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Big Brother 16

Big Brother changes its game for season 16

by Andy Dehnart 18 Jun. 2014 | 5:12 pm

With the finalists sequestered, the Big Brother 16 twists were announced today, and they somewhat significantly alter the core game that has been played for most of the show’s life.

Each week, two players will win Head of Household, but that will not come with immunity; each will nominate two people. The other twists only had vague explanations: “Team America” is “a unique opportunity to significantly influence the game from home” (presumably other than voting for some clever food for people to eat) and the “Battle of the Block,” “which will dramatically shift the power in the house each week.”

Host Julie Chen revealed this briefly on The Talk today, and linked the HOH’s lack of immunity to the new Battle of the Block competition.

Allison Grodner said/hoped in a press release that the new contestants “will need to throw out any pre-existing strategy if they want to survive in the game,” and that may not just be press release hyperbole.

Having double the number of possible evictees every week is a smart move; one of the game’s consistent problems has been having only two nominees, which lends itself to a surprisingly predictable series of events: back-dooring people, using one nominee as a goat, et cetera.

The release also said that this year’s house will be a “whimsical urban tree house-themed dwelling,” and pictures make it look like a smart makeover, thanks to backgrounds that make it appear as though there are clouds and or trees beyond the walls.

CBS previously announced that the live feeds won’t start until the end of the second night, which will be an “all-nighter,” likely some kind of competition. The network is also doubling-down on using former cast member Jeff Schroeder, who will be doing all kinds of things, from live tweeting to hosting a pre-show to training the houseguests how to say bigoted things and stay on CBS’ payroll.

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

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about reality blurred

reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

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