September 17, 2006 Maybe though the show would benefit from houseguests being unable to interact privately with their allies at points in the game. Anyhow, this format is generally known as "Big Brother: The Battle" and varies slightly from country to country. Here in the UK HMs generally competed individually for their place on the rich side, but in other countries they remained in the same teams throughout. So an idea which also throws in the public vote - but keeps the current format: There would be say 8 houseguests on each team determined when the houseguests moved in. They would remain in these teams throughout and compete as teams for which side they live on. Each team would have a "HoH", with each HoH nominating two members of their team each week. The other members in each team would then vote for who they want to face eviction. However, only one is evicted - and that is where the public comes in. It's a way of bringing back the eviction vote, but also keeps the current format. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flo Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 It probably wouldn't work in USA Brekkie Boy. I think one is working with an entirely different mind-set here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~ Lips ~ Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Metal bars work in zoos and prisons in the good 'ol USA, but I don't think they would work on BB...(lol). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uvp Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 two lips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flo Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Different lips uvp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brekkie Boy Posted September 18, 2006 Author Share Posted September 18, 2006 Thanks for your replies. Pretty much unanimously so far you think it won't work - but why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jersey721 Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 I like the idea. These celebrity wannabes need to be put in their place. I say lock 'em up behind bars. And to the person who said "they wouldn't tolerate outdoor toilets" . . . they don't get to choose the conditions. If they won't tolerate them, don't sign up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brekkie Boy Posted September 18, 2006 Author Share Posted September 18, 2006 Re: outside toilets - to clarify they aren't outside as in Survivor style - it's a basic toilet in a shed or outhouse placed in the garden. jersey721 gets the idea. I really did post this in response to alot of the comments here about the houseguests having it too easy, and in addition it's also a big twist to the show that doesn't require a twist to the casting - meaning back to the idea of 13 or so strangers in the house! It's also a twist that can work well alongside the current rules of BBUSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flo Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Quote jersey721 they don't get to choose the conditions. If they won't tolerate them, don't sign up. I agree entirely. If they don't like it they can leave it. Somebody else will be prepared to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amandalicious Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 I don't think it's exciting enough. The slop this most recent season was the same concept and all it did was make one group bitter toward the other team and send people into a hunger induced depression. They also took away their beds once, and made them use cold water - none of it was really interesting to me. The Wake-Up Calls were pretty entertaining, though. All any of it did was piss off the HG's. (But, as All Stars, they came in with a sense of entitlement anyway, so anything besides giving them their way would have pissed them off.) They need to think of something to give the social aspect more oomph, because that's where the entertainment is. The Cowboy/Nakomis thing was pretty interesting, for example. I don't really care to see a bunch of people in a bad mood because they have to sleep on uncomfortable beds and potty in an outhouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flo Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Quote Amandalicious: I don't really care to see a bunch of people in a bad mood because they have to sleep on uncomfortable beds and potty in an outhouse. It may be different if it is not the "All Stars" participating. The AS's definitely had a different attitude and they were the ones to call the shots, and tried unsuccessfully to make good TV all the time.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursie Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 when i read the title of this thread, i was thinking you meant having half the house be wealthy while the other house are homeless.........a rich/poor divide i think things come across on the show differently here for some reason, just like the fact that we cant have the public voting out people because it would always leave boring nice people, while in other countries they leave in the entertaining ones i think in general they should start with nothing and have to earn every priveledge in there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCRebel Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 HG in the poor house would just be sad and miserable all week. Sad and miserable = not entertaining and no strategy. This idea would suck here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brekkie Boy Posted September 20, 2006 Author Share Posted September 20, 2006 Actually when we did it alot of the time the poor housemates had a better time than the rich housemates for some reason! As for strategy - I don't think they'd be no strategy - in fact there would be greater scope for it and for alliances to change as houseguests are grouped with different people each week depending on the outcome of the weekly challenges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brekkie Boy Posted October 1, 2006 Author Share Posted October 1, 2006 It wouldn't take too much effort to revamp the house to incorporate a Rich-Poor Divide. Here is the current floor plan (for downstairs - just the HoH suite upstairs): http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y163/brek...er/usaplan7.gif The HoH suite would remain in it's current position - and they'd be a few changes downstairs to create a rich and poor divide. (NOTE: the black/white line is where the divide is placed!) The current gym and bathroom are converted into the poor side, with the diary room moved to the centre of the camera run so it can be accessed from both the rich and poor side (there would be a door on both sides). The current diary room and storeroom are converted into a new gym - perhaps with sauna - with the current bedrooms split into the Rich Bedroom and new bathroom and storeroom for the rich side. The current lounge, dining area and kitchen remain, along with the stairs to the HoH suite. Outside the garden is split as well, with the poor garden having an outdoor kitchen, the poor storeroom and the outdoor shower and toilet. There are some slight changes to the camera run aswell to ensure the poor garden is properly covered. The rich side is split in two - the decking area hosts a new bigger pool (the hot tub is removed and instead there is a spa bath inside). There is also the large lawn too - which is where competitions will be held with the poor HMs let out to compete. Hopefully that shows the BBUSA house could be split quite easily with only a few structural changes really required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparklet Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 I think the rich and poor idea is a bad one...keep the partners and continue to keep the game the same...if it is not broke then dont fix it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flo Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 That's the problem sparklet.....It's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparklet Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 No I dont think so .... but the rich poor divided is really a bad idea...that is almost like bb1 that was a nightmare...now their is drama and excitement..season 1 there was none of that...I thought bb allstars was good this year had me on my toes... If they were to change it up I think they should do BB8allstar 2 with international best vs. usa's best... for the US team and for and even split 7 of 14 I would like to see Will Mike Danielle Allison Janelle Kaysar James Rachel and Marcellous I would also like to see up there but I can only pick 7 I dont know the players from the international bbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jersey721 Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 How could you even consider watching these people again? Even the thought of seeing them on a different show (Amazing Race) makes me nuts. Don't get me wrong, I love Janelle, Kaysar, Will and a couple others but I could not sit through another summer watching them. No matter how much I like Big Brother. I've had enough of these people. I'm ready for a new group of housemates to play the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparklet Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I would like to see them again but against others.. It would be nice to see what other knew strategies they can come up with...They had fun this year and made it fun for me..i guess I am so use to see the Real world and Road Rules challenges that I am use to seeing the same people go against one another...the producers just have to make it interesting... that is all.. and if you did an olympic style bb it would be... RW and RRs are exciting with drama and partying with a healthy dose of competition BB could be that too I am not saying to be a carbon copy but take some notes...and what is this once a year bit....With RR RW it is the team with the lowest score that is on the chopping block..or the people with highest scores put the next on the block or etc.... In a way it is good...that is why they have been on for quite some time.. man I just thought of this what if the producers took the last 7 of this bb against the last 7 of the international bb I dont know about the international bb but the USA's bb would be smoking with all the fights left over from last season.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brekkie Boy Posted October 8, 2006 Author Share Posted October 8, 2006 The difference with The Real World though is new series continue alongside the challenge series. One of Big Brother's strengths is every year it has a new cast - and that helps make each season different. The ex-houseguests should be forgotten about and either return to normality or Z-list celebrity. Any series involving ex-houseguests should be done outside of the regular season. It's important to remember that Big Brother is the star of the show, not the houseguests! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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