Big Brother
Big Brother
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Big Brother

"Expect the unexpected."

4.9
Yr 2000
Status Returning Series
Reality
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Series Brief

Overview

American version of the reality game show which follows a group of HouseGuests living together 24 hours a day in the "Big Brother" house, isolated from the outside world but under constant surveillance with no privacy for three months.

Status

Latest

  • Big Brother Season 28 cast revealed — July 25, 2026
  • Big Brother Season 28 premieres — July 14, 2026
  • Jerry O'Connell joins Big Brother: Unlocked — June 30, 2026
Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 30 /100

When Big Brother made its American debut in 2000, television critics greeted it with overwhelmingly negative reactions. Despite the franchise's proven track record as an international hit, reviewers found the initial U.S. season drab and poorly paced, noting that giving audience members the power to vote out contestants resulted in tedious television.

While some reviewers noted that the show might offer a guilty, voyeuristic thrill for dedicated reality TV fans, most dismissed the daily broadcasts as boring and formulaic. Critics likened the viewing experience to watching C-SPAN or a test pattern, complaining that the series relied on canned conflicts and irritating genre cliches while failing to match the caliber of better reality programming.

“fails to live up to its more intelligent reality-show peers”

“first (and rather boring) season”

“The show, which started in Holland and was copied in Germany and Spain, has been a big hit overseas”

“compendium of every irritating cliche ever to assault a defenseless TV viewer”

Why fans love it

Big Brother functions as a social laboratory where the primary challenge is not physical endurance but the erosion of personal space. Since its 2000 premiere, the series has placed strangers into a single home under relentless camera coverage, forcing them to navigate the friction of constant proximity. The game mechanics turn basic human interaction into a strategic minefield.

Players like Julie Chen anchor the broadcast, yet the tension remains rooted in the shifting allegiances formed within the house walls. Because the residents have no contact with the outside world for three months, the environment turns petty grievances and misunderstood conversations into high-stakes political maneuvers. Voting becomes a test of loyalty versus individual survival, creating a viewing experience defined by the discomfort of being watched and the desperation of trying to remain the last person standing.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 2
Longest run 996 eps
Julie Chen
Julie Chen
as Self - Host
996 episodes
Memphis Garrett
Memphis Garrett
as Self - Houseguest
63 episodes
Ian Terry
Ian Terry
as Self - Houseguest
53 episodes
Nicole Anthony
Nicole Anthony
as Self - Houseguest
49 episodes
Christmas Abbott
Christmas Abbott
as Self - Houseguest
75 episodes
Kevin Campbell
Kevin Campbell
as Self - Houseguest
60 episodes
Clayton Halsey
Clayton Halsey
as Announcer (voice)
800 episodes
Phil Proctor
Phil Proctor
as Announcer (voice)
196 episodes
Show 67 more
David Walsh as Narrator (voice) 70 episodes Danielle Reyes as Self - Houseguest 59 episodes Rachel Reilly as Self - Houseguest 88 episodes Nicole Franzel as Self - Houseguest 117 episodes Daniele Briones as Self - Houseguest 90 episodes Janelle Pierzina as Self - Houseguest 59 episodes Tyler Crispen as Self - Houseguest 76 episodes Dick Donato as Self - Houseguest 41 episodes David Alexander as Self - Houseguest 40 episodes Da'Vonne Rogers as Self - Houseguest 64 episodes Marcellas Reynolds as Self - Houseguest 51 episodes Kaysar Ridha as Self - Houseguest 52 episodes Diane Henry as Self - Houseguest 44 episodes James Rhine as Self - Houseguest 46 episodes Will Kirby as Self - Houseguest 71 episodes America Lopez as Self - Houseguest 39 episodes Blue Kim as Self - Houseguest 39 episodes Bowie Jane Ball as Self - Houseguest 42 episodes Jordan Lloyd as Self - Houseguest 63 episodes Matt Klotz as Self - Houseguest 42 episodes Victoria Rafaeli Atash as Self - Houseguest 40 episodes James Huling as Self - Houseguest 77 episodes Corey Brooks as Self - Houseguest 42 episodes Bayleigh Dayton as Self - Houseguest 42 episodes Natalie Negrotti as Self - Houseguest 40 episodes Frank Eudy as Self - Houseguest 46 episodes Vanessa Rousso as Self - Houseguest 40 episodes Caleb Reynolds as Self - Houseguest 40 episodes Steve Moses as Self - Houseguest 39 episodes Austin Matelson as Self - Houseguest 40 episodes Howie Gordon as Self - Houseguest 49 episodes George Boswell as Self - Houseguest 88 episodes Brittany Petros as Self - Houseguest 45 episodes Cassandra Waldon as Self - Houseguest 59 episodes Jamie Kern Lima as Self - Houseguest 69 episodes Curtis Kin as Self - Houseguest 70 episodes Josh Souza as Self - Houseguest 70 episodes Eddie McGee as Self - Houseguest 70 episodes Jessie Godderz as Self - Houseguest 42 episodes Paul Abrahamian as Self - Houseguest 82 episodes Enzo Palumbo as Self - Houseguest 68 episodes Britney Haynes as Self - Houseguest 56 episodes Brendon Villegas as Self - Houseguest 50 episodes Felicia Cannon as Self - Houseguest 43 episodes Mike 'Boogie' Malin as Self - Houseguest 65 episodes Jag Bains as Self - Houseguest 45 episodes Liz Nolan as Self - Houseguest 39 episodes Dan Gheesling as Self - Houseguest 60 episodes Cirie Fields as Self - Houseguest 42 episodes Cody Calafiore as Self - Houseguest 82 episodes Victor Arroyo as Self - Houseguest 39 episodes Jeff Schroeder as Self - Houseguest 60 episodes Kevin Schlehuber as Self - Houseguest 39 episodes Angela Rummans as Self - Houseguest 39 episodes JC Mounduix as Self - Houseguest 41 episodes Kaycee Clark as Self - Houseguest 43 episodes Cliff Hogg III as Self - Houseguest 39 episodes Josh Martínez as Self - Houseguest 42 episodes Holly Allen as Self - Houseguest 40 episodes Jackson Michie as Self - Houseguest 40 episodes Frankie Grande as Self - Houseguest 44 episodes Taylor Hale as Self - Houseguest 48 episodes Cam Sullivan-Brown as Self - Houseguest 39 episodes Derrick Levasseur as Self - Houseguest 57 episodes Angela Murray as Self - Houseguest 60 episodes Chelsie Baham as Self - Houseguest 44 episodes Morgan Pope as Self - Houseguest 40 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Lighting Director
Matt Ford
Supervising Producer
Jym Buss
Production Assistant
Peter J. Calvin
Art Direction
Tina J. Miller
Executive Producer
Rich Meehan Arnold Shapiro Chris Roach
Producer
Paul Coyne Alex Rader Dan Sameha
Production Design
Narbeh Nazarian
Set Decoration
Joanne Baker Valerie Calderon
Co-Executive Producer
John Platt Sydney Leier Don Wollman Jordan Kranis
Casting Coordinator
Jacob Cooney Joyce Hong
Casting
Lynne Spiegel Spillman
Editor
Clayton Halsey Eric Johannsen
Casting Director
Jesse Tannenbaum Jeff Ross Robyn Kass Jennifer Redinger
In Memory Of
Mickey Lee
Casting Producer
Joy Gordo
Director
Mark W. Roden Tony McCuin
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Big Brother overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

competition house voting reality competition big brother eviction hoh head of household veto
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
July 05, 2000
Status
Returning Series
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
272