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Big Brother fans missing Live updates

Despite an online backlash from Big Brother fans demanding Live Updates resume, Nine is "assessing the level of interest."

2014-09-15_1308Die-hard Big Brother fans, many of whom would undoubtedly call themselves BB purists, have been criticising Nine’s lack of Live updates.

Nine says it is “assessing the level of interest” in offering the service for 2014, despite an obvious online backlash.

Live Updates were previously available online through Twitter and the official BB website.

They gave an insight into housemate activity throughout the day, and up to 24 hours before they would be seen on air after post-production. The Twitter feed was last updated in November.

This year they have not been available at all, sending some fans into a spiral.

Annual fan website Behind Big Brother also weighed in:

And in an extra insult to fans, the official BBAU Twitter account, Executive Producer Alex Mavroidakis (who is usually a prolific tweeter) and Channel 9’s social media manager refuse to answer any questions from fans about the status of the feeds.

It appears Big Brother production has no ‘live’ team whatsoever. The official BB website contains no updates from the house and so far news stories have only been posted after the show aired on Channel Nine, so they contain no new information.

This in stark contrast to last week when Alex Mavroidakis told us he and his co-producer were “Big Brother purists“.

The end of the Updates follows on from Nine not offering online camera feeds when it commenced the series in 2012 which TEN had offered a decade earlier. It’s believed the decision to end these was to avoid adult content clashing with Nine’s PG-rated series. But already this year there have been some raunchy moments that push a PG boundary.

This year the Friday Night-style games are also understood to have been ditched, although in truth these were added several seasons into TEN’s production in what is an evolving Reality franchise.

Facebook fans have also vented on everything from the casting to Nine’s scheduling, but so far ratings have delivered in the Demos.

As to current Live Updates, a Nine spokesperson told TV Tonight, “Channel Nine has extensive online content available to audiences through many social mediums including the Channel Nine website 9jumpin.

“Resources have been enhanced for the 9jumpin Big Brother website where viewers can review shows, and when it comes to voting, this is the place that will give more power to the people.

“We are assessing the level of interest in a BBAU LIVE outlet and the prospect of providing a similar viewing platform for our audience.”

The official #BBAU LIVE Twitter feed has a very-interested 58,300 subscribers.

15 Responses

  1. They had all sorts of arguments about why they didn’t bring back 24/7 video streaming, and said that the live updates was the replacement.

    Yet this year they can’t even bring back the live updates? It’s utterly stupid. Without them there’s not much reason for fans to be as interested in the show as previously and it turns Big Brother into channel 9s version of Neighbours/Home & away.

    Since there is no logging of events and regular video snippets the housemates could very well not actually be housemates and are just actors playing a part and will rehearse their lines and actions, until 9 requires them to be ready for filming. In the limited live bits we get on TV, 9 will tell them what it is about beforehand and they will just ad lib their role.

  2. I can’t believe they used “extensive online content” and “jump in” in the same sentence. Sorry 9 but jump in us utter crap and the fact that you won’t even give us a reason for no live updates is appalling. Do this show right or not at all!

  3. @dannymurray – you can choose not to immerse yourself in the show by visiting Behind Big Brother and engaging with fans who do like to talk about the intricacies of the show but for those of us who enjoy that, we don’t have the option anymore. I’ve gave up on the show on Friday because it is so contrived and scripted – it’s been like since it was on 9 but this year is the worst.

  4. @danny but you can just ignore those good looking people over on Behind Big Brother. It’s a fan site and for die hard fans. If it’s too into it for you, then don’t visit. Behind Big Brother is one of the best aspects of BB every year for me. Actually getting into the show, having discussions, analyzing and so forth.

    This is an issue that affects the die hard fans but many casual fans. The feeds and constant stories were a great thing to keep up to date on. Got you involved and more interested in the show and the characters. BB became an on going event. Now it feels like something you don’t even have to watch on the day.

    Live Streams would be best, but seeing they won’t do that, frequent updates and content from the site like last year is necessary. The Jump-in website is utter crap, poorly designed and no reason to visit it if you watch the show.

  5. — But Danny looking back, did these inhibit your viewing? Isn’t it the best of both worlds. BB is supposed to be a social experiment, it can be available on multiple platforms and the viewer chooses how they want to engage: heavy or light. —

    The trouble with all these live updates and multiple platforms is that sites like Behind Big Brother obsess about every little detail and leak storylines and events before they are aired. The day I stopped reading the gossip was the day I started to actually enjoy the show. Sure they can co-exist, but in my opinion it is a much more enjoyable show without the obsessive live updates.

  6. In other words “we cannot see how this will increase our bottom line”.

    Channel 9, in my opinion, are the greediest, most frustrating network, with every decision made on the immediate financial benefit. Do they realise that this kind of treatment has a an affect on viewer’s choices in the long run? The network has gone downhill on so many fronts.
    I’m finding myself viewing mostly ch7 content these days. They seem more consistent in programming and less annoying personalities!

  7. Thanks for the article and looking into this David.

    Live feeds are extremely important, especially in the early days of the game where we are still getting acquainted with the housemates. Without the live feeds BB is no different from any other reality show, and it gives viewers the impression that Nine is trying to control the series.

    BBAU Live updates and the “daily wash” features really kept me engaged with the show while it was off the air, enhanced my viewing experience and reinforced the ongoing element of the show.

    Not sure what enhanced online experience Nine are referring to, because this year’s online content is just a rehash of what plays out on the TV.

  8. @David….. “BB is supposed to be a social experiment,”…..it “used” to be that. Now it is with ch9 it is just a ratings drama/gameshow…..unfortunately

  9. From what I understand, Nine is running all things online this year (could even be a man in India running it) compared to the team at Dreamworld running it last year and this is where it has left us at. All of the tweets on the BBAU twitter account are almost automated, so someone is sitting there queuing all of the tweets to be sent out at specific times throughout the episode. Even the repeats on GO! have the account reposting the exact tweets for the ep.

    The biggest thing about the lack of the live content – Live twitter updates, news articles etc, means that essentially they could film 3 straight days of footage and then package that out as five 1 hour episodes and no one would know the difference. The idea of Big Brother is for it to be on 24/7 and taking away that live concept gives the impression that its a scripted soap opera, and we wouldn’t be able to tell if they are…

  10. I don’t think it needs live updates. I prefer to watch the show for what it is. Die-hard fans might miss it, but the rest of us like to watch it as a nightly soap alternative.

    1. But Danny looking back, did these inhibit your viewing? Isn’t it the best of both worlds. BB is supposed to be a social experiment, it can be available on multiple platforms and the viewer chooses how they want to engage: heavy or light.

  11. Live feeds are very important to maintain at least some level of transparency, in my opinion. Unfortunately it seems Channel Nine would rather be able to script the series however they want rather than allowing fans to properly follow the events in the house.

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