Big Brother Germany

Big Brother
Also known as Promi Big Brother
Genre Reality
Created by John de Mol
Presented by Andrea Kaiser (2014–)
Jochen Schropp (2014–)
Percy Hoven (2000)
Oliver Geissen (2000–2003)
Aleksandra Bechtel (2003, 2010–2011)
Ruth Moschner (2004–2006)
Oliver Petszokat (2005–2006)
Charlotte Karlinder (2007–2008)
Miriam Pielhau (2008–2009)
Sonja Zietlow (2011)
Oliver Pocher (2013)
Cindy aus Marzahn (2013)
Country of origin Germany
Original language(s) German & English
No. of seasons 12
Production
Running time 60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel Sat.1 (2013–present)
RT2 / RTL (2000–2011)
Single TV (2000)
Tele 5 (2003–2006)
MTV2 Pop (2003–2005)
VIVA (2004–2009)
Premiere / Sky (2004–2011)
9Live (2008)
Original run 28 February 2000 – 9 August 2011
13 August 2013 – present
External links
Website

Big Brother Germany is a reality show on RTL II (with a 24h live broadcast on German pay channel Premiere/Sky). It was the first adapted version based on the original Dutch Big Brother series by Endemol in 1999. Big Brother Germany first aired on 28 February 2000 and ended 11 years later on 12 September 2011. After a two year hiatus the series was brought and revamped by Sat.1 as Promi Big Brother, the first celebrity series of the German version.[1] Cindy aus Marzahn and Oliver Pocher were announced as the new presenters of the revived show in August 2013.[2]

Summary

A group of people (called the Housemates) live together in a house, where 24 hours a day their every word and every action is recorded by cameras and microphones in all the rooms in the House. Access to television, the Internet, print media, and time is prohibited. In addition, the housemates live in complete confinement; they have no access to the outside world. At least once a week, the housemates secretly nominate two housemate they wish to face a public vote to evict. The two or more housemates with the most votes face the public vote. The viewing public decides which of them gets evicted through text message votes or phone calls. The nominee with the most votes is evicted and leaves the house.

Should their stay inside the house become difficult for them to bear, a housemate is allowed to voluntary leave at anytime during the game. In the event of a withdrawal from the house, a replacement housemate usually enters in their place.

In the final week of each season, the viewers vote for which of the remaining people in the House should win the prize money and be crowned the winner of Big Brother.

Broadcasting

Big Brother Germany is regularly broadcast by RTL II, in early seasons also by RTL Television.

Big Brother 1 was broadcast 6 nights a week. From Monday to Friday was aired 50min highlights show at 20:15 to 21:10 on RTL II. An hour-long decision show, Die Entscheidung, was aired on Sunday from 20:15 to 21:15 on RTL II.

Big Brother 2 and Big Brother 3 were broadcast six nights a week by RTL II and 1 night a week by RTL Television. RTL II broadcast 50min daily recaps from Sunday to Friday at 20:15 to 21:10. RTL Television broadcast 2h decision show (Die Entscheidung) in Saturday at 20:15 to 22:15. Sometimes the decision show had 3h length.

Big Brother 2 and Big Brother 3 also had a spin-off show "Family and Friends", presented by Aleksandra Bechtel. The show was aired live in afternoon or late night.

Big Brother 4 (The Battle) was broadcast six nights a week; from Monday to Saturday. Day recaps were broadcast from Monday to Friday at 19:00 to 20:00. Every episode was a recap of previous day in the house, except Monday episode covered Saturday and Sunday highlights. The decision show (Die Entscheidung) took place every Monday at 21:15 to 23:15. All episodes were broadcast by RTL II.

From Big Brother 5 to Big Brother 11, the show was broadcast seven nights a week. Day recaps took place every night at 19:00 to 20:00. The decision show (Die Entscheidung) took place every Monday at 21:15 to 23:15. All episodes were broadcast by RTL II.

Internet page and pay-channels provide live feeds.

Big Brother

SeriesMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
Season 1
Highlights Shows (8:15pm–9:00pm)
The Decision Shows (8:15pm–9:15pm)
Highlights Shows (10:15pm–11:00pm)
Highlights Shows (8:15pm–9:00pm)
Season 2
Highlights Shows (8:15pm–9:00pm)
The Decision Shows (8:15pm–10:15pm)
Friends & Family Show (4.45pm-5.45pm)
Highlights Shows (8:15pm–9:00pm)
Season 3
Season 4
Highlights Shows (7:00pm–7:45pm)
The Decision Shows (9:15pm–11:15pm)
Highlights Shows (7:00pm–7:45pm)
Season 5
Highlights Shows (7:00pm–8:00pm)
The Decision Shows (9:15pm–11:15pm - One night a week)
Season 6
Season 7
Highlights Shows (7:00pm–8:00pm)
The Decision Shows (9:15pm–11:15pm)
Highlights Shows (7:00pm–8:00pm)
N/A
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Highlights Shows (7:00pm–8:00pm)
The Decision Shows (9:15pm–11:15pm)
Highlights Shows (7:00pm–8:00pm)

Promi Big Brother

SeriesMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
Season 1
Highlights Shows (10:15pm–11:15pm)
The Decision Shows (8:15pm–11:15pm)
Highlights Shows (10:15pm–11:15pm)
Season 2

Changes of the Concept

Since the start of its first season in February 2000, Big Brother Germany went through numerous changes in its concept. Here are some significant examples of the progress of modifying the rules of the original game:

Smoking in the house

Unlike in many other houses, in Big Brother Germany house, smoking is allowed outdoors and indoors. It is because Germany has no smoking ban.

