Adults Only show for GO! at 9pm

The Nine Network have announced this week that in addition to a family friendly Daily Show stripped at 7pm, they would also produce a 9pm Adults Only program to air on digital channel GO! (99).

There are no specifics on this program yet. Are we in for:

• an uncensored version of 7pm's Daily Show?
• a different Daily Show covering the day's risque storylines? (Will there be enough material?)
• a hosted talk-style/clip show?
• an UpLate (live streaming) show?
• something else completely?

At least we know Nine will be making use of the new multi-channel environment to deliver more content. A dedicated streaming channel could be a fair way off though! (I believe no new commercial licenses will be issued anyway until analogue is completely shut off in December 2013.)

Use of Old House Site Confirmed

I was on the Gold Coast last week and went to Dreamworld. I managed to score myself the rightmost seat on the Giant Drop ride twice. From the very top you can see over the trees to the Big Brother Studio and House. I can confirm that there were bobcats driving around the backyard of the House site used for all 8 previous seasons of Big Brother. The FNL Arena area is basically gone. The big double doors at the north end of the compound were either open or removed and the bobcats were driving in and out through the opening. On my second ride it was evident that it was only destruction work going on, removing what is still standing from the 2008 season. There is no external construction going on as yet.
There were also cars parked around the amphitheatre/studio area though it was impossible to see if anything had been done to the stage yet. From the bus on the way in I could see some of the blue seating was lying to one side of the back of the amphitheatre. There were trucks coming and going through the separate BB security checkpoint.

I also did the train ride around Dreamworld and on the tour they refer to the area as you pass through as "Big Brother Territory". The train driver mentions the House is down the path to the right and the stage is up the path to the left, and that both are being refurbished at the moment for the new season to start "later in the year". It is not possible to see either from the train.

It is pretty much confirmed now that the "old" House site will again be used in 2012, despite the land having been sold off to the delayed shopping centre development.

Logo Revealed

Today, along with the announcement of Housemate audition details, the new Big Brother 2012 logo was revealed.

Set against a pink and yellow background, the white and blue eye shape contains a stylised camera lens for the iris. The BIG BROTHER title below is written in 2 shades of blue, one resembling the blue of the Channel 9 logo, and the other darker.

The Australian Big Brother logo has changed several times over the years, however this is the first time the design has not been based on the original 2001 logo in any way, and the first time the logo has been more of a stylised eye than a realistic one.

The 2001-02 logo was a pair of realistic eyes and eyebrows in black against a white background. In 2003-04 the left eye, or the right half of the logo, was removed, and the single eye was set inside a round cornered box. For 2005-07 the same right eye shape was used but was made up of small squares, which the opening titles showed we're tiny cubes, and the pupil was shaped like a map of Australia. For 2008 the eyebrow was removed and the white of the eye was replaced with blue and white stripes.

Celebrity Big Brother for Charity in 2002 was the only series to not use the eye logo in its titles, though it was seen in signs in the amphitheatre left over from the 2002 season.

Big Brother Back to Dreamworld

Rumour has it, again from TV Tonight, that Dreamworld are preparing to once again host Big Brother Australia in 2012. Dreamworld has hosted every season of the show for Endemol/Southern Star and the TEN Network from 2001-2008, plus Celebrity Big Brother for Charity in 2002, and the spin-off series Friday Night Games in 2006.

Dreamworld's Amphitheatre was an existing structure before Big Brother. Just a short walk from the former Blue Lagoon pools and waterslides attraction, it was used to host partially covered live stage shows and corporate events. The venue was revamped for Big Brother's inaugural season in 2001, becoming a control room for the entire Big Brother House, production offices, a gift shop, a tourist attraction, a TV set, and an Outside Broadcast facility for up to three consecutive live events (two 24x7 streams recorded from inside the House and broadcast on the web, and a live studio show airing on the TEN Network).

The Big Brother House was purpose-built for the series amidst bushland, though only 250 metres from the back of the Amphitheatre. The outer shell of the House has remained basically unchanged through the 8 seasons. It is an approximately 55 x 30 metre compound, roughly half covered to form the "house" and half uncovered to form the "backyard". Interior walls and rooms can be pulled down and rebuilt between seasons (or during seasons, see 2003!). The structure has occasionally been added to-- a higher wall was added to the back of the house in 2003 to better hide Dreamworld's Tower of Terror from sight, an open-air Friday Night Live Arena was built onto the north side of the house in 2005, then rebuilt more professionally with canvas roofing in 2006, and the Holiday House and Lanai with a second pool were added to the west side of the house in 2008.

The area where the House stands is currently slated for redevelopment into a shopping complex, though ongoing delays have prevented it from yet being touched. It is unknown whether the same House shell will be used for the 2012 season, as it will be needed late in the year (August-November). The latest overhead photos from Nearmap show the House is still standing and in neat condition. The FNL Arena roofing has been removed in the late half of 2010. Other options would be to build a new House closer to the highway or behind Whitewater World, but either of these would reduce the secluded feeling of the Housemates with the operational noises of the two theme parks so nearby.

Sonia Kruger to Host

TV Tonight have announced Sonia Kruger (Dancing with the Stars) is in negotiations with Nine to sign a long term contract that will see her host a "morning show" (step aside Kerri Anne!), Big Brother, and be involved with The Olympic Games coverage.

DWTS has proven her interviewing skills and ability to ad lib. It sounds like a good fit.

It is not known yet how many hosts there will be on Nine's version of the show. If they again have spin-off shows like Ten did with FNL, Big Mouth, Uncut, Adults Only, Up Late, and The Insider, there may be more hosts yet to be announced. It sounds like Sonia will be the main "Evictions" live host. There is likely also a position of narrator to be filled for Daily Shows. No reason Sonia couldn't do this to keep the cast small.  I'm still hoping Mikey G will be asked back for that role though.

Nine's 2012 Schedule Prediction

Nine announce their 2012 programming schedule next week. They have already hinted they will kick off the year with The Block stripped at 7pm.  That will probably run Feb-Apr.

I'm guessing BB will run May-Aug as it did in the past in the same timeslot, finishing up before The Olympic Games.

After The Olympics we are likely to see another season of The Celebrity Apprentice fill the space.

We'll see how I did after the big announcement during the week.

Possible Earlier Start

I read recently Nine will be kicking off its ratings year with The Block rather than holding it back til mid-year. If they are planning to strip BB at 7pm weeknights, there is a chance it could take back its old start time of April, probably running through to July or August.