The day has finally come, Big Brother fans, when CBS has delivered the news that everyone has been waiting to hear for ages now. In the first place, Season 22 has officially been announced as the second-ever All-Stars edition, and though that was already common knowledge, we now know when we'll finally see it premiering in primetime, and it's coming soon. Big Brother All-Stars will debut on Wednesday, August 5, and that premiere sounds like it'll be a doozy.
For one thing, Season 22 is setting up its first episode to be a live move-in, which the reality franchise has basically only utilized for Big Brother: Over the Top, the streaming-only season that was exclusive to CBS All Access. That should be a great way to reconnect with champions and contestants of years past, many of which have been rumored, though CBS is still keeping that official cast list under wraps for now. The network did state that the full list of houseguests – which includes "winners, finalists, legends, memorable personalities, and some of the best to never win the game" – will be announced between now and the premiere date.
Fans can also look forward to three nights of Big Brother per week. Following the Wednesday premiere, Season 22 will settle into its regular pattern of Sunday nights, Wednesday nights and Thursday nights. The latter is when Julie Chen Moonves will be breaking hearts and confidences for live evictions as the contestant pool gets whittled down to a single $500,000 winner.
What isn't exactly clear is what the theme will be for Big Brother's next all-stars season. This is what was stated in the official announcement, and it's hard to tell if it's just a generic comment or if there's something more enigmatic about the wording.
The summer reality hit Big Brother will debut its 22nd season with an All-Star cast who have one thing in common – they all have something to prove.
Is everyone going to be moving into a courthouse this year, where they'll all be put on trial? That...doesn't seem likely. Nor does it seem like Big Brother will be crossing over with ABC's To Tell the Truth. So maybe it has something to do with the sights caught on film by that drone's flyover, or maybe it'll be something else entirely.
Obviously, this season of Big Brother is going to be quite different from past seasons due to safety precautions required as part of production restrictions being lifted. The all-star contestants are currently in quarantine mode for the two weeks prior to the live premiere (which won't have a studio audience), and they will also be tested for COVID-19 several times before being allowed to enter the house. Once inside, houseguests will have zero contact with camera operators and other crew members, while all the supplies received by the contestants will be disinfected.
On the flip side, crew members will also be tested accordingly, and will be screened for symptoms on a daily basis. They'll be working in individual pods to maintain proper social distancing, and wearing PPE will be a requirement for all. Certain crew members are also expected to be cycled out in order to spend time with family, after which they will re-quarantine themselves before returning to work.
So remember to tune into CBS on Wednesday, August 5, at 9:00 p.m. ET for Big Brother's two-hour Season 22 premiere, with plenty of episodes following it. For those wondering what else is on the way in the near future, head to our Summer 2020 premiere guide and our Fall 2020 TV schedule.
