Archive through June 29, 2002
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The ClubHouse: General Discussion Archives: Archive One: New Article on BB3!!!: Archive through June 29, 2002

Faerygdds

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 05:14 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
From Zap2it.com
(click above for article)

'Big Brother 3' Gets Ready to Hole Up
Fri, Jun 28, 2002 05:17 PM PDT

by Brill Bundy
Zap2it.com, TV News




LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The last thing most people want to spend their summer doing is holing up with 11 strangers who've all been picked to have provocative personalities that will inevitably make for spectacular confrontations. Throw in making contact with friends and family back home taboo and a meal menu that can drop exclusively to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at a moment's notice, and packing the kids into the back of unair-conditioned car and driving across country to visit grandma doesn't sound so bad.

Yes indeed, it's almost time for "Big Brother 3," the third installment of CBS' summer franchise. It might not be good television, but it's definitely compelling.

This year's cross section of American humanity won't be announced until Friday, July 5, but executive producer Arnold Shapiro promises that, "they're like hungry dogs just waiting to be released from their cages before the contest begins."

Shapiro, who helped revamp the show last summer along with producer Allison Grodner, has new tricks up his sleeve this time around. While retaining most of the features from last time, they "have thrown in just a few twists and turns, just a few new roadblocks in terms of our rules and format so that the people coming into the house who have worked out a perfect strategy -- and believe me, all of them think they have -- are in for a few surprises."

Host Julie Chen will still be on hand to serve as the house guests conduit to the outside world, but the food and immunity challenges (not the show's strong suit) will be more competitive, resulting in there definitely being "the haves and the have nots," according to Grodner.

In the past, the "Big Brother" accommodations have never been as resplendent as those on MTV's "The Real World," with the past two incarnations being more reminiscent of a college apartment or discount church retreat.

However, this time around Grodner says they've steered clear of the bargain end of IKEA (one step above making bookshelves out of plywood planks and concrete cinder blocks), and gone for "traditional contemporary with a twist," using a variety of different ethnic influences throughout.

"Last year we made it more visually interesting than the first year," Grodner, who was responsible for giving the house a woman's touch, contends, "and this year I think we've made it even more so. The colors and textures are vibrant and the opposite of last year's."

Still, between "Survivor," "Amazing Race" and "Big Brother," CBS seems to have something to prove about making sure that winning be as grueling as possible.

In addition to the less-than-luxury villa that other reality contestants get put up in, no escape is still being offered to the "Big Brother"-ers via TV, newspapers and magazines, making it even more limiting than what many actual prisoners go through. Plus, this time around, a previous loophole has been closed making any smoking residents responsible for rationing their cigarette supply to last for the duration since no surplus packs will find a way into their pockets -- no matter what they promise the guards.

Arbitrarily, the house guests will still be able to savor a bottle of wine (or two) with dinner or whip up a batch of margaritas, although the producers will retain the keys to the liquor cabinet -- rationing out the alcohol so that, as Shapiro says, they "make sure that people play the game as them, and not as some people become when and if they drink too much."

Missing from viewers at home this year will also be the planes carrying banners with messages for the house guests that fans have hired in the past to fly over the CBS lot where the "Big Brother" house is located. A prominent feature of the first edition, the banners got less play last year -- especially as the messages started warning contestants about others in the house.

"We're actually going to do everything to exclude it to the best of our abilities," says Shapiro. "We feel that the banner airplanes disrupt the game, and we're not interested in giving exposure or attention to anybody who spends their money that way."

One part soap opera, one part sociology experiment, entirely addictive and repulsive at the same time, "Big Brother 3" premieres Wednesday, July 10 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, and every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday following.

Faerygdds

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 05:18 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I wonder how they managed to kill the banners???

Spygirl

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 05:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
11 people??

Faerygdds

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 05:23 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
12... the 12th person is supposed to be the reader in that sentence.

Spygirl

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 05:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
<slaps forehead>

Spygirl

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 05:27 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
My take is that it means they will not air anything about the banners on TV and continue to block them from the live feeds. I really don't think there is anyway he can stop them.

Bigbrotherbelle

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 05:57 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Ugh. Which probably means more front door shots.

Spygirl

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 06:14 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Yup

Pamy

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 06:59 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
cig rations?? Get ready for some testy people come the 3rd month!!!!!

Mygetaway

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 09:35 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Hmmmm. The article didn't mention Nyquil or Zanax, huh? {LOL}

Sounds good... Let's get going!!
I can't wait to see someone in nicotine withdrawal...I guess that's mean. I guess I should say that I can't wait to see what barganing they will try to come up with to get their ciggies... :) If they were smart they would have quit before going in!

Mags

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 09:37 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
lol Mygetaway

i'll trade you one powerbar for 1 cig...lol

Mygetaway

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 09:43 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
i'll trade you one powerbar for 1 cig...lol

That's right.. I wonder if someone who doesn't smoke (like Kent) will be allowed to bring in cigs again?? I wonder if the cigs will be under lock and key after the "missing" ones last year?
Oh, this should be interesting....

