“Big Brother” is one of, if not the biggest, reality show franchises in the world.
There’s a handful of spin off shows, companion series, and a celebrity version that people really like. And that’s just the American iteration. “Big Brother” is truly a world-based franchise. With over 63 countries and regions participating, over 500 (!) seasons of the show have been made in total. That number’s not going to stop any time soon.
Below is a chronology of the franchise’s worldly stature.
Netherland Origins
Dutch media magnate John de Mol Jr. sold the Netherlands based version in 1999. Through the company Endemol, the producer was able to make a show unlike any other. Endemol is known for other hit shows including “Fear Factor” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
Mol took the name of “Big Brother” from George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” for obvious reasons.
The first season of the show was more “Survivor” meets “Big Brother” as opposed to its current iteration. Houseguests were given water and furniture but food was rationed and there were no luxury items allowed. This is the exact opposite of modern seasons where houseguests get access to everything but books and television.
The Dutch series lasted until 2002 before going on hiatus until 2005. It ultimately ended in 2006. Besides being the start of a worldwide phenomenon, the 1999 season also included things seldom seen on television like the first and only birth on the show’s broadcast.
An eventual successor in the Dutch “Big Brother” came about in 2021 via a Dutch and Belgian collaboration. This version allows for more audience participation. The first season drew criticism for being too boring. Subsequent seasons were retooled to be more exciting. One of the biggest differences in the latest series is a much smaller pot of winnings with the 2025 season prize money being 55,500 euros.
Differences Around The World
“Big Brother” turned into a hit and looked to expand overseas.
The U.S. version bowed in 2000 but really came into its own in the 2001 based second season as houseguests were encouraged to be more cunning with their gameplay. Every version of the show has taken aspects from the American version. But there are slight changes based on region. For instance, religious material is available to be read. Contestants are also allowed to participate in elections and they’re given news of major world events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Netherlands “Big Brother 3” introduced a “Rich and Poor” twist where the house was split into both halves. Many other versions of the show copied it including Finland, Portugal, Spain and many, many more.
“Big Brother 4” in Canada introduced a suite for two evicted members of the house to live in until one of them was voted back into the main house. An “Evil Big Brother” was created for the fifth season of the British version then utilized for many international series. The villain would dole out punishments like taking away money and harder to complete tasks.
“Big Brother 7” in Argentina created La Casa de al Lado aka “The House Next Door” where potential houseguests were allowed to live in luxury for a period of time before winning a spot to enter the game. The function of the second house changed from week to week with a playoff feature for evicted guests culminating in the final weeks.
Brazil’s “Big Brother 9” created “Bubble” – a glass house in a mall for potential houseguests to earn their way into the main game. Another glass house was made inside of the house for a second set of two potential houseguests. The 11th season used the “Bubble” as a way for evicted houseguests to reenter the house. The 13th season flipped back to the original intent of introducing new houseguests. And the 14th season saw the house be used for a six day visit from mothers and aunts to stay for International Women’s Day but they were unable to be seen by houseguests.
The U.S. version started a twist where twins or triplets were switched in and out of the house. There was also a season involving pairs competing together. As with other great ideas, many countries used the twists for their own shows.
Moles, secret players, coaches, multiple heads of household, and more – they were all used throughout all international iterations. There were even houseguest exchanges between franchises. Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Africa, Finland and others would swap contestants for days at a time.
While each variation of the show is slightly different, the main concept is always the same. Even the fights.
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‘Big Brother’ Around the World: Inside the Global Reach of Reality TV’s Most Adaptable Show