Big Brother (Australia)
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| Big Brother Australia |
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| Presenters and Shows |
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| Big Brother 2006 Housemates [http://encycl.opentopia.com/Big Brother (Australia) edit ] |
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Evicted:
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Removed:
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| Big Brother 2005 Housemates |
| Winner: Greg Mathew Runner-up: Tim Brunero Others: Vesna Tofevski, Melanie Smerdon, Richelle Benson, Christie Mills, Rita Lazzarotto, David Mathew, Dean Glucina, Simon Deering, Heath Tournier, Glenn Dallinger, Geneva Loader, Rachael Burns, Michelle Carew-Gibson, Michael Farnsworth, Jane Pattison, Angela Aiken, Nelson Russell, Constance Hall |
| Big Brother 2004 Housemates |
| Winner: Trevor Butler Runner-up: Bree Amer Others: Paul Dyer, Ryan Fitzgerald, Catherine Tremolada, Ashalea McWalters, Monica de Balso, Wesley Denning, Violeta, Kane Dignum, Terri Mann, Merlin Luck, Bree Quartermaine (Elle), Krystal Ince, Igor Vurmeski, Aphrodite Vuitton |
| Big Brother 2003 housemates |
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Winner: Regina Bird Runner-up: Chrissie Swan Others: Daniel McInness, Patrick Flanagan, Vincent Amato, Jamie O'Brien, Kim Drury, Daniel 'Saxon' Small, Joanne Ashton, Claire Bellis, Ben Archbold, Belinda Thorpe, Leah White, Carlo Marino, Jaime Cerda, Irena Bukhshtaber |
| Big Brother 2002 housemates |
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Winner: Peter Corbett Runner-up: Nathan Martin (Marty) Others: Turkan Aksoy, Aaron Benton, Alex Christie, Shannon Cleary, Nicole Dickmann, Jessica Hardy, Damian Hoo, Katrina Miani, Nathan Morris, Mirabai Peart, Kieran Tanner, Brodie Young |
| Celebrity Big Brother Housemates |
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Winner: Dylan Lewis Runner-up: Kyle Sandilands Others: Keith Duffy, Anthea Turner, Vanessa Feltz, Chris Eubank, Jay Laga'aia, Adriana Xenides, Anthony Mundine, Sara-Marie Fedele, Gabby Millgate, Carla Bonner, Red Symons, Warwick Capper |
| Big Brother 2001 Housemates |
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Winner: Ben Williams Runner-up: Blair McDonough Others: Sara-Marie Fedele, Christina Davis, Jemma Gawned, John Cass (Johnnie), Anita Bloomfield, Peter Timbs, Lisa Standing, Rachel Corbett, Gordon Sloan, Todd James, Sharna West, Andy Silva |
Big Brother is a reality TV program, shown on the Australian channel Network Ten, in which a number of contestants from throughout Australia live in an isolated compound (known as the 'house'), where their daily lives are recorded and broadcasted on national Australian television. Housemates try to avoid being evicted through the public vote, with the aim of winning a large cash prize of up to $1,000,000 AUD at the end of the series.
The Australian version is based on the Big Brother series produced by Endemol international. The show's name comes from George Orwell's 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, a dystopia in which Big Brother is the all-seeing leader. Australian television presenter and author Gretel Killeen hosts Big Brother Launch nights, Evictions, Nomination shows, and all other special shows; with Mike Goldman as the series voice-over, and UpLate and Friday Night Live host. It is also available to New Zealand residents (however TVNZ did not screen season 6).
Big Brother Australia Summary
Big Brother Australia is based on the popular Big Brother international television series produced by Endemol. The series generally constitutues 14 or more contestants who live in an isolated house for anywhere up to several months. Housemates are at all times under the control of Big Brother, a rule enforcing authority figure who monitors behaviour of the housemates, set tasks and punishments and provides the mechanism for contestants make external requests. Housemates are filmed 24 hours per day with edited highlights broadcast during prime time slots, and late night footage broadcast live. Live footage is also broadcast via the internet using internet streaming. Housemates must remain in the house, and avoid being evicted by viewers of the show with the aim of winning a substantial cash prize at the end of the series. In order to support the housemates' emotional well-being, all participants have access to the Big Brother psychologist Carmel Hill at all times. After the series, housemates are required to attend regular promotional appearances around Australia at nightclubs in most capital cities. Big Brother Australia is produced by Endemol Southern Star and hosted by Australian author Gretel Killeen.
