Big Brother Canada 11: The biggest problem with no live feeds
So why is this happening? The statement provided suggests that this is a move to protect the well-being of contestants and their families, and no doubt that is a big component to it. We are talking here about a social-media base that is extremely passionate and watches every move houseguests make during the season.
Of course, therein lies the problem with this move: You are punishing people for their passion. You eradicate the entire purpose of the show.
Big Brother, at its core, is about peering in on a social experiment. It has been that way from the beginning. Sometimes, experiments have a favorable outcome — last year, we saw great winners in both the Canadian and American versions of the show. Sometimes, the experiment gets ugly. The solution to that ugliness, however, should not be to hide potential societal issues behind a wall; rather, it should be concocting real solutions and allow people to better understand the consequences to their actions.
Without live feeds, the show loses all authenticity. It’s as simple as that. We know the idea that the producers are going with are Digital Dailies, unedited clips from the feeds that will be available every day. Some of these could be great! It doesn’t change, however, that they are chose for you by producers in advance. There is no unpredictability; it is akin to a grocery store sending you ingredients without letting you choose them, as opposed to going to the store yourself. The thrill of the experiment is being there when the magic happens, like when moves are being concocted or when crazy antics are kicking off.
There will be some who acknowledge that Big Brother Canada live feeds were never 24/7 in the first place — they have historically been down far more than in America. Yet, the option was still there. This move is probably a benefit to producer workload, and also to show sponsors who don’t have to worry as much about controversial stuff coming out. The downside is the sheer number of viewers the series could lose, and it’s massive. Clearly, Global is banking on the idea that people will watch regardless, but is that really the case? We know that for some, the shows were sometimes a slog with sponsored content and edited segments that aren’t always gameplay-centric.
If there were concerns about mental health for the contestants and their loved ones, that’s understandable — rather than removing live feeds, however, we would have suggested them have immediate access to better resources. Also, more clarity entering the game of what being on this show can mean and how overwhelming leaving the game can real feel. Taking away a huge chunk of the central premise is just not it when it was the fan base who brought the show back from the brink in the first place.
Maybe Big Brother Canada 11 will be entertaining. Maybe it will have quality contestants. It just won’t feel like real Big Brother anymore, and that’s a problem that they just won’t be able to fix.
Are you still planning to watch Big Brother Canada 11 even without feeds?
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