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'Big Brother' Exec Hears Your Ideas

By Lynette Rice

Before tonight's season premiere, exec producer Allison Grodner talks to EW.com about what to expect, and responds to suggestions you submitted for improving the show!

In her most candid interview yet, Big Brother executive producer Allison Grodner tells EW.com about the show's first-ever winter edition (debuting tonight on CBS), whether we'll ever see the end of those tiresome Q&A competitions, and if it's high time to change the food penalty (goodbye, slop; hello, Madagascar cockroaches?).

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Are you shocked to be on the air in February?

ALLISON GRODNER: I'm still in denial. It's not happening, is it? I'm not really going to do this, am I?

Do you feel like you had to rush this special winter edition because of the writers' strike?

You know, no. The idea that this could happen has been in the works for a while. So casting was started quite early on this, but you know, with anything, it always comes down to the wire, no matter what. So it feels no different, to be honest. We've had plenty of time to put the house together, and it's a whole different look that we're really liking.

Will it still be on three days a week?

That would probably be a better question for the network. At this point, we are planning for three days a week, as we always do, and have heard nothing to make us think that that won't happen.

Will we see another America's Player

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Julie Chen Says Love Rules In the 'Big Brother 9' House

The Reality Host Dishes on the New Season's Big Twist, Being Bicoastal and Her Robot Alter-Ego.

julie-chen-132b-020508.jpg

Chenbot!

Love will be in the air when the spicy new winter edition of 'Big Brother' debuts. The houseguests will be paired off as couples to compete in the game. Sounds good ... unless they end up hating each other, in which case it sounds even better.

AOL TV's Angel Cohn caught up with bicoastal 'Early Show' and 'Big Brother' host Julie Chen to talk about the hot new twist, who have been her favorite houseguests ... and what she really thinks about the "Chenbot."

It must be taxing to do 'The Early Show' daily in New York and then fly back and forth to Los Angeles weekly for 'Big Brother.' Did you panic when you found out there would be a winter version?

A little bit. When I did the math about when this winter/spring edition will conclude, knowing that we were definitely still doing the summer version, I realized that I physically need all the months from summer to summer to recover. So I did panic. Excited, but panicked.

There were rumors that this would be a shortened season.

I don't think so. We worked it out so it would carry us possibly into the end of April or first week of May. They were thinking of a possible abbreviated version if the writers' strike suddenly ended.

This is also a presidential election year, which is something you cover for your day job. How do you keep it all straight?

It is just so much. There is so much to watch. I feel like any time I'm sleeping I'm missing out on something. It is going to feel that way tenfold when we get to the house.

Do you at least get a cheat sheet of house happenings?

We have hot sheets. When I see it in my Blackberry, it's the highlight of my day. It's like, "So and so and so and so got nominated." "What?!"

Do you have an early favorite houseguest this season?

A couple of people stand out to me. There's something about Allison, who is 28 and from Boston. She was very open about her gambling problem and her commitment problem, and she just seemed very human. I was also very impressed by this 24-year-old kid from Staten Island named Alex. He owns his own DJ company and he lost his father [who worked for Cantor-Fitzgerald] on 9/11. His dream is to be successful like his father.

Tell me more about the couples twist.

We have 16 [single] people in the house. They all did personality tests and ... we're pairing them up as couples, and they have to play as couples. If you get nominated, it is as a couple. If you get evicted, it is as a couple. You're getting put with someone who SHOULD be your potential partner, but this is just based on personality tests. You might be with someone who you have nothing in common with. Who knows? But they're forced to play together and sleep in the same bed. It's Valentine's Day! We're playing Cupid.

I was worried this season would lack some sex appeal because it's colder.

That was a concern. We control the temperature in the house, and for the first time ever we had to equip [it] with heat. There used to be a workout room, but that room is now a spa. There's a sauna -- very cozy. You know the bubble that the Miss America contestants go in so they couldn't hear the questions? It's like that. You can fit two people easily. That will be warm. We're heating up the outside pool to 85 degrees. And there is always the Jacuzzi.

So there are still some bikini opportunities.

Trust me. There are some of the houseguests who can't wait to be in a bikini. And one guy -- crazy James -- I think he said in his interview, "Who knows? I might just forget about clothing and walk around naked the whole time."

Plus, you have a former Penthouse pet.

We do. Sheila's the oldest of the group. At 45, she's a single mom and I think her son is 17. She has a lot of life experience and stories to tell, like living in the Penthouse mansion and having to compete with other women to be the Penthouse pet. This woman knows about competition.

Do you have a favorite former contestant?

Janelle is so fun to watch. She's cute and full of personality and a fierce competitor and amazing at the game. I liked her honesty and how she'd walk by someone and say "Maggie, you're a bitch" or whatever. [Laughs] Watching her flirt with Will in 'All-Stars' and trying to tempt him, that was very funny. Will in season 2 was interesting to watch because he was so good at manipulating people. He did it in 'All-Stars,' but it wasn't like season 2.

I think in 'All-Stars' he concentrated too much on flirting with you and not on the game.

[Laughs] I wouldn't say that. He was too busy telling Mike Boogie how to play the game. He was the puppet master.

There are rumors of a celebrity edition. Is that a possibility down the road?

I wouldn't rule anything out. It gets harder and harder to put together [because] there are so many other reality shows that cast people we'd want. Maybe, if we could find the right people who hadn't already done 'Celebrity Apprentice,' then find time in their schedules. We wouldn't do it for three months. I don't think any celebrity's schedule would allow that.

Could you live in the 'Big Brother' house?

No. Never. For privacy reasons alone. Having to think every waking moment that you have to compete for something, or you can't trust someone, and you have to watch everything you say ... that would be tough. I wouldn't be able to sleep.

Have you tried the slop?

I have! I like it! I love oatmeal and to me it is like really hearty oatmeal. You just have to get the ratio down of how much water because you don't want it to be gummy.

http://television.aol.com/tv-celebrity-interviews/julie-chen

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TV Guide Scoop video

Season Premiere

Meet the Big Brother 9 Cast

Let's see, who's getting locked up within the Big Brother walls this go around? Well, there's Allison, the girl next door who's a compulsive gambler. Then there's ex-stripper Natalie. And we think our personal favorite is Mat, with a serious Massachusetts accent, who claims he's not the shy type in front of the cameras. Hey, anyone with a safe full of home-made porn tapes is a-OK in our book!

[Video is from 2/6/2008]

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One of our posters had been searching for a way for the West Coasters to watch the show with everyone tonight (and any other time) without having to wait 3 hours.

Here is what she found: http://www.streamtvnow.tv/board/faq.php

It appears to be a site that streams mostly sports but also some TV shows. It is a paid subscription site. Once you have a subscription going they have many many shows you can watch streamed live.

All of you need to read for yourselves to verify that BB will be streamed to you at 9PM Eastern Time. Big Brother 9 is on their list of shows that they stream online. It looks like they stream all 3 weekly shows.

The subscription rates are pretty reasonable at $5/14 days; $7.50/30 days; $11/45 days; $16/90 days.

I've NOT had time to read over everything in depth nor do I vouch for this site as I have no personal experience with them so check it out thoroughly for yourselves.

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