CBS' Big Brother turns 20

Variety

The American version of Big Brother launched on July 5, 2000, five weeks after the premiere of Survivor. It was based on a Dutch format that premiered a year before, and was shown five nights a week. Season 1 of Big Brother had its best ever total viewership that year, averaging 9 million. But it was being compared to the monster ratings of Survivor, which ended its first season with an unprecedented 52 million viewers in August. “In the first season, everything was exactly what they had done in Holland — from the technology in the house to the tone, everything. And I think maybe that was the first time that they realized that what works in Europe doesn’t always necessarily translate to an American audience,” says executive producer Allison Grodner. “I think one of the biggest issues was that the most interesting people — those who were creating the most story and drama — were getting voted out by America because they were seen as troublemakers. Maybe there was a morality issue. In the end you were left with people who weren’t making the most dynamic story.” So in Season 2, Grodner says Big Brother "borrowed from Survivor in terms of turning the game inside." Big Brother also cut down on the number of weekly episodes and increased the number of houseguests.