About the Series
- Big Brother (Australia series 1)
- Big Brother (Australia series 2) and Celebrity Big Brother
- Big Brother (Australia series 3)
- Big Brother (Australia series 4)
- Big Brother (Australia series 5)
- Big Brother (Australia series 6)
Prize Money
The eventual winner of Big Brother will receive a cash prize as a reward for being the longest lasting housemate in their series. In series one (2001), series two (2002) and series three (2003), the cash prize stood at a guaranteed $250,000 AUD, without inclination of the fines system. In series four (2004), the prize money was raised to a guaranteed $1,000,000 AUD, without inclination of the fines system. Series five (2005) and series six (2006) both continued to offer the $1,000,000 AUD prize money, however, with the introduction of the fines system, the 2005 winner of Big Brother received $836,000 AUD in prize money.
Fines
The 2005 season of Big Brother Australia saw a change to formula of the series, with the introduction of a fines system in which the $ 1,000,000 AUD cash prize deceases by $5,000 AUD as housemates violate Big Brother's rules and incur fines. In the 2006 season, the prize money has gone down to $235,000 as of July 16. More information on how the fines system works can be found here.
Secret Nominations
A fundamental and strongly-enforced rule of Big Brother Australia is that nominations are not to be discussed at all. Specifically, all housemates are forbidden from disclosing who they have previously nominated, who they plan to nominate in the future, and must not engage in conjecture about who may attract nomination votes and why. These discussions are banned and are deemed collusion by Big Brother, as they may give housemates a competitive advantage. Breaking this rule incurs fines, punishment, or loss of the right to nominate.
Intruders
All seasons of the show in Australia have included "Intruders": new housemates added to the house by the show's producers as an on-going housemate after the series has started.
Location
All houses have been at the same location, the Dreamworld theme park in Coomera - a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland. The house is extensively re-modelled between each series and is often re-configured mid-series to allow for additional function rooms or private areas.
Theme Music
The theme is titled Big Brother theme and was written by 001 Productions. All of the themes used throughout the series are shorter and remixed versions of this track. The original track can sometimes be heard in the background when eviction votes, or the nomination tally in the Nominations show, are shown on screen, or when eviction phone numbers are announced during a show. It was released as a single, and is very rare.
The title theme reached #12 on the ARIA charts in 2001 as a B-Side of the Sirens hit "Don't You Think That It's Strange" - which was also co-written by Big Brother 2001 housemates.
Shows
During each series, specific elements of the competition have a special show dedicated to them, usually presented on a specific evening. Each week night and on Sunday evenings a compilation of the general events in the house for the previous day are presented. These programs add up to approximately 16 hours per week. The only day Big Brother isn't shown at all is Saturday.Launch
Daily Show
Shown each Monday to Friday at 7:00pm (30 mins duration) and most Sundays at 6:30pm (60 mins duration), the daily show reports on the previous day's happenings in the house. Sunday editions cover the preceding Friday and Saturday. Narrated by Mike Goldman.
UpLate
Big Brother: UpLate is a late-night show screened Monday to Friday throughout each Big Brother season. The show begins usually at either 11.00 pm or 11:30pm and is hosted by Mike Goldman. It began in the third season of Big Brother, in 2003. The show features live footage from the house, interviews with evicted housemates, as well as brain teasers where viewers attempt to solve challenges such as word games, and may phone in for a chance to win AUD$1000. An online stream is available at [http://www.quiztv.com.au/] specifically for those that don't receive UpLate live on television, enabling them to enter the competitions (eg, viewers living in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory). It is possible for this stream to be watched by those outside of Australia.
