.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
Big Brother has come a long way since season 1, and it's time to discuss the series' evolution. The show first aired 23 years ago, in 2000. As time has gone by, the series (as well as the game as a whole) has continued to change, reflecting societal shifts. From new competitions to fresh twists, and the elimination of some fan favorite things, BB has become quite different.
With Big Brother 25 right around the corner, there is already speculation about what changes may be made to the game. While the general basics of the game remain the same season after season, each summer brings new twists to the show. For example, last summer, the biggest game twist was the Festie Besties. During this twist, the houseguests were paired up. The pairings would win power together, and be nominated together. This ultimately affected how the overall game played out. The twist only lasted for a few weeks.
The Big Brother Competitions Have Changed Over The Years
Over the years, the Big Brother house got an upgrade, and the individual competitions have also been improved. Many of the most well-known Big Brother competitions, such as OTEV and Zingbot, were not a part of the game in the early seasons. In fact, they did not become a recurrent aspect of the show until a few seasons in. In addition to this, the series has done away with food competitions. In the early seasons, the houseguests would compete for food for the week. The competitions differed, as some were for food for the entire house for the week, while others determined who would be a "have-not." Now, "have-nots" are typically chosen at random, or by the Head of Household.
Big Brother Slop Was Not Introduced Until Season 7
One of the most dreaded parts of competing on Big Brother is being on slop for the week. Houseguests who become have-nots for the week are forced to eat slop. Big Brother slop is an oatmeal-like food that longtime viewers know tastes just as disgusting as it looks. This dreaded punishment was not introduced until season 7, which was also the first Big Brother: All-Star season. Prior to season 7, have-nots were forced to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every meal of the day. They were not allowed to eat any other foods.
Now, the houseguests have to become creative, by finding different ways to cook the slop, so it's more tolerable. The show has also veered away from making the naming of the weekly "have-nots" a large part of the episodes. In past seasons, determining the week's "have-nots" was an entire episode segment. Now, it is oftentimes left out of the episode. Viewers will typically determine who was named a "have-not," based on the live-feeds (or subtle mentions of it) in conversation throughout an episode.
When a show has been on the air for as long as BB has, there is no doubt that many changes will be made over time. Looking back on past seasons, the individual competitions have grown with the evolution of technology. For the most part, these changes are always beneficial to the show as a whole. As Big Brother continues to produce new seasons, summer after summer, viewers can continue to look forward to new changes that will ultimately improve the show.
Source: Big Brother/Instagram