So, it’s official. Or semi-official anyway. Channel4 won’t be renewing the Endemol deal to produce Big Brother after next year’s series. And for a while there it seemed like it would never end.

Big Brother has had its up and downs. Its been through heartwarming and controversial. But rarely has it been dull. Until now, apparently.

I haven’t watched Big Brother for a while now but I think the end of the show is a big deal. Think about it – the actual BB show on Channel4 is on everyday, for at least a hour, for around 13 weeks of the year. And that doesn’t include the eviction shows, the shows where something happens and they run over schedule, all those spin-offs (BBLB, BBBM, etc.) as well as the repeats in the morning and on the Sunday.

So what now?

BB is a cheap show to produce. And it’s not exactly a secret that Channel4 isn’t in the best shape of its life. So what’s going to fill all these slots? I’m willing to guess that morning repeats will return them to their bank of U.S. sitcoms (please not Friends, please not Friends) but hopefully, for their primetime slots, Channel4 will return to their roots as a channel that inspires creativity though innovative content and budget restrictions will inspire production companies to work doubley-hard to surprise us with their resourcefulness.

Will the end of the BB era affect you in any way? Are you disappointed? Pleased? Might it lead you to watch more TV? Less TV? Maybe you think now it’s over you can go out again? What sorts of shows would you like to see Channel4 producing now? In short, what next?

EDIT (about an hour later…): Ooh la la, apparently the end of BB means that the original drama budget will be boosted by £20m. Caroline Cawley, an employee of Channel4, has written a blog over on 38 minutes which cites Kevin Lygo, Channel4’s Director of Television and Content, who expresses that ‘extra funds would be focused on delivering more event dramas for Channel 4, following the success of mini-series such as Red Riding and The Devil’s Whore, as well as seeking more quirky, returnable series aimed at younger audiences for Channel 4 and E4, in the mould of Shameless and Skins.’ Oh goody

This post was written by the lovely Priyabhakta, check out more of her articles here.

Admittedly, I haven’t been watching Big Brother much this year. Despite a promising start, the series just hasn’t caught my attention. I do know that BB isn’t performing to previous standards though and from what I’m reading in the papers, viewers are switching off in droves.

So naturally, on the night that Charley was destined to leave – an eviction so certain the bookies were paying out in advance – Big Bro has sent in the Big Guns.

That’s right, if the series looks like it’s bombing, send in the freaks.

The people who walked in tonight (I won’t pretend to know their names – yet) were the seriously wacked-out fame seekers. Worse than deal-seeking Shabnam? Oh yes people, much much worse.

As we saw from previous ‘halfway housemates’ Kinga and Orlaith (remember those oddities?), you get unabashed attention-seeking – walking into the house in your pants or wearing a spotty top that highlights the most underwhelming pair of breasts on British TV at the moment. Surely it’s only a matter of time before one of them has ‘relations’ with a wine bottle in the garden while the nation collectively falls asleep in front of the telly.

I’ve heard two schools of thought around various watercoolers: one that this series is better because it’s more low key, the other that it’s simply dull. In this climate, you have to feel for the producers – trying to attract a different audience with a more evenly paced Big Brother isn’t working, and for the last couple of years the format appears to be just crumbling.

How are you finding this year’s BB? What are the high and low points and what could the producers improve upon?

Big Brother producers Endemol are making a show about women who watch their weight obsessively and fight a daily battle to control their calorie intake.

If you would like to take part, email your details and a current photograph of yourself to superslim@endemoluk.com

The Daily Star has reported that this years series of Big Brother will be the most controversial yet. Instead of avoiding controversy after the huge race row in Celebrity Big brother earlier this year, Big Brother are actually going to take things a step further and try to use the publicity to their advantage.

An insider told the newspaper:

“There is a huge amount of interest in BB8 after the race row.

“But instead of playing it safe bosses want to capitalise on the extra publicity and make sure this is the best series ever.”

The insider also revealed that the producers will be splitting the housemates into two groups nicknamed Saints and Sinners in a bid to reveal their true personalities.

Hertfordshire Police have released figures today showing that it has cost around £350,000 to police Big Brother UK over the last six years. The recent racism enquiry cost more than £14,000 alone.

A police spokesperson told the BBC News website: “Shortly after the programme began, it was decided that, where it was appropriate, Hertfordshire Constabulary would recover the costs for any potential investigations arising from Big Brother in addition to the overall policing charges levied on Endemol.”

The figures show that policing costs have risen from £13,655 in 2002 to £115,983 in 2006.

Endemol, the company behind Big Brother, have announced that this years Big Brother house will be a non-smoking zone after health chiefs classed it as a work place.

A source told Britain’s The Sun newspaper: “The kind of people we sign up are often the type of people who like a fag. If they are banned from smoking, the atmosphere could get pretty tense.”

We can all remember the fights caused by lack of ciggies. Transsexual Big Brother winner, Nadia Almada is the first person to spring to mind.

What will happen is that there will become a clear smokers/non-smokers divide, as the smokers are forced to spend more and more time in the garden indulging their habit while the others have free reign of the house.

Hertfordshire police have announced today that there will be no prosecutions made in connections with the recent Big Brother racism row.

The Crown Prosecution Service has decided that what occurred was “clearly offensive” but “not criminal”.

