Big Brother Canada is set to return for its incomparable seventh season this Wednesday.
This year’s season premiere will anoint the program as being Canada’s most successful reality show of all time, eclipsing the mark set by Canadian Idol which lasted six seasons before being cancelled in 2008.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, Big Brother Canada puts a predesignated number of strangers together in a house and films their every move as they compete in weekly challenges and evict each other until only one is crowned as the winner.
It is easy to analyze the reasons behind Big Brother Canada’s triumph. Initially capitalizing off of the global name value of the brand, the northern version of the series managed to find its own voice quickly. Instead of simply establishing itself as the low-budget version of its American and U.K. predecessors, the Canadian version of the show puts an emphasis on diverse casting. Its ability to cast without age prejudice (an original hallmark of reality TV) allows for houseguests with more life experience to participate and this resulted in better play. Coupled with the best challenges of any show (save for The Challenge) and an unpredictability factor highlighted by the show’s willingness to cast from international versions of the program in season five, the show has always managed to stand on its own.
This edition is no different. This year, Big Brother Canada drew its theme from its own season. While this is the seventh season, another famous 007 is James Bond and that’s what the producers were inspired by this season. This year’s houseguests will compete in a lair fit for a spy. There is a gigantic eye staring at them as soon as they walk through the front door. The bedrooms look like something styled out of Austin Powers. The floor of the HOH room has been made to look like it is a pool of blood. And the Have Not room? The houseguests will quite literally be sleeping in makeshift electric chairs.
Last week, I had the chance to get a sneak peek of the house in a supervised tour with the show’s executive producer Erin Brock alongside production designer Peter Faragher. I also got the chance to participate in a challenge, losing in a tiebreaker when I slightly overestimated Co-Executive Producer Trevor Boris’ number of Twitter followers. I guess I am just not cut out to ever win one of these media day challenges.
In any event, I have high expectations for this season and you can check out my photo gallery of pics below.
The experience was amazing