Nominations
Housemates each have three points to appoint to two other housemates. Their first nomination appoints two nomination points to a housemate, the second gives another housemate one point. If Big Brother feels a housemate's nomination is not clear and consise, he can give the nominating housemate one point. The three housemates with the highest number of points are revealed to the house; until the 2005 season these were the housemates eligible for public eviction. In the case of a third place tie, all those tying for third place would be eligible for eviction, on these occasions more than three housemates would be up for eviction.
An innovation introduced in series five, 2005, was the Three Point Twist whereby the winner of the Friday Night Games must subtract three nomination points from one of the nominated housemates. If they themselves are included in the original lineup of potential evictees they may opt to subtract the points from themself. This occurs after the initial nominations have been announced to all housemates, and while housemates may not discuss which housemate they remove points from, where the line-up changes it is clear which housemate has had their nomination points deducted. The three housemates with the highest number of nomination points after the Three Point Twist will face eviction. Again in the case of a third place tie, more than three housemates may be up for eviction.
Evictions
An innovation of the 2006 series is that viewers may also vote to save a housemate; in the final tally a housemate's save votes are subtracted from their evict votes.
In the 2004 season after the eviction of Bree Amer due to a vote-counting error, a special eviction was held on the following Thursday evening. In this special eviction the housemate to actually receive the most votes, Wesley Denning, was evicted.
Friday Night Live
The winner of the overall games is rewarded with three prizes:
- Two nights in the rewards room with a fellow housemate of their choice,
- Assigning the chores for the week (eg. Shopper/Chef, Farmhand, Housekeeper, Gardener), and
- Removing three nomination points from a housemate who is nominated for eviction.
On one occasion the three boxes were replaced with a special prize where the winner was allowed to go on an excursion outside the house to Tiger Island (Dreamworld), where they were treated to a feast and a tiger show. They then had the entire park to themselves for a night. The winner on this occasion was Gaelan, who invited Krystal to share in his prize.
The Friday Night Live format was reused in the Ten Network spinoff series Friday Night Games which began in February 2006 and ended before Big Brother resumed for 2006. This weekly program was filmed at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, and features two teams of celebrities (who are joined by members of the public) to compete in a series of games. The program was again hosted by Goldman, Fitzgerald and Amer.
Uncut / Adults Only
Big Brother - Adults Only ended its 2006 run early after politicians warned Network Ten that its screening of the show could harm its push for media reforms (June 23, 2006). [Ten shuts Big Brother - Adults Only]. The Courier Mail. URL accessed 4-7-06. (July 3, 2006). [Big Brother in bigger bother]. The Age. URL accessed 4-7-06.. The Adults Only episode broadcast on 19 June 2006 was the last.
Big Brother Insider
A half-hour, Friday evening panel show hosted by Tim Ferguson during the third series of Big Brother in 2003. Panellists were various comedians and television journalists, and usually the housemate most recently evicted would also be on the panel.Big Brother Saturday
During the first series of Big Brother there was a one-hour Saturday evening show with Gretel Killeen presenting an overview of press discussion of the series that week, interviews with fans, and footage of what evicted housemates were up to. This show featured little actual footage originating from the Big Brother house itself. This show did not return after the first season; largely because Ten acquired the rights to televise Saturday night AFL games after the first series ended, with these telecasts taking the show's timeslot.Sponsorship
The show attracts major sponsorship from large Australian telecommunication companies hoping to gain promotion from the many telecommunications tie-ins during the series. Sponsorship deals have also included the naming rights to the bigbrother web site domain name. bigbrother.com.au redirects to the URL currently in use. The current website is [bigbrother.3mobile.com.au](2005-), but past web sites were: bigbrother.ten.com.au (2004), bigbrother.optus.com.au (2003), bigbrother.iprimus.com.au (2002) and bigbrother.com.au (2001).In 2004, Nicorette Patches, used to stop smoking, was a major sponsor for Big Brother. Sara-Marie Fenderelle, a previous housemate from Big Brother Australia was the major promoter of the product during advertisements.