Mags

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 09:53 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I hope that everyone is allowed to bring in whatever they think will get them ahead in the game...cigs, nicotine gum, or whatever they can bargain with...was funny watching Hardy trying to bargain with Bunky for smokes. He got soooo mad!

If we can't have the happy family that we had in BB1, then "it's aaawwwnnn"....I hope

Twinkle

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 10:48 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I agree with you, Mags. Last year was a hard transition from the happy family of year one. From all the hype -"they're like hungry dogs just waiting to be released from their cages"- I'm ready to see ruthless, nasty, back-stabbing schemers.
Now...let's see what really happens.

Yeehee! Two weeks from now we'll have some initial sense of who is who. Or whom.

Seamonkey

Friday, June 28, 2002 - 11:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
It was Kent who was bargaining for the cigs that Bunky brought in last year.

Misslibra

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 06:45 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Faerygdds thanks for that article. Glad to hear they will be putting some interesting twist and turns in there.
We don't want the hampster's plotting and planning before it's time. And any of the none smoking people who enter the house would be wise to bring in smokes like Bunky did. Hardy did do some barganing with Bunky as well.
I guess that means everytime a banner plane flies over, the HG's will have to go into the house. Shades will be pulled down, and will get the front door. I'm not liking this Arnold at all, because will be watching even more of the front door.

Webkitty

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 06:59 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Addictive and replusive at the same time.........

Well, that pretty much summed it up for me!

The ~hungry dog~ mentality that the article mentioned can add excitment to the season, but if its not broken up by lighthearted humor it can get boring, jmo.

Glad to see they are cracking down on the banners. Going to the FOTH didn't seem to slow them down last year, some new policy at the banner flying company (or rule or law) because of 9/11 might just do it.

Keiffer

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 07:02 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Sounds like both sides of the debate from on here are going to get something. The people that thought the banners hurt the game seem to have Arnold saying that banners will be excluded (somehow), and the people who thought we should have banners because the "smokers" just sat around smoking playing cards all the time needed the banners to cause something to happen will get there wish with fewer ciggys being in the house.

Sounds like a win win.

Webkitty

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 08:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Misslibra, I hear you, but its not Arnold's fault! If people would just not send banners, then the problem would be solved, right?

Without him there wouldn't be a show, so I am willing to give the guy a break.

He tried last year to make it better, the HOH, his great DR stuff, etc.
And it seems like he really cares about the show, changing and growing the concept to keep fresh it and exciting for this season.

I'm REALLY looking forward to that house makeover! That playschool colorblock stuff wasn't working for me. I'de like to see more greenery brought into the house, nicer furniture, etc. Make it visually pleasing for me, the viewer. If I have to look at that dratted house all summer, I want something pleasing to the eye. (just MY little priority! lol)

I agree with you about the non-smokers bringing in cigs as a bargaining tool, smart move.

Kappy

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 01:06 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
"Addictive and repulsive and the same time". Yep ~ can't stand the show and yet can't seem to stay away either! I do think they're smart for locking up the liquor!

Car54

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 04:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
From Canoe.Ca:

Coming July 10th: JAM!'s 24/7 'Big Brother 3' coverage.


Saturday, June 29, 2002


Surprises coming to 'Big Brother 3'
By JOHN POWELL -- Jam! Showbiz
If the new contestants entering the 'Big Brother 3' house think they've got the game all figured out, they'd better think again. Though the show's producers are tight-lipped about the upcoming changes, Arnold Shapiro and Allison Grodner are promising that they will throw the players and the viewers at home for a loop this year.

"Because the show was a success and because it did as well as it did last summer, we have retained virtually all of the changes that we made but we have thrown in just a few twists and turns," Shapiro told Jam! Showbiz. "There are just a few new roadblocks in terms of our rules and format so the people coming into the house who have worked out a perfect strategy -- and believe me all of them think they have -- are in for a few surprises. They will find that out once they are inside the house. We've made a few changes to keep people on their toes but essentially 'Big Brother 3' is playing on the strengths and the success of 'Big Brother 2'."

"It (the rule change) will indeed affect the playing of this competition. It is not just a random surprise. It is a new element that will add a new twist to the game," added Grodner.

The players and the viewers will find out what twist Shapiro and Grodner have in store for them during the first two episodes of the summer-long reality show series which returns to the CBS line-up on Wednesday, July 10th. Along with the surprise rule change comes a few other minor alterations to close any loopholes that were exploited by the players on 'Big Brother 2'. For example, unlike last year, the producers won't be handing out cigarettes to the players who smoke.

"If there are any smokers in the house, the cigarettes they bring in are going to have to last them for the duration," Shapiro warned.

