EDITED TO ADD: I know, I know - it's not Friday. Good one Jess. This was intended to post on Friday, and stupid me hit Save as Draft instead of Publish. I could have just kept it & posted next Friday, but...I don't like having completed posts hanging around when they could be out there being read! So there you go. As I said on Twitter (follow me @mamamedia_au to read my condensed ramblings!) can I still blame it on baby brain? Survey says yes.
Being on maternity leave has meant that I have found myself with plenty of TV watching time on my hands. Let's face it - when you're spending a significant portion of your day breastfeeding, there's not much else you can do!
I've been taking a little walk down memory lane today, by starting to re-watch the inaugural season of Big Brother Australia. I wasn't a particularly avid viewer when it premiered - it was on my radar, but I wasn't much of a fan until the 2004/05 seasons.
Being on maternity leave has meant that I have found myself with plenty of TV watching time on my hands. Let's face it - when you're spending a significant portion of your day breastfeeding, there's not much else you can do!
I've been taking a little walk down memory lane today, by starting to re-watch the inaugural season of Big Brother Australia. I wasn't a particularly avid viewer when it premiered - it was on my radar, but I wasn't much of a fan until the 2004/05 seasons.
So with that said, here are some of my thoughts so far...
:: They were allowed to take books in?! When did that rule change? To me, the whole challenge of BB is the lack of stimulation. Being able to take books & magazines means it was basically a holiday with strangers. A Contiki tour without the tour, if you will.
:: And speaking of budget accommodation...God this house is basic. Single beds, a TV on wheels with a little speaker for the contestants to control, a cinderblock BBQ...it's like a school camp.
:: They definitely didn't go to great lengths to hide the cameras & mics this season, did they.
:: Gretel got away with so much more than Sonia would these days. From asking Sara-Marie if her lockdown buddy was any good in bed, to wondering whether Pete & Christina had feelings for each other or were just looking for a bit of "fiddledy-diddle" the innuendo is fantastic.
:: I miss Leon Murray's voice.
I think the later seasons have ruined me slightly for the early years. I'm used to the slick production values and flashy houses of the Channel 9 era. Although, I must admit that it's a bit refreshing to see the format at its most basic: a group of strangers, cut off from society, and forced to live together. No twists, no tricks, a true social experiment.
Personally, I think future seasons (if there are any; ratings haven't been stellar this year) should try and go back to basics a bit. Since the move from Channel 10 to 9, the show has pulled out more & more stunts, especially this season: Heads of House, Power Plays, 6 intruders, and almost $60,000 handed out to contestants already, with another $50,000 offered and refused. Whilst this might make for entertaining viewing and juicy promo material, it completely changes the nature of the game and can - consciously or not - affect the behaviour of the housemates. They are no longer just living in a house with a bunch of random new friends, they are killing time, waiting for the next big surprise: Will we be offered money? Will my family member walk through the door? Are we getting another 10 intruders? When will the next exciting thing be happening?! After all, it's not like they have much else in that house to think about...
OVER TO YOU! Thoughts? Do you like the flashy, new-gen BB, or are you a purist? Are you like my husband, who likes to act as if it's the worst program in the world, yet becomes ridiculously invested? OR, are you like my mother in law, who has studied sociology and finds it abhorrent, and wants it cancelled for good?
:: Gretel got away with so much more than Sonia would these days. From asking Sara-Marie if her lockdown buddy was any good in bed, to wondering whether Pete & Christina had feelings for each other or were just looking for a bit of "fiddledy-diddle" the innuendo is fantastic.
:: I miss Leon Murray's voice.
I think the later seasons have ruined me slightly for the early years. I'm used to the slick production values and flashy houses of the Channel 9 era. Although, I must admit that it's a bit refreshing to see the format at its most basic: a group of strangers, cut off from society, and forced to live together. No twists, no tricks, a true social experiment.
Personally, I think future seasons (if there are any; ratings haven't been stellar this year) should try and go back to basics a bit. Since the move from Channel 10 to 9, the show has pulled out more & more stunts, especially this season: Heads of House, Power Plays, 6 intruders, and almost $60,000 handed out to contestants already, with another $50,000 offered and refused. Whilst this might make for entertaining viewing and juicy promo material, it completely changes the nature of the game and can - consciously or not - affect the behaviour of the housemates. They are no longer just living in a house with a bunch of random new friends, they are killing time, waiting for the next big surprise: Will we be offered money? Will my family member walk through the door? Are we getting another 10 intruders? When will the next exciting thing be happening?! After all, it's not like they have much else in that house to think about...
OVER TO YOU! Thoughts? Do you like the flashy, new-gen BB, or are you a purist? Are you like my husband, who likes to act as if it's the worst program in the world, yet becomes ridiculously invested? OR, are you like my mother in law, who has studied sociology and finds it abhorrent, and wants it cancelled for good?
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