Other major sponsorship comes in the form advertising space and product placement. During the 2005 series almost all food products in the house came from a food company with commercial agreements with the show production company. Any food that did not have a sponsorship agreement had its label removed.
Big Brother also receives substantial grants from the Queensland tourism board.
Criticisms
Many criticisms are aimed at the program including:- The use of product placement, examples being:
- * In 2001, a preview of The Secret Life of Us that was shown to the housemates late in the first series. The Secret Life of Us, another Network Ten programme, was preparing to make its premiere immediately after that Big Brother season ended. The housemates' seemingly ingenuine positive reaction to the new show was aired during the prime time daily update show.
- * During the 2003 season, housemates were given a task to count a large bowl of M&M's, a major sponsor for the season.
- * During the 2004 season, the entire backyard of the house was filled with snow, to tie in with a special viewing of the film The Day After Tomorrow.
- * During the 2005 season, housemates were required to take Tango dancing lessons and were treated to a special viewing of the film Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Other 20th Century Fox tie ins included a "favourite fantastic four" housemates competition, linked to the Fantastic Four film. In one episode, approximately ten minutes of the UpLate show focused solely on the use of a mobile phone which had been provided by one of the show's major sponsors.
- * In the 2006 series, the use of 3 video phones was heavily emphasised, with evictees having short video calls with friends, housemates sometimes being given the opportunity to see something that's happened on the outside world from the Diary Room, and evicted housemates being given two free video phones. Two housemates were also provided with an EyeCam - a wireless mobile webcam that can be viewed from a 3 phone via a video call - so that two new housemates could "have the Rewards Room experience" from the Diary Room.
Complaints about Uncut / Adults Only
2005 Season
The fifth (2005) series of Big Brother was heavily promoted with a "sexy" theme. This season emphasised young, good looking housemates who were willing to have relations in public. The actions of the housemates gave rise to complaints from politicians and conservative family groups.
The following instances of Uncut footage gained the most publicity during the 2005 season:
- On Day 4 during a birthday party for housemate Michelle, many of the housemates had a game of "spin the bottle" in the spa while drunk. The game featured same-sex kisses.
- Many of the male housemates casually told racist jokes until viewers complained and producers put a strict ban on racist language.
- Housemates Michelle and Glenn spent a night in an isolated room and bathed together naked. Endemol Southern Star released a press statement suggesting the couple may have had sex. It was later revealed they did not.
- Housemate Michael massaged housemate Gianna's shoulders while standing closely behind her and exposing his penis.
- Some of the male housemates created a crude song about scat sexual fetishes.
Shortly after show producers removed the "Uncut" section from the official Big Brother website, with a statement that the removal was to appeal to the show's broad audience. This part of the site is now only available to fee paying "Premium" members.
After the 2005 series concluded, further complaints prompted the Australian Communications and Media Authority to launch an investigation into Big Brother: Uncut. The main complaint was that Network Ten had breached the industry code of practice by broadcasting footage that went past the maximum MA15+ rating for Australian commercial television. The ACMA found Network Ten had breached the code on two occasions: the airing of housemate Michael massaging Gianna with his penis exposed and the song about sexual fetishes. The ACMA did not impose any direct punishment on Network Ten, however outlined requirements for the 2006 series of Uncut. Included in those requirements is a commitment by Network Ten to compile show footage far enough in the future so that censors can edit it if necessary. Two censors will be taken on by the network specifically for Big Brother and crew will be trained on the restrictions of the MA15+ television rating.
2006 Season
Though the 2006 series of Adults Only was toned down in comparison to the previous year, it still attracted some controversy. Following pressure from government backbenchers Network Ten ended the run of Adults Only several weeks early, announcing on 23 June 2006 that Big Brother: Adults Only had "completed its season run" [link]. Ten then made the Adults Only video packages that were going to be shown on televised broadcasts available on a new section of the BB06 website, named Adults Only, and available only to Big Brother Premium members.
