End of an era

Right so with the end of Big Brother see's a decade of television disappear, I wrote an opinion piece before the show ended and I thought it would be right to post it now as the show has finished, so here goes hope you enjoy:

So with the end of Big Brother nigh what does this mean for the future of reality television? BB as it has been referred to through its airing decade has consumed screens for far too long now.

The BB phase that has taken over the nation’s hearts is finally closing its curtains for the last time. About time too, that curtain needs to stay firmly sealed, the reality series has well and truly strung itself out. Going from BB to Celebrity BB and then a whole show called BBLB about the live show, how many plugs can you get?

Celebrities soon jumped on the bandwagon when the series starting taking off, it was a way to get back in the limelight and rejuvenate a sour career. So much so that the show actually started creating celebrities, through their appearance on the much-watched show. Some of the most prominent celebrities to come out of the programme are: Jade Goody, Brian Dowling and Pete Bennett. All of whom were handpicked because of their quirkiness and what they brought to the show.

After summer’s consumed with non-stop live streaming of the ‘housemates,’ viewers have continuously been glued to the screen year after year. Is it really interesting to watch the housemates cooking dinner or showering? It has clearly entertained the nation for far too long. Although a drop in ratings has ultimately caused the axe of the series, it’s been a long run for Channel 4.

BB has always set the stakes as to what is acceptable in reality television, whilst causing controversy along the way. The Jade Goody vs. Shilpa Shetty racism debate meant the show was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. It was publicized to the extreme with excessive news coverage, it questioned the sanctity of such a show on television. Even after Jade Goody passed away following her battle with cancer her legacy remains that she shot to fame through Big Brother.

But following the tenth and final series of BB will shows like Coach Trip and Come Dine With Me soon faze out and drop off the radar? The Hills is also coming to an end as it reaches its sixth and concluding season, a show that blurs the lines between reality and scripted drama. Is it really time to get rid of all these shows that everyone seems so fascinated with, if so what’s next?

I think anything that tries to replace such shows will be a shambles; they’ve run their course and now its time to move on. Big Brother will no longer be bringing Divina dressed in… surprise surprise black to our screens anymore. What will replace a highly renowned series? Channel 4 needs to pull spectacular something out of the bag if they’re to keep viewers switching on.

Much love x x