So with Gretel and Big Brother parting ways at the end of 2007, Ten & ESS were quick to announce the show's two new hosts, Kyle Sandilands & Jackie O.
I was happy with this announcement, as I have been a fan of these two since their days on Austereo's Hot 30 Countdown, and followed them through to their drive time Kyle & Jackie O Show. I don't hear a lot of their radio stuff anymore because they do Sydney breakfast and I'm in Melbourne, but we get the 1 hour highlights show each day. One thing I can say for certain is they have built up a strong rapport over the years hosting the radio shows together, so their hosting of BB should come naturally and feel really comfortable right from the beginning. The last thing we'd want is audiences alienated on Day 1 with hosts who don't know each others' rhythms.
And who better to host Big Brother than Kyle, you might ask. Gretel has said from the beginning in interviews that she would never want to be a housemate. But Kyle has been there twice, albeit once a little too briefly. Kyle of course made it to the second-last night of Celebrity Big Brother in 2002 before (wrongly!) being voted out to leave Dylan Lewis and Jay Laga'aia in the finale. And there was his infamous special-guest/cross-promotion appearance in BB07 where he stayed for 1 out of the proposed 3 nights, insisted on taking the Rewards Room away from the FNL winner, refused to live by the housemates' rules, had a childish fight with Big Brother, forced his way out of the house, and left without an explanation to the housemates-- reportedly all because he was promised luxury foods and the ability to leave the house whenever he wanted to. Boo-friggedy-hoo! But that is Kyle for you.
Kyle and Jackie have already promised (with or without producers' knowledge) improvements to be made to this year's series, including the return of Adults Only content, in some form or other, and more diverse housemates, including some from the older age groups-- two things I'm sure will widen the audience of the series, as long as they promote these things before the start.
It leaves us with the question of how the evictions will be formatted to accomodate two hosts. Will they host different segments, or will they run the show side by side? We could see a whole different type of show if they split the hosting role and cut between them for a faster pacing. And the interviews could be a lot more daunting for evictees with two hosts ganging up on them.
I can see this possibly opening the door to a truly live launch show again, since one host can be getting ready with one housemate while the other is interviewing another. The show has gotten a lot of criticism from fans for the last 4 years pre-recording the launch show a day before it goes to air. They could even have a host on stage and a host at the house site doing two different styles of interviews.
You can't ignore the contrast in personalities w're going to see from them. You've got good-guy Jackie, who will probably be the loving mother to the housemates, and bad-guy Kyle who will criticise everything and be as up-front with them as he likes. This will also add huge diversity to the points of view we will get from the shows, instead of Gretel's one-sidedness.
I'm sure Kyle and Jackie will be much more friendly to the live audience. Having been to two live evictions I know that the audience doesn't see Gretel until the TV viewers see her, and during commercial breaks she is all wrapped up in behind the scenes stuff. Hopefully with Kyle and Jackie the format of the shows will be less rigid meaning less planning and memorising scripts to be done, and more audience interaction.
I can see great things coming out of the casting of these two in the lead role for BB this year. It is the make or break year, so hopefully the extra publicity and the new format and hosts will keep the show alive and stronger than it has been for some time.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
It's Time To Go... Gretel
Gretel said it to over 100 housemates over the years, but who thought we'd be saying "it's time to go" to Gretel before Big Brother?
This is the first announcement we got about the new series, and it came only shortly after the end of the 2007 series. What better way for the producers to prove that the series is being refreshed than getting rid of the show's 7-year host?
Let's not pretend Gretel loved working on the series. It has been evident on screen that since 2004 when Kris Noble took over from Peter Abbott as Executive Producer that Gretel has been unhappy hosting the series.
How much clearer could it be when she took on the role of schoolmarm while hosting Uncut in 2005? After 4 years she suddenly started introducing segments by making the audience feel perverted for watching them! Was she told to do it? Was it supposed to be a good idea? This is when it became obvious that Gretel was over Big Brother.
It went on the last couple of years with her taking the side of most of the female housemates and publicly humiliating the more dominant males-- Glenn (BB05), Michael (BB06, though he deserved it). She even seemed to battle for the hosting role with Mike Goldman in BB06's FNL: The Prize Fight.
