Big Brother’s 25th season broke many records. Summer is almost here, and soon, a new group of houseguests will enter the house. They will face tough challenges, plot against each other, and try to avoid being nominated and evicted.
Table of Contents
What is the show and how does it work?
“Big Brother” is a reality television show where a group of people live together in a large house, cut off from the outside world and under constant surveillance by television cameras. Each season runs for approximately three months and features 10-17 participants. The housemates compete to win a cash prize by avoiding periodic evictions from the house.
How many seasons of Big Brother are there?
Big Brother US will air its 26th season with a two-night premiere on July 17 and 18. The show started in 2000 and has had several spin-offs, including three seasons of Celebrity Big Brother and one season each of Big Brother: Over the Top and Big Brother: Reindeer Games.
Big Brother Canada has been around since 2010 with English and French versions. The French version had one regular season and four Celebrity Big Brother (Big Brother Célébrités) seasons. The English version has had 12 seasons since 2013, with the next season expected in 2025.
Big Brother UK also debuted in 2000 and has aired 20 regular series, with the 21st series starting this fall. It has 23 seasons of Celebrity Big Brother and several other spin-offs like Teen Big Brother, Big Brother Panto, Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack, and Ultimate Big Brother. While the US has more regular seasons, the UK has produced more spin-offs.
History of Big Brother
Big Brother US was acquired by CBS in 2000 for $20 million and premiered on July 5 of that year, hosted by Julie Chen Moonves. Produced by Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan, the show has had 25 seasons and one digital season, with over 897 episodes and 321 HouseGuests. CBS introduced a diversity rule in 2021, requiring 50% of contestants to be BIPOC.
Companion shows include “House Calls: The Big Brother Talk Show” (2004-2008), “Big Brother: After Dark” (2007-present), and “Big Brother: Live Chat” (2012-2017), replaced by “Off the Block with Ross and Marissa” in 2018. Spin-offs are “Big Brother: Over the Top” (2016), “Celebrity Big Brother” (2018, 2019, 2022), and “Big Brother Reindeer Games” (2023).
The Canadian version of Big Brother and the 2020 revival of Big Brother Australia fully adopt the American format, with other franchises like Big Brother Brasil incorporating some American elements while maintaining public voting.
- RELATED: What Is Slop on Big Brother? The Dietary Challenge of Reality TV Stardom
- RELATED: Hayden Panettiere Movies and TV Shows: The Cinematic Journey of Hayden Panettiere
- RELATED: The 10 Most Influential Black TV Shows That Defined Television History
Who is in charge of airing the show?
Julie Chen has hosted Big Brother since its U.S. premiere on CBS. The show is also simulcast in Canada on Global. Originally airing six episodes per week, it now airs three times a week, with the eviction episode being live. Since its debut, the series has had 820 episodes, typically airing during the summer.
Big Brother switched to high-definition in its 16th season, while live internet feeds transitioned to HD in the 17th season. The show’s third season was released on a nine-disc DVD set, with the fourth season getting a highlights DVD. Since the seventh season, all future seasons are available for digital purchase. CBS All Access offers streaming for all seasons. The spin-off series Celebrity Big Brother aired from February 7–25, 2018.
Big Brother 26 Premium
Host Julie Chen Moonves announced during the Big Brother 25 finale that Big Brother 26 is happening. The new season starts on Wednesday, July 17, with a one-hour premiere, followed by another one-hour episode on Thursday, July 18. The finale date for Big Brother 26 is still unknown. The prize money will likely be $750,000, the same amount since season 23, increased from $500,000.
CBS has scheduled Big Brother 26 to air on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Last season, Big Brother 25 ran for 100 days, the longest in the show’s history. It’s unclear if Big Brother 26 will follow this extended format or return to the 82-85-day format used in the previous three seasons.