To keep things fresh, the "Big Brother" house -- which is situated on a closed set on the CBS Studios lot in California -- has undergone a make-over as well. Gone are the "IKEA" type furnishings of past seasons. As Grodner explained, the producers have opted for a "traditional contemporary with a twist" setting this year that draws upon many different ethnic influences to make the house seem more inviting.

One of the highlights of "Big Brother 2" was a sleepover during which former contestants from "Survivor" stayed with and competed against the House Guests. Will there be a similar visit this year? Shapiro isn't sure.

"There may very well be a surprise from some outside people but who they are, which shows they come from and how they are used is just something we haven't decided yet," he said.

Coming on board during the second installment of the series, Grodner and Shapiro admit to having reservations about how far to "push" the players during "Big Brother 2". Having survived a season which included a scandal which erupted when House Guest Justin Sebik placed a knife to the throat of contestant Krista Stegall (who maintains to have taken it as a joke and wasn't threatened by his actions) after a night of reported heavy drinking in the house, it is no more Mr. Nice Guys for Grodner and Shapiro. They are going to be much tougher in enforcing the rules of the game and in the competitions they are preparing for the players.

"Just like last year, there was zero tolerance for violence and there will be again and they (the players) know that," said Grodner. "We aren't kidding around about that. We take that extremely seriously as we did last year," Shapiro agreed. "It was unfortunate that we had that incident but we are prepared for whatever might come about but we just don't think that's going to happen this year."

According to Shapiro, the producers had a pool of approximately 6,000 contestants to draw from this year. That's double the amount of the people who sent in requests to be on "Big Brother 2". From that pool, the 50 finalists went through a battery of psychological, medical and I.Q. testing in L.A. Of the 50, only 12 made it onto the show.

"We have done everything humanly possible to know the backgrounds of these people and because of everything we learned last year, before they go into the house the talks that Allison and I are going to have with each House Guest individually are going to be very through," said Shapiro of the process. "I really think that everybody is going to follow the rules to the letter because nobody wants to get thrown out, nobody wants to be put up for a penalty nomination. Every one of these people wants to win. They are like hungry dogs just waiting to be released from their cages."

Both Shapiro and Grodner are proud of the "Big Brother 3" cast they've selected. Because they've had the advantage of watching two seasons of the show, Shapiro believes the new players will certainly be more prepared, more skilled at playing the game and could possibly be the most ruthless House Guests thus far seen on American television.

"We think this cast is as competitive as can be. They are all very eager. They all have their strategies...but they are highly competitive and they break down into two categories," Shapiro reflected. "The people who say that they're leaving their morals and ethics at the front door. That they will do anything to win within the rules. That no matter what they have to do, who they have to betray, who they have to doublecross, who they have to con, that it is no problem for them. Then there are a few people who believe that they can win the game by being who they really are and not compromising their personalities and ethics. It will be very interesting to see which strategy ultimately prevails."

The "Big Brother" house is outfitted with 38 cameras and 62 microphones that record the lives of the 12 contestants 24 hours a day for three months. The goings-on are broadcast on TV as well as on the Internet. Each week the contestants vote one of their own out until just two are left. The final surviving House Guests are then subjected to a final vote. During that vote, the returning "banished" House Guests pick the winner.

Will Kirby, a 28-year-old physician from Florida -- nicknamed 'Doctor Evil' by fans -- was chosen as the winner of last year's "Big Brother 2" and was awarded the grand prize of $500,000. Nicole, the 31-year-old personal chef from Atlanta, took home second place and $50,000.

Eddie McGee, the New Yorker who lost his left leg to cancer, won a half million dollars as the winner of the first U.S. "Big Brother."

"Big Brother 3" debuts on Wednesday, July 10 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. Another episode will then be broadcast every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday after that.

Pamy

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 05:06 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Penalty nominations??? Oh this is gonna get good!!!

Demeter

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 05:06 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
If they have "outside visitors" as implied, I'd love to see Oswald and Danny or even Kevin and Drew from the "Amazing Race"...wouldn't that be fun?

I know many folks don't want visits of any kind, and I think I'm not sure if I'm for it or not...but if so...bring on the fun crew.

Alternatively, bring on some of the cast from the previous BB shows.

Mygetaway

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 05:29 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks Seamonkey.. :)
It was Kent who was bargaining for the cigs that Bunky brought in last year

Whoops!! I knew that didn't sound right..., oh well.. I knew somebody who didn't smoke brought them in, and somebody who did, tried to get them..{LOL}

Thanks Car for the article..
I wonder why Weds and Thurs nights instead of a Monday or Tuesday? That seems strange. Maybe they will nominate on Weds and evict on Thurs? That way the evictee doesn't have a chance to plea or work the group?? Then Saturday will be the challenge shows?? Hmmm

Car54

Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 05:47 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
CBS Monday and Tuesday night schedules do pretty well in the ratings.
Weds replaces TAR, Thurs holds a slot for Survivor,and no network does well on Saturday night.