It was also perfectly obvious too that her hosting role had become nothing more than a 2-day-a-week job to her. While during the first years she knew all there was to know about housemates and events in the house, for the last few years she seemed to have little knowledge of what had been happening, even events that were covered in the Daily Show. Mike Goldman was obviously there long days, researching, rehearsing, and watching, but it seemed Gretel showed up on Sunday night to host her shows and had little other exposure to the series.
Things turned around in BB07 and Gretel seemed more relaxed in her role. She fired her old dresser and was decked out in more suitable threads. From the beginning it seemed she had convinced herself she was going to enjoy things more. Her interviews were better. She knew when to speak up and when to hold back. She laughed more and stopped treating the live audiences like a primary school class.
And then we were told she was gone. No one will know the real story. Of course the press release says it was a mutual decision between her and the producers. Did she resign? Was she dumped? Just how long ago had it been decided?
People say the show won't be the same without her. Of course it won't. In some ways it will be better, and in some ways it will be worse. But it will be different. And different is what they are going for this year. A fresh look to draw in viewers-- the fans will be back, viewers who gave up on the show will return, fans of Kyle and Jackie will join, the media will definitely be watching, and with good promotion the rest will be drawn in by curiosity. With new hosts we can not possibly expect the same old format.
This is the first announcement we got about the new series, and it came only shortly after the end of the 2007 series. What better way for the producers to prove that the series is being refreshed than getting rid of the show's 7-year host?
Let's not pretend Gretel loved working on the series. It has been evident on screen that since 2004 when Kris Noble took over from Peter Abbott as Executive Producer that Gretel has been unhappy hosting the series.
How much clearer could it be when she took on the role of schoolmarm while hosting Uncut in 2005? After 4 years she suddenly started introducing segments by making the audience feel perverted for watching them! Was she told to do it? Was it supposed to be a good idea? This is when it became obvious that Gretel was over Big Brother.
It went on the last couple of years with her taking the side of most of the female housemates and publicly humiliating the more dominant males-- Glenn (BB05), Michael (BB06, though he deserved it). She even seemed to battle for the hosting role with Mike Goldman in BB06's FNL: The Prize Fight.
It was also perfectly obvious too that her hosting role had become nothing more than a 2-day-a-week job to her. While during the first years she knew all there was to know about housemates and events in the house, for the last few years she seemed to have little knowledge of what had been happening, even events that were covered in the Daily Show. Mike Goldman was obviously there long days, researching, rehearsing, and watching, but it seemed Gretel showed up on Sunday night to host her shows and had little other exposure to the series.
Things turned around in BB07 and Gretel seemed more relaxed in her role. She fired her old dresser and was decked out in more suitable threads. From the beginning it seemed she had convinced herself she was going to enjoy things more. Her interviews were better. She knew when to speak up and when to hold back. She laughed more and stopped treating the live audiences like a primary school class.
And then we were told she was gone. No one will know the real story. Of course the press release says it was a mutual decision between her and the producers. Did she resign? Was she dumped? Just how long ago had it been decided?
People say the show won't be the same without her. Of course it won't. In some ways it will be better, and in some ways it will be worse. But it will be different. And different is what they are going for this year. A fresh look to draw in viewers-- the fans will be back, viewers who gave up on the show will return, fans of Kyle and Jackie will join, the media will definitely be watching, and with good promotion the rest will be drawn in by curiosity. With new hosts we can not possibly expect the same old format.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Introduction
"Hello. My name is Andy. I am addicted to Big Brother."
Well, that's how they start off in group therapy, isn't it? Isn't a blog really just a kind of group therapy? You become addicted to something, it takes over your life, you realise you have a problem... and you start a blog on the topic. It's an outlet.
And that's what this will be. My outlet for everything relating to Big Brother. I'll concentrate on the 2008 season, especially once the promotions get under way, but I'm sure some past things will come up over the course.
I'm running behind already because the hype started early this time around. So over the next few weeks I will cover off the following issues:
- Gretel's removal/resignation
- Kyle & Jackie O's appointment
- Where that leaves Mike Goldman
- The rumoured changes to the format for 08
- The new audition process
- My trip to the Gold Coast to see the BB07 house
- And more!
I hope you enjoy what I have to say. Please leave comments if you have them.
- Andy.
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