Big Brother Australia facts
All facts refer to the Big Brother Australia series'''
- First contestant to be evicted: Andy Silva
- First gay male contestant: John Cass
- First intuders: Anita Bloomfield and Rachel Corbett
- First Big Brother winner: Ben Williams
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- First bisexual contestant: Sahra Kearney
- First time housemates had to give reasons in nominations
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- First contestant to voluntarily leave: Belinda Thorpe
- First lesbian contestant: Claire Bellis
- First female winner: Regina Bird
- First time there was more than one house
- First series with Big Brother UpLate
- First houseguest: Anouska Golebiewski
'''
- First housemate to return after being evicted: Bree Amer
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- First series to fine housemates for breaking the rules
- First housemates to be removed from the house and disqualified: Constance Hall and Nelson Russell
- First twins in the house: Greg and David Mathew
- First series with Friday Night Live
- First series with the Rewards Room and the "three-point twist"
- First Friday Night Live winner: Glenn Dallinger
- First series with replacement housemates
- First series when housemates have to nominate 2 of them for eviction
2006 (Series 6)
- First time a mother and daughter were in the house: Karen and Krystal Forscutt
- First "insider": Michael McCoy
- First series with two sets of intruders
- Oldest housemate: Perry Astolpolou
- 100th housemate: Perry Astolpolou
- First series where housemates were removed: Michael "Ashley" Cox and Michael "John" Bric
- First series where Big Brother Uncut/Adults Only did not complete its planned broadcast schedule
2006 sexual assault controversy
See also: Big Brother (Australia series 6) - Controversy
- First bisexual contestant: Sahra Kearney
- First time housemates had to give reasons in nominations
'''
- First contestant to voluntarily leave: Belinda Thorpe
- First lesbian contestant: Claire Bellis
- First female winner: Regina Bird
- First time there was more than one house
- First series with Big Brother UpLate
- First houseguest: Anouska Golebiewski
'''
- First housemate to return after being evicted: Bree Amer
'''
- First series to fine housemates for breaking the rules
- First housemates to be removed from the house and disqualified: Constance Hall and Nelson Russell
- First twins in the house: Greg and David Mathew
- First series with Friday Night Live
- First series with the Rewards Room and the "three-point twist"
- First Friday Night Live winner: Glenn Dallinger
- First series with replacement housemates
- First series when housemates have to nominate 2 of them for eviction
2006 (Series 6)
- First time a mother and daughter were in the house: Karen and Krystal Forscutt
- First "insider": Michael McCoy
- First series with two sets of intruders
- Oldest housemate: Perry Astolpolou
- 100th housemate: Perry Astolpolou
- First series where housemates were removed: Michael "Ashley" Cox and Michael "John" Bric
- First series where Big Brother Uncut/Adults Only did not complete its planned broadcast schedule
2006 sexual assault controversy
See also: Big Brother (Australia series 6) - Controversy
- First housemate to return after being evicted: Bree Amer
'''
- First series to fine housemates for breaking the rules
- First housemates to be removed from the house and disqualified: Constance Hall and Nelson Russell
- First twins in the house: Greg and David Mathew
- First series with Friday Night Live
- First series with the Rewards Room and the "three-point twist"
- First Friday Night Live winner: Glenn Dallinger
- First series with replacement housemates
- First series when housemates have to nominate 2 of them for eviction
2006 (Series 6)
- First time a mother and daughter were in the house: Karen and Krystal Forscutt
- First "insider": Michael McCoy
- First series with two sets of intruders
- Oldest housemate: Perry Astolpolou
- 100th housemate: Perry Astolpolou
- First series where housemates were removed: Michael "Ashley" Cox and Michael "John" Bric
- First series where Big Brother Uncut/Adults Only did not complete its planned broadcast schedule
2006 sexual assault controversy
See also: Big Brother (Australia series 6) - Controversy
On July 1, 2006 two housemates, Ashley (real name Michael Cox) and John (Michael Bric), were removed from the house for allegedly sexually assaulting a female housemate, Camilla Halliwell (July 3, 2006), [Big Brother in bigger bother]. The Age. URL accessed 4-7-06., in a season of the series that had already attracted significant controversy. Following the incident the live feed was temporarily replaced by an old UpLate update of the housemates completing their football task, continuously looped, and the forums on the Big Brother website were removed. Queensland Police were shown the relevant footage, but opted not to conduct a criminal investigation (July 3, 2006). [Police rule out BB probe]. The Age. URL accessed 4-7-06.. Subsequent to this incident former housemate Rita Lazzarotto reported that she had been subjected to a similar incident during her time in the Big Brother house in the 2005 season of the show (July 4, 2006). [Big Brother should be axed, says PM]. The Herald Sun. URL accessed 4-7-06..
