11 Years Later, Fans Agree This Is To Blame For Big Brother’s Decline

While Big Brother has seemed to be on an upswing in the last few seasons in terms of gameplay and entertainment value, fans agree that after 11 years, they can admit one cast is to blame for the show’s overall decline. Big Brother, which began in 2000 after being adapted from a Dutch version of the social experiment, is one of the longest-running reality competitions.

Though the early years of the show were inventive and the second era of the series was wildly entertaining, fans noticed a disconnect on the show after one specific season of the series. Sharing their thoughts on Reddit after u/JennXL asked when the show got so repetitive, Big Brother fans agreed the show dropped off after BB 16.

“Every time a modern BB problem comes to mind it’s BB16. The show was always campy but it was exasperated in BB16 to course correct 15’s controversy,” u/Odd-Wrongdoer-8979 explained. Big Brother 16, many feel, was more heavily produced and curated to correct the controversy from Big Brother 15. The season prior saw houseguests openly using racial slurs and other hate speech.

u/RRDude1000 shared, “if I could erase a season from history, it would be BB16,” and many viewers would agree. While Big Brother 16 winner Derrick Levasseur has been praised for his ability to blend into the house and make big moves, his style of gameplay has changed Big Brother completely. Most believe this change has ultimately been for the worse.

What Big Brother 16 Being A Turning Point For The Show Means

It May Not Be The Only Time For A Game Change

While some may feel that the outpouring of disdain for Big Brother 16 isn’t warranted, it’s one of the most hotly debated seasons of the series. Cody Calafiore and Derrick’s alliance, The Hitmen, were skilled and highly competitive, but they took a lot of creativity out of the way the game had been played before. BB was also course correcting.

Big Brother 16 was attempting to ensure the series wasn’t rocked by controversy for a second year in a row, but by eliminating a lot of the guesswork and surprise of the show, some of the interest was also taken out of the mix. Over the last few seasons, Big Brother has worked hard to bring back a higher level of gameplay, creating new interest.

While Big Brother 16 wasn’t a great time for the series, it being a turning point for the show’s success only meant the show had to work harder to keep up with viewers standards. After the difficulty of Big Brother 22, which viewers were deeply unhappy with, the show has consistently tried to improve the format for the modern era.

Our Take On Big Brother 16 Changing The Game

It Definitely Shifted Viewer Expectations

Though it’s definitely true that Big Brother 16 changed the game, the way in which it tampered with the format has positive and negative elements. Big Brother becoming more of a curated series left a lot to be desired for viewers who’d been watching for years, but it opened up new avenues for production elements and twists that have enhanced the game.

In its current era, post-Big Brother 22 and with many new elements that have come and gone from the game, Big Brother is seeing a major shift once again. With Big Brother 16 having been able to allow for changes in the format, the fact that the show is still open to change now is a testament to the series’ adaptable nature.