Big Brother Australia has returned to Australian screens for its second season on Channel Seven which premiered on April 26.
The show has been true to one of its tag lines ‘more than meets the eye’ since its rebirth on Seven by radically redesigning the show, which has so far worked, with healthy ratings last year.
Seven’s director of production Andrew Backwell who spoke to Mediaweek in a feature published earlier this week gave the credit for the contemporising of the show to executive producer Amelia Fisk from Endemol Shine Australia.
Read more: Big Brother Australia: How Seven built the house of secrets
Mediaweek spoke to Fisk about everything Big Brother Australia and the season being billed as the ‘House of Secrets’.
“It was a radical reboot of a much loved format. In season one it was great that we gained the fans approval, and season two of Big Brother will push the show creatively and the game has intensified. Bigger housemates, more bolder characters, and a Big Brother that is more mischievous than ever,” said Fisk.
“The twists and the turns and the secrets have really evolved in season two and it makes it a really fun and entertaining show to watch.”
Amelia Fisk
When asked if this new interpretation of Big Brother was made for fans of the original show or a new grouping of viewers, Fisk said that when it is a show with a 20-year format that it has to be for the fans.
“It is not a new format, there is so much history and heritage in a super brand like Big Brother that you have to make a show that fans want to watch.”
Casting Big Brother’s most diverse house
Fisk said that it was a fabulous experience casting a show as diverse as Big Brother because it isn’t restricted to a single skill like singing or cooking. She described this year’s cast as one of the best that she has ever seen on reality TV.
“We are just trying to find the best characters that make for the most exciting viewing. Big Brother is very much about putting all walks of life in a house.
“We have from a 65 year old to a 21 year old so there is someone for everyone to watch in that house, everyone is barracking for someone to win.
“There is one housemate who I think will be one of the greatest contestants we have ever seen on TV.”
The secret to reality TV
One hit show isn’t enough for Fisk who is also the EP for Australian Survivor. When asked what the secret is to creating gripping reality TV in 2021, she said that you need to keep viewers guessing and coming back for more.
“It can never be predictable TV. Big Brother is a pure example of that, it is a roller coaster of emotion, and edge of your seat viewing. Our message is ‘more than meets the eye’ and that is everything that the show is. Just when you think you know the outcome, there is a curve ball.”
The Big Brother Bubble
Fisk said that the format of the show is perfect for filming during a pandemic with all the contestants isolated from the outside world.
“We shot through season one during the backend of the pandemic so there was a lot of lessons learned with procedures in place and protocols that reflected the government guidelines.
“The back of this series was interesting with the Northern Beaches lockdown but we were well equipped so we weren’t affected in any way.”
What to expect from Big Brother in 2021?
When asked what to expect from this season Fisk said the show will provide entertainment for the whole family that everyone can get something from.
“You won’t regret watching this program, it will make you laugh, cry, and you will be on the edge of your seat, it is must watch viewing.”