On 3 July 2006, Nine's breakfast show Today held a poll to ask if Big Brother should be banned; the majority response was in favour of cancelling the program. Australian Prime Minister John Howard asked for Big Brother to be cancelled, saying, "Here's a great opportunity for Channel 10 to do a bit of self-regulation and get this stupid program off the air"; Leader of the Opposition Kim Beazley and Senator Steve Fielding supported this view. Queensland Premier Peter Beattie argued that the show employed many Australians in production and that, because of the already diminished size of the Australian television industry, the show should continue Australian Associated Press (2006). [Axe 'this stupid program': PM]. Retrieved July 3, 2006.. This position however has been refuted by a number of people in the Queensland Film Industry, including [Scot McPhie], who believe that the money would be better spent on the fundamental problem of making the Queensland Film and Television industry self sustaining, as once Big Brother, and other Governemnt funded programmes cease, there is no on going employment for the majority of people it was used to train. McPhie and a number of other local film makers were signatories to the petition that was presented to the Queensland Paliament in 2005 that sought to have funding for the show cancelled.
Notable former contestants
- Bree Amer, regular co-host of Big Brother Friday Night Live and Friday Night Games.
- Regina Bird, filmed a pilot for her own show for Network Ten which never made it to air. Was a frequent guest on Big Brother UpLate, and a contestant on 2005 Nine Network celebrity skating competition series Skating on Thin Ice.
- Tim Brunero now writes a weekly column on The Chaser.
- Simon Deering aka "Hotdogs", host of The Uplate Game Show (16 Aug 2005 - 2006). Also had a cameo on the first episode of the Australian comedy TV series The Wedge (TV show).
- Wesley Denning, co-host of children's television show, Totally Wild
- Sara-Marie Fedele, enjoyed significant celebrity status after the series, releasing a CD single, pyjamas, a book, endorsing Nicorette Patches and even was a celebrity contestant in Dancing with the Stars in 2005
- Ryan Fitzgerald, hosted Big Brother special shows and regular host of Big Brother Friday Night Live and Friday Night Games he is also a radio host on the breakfast show on Nova 91.9 in Adelaide, and appears frequently on Network Ten's Before The Game.
- The Logan twins (Greg & David) filmed a trek to the North Pole and had selected segments aired on Big Brother UpLate in May 2006 - reportedly the first trek to that region by a set of twins.
- Blair McDonough, had an on-going acting role with daily serial Neighbours from 2001 to April 2006, now working in the United Kingdom.
- Nathan Morris is now a host on the Nova 93.7 breakfast show in Perth.
- Pete Timbs is a journalist for TV Week and co-hosts 'The Know' on the Foxtel channel Max.
See also
- Friday Night Games - a spin-off from Big Brother's 2005 Friday Night Live show
- List of Australian game shows
- List of Australian television series
References
External links
- [Official Australian Big Brother website]
- [Behind Big Brother Australia]
- [Google Directory - Big Brother Australia] — a directory of Big Brother Australia fansites.
| Big Brother Australia |
| Series: Series 1 | Series 2 | Series 3 | Series 4 | Series 5 | Series 6 Spin-offs: Friday Night Games | The Up Late Game Show |
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