Big Brother is prepping for Season 25 over at CBS, and much of the fanbase is likely excited the show will be returning sooner rather than later. All the while though, an unexpected development has arisen regarding one of the long-running program's sister shows. And it's making me more concerned than excited for the upcoming season. Big Brother Canada is getting ready to drop Season 11 and, according to an announcement, the show will abandon 24/7 live feeds for the upcoming season.
To say that this piece of news from the Canadian reality series is shocking would be an understatement and, of course, some fans already reacting to the fact that they won't have non-stop access to the camera feeds over the course of the upcoming season of Big Brother Canada. So let's discuss what the show plans to do instead, as well as the chances that the U.S. version of the series possibly doing the same:
Big Brother Canada Is Replacing Live Feeds With "Digital Dailies"
Now that live feeds won't be in play on Big Brother Canada, the series will provide "Digital Dailies" for its fans to check out. According to EW, the clips are described as "uncut" and will offer an extended look into the lives of houseguests participating in the game. Many are already speaking out against the new feature, even questioning the assertion that the clips will be "uncut." For better or worse, the BB franchise has a history of controversy due to problematic conduct from the houseguests.
There's a belief that part of the reason Big Brother Canada made this change is to minimize the controversy and potentially protect a houseguest from facing scrutiny for "past mistakes." For instance, racial bias came into play during Season 24 of the U.S. show. Because viewers in the states have witnessed their series seemingly ignore problematic unsavory moments until they're exposed by viewers, there seems to be general worry about a lack of accountability should a houseguest suffer unfair treatment.
Beyond the accountability, live feeds have proved vital in chronicling how Big Brother players reach the start to the end of the game. The lack of feeds means viewers will have to rely mostly on the televised episodes for details. Those installments are often drastically edited down and can leave out important context. Suffice it to say, a few hours of content a week can't adequately explain over a hundred hours of game talk and events in that time, which is why there's reason to be afraid if you're a fan in the U.S.
Will CBS' Big Brother Season 25 Drop Live Feeds?
If Big Brother is considering dropping its live feeds ahead of Season 25, I certainly understand the temptation. The CBS series has faced at least one controversy a season in the past decade. Even before Season 24, there were accusations of racism and, a few years ago, allegations sexual misconduct were aimed at contestant JC Mounduix. Just about every controversial moment was first brought to the public's attention by those who watch the live feeds, and they then spread the word to others (as was seen in the case of Taylor Hale).
Conversely, in an age where streaming services are scaling back on content and looking for more subscribers, the Big Brother live feeds are an obvious incentive for many fans to pick up a Paramount+ subscription. That one factor is a big reason why I'm hopeful that the United States version of the series won't give up its live feeds so easily, but this is only my speculation. We'll ultimately just have to wait and see whether Season 25 decides to follow in Big Brother Canada's footsteps.
Big Brother Season 25 is headed to CBS this summer, and Julie Chen Moonves is already vague-posting teases about the upcoming season. Hopefully, we'll get some concrete details on soon -- along with the confirmation that the live feeds will remain intact.