Hertfordshire Police said: “Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, it was felt that it would not be in the public interest to effect arrests or to pursue footage through the courts.”

Detective Inspector Jeeta Aulak, who ran the inquiry, said: “The investigation was balanced, considering all complaints received.

“During inquiries, we liaised with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE). This was to ensure that all issues were considered and responded to.

“The CRE were happy with our response and investigation.”

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Parr said: “Our investigation has now concluded and a file has been handed across to the CPS.

“In the absence of complaint from any of the housemates regarding behaviour – including behaviour that was not broadcast – the CPS has concluded that whilst what occurred was clearly offensive, it was not criminal.”

The Makers of Big Brother, Endemol, are reportedly plannin a new celebrity show which will involve the celebs who sign up being filmed as they go through rehab.

Kate Moss’s boyfriend Pete Doherty, who has battled heroin and crack cocaine, is reported to be amongst the stars approached to take part in Rock Stars in Rehab.

An insider told The Sunday Mirror: “It’s going to be like Spinal Tap meets The Priory. The plan is to put a group of well-known faces with very public drug problems into a rehab and just let the cameras run.

“It will be touted as a serious social experiment. But Endemol are using drug problems as entertainment and treating addiction like a joke.

“It will push the boundaries to make money. If addicts want to get off drugs they really need support and medical supervision – not cameras pushed in their faces.”

Big Brother have been looking after Jade Goody as best they could this weekend. She was evicted to no hateful crowd, she was given some warning in the house about what awaited her, the post eviction press conference was cancelled and now Jade has been whisked off to a secret safe house in the hope that the storm will blow over.

You could be fooled into thinking that the Channel 4 and Endemol bosses are worried about Jades safety and her personal wellbeing…but you would be wrong.

Endemols real reason for trying to make the current racism row concerning Jade Goody pass quickly away, is that they have plans to launch a new chat show with Jade as the host. In fact The Sun states that the company have already made a pilot and were planning to sell it when Jade emerged from the Big Brother house.

So what do you think…will the show still go ahead? Would you watch it? Be sure to let us know via our comments form or on our forum.

You’d have to be a raging optimist to declare that this year’s Big Brother was a success, wouldn’t you?

Big Brother 7 has attracted more than the normal run of criticism – not just from people who hate Reality TV anyway – but from fans of the show itself. My opinion is that the Big Brother crew have made some grave errors this year and have alienated viewers.

Early Departures

There was the early departure of three contestants in the first week of the show: Shahbaz Chauhdary after being put on suicide watch, Dawn Blake after accusations of cheating and George Askew after deciding he wouldn’t be able to handle the fame. For me, the early departures destabilised the programme – losing one housemate in the first week is careless, but to lose three is a disaster!

Vetting Housemates

Secondly, there was the uproar over psychological vetting of housemates. This was first raised with me by Dawn Blake, one of the first contestants to leave the house. Dawn claims that the psychological vetting is no more involved than completing a questionnaire and having a ‘chat’ with the psychologist.

But it’s only a TV show, I hear you say. Light entertainment. What’s the big deal?

Well, watchers of the first week will have witnessed Shahbaz Chauhdary’s virtual breakdown. Shahbaz at first seemed a flamboyant, irritating creature, but quickly morphed into more sinister persona altogether, being put on suicide watch and quitting Big Brother after less than a week. That’s the big deal, and mental health organisations publicly took Endemol and Channel 4 to task for not properly screening contestants.

Predictable

Thirdly, it’s getting easier to guess the favourite contestants in Big Brother. This is the second series where there has been a clear favourite to win Big Brother in the first week of the show.

Look at Celebrity Big Brother. In the first week, you knew either Chantelle or Barrymore would win. And it was because they were the unknown in a housefull of celebs and the disgraced celeb seeking a comeback. The public love a rags-to-riches story, don’t they? And no-one else had a chance.

So, when a freaky, brighton-based Tourette’s sufferer wanders into the house, who was the tabloid favourite to take the prize? If someone other than Pete Bennett wins this Friday, I’ll eat my words!

Messing With Public Trust

Probably the biggest screw-up this year was that decision to return Nikki Grahame to the house in what appeared to be another stage managed episode in the series.

Viewers complained in their thousands to Ofcom about the incident – citing that they had paid money to evict Nikki, yet she (and other ex-housemates) were being returned – making a mockery of the show’s slogan “Who goes? You decide.” More a case of “You decide, but we’ll do whatever the hell we like anyway.”

In a less-than-inspired piece of crisis management, BB spun a line about proceeds going to charity. Not many people were amused – most people would gladly sacrifice their firstborn never to see Nikki on TV again, myself included.

Finally

If you remember the first series of Big Brother back in 2000, it was billed as a groundbreaking psychological/social experiment and the nation watched in fascination as a group of strangers were put under the microscope. Because it was new to our screens, the show needed no gimmicks to sell it.

However, over successive series’ (especially the last three), the Big Brother production team have relied more and more upon sensationalism to drive interest in the show. In the weeks leading up to the series, the tabloids speculated on the freakish array of characters about to enter the house and producer’s tactics “Double beds to encourage contestants to sleep together, more housemates in a smaller house, glass walls etc!!!“.

Big Brother was the groundbreaking reality TV show in the UK. Drop the gimmicks Big Brother, filter out the screwballs and reclaim the glory days.