Series details

Big Brother (2000–2011)

Series Theme Start Finale Days Housemates Winner Prize money Presenter Co-presenter
Season 1 None. 28 February 2000 9 June 2000 103 13 John Milz DM250,000 Percy Hoven Thorsten Wember & Sophie Rosentreter
Season 2 Back to Basics 16 September 2000 30 December 2000 106 17 Alida Kuras Oliver Geissen Aleksandra Bechtel & Gudrun Loeb
Season 3 None. 27 January 2001 12 May 2001 13 Karina Schreiber DM300,000
(increased from DM250,000)
Season 4 The Battle 31 March 2003 7 July 2003 99 19 Jan Geilhufe 90,000
(reduced from 100,000)
Aleksandra Bechtel None.
Season 5 365 Days - 1 Million Euro 2 March 2004 1 March 2005 365 59 Sascha Sirtl 1,000,000 Ruth Moschner Oliver Petszokat & Christian Möllmann
Season 6 The Village 1 March 2005 26 February 2006 363 Michael Knopf 250,000 Ruth Moschner & Oliver Petszokat Jochen Bendel
Season 7 Who are you really? 5 February 2007 7 July 2007 148 17 Michael Carstensen Charlotte Karlinder Jürgen Milski
Season 8 Rich vs. Poor 7 January 2008 7 July 2008 183 25 Silke "Isi" Kaufmann Charlotte Karlinder & Miriam Pielhau
Season 9 Heaven and Hell 8 December 2008 6 July 2009 211 30 Daniel Schöller Miriam Pielhau Alida Kurras-Lauenstein
Season 10 Everyone got a secret 11 January 2010 9 August 2010 32 Timo Grätsch Aleksandra Bechtel
Season 11 The Secret 2 May 2011 12 September 2011 134 22 Marc Sonnen "Rayo di Sole" 125,000
(increased from 100,000)
Sonja Zietlow (Launch Night) & Aleksandra Bechtel None.

Promi Big Brother (2013–)

Series Theme Start Finale Days Housemates Winner Prize money Presenter(s)
Season 1None.13 September 201327 September 20131513Jenny ElversNone. Cindy aus Marzahn & Oliver Pocher
Season 2 The Experiment 13 August 201429 August 20141712Aaron Troschke100,000 €Jochen Schropp

Intros

Big Brother

Series Song (English translation) Performer
Season 1, Season 9 & Season 11 "Leb" (Live) Die 3. Generation
Season 2 "Zeig mir dein Gesicht" (Show Me Your Face) Berger
Season 3 "Nur die Wahrheit zählt" (The Truth is only One) Ayman
Season 4 "Alles ändert sich" (Everything Changes) Oli P. feat. Lukas
Season 5 "Alles was du willst" (Everything You Want) Lex
Season 6 "Deine Welt" (Your World) (Own composition)
Season 7 "Ich seh was, was du nicht siehst" (I See Something You Do Not See) Senta
Season 8 "Chose to Be Me" Sunrise Avenue
Season 9 Everybody Mousse T
Season 10 "Schöne neue Welt" (Brave New World) Chulcha Candela

Promi Big Brother

Series Song Performer
Season 1 "The Signal" (intro)
"Plastic Faces" (outro)
Madcon
Miss Li
Season 2 "Sex Love Rock'N'Roll" (intro & outro) Arash feat. T-Pain

Reception and popularity

Big Brother was social phenomena when it began in 2000. At some point in the first season it hits 70% rating share. Despite massive popularity, ratings in the third season started to decline. RTL II decided to put the show off air for one year (2002).

The program returned in 2003 with completely modified format and lower expectations. Much higher ratings and sponsors interest resulted in following season. The fifth season reached up to high expectations of the producers. The high success of the fifth series resulted in back-to-back season, which was supposed to run for at least few years. However ratings started to declaim and the show was hiding in the shadow of its former glory. The producers decided to end series after its first year on air.

Year-and-half latter (in 2007) RTL II decided to return old original format of the program, marking the seventh series as "Back To Basics". Despite the re-newed format was not a rating hit, but it reached up to producers low expectations.

The producers tried to renew the format for eleventh series, because of tenth series low achievements (Finale of tenth series had 1.39 million viewers). Viewing figures however decline in eleventh series, but producers made an impression of success with duration and prize extension. The ratings in eleventh series rarely reach 10% share in eleventh series.

References

  1. http://advanced-television.com/2013/04/04/germany-and-portugal-comeback-for-big-brother/
  2. http://www.wuv.de/medien/sat_1_wirbt_mit_oliver_pocher_und_cindy_aus_marzahn_fuer_promi_big_brother

External links

Sat.1 series links

Former series links