Well, here’s a legal battle no one saw coming: two networks are beefing over Big Brother Australia. So please report to the Diary Room and let’s dissect WTF is going on!
Network Ten copped a blindside this week after committing to a deal with Endemol Shine Australia to release a revamped Big Brother, completely unaware of its current ‘relationship status’ with Channel Seven.
According to insiders, Network Ten had no idea they bought something that was already owned by someone else. At this point Big Brother Australia is the poolside banana lounge on a Bali holiday. It might be anyone’s!
It doesn’t mean the show won’t happen ever, but from what we’ve heard, Channel Seven are behaving like a bitter ex-girlfriend.
Throwback to the glory days. (Credit: Ten)
ICYMI: days after Ten announced the return of Big Brother at their annual Upfronts (an industry even where networks announce their upcoming shows), Seven sent a legal letter to Endemol Shine.
Turns out Big Brother has a “hold back” on it, which is a legal term that basically prevents networks from negotiating with a broadcaster “until the day after the hold back finishes,” a source told TV Tonight.
“You can’t start production in the middle. You can’t be casting, you can’t be announcing hosts. You can’t be announcing deals,” they said.
Now, an insider has revealed more spicy details about the behind-the-scenes drama over Big Brother and it’s legit spicier than the show itself has been in years.
“Channel Seven might be just wanting to follow the correct protocol but they did get their nose out of joint with the announcement Network Ten was bringing Big Brother home — in its original format,” a well-placed insider told PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“On Wednesday, a legal letter was sent to Endemol Shine Australia claiming they still have the rights to the show and will do so until mid next year. Throwing a massive spanner in the works.”
Talk about being cock blocked!
Recent seasons of Big Brother have flopped pretty hard. (Credit: Seven)
Meanwhile a former Big Brother Australia producer told us that even if the sale does go ahead, the series sure as shit won’t be going live in 2025.
“If Ten do in fact get the rights next year, it will be at least a year off a ‘reboot’ being screened,” our source claimed.
“They are acting like they don’t know what they have bought. Channel Ten may have had this show 20 years ago but to get this show up and running in 2024 — it is a 12 month turnaround.” If done properly, that is.
Apparently the network is nowhere near ready to begin production of the series.
“They haven’t found a house. They haven’t found a state! To get Big Brother Australia back to its glory days — you simply can’t rush this format. It won’t work,” they added.
“Some would even say that Channel Seven rushed their affair with the format and viewers were onto the fact that it just didn’t feel like Big Brother.
“If Ten are serious about bringing this show back in its original format — a real social experiment with a 24/7 broadcast — they will need a crew of 250. It’s got a lot of moving parts.”
The current agreement states that no one can start work on this show until the aforementioned hold back lapses, so this is quite an awkward moment for everyone involved.
Endemol Shine Australia are now looking at finding an offer that will keep everyone happy but at this stage it would seem likely someone will need to pay for this mistake to go away. Otherwise there is a nation of disappointed fans who won’t be seeing the mother of all reality shows until at least 2026.
“I can’t imagine a suitcase of money being delivered but maybe Endemol will offer a discount on one of their premium shows to Channel Seven,” they said.
“I think Channel Seven could be slighted that their attempt at Big Brother was never really appreciated by fans. Their iteration made some bold changes to the format and they were pretty brave at how much they altered. They certainly gave that whole ‘Survivor in a warehouse’ schtick a go!”
In 2022, Big Brother brought back a bunch of iconic housemates for an All-Star season. (Credit: Seven)
The show really fell from grace when the format was altered from live to pre-recorded.
“Who cares about challenges that take up half the ep! Something most viewers would use as an extended toilet break,” one fan told us.
“Who wants to hear them discuss strategy? All Australia ever cared about was their ability to have a say in who stays and who goes.”
Live Nominations and live evictions are imperative to the success of the show. The ‘social experiment’ elements and true ‘fly on the wall’ concept is more than just delicious voyeurism. It is escapism for most people. The possibility of 24 hour streaming is also quite comforting for a lot of people who were known for sleeping with the TV on throughout the night when the show launched in 2001.
Network Ten are dining out on the fact Big Brother continues to make people talk.
Although, when you think about it, this scandal so early in the show’s announcement is very appropriate for Big Brother, one of the most controversial shows in the history of television.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to Network Ten, Network Seven and Endemol Shine for a comment.
The post The BTS Network Battle Over The Big Brother Reboot Is Spicier Than The Show Has Been In Years appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
