Summer means a lot of different things for many people, but for some, it's all about the return of Big Brother. CBS is bringing the landmark social experiment series back for Season 25, which is quite a milestone. The anniversary, paired with the great quality of the previous two seasons, set the bar pretty high for this season. Will it rise to the challenge, or will this be a rough ride from the premiere to finale night?
The new season is almost here, which means it’s the perfect time to revisit all of the things we know about Big Brother Season 25. Below is a rundown of the things we absolutely know about this season based on official information passed on by the series. As usual, CBS isn't revealing every secret right off the bat, but we have learned enough about this season to give readers an idea of what's ahead when the show returns.
Big Brother Season 25 Will Premiere In August
The WGA writers strike will impact the number of scripted shows airing fall season, and that may also be the reason CBS has bumped Big Brother to much later than it usually airs in the summer. Following some credible rumors, CBS officially confirmed that Season 25 will kick off on Wednesday, August 2nd. That's close to when Season 22 aired during the height of lockdown in 2020, which tracks because it was also a time when television was light on scripted programming.
Assuming that Big Brother goes the standard length of a season, it's looking like we won't see the finale until the very end of October or the first week of November. So while it's a downer that we'll go a chunk of summer without new episodes. At least the fun will run well into the fall.
Season 25 Will Have A 90-Minute Premiere Episode
As has been the case for a couple of seasons now, Big Brother is kicking off Season 25 with an extended episode. A 90-minute premiere is typically long enough for the series to introduce every Houseguest, show off the house, and do a couple of challenges to determine who will be Head Of Household.
In addition to the premiere being 90 minutes, we also received confirmation that Big Brother Season 25 will have a live move-in premiere. One of the benefits-- for fans, at least -- of the live move-in is that, in addition to getting a relatively unedited view of the Houseguests' arrival, it also means that live feeds will follow shortly after.
This shortens the amount of time in which the Houseguests are in the house without the feeds being available so that viewers can track their game moves and alliances at the very start of the season. It's really helpful for context, especially compared to older seasons where the first episode would premiere days or longer after the Houseguests moved in -- meaning that when the live feeds came on for the first time, the houseguests had already been living together and strategizing for a significant period of time.
The Season Will Feature All-New Houseguests
While Big Brother has been known to bring back familiar Houseguests from previous seasons, it doesn't seem like that'll be the case this time. The announcement made sure to mention that a group of "all-new Houseguests" would be playing, which squashed any speculation that Season 25 would feature returnees and past winners.
For those disappointed that the anniversary may be without returnee Houseguests, it's not like we've gone too long without a returnee season. Anyone with a Paramount+ subscription can easily queue up the previous All-Stars in Season 22, which was considered a bit of a let-down by many. That's not to say there still isn't a want for more all-star seasons, but it might be best to let a little more time pass before trying again.
Big Brother Season 25 Will Feature Throwbacks To Previous Seasons
From CBS's announcement, it appears that returning Houseguests are off the table for Big Brother Season 25, but that doesn't mean that the series will ignore the past of the franchise. Season 25 is a milestone anniversary that will apparently be reflected in the elements of this season. Viewers were told to expect many twists and turns, and "throwbacks to the past 24 seasons."
The phrasing in CBS's announcement is pretty vague, which leaves the door wide open in terms of what to expect. Perhaps we'll see some classic twists work their way into this season, or maybe even some long-forgotten challenges work their way back into rotation. Personally, I'd love to see food and luxury challenges make a return, though I'm not holding my breath on that one.
One past feature I am thinking could make a return, thanks to the vague tweeting of Julie Chen Moonves, is the return of the key wheel. The classic device was used in nomination ceremonies all the way up until Season 16 when it was replaced with the current method. This is just one example of bringing back a classic element of the season that would mix things up for the season, and call back to the series’ history. Now, here’s hoping someone thought ahead and built a “pressure cooker” competition.
Live Feeds Will Continue For Season 25
Longtime Big Brother faithful may think announcing the continuation of live feeds is silly. After all, live feeds have been a staple of the CBS reality series since the very beginning. With that said, there was some reason to be suspicious this season that things could be different after Big Brother Canada opted out of live feeds for its latest season.
Fortunately, it's already been confirmed, even ahead of the premiere date, that the United States iteration of Big Brother will continue to offer live feeds on Paramount+. Anyone who hasn't had a chance to experience live feeds should definitely take the plunge in Season 25, and reference our helpful live feeds for beginners' guide on how to navigate it all.
With all that being said, there was a nasty rumor that surfaced in recent months suggesting that Paramount+ is looking into the idea of limiting live feeds in the same way that Big Brother Canada did. While the validity of these rumors can’t be confirmed, one would imagine this will be a big year for those who enjoy live feeds to show just how necessary they are to the overall health of Paramount+, just in case. Hopefully, we’ll still continue to get the live feeds in the future, especially after seeing how episodes can be edited and leave out a ton of context to major game moments.
Big Brother Will Start With Its Normal Schedule, But Shift Times In The Fall
Big Brother Season 25 will have a relatively normal start, or at least one that jives with the normal schedule hours of the series. Those tuning in can expect the first few weeks to have episodes on Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET, Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and the live Thursday show at 9:00 p.m. ET. This is the usual summer schedule, but when fall hits, we’ll see that schedule shift.
To make room for super-sized episodes of Survivor and The Amazing Race, as well as Season 1 of Yellowstone on CBS, Big Brother will have to alter its schedule. Thursday episodes will move back an hour to 8:00 p.m. ET, the Wednesday episode will shift to Tuesday, and Sundays will get a time change to 10:00 p.m. ET. That Sunday start time is going to be late for people who need to be up in the morning, so be sure to check in with CinemaBlend before bedtime for any relevant spoilers if you can’t stay up.
Julie Chen Moonves Is Back To Host
It wouldn't feel like a regular season without Julie Chen Moonves at the helm. The host is back for yet another season, and as she's stated in the past, she's planning on sticking around for as long as she can form a sentence.
That's great because I can't imagine who would take her place, and if anyone even could after 25 seasons of the game. Like Jeff Probst is to Survivor, or Ryan Seacrest to American Idol, Big Brother without Julie Chen Moonves would just feel weird. Here's to another year with her, and hopefully, there are many more to come!
As mentioned, Big Brother will kick off its latest season on CBS with a 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, August 2nd at 8:00 p.m. ET. Now is the time to revisit previous seasons over on Paramount+ and maybe start guessing which elements from the past may factor into Season 25.
