Big Brother (German TV series)


Big Brother is the German version of the international reality television franchise Big Brother created by producer John de Mol in 1997. Following the premise of other versions of the format, the show followed a number of contestants, known as housemates, who are isolated from the outside world for an extended period of time in a custom built house. Each week, one of the housemates is evicted by a public vote, with the last housemate remaining winning a cash prize.
Big Brother premiered on 28 February 2000 and ran for eleven seasons on RTL Zwei before the network cancelled it in September 2011. Big Brother returned on 22 September 2015 on sixx, and lasted for 1 series. After 5 years break, Sat.1 rebooted the series on 10 February 2020.
The series also featured a 24-hour live feed, in which fans could view inside the house at any time on German pay channel Premiere and Sky until the twelfth season. The Sat.1's iteration of the series, there was no 24-hour live stream from the house.
After a two-year hiatus the series was bought and revamped by Sat.1 as Promi Big Brother, the first celebrity series of the German version, with the first-season premieres on 13 September 2013. Cindy aus Marzahn and Oliver Pocher were announced as the new presenters of the revived show in August 2013. Since series 2, Jochen Schropp is hosting the show and with Jochen Bendel hosted the series 5. Since series 6, Schropp and Marlene Lufen are hosting together the show. On 7 August 2020, will begin airing the eighth season.

Format

Big Brother Germany is based on the international Big Brother series produced by Endemol in the Netherlands which began in 1999. The show's name comes from George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, which revolves around a dystopia in which dictator Big Brother is the all-seeing leader. A group of people live together in a house, where 24 hours a day their every word and every action is recorded by cameras and microphones in all the rooms in the house. Access to television, the Internet, print media, and time is prohibited. In addition, the housemates live in complete confinement; they have no access to the outside world. At least once a week, the housemates secretly nominate two housemates they wish to face a public vote to evict. The two or more housemates with the most votes face the public vote. The viewing public decides which of them gets evicted through text message votes or phone calls. The nominee with the most votes is evicted and leaves the house.
Should their stay inside the house become difficult for them to bear, a housemate is allowed to voluntary leave at any time during the game. In the event of a withdrawal from the house, a replacement housemate usually enters in their place.
In the final week of each season, the viewers vote for which of the remaining people in the house should win the prize money and be crowned the winner of Big Brother.

Changes of the Concept

Since the start of its first season in February 2000, Big Brother Germany went through numerous changes in its concept. Here are some significant examples of the progress of modifying the rules of the original game:
The winner of Big Brother Germany receives a cash prize for being the last remaining housemate.
Some seasons include a theme.
SeasonTheme
1none
2Back to Basics
3none
4The Battle
5365 Days - 1 Million Euro
6The Village
7Who are you really?
8Rich vs. Poor
9Heaven and Hell/Reloaded
10Everyone got a secret
11The Secret
12Back to Basics
13Big Brother 20

Smoking in the house

Unlike in many other Big Brother houses, in the Big Brother Germany house smoking is allowed outdoors and indoors. This is because Germany has no smoking ban.

Broadcasting

Big Brother Germany was broadcast by RTL Zwei from season 1 until 11, sixx for season 12 and Sat.1 from season 13.

Spin-off Shows

In the first season was aired on Sundays a spin-off show with the name Der Talk, from 21:15 to 22:15 on RTL Zwei.
In the second and third season were broadcast six nights a week by RTL Zwei and 1 night a week by RTL Television. RTL Zwei broadcast 50min daily recaps from Sunday to Friday at 20:15 to 21:10. RTL Television broadcast 2h decision show in Saturday at 21:15 to 23:15. Sometimes the decision show had 3h length and beginns at 20:15. It also had a spin-off show "Family and Friends", presented by Aleksandra Bechtel. The show was aired live at 16:45 to 17:45
Since season thirteen, is airing on sixx every Mondays after The Decision Show a live late-night show with the name Die Late Night Show, in which the debriefing speaks again about what is happening. The moderation is by Jochen Bendel and Melissa Khalaj. Also every Sunday on IGTV will broadcast a short-minute web show titled Recap mit Aaron Troschke. There Aaron Troschke, as the host, will comment on the events from the last week.

Presenters

Series details

Intros

SeasonSong 'Performer
1/11"Leb" 'Die 3. Generation
2"Zeig mir dein Gesicht" 'Berger
3"Nur die Wahrheit zählt" 'Ayman and Naima
4"Alles ändert sich" 'Oli P. feat. Lukas
5"Alles was du willst" 'Lex
6"Deine Welt" '
7"Ich seh was, was du nicht siehst" 'Senta-Sofia
8"Chose to Be Me"Sunrise Avenue
9"Everybody"Mousse T.
10"Schöne neue Welt" Culcha Candela
12"Sparks"Neon Hitch
13"Follow the Leader"Cosby

Reception and popularity

Big Brother was social phenomena when it began in 2000. At some point in the first season it hits 70% rating share. Despite massive popularity, ratings in the third season started to decline. RTL II decided to put the show off air for one year.
The program returned in 2003 with completely modified format and lower expectations. Much higher ratings and sponsors interest resulted in following season. The fifth season reached up to high expectations of the producers. The high success of the fifth series resulted in back-to-back season, which was supposed to run for at least few years. However ratings started to declaim and the show was hiding in the shadow of its former glory. The producers decided to end series after its first year on air.
Year-and-half latter RTL II decided to return old original format of the program, marking the seventh series as "Back To Basics". Despite the re-newed format was not a rating hit, but it reached up to producers low expectations.
The producers tried to renew the format for eleventh series, because of tenth series low achievements. Viewing figures however decline in eleventh series, but producers made an impression of success with duration and prize extension. The ratings in eleventh series rarely reach 10% share in eleventh series.