April 14, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

Big Brother Africa won’t return, but will be replaced by African Idol show. Big Brother Africa won’t return for a second season. However, producers are creating an Africa-wide Idol-like show. Project Fame will “search for an African music superstar, a person who can not only sing but also perform and play musical instrument as well,”… continue reading

March 2, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

Arabic Big Brother pulled. A demonstration by over a thousand people led the Arabic Big Brother, or Al-Ra’is (The Boss), to be pulled off the air after less than two weeks on the air. A spokesperson from the network MBC said the show was pulled “so as not to expose the network to any accusations… continue reading

February 24, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

Arabic Big Brother debuts. The Arabic version of Big Brother is now airing, broadcasting the lives of 12 people “from around the Arab world” who are living in a Bahrain house. There are changes to the format: “For the first time since the show’s inception there are segregated sleeping quarters for men and women,” the… continue reading

January 27, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

fifth German Big Brother will run for one year and award a €1 million prize. A year-long version of Big Brother will debut in Germany on March 1. Three different compounds will serve as the set for the show–“a survival camp, a luxury villa and an average flat,” according to Ananova’s report, with contestants being… continue reading

October 6, 2003 by Andy Dehnart

Columbia’s Big Brother visited by President, who promoted his policies. Columbia’s Big Brother house was visited by the nation’s president, Alvaro Uribe, who used his appearance “to speak about his proposed austerity measures,” the BBC reports. The show’s producer said, “We think that there can be a link between the president’s proposal and the people… continue reading

September 8, 2003 by Andy Dehnart

Cherise wins Big Brother Africa. Big Brother Africa has ended, and 24-year-old Zambian Cherise Makubale walked away with the $100,000 prize. Tanzania’s Mwisho Mwampamba came in second.

August 7, 2003 by Andy Dehnart

Malawi parliament bans Big Brother Africa because of its “horrible pictures.” Big Brother Africa has been banned from the nation of Malawi after a vote of parliament. The media committee chair said that “[p]eople are subjected to horrible pictures which are corrupting the morals of our children,” according to Malawi’s The Nation. The country’s censorship… continue reading

July 15, 2003 by Andy Dehnart

Big Brother Africa “is the talk of the continent”; some say it’s “done more to unite them than independence.” Big Brother Africa is such a phenomenon that “[s]ome viewers say it has done more to unite them than independence, the Cold War or the pan-African movement,” A Washington Post foreign correspondent reports. The show “is… continue reading

July 7, 2003 by Andy Dehnart

groups want Big Brother Africa–“a mockery of African culture”–off the air. “A group of Zambian churches has demanded that the reality television show Big Brother Africa be taken off the air” because it “is a mockery of African culture,” The BBC reports. Some Zambian churches say the show’s more risque scenes “are eroding Zambia’s moral… continue reading

June 17, 2003 by Andy Dehnart

white contestant on African Big Brother is controversial. Namibian citizen Stefan Ludik represents his nation on Big Brother Africa, “but protestors say he should not be eligible for the hit reality programme because his ancestors came from Europe,” the Guardian reports. He’s the only white contestant on the show, and his country has “small white… continue reading

May 27, 2003 by Andy Dehnart

Big Brother Africa, featuring house guests from 12 countries, began Sunday. On Sunday, two days after the UK debuted its latest Big Brother (which earned Channel 4 record ratings), 12 people from 12 different countries entered the Big Brother Africa house in South Africa. As The Star reports, eviction voting will be by country; the… continue reading

January 28, 2003 by Andy Dehnart

Big Brother Africa will draw contestants from 11 African nations. For the first time, a Big Brother show will find its house guests in countries outside the host nation’s borders. South Africa’s version of the show is being transformed into Big Brother Africa. It will cast one person from Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia,… continue reading

June 20, 2002 by Andy Dehnart

Mexico’s Big Brother “has been a smashing success”; Rocio wins. With an astonishing 70 percent share for some episodes, Big Brother Mexico was “a smashing success, breaking TV ratings records despite opposition from a few social groups and initial wariness on the part of many advertisers,” according to VOANews.com. The show’s winner was 26-year-old Rocio.

May 6, 2002 by Andy Dehnart

despite large audience, advertisers boycott Mexico’s Big Brother. Big Brother Mexico is being watched by 17 percent of the viewing audience, but that hasn’t drawn advertisers, who are mostly boycotting the show. Four of the show’s contestants have been evicted from the house so far.