Two of the most popular reality shows are Big Brother and The Challenge. Both of these shows feature contestants living in a house together and competing for a grand prize. In each show, a contestant is evicted each week after being nominated by power players in the game. Another similarity is themed seasons which bring new twists and changes to the game.
Although these two reality shows may sound very similar when briefly described, the way they play out is very different. With Big Brother always looking for new twists and ideas, here are ten things they can borrow from The Challenge.
A Redemption House
The redemption house was a twist featured on XXX: Dirty 30 and Final Reckoning. When players were eliminated they were sent to the redemption house where they were sequestered with other eliminated players. After several contestants had been eliminated, the players in the redemption house competed to re-enter the game. This twist has some similarities to the BB battle back/camp comeback but differs because there are multiple reentry points for evicted contestants. The redemption house also gives the evicted players the chance to talk to each other and exchange information while being away from the main house, something never done on Big Brother. A redemption house could provided some much needed chaos to the Big Brother house and force houseguests to create new strategies and think carefully about who they vote out.
New House
While both shows feature new themes each season, the themes in The Challenge seem much more present than the themes in Big Brother. One difference is that The Challenge often takes place in different locations. This ever-changing landscape also leads to very different living quarters. For the most part Big Brother contestants know what they are walking into when they enter the house and that’s why it would be great for Big Brother to take a page out of The Challenge‘s book and do a complete overhaul of the Big Brother house.
More Contestants
The cast of The Challenge consists of both new players known as “rookies” and returning players known as “vets”. The amount of challengers in each season varies but recent seasons have featured between 28 and 34 contestants. This is a stark contrast to Big Brother’s 16 houseguests. While the number 16 is an increase from the 10 which originated the series, more houseguests would create more interesting dynamics and could allow for more double evictions or even a triple eviction!
Bringing Back The First Eliminated Contestant
Getting onto a reality television show is extremely difficult. Perspectives go through multiple rounds of auditions, medical evaluations, and screenings to prove they are mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared for the show (as well as entertaining). Once cast, contestants are expected to keep quiet about their appearance on the show and many are forced to sequester before entering the game.
Imagine going through all of that just to be the first contestant evicted. If you’re a contestant on The Challenge, all hope is not lost as the first evicted contestant often returns in later seasons to prove themselves. In Big Brother this is not the case. There have been too many contestants with potential eliminated soon after entering the house, so be like The Challenge and offer these players a chance to return!
House Nomination
In Big Brother contestants are nominated for eviction by the head of household. The nominated players have a chance to save themselves by competing in the power of veto competition against some of their fellow houseguests. If the veto is used, the head of household nominates another player and the house votes on which contestant of the two to evict. In The Challenge, contestants are sent into a final battle to fight for their spot in the game. Although the process for becoming one of the contestants fighting for a spot changes each season, The Challenge: Total Madness features one nomination by the tribunal and one nomination by the house. Having a nominee for eviction selected by a house vote in Big Brother would be a great way to force players to make strategic decisions and deals.
Reoccurring Contestants
The Challenge is known for its reoccurring cast. While some contestants appear for only a few seasons, for others this is their career. The constant use of longtime veterans of the show adds a layer of complex relationships. This results in long time rivalries, complicated romantic relationships, dynamic friendships, and more. Fans of The Challenge love to revisit these contestants. While there are many beloved Big Brother houseguests, they do not return for multiple seasons. Only two players from Big Brother have ever played the game three times and when vets are in the game, they are usually only with one other player from their season if any at all. Having a few reoccurring contestants on Big Brother would be exciting for long-time fans of the show.
Purge Challenges
On The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions, a purge challenge was introduced. This twist was then used on every season since it’s introduction. During a purge challenge, the contestant or contestants to finish in last place are immediately eliminated from the game. While there have been some challenges in Big Brother deemed the ‘hit the road” challenges, there has only been one case of a player being immediately evicted after loosing a competition (and even this wasn’t a competition for all). This occurred in the spin-off Big Brother: Over The Top. Adding purge challenges to the middle of Big Brother when they are least expected could be an amazing twist.
Mercenary Twist
This twist has been employed in 4 seasons of The Challenge. Players up for eviction are forced to compete against past players not featured on their current season. In order to survive the eviction, they muse beat the mercenary they are facing. While Big Brother sometimes features previous houseguests as hosts for competitions, there has never been a case of previous contestants competing against current contestants with high stakes in the game. This could be exciting for both the houseguests and fans.
Red Skull Twist
A new twist on this season of The Challenge requires contestants to have won an elimination round before being eligible to compete in the final. In Big Brother season’s past, some winners have been criticized for floating to the end. Similarly some fans are disappointed when players who have won few competitions still end up winning the game. Big Brother could adapt some version of the red skull twist to fix this, requiring contestants to have won a certain number of competitions leading up to the finale.
The Contestants Themselves
Big Brother contestants have begun entering The Challenge. In season 17, Big Brother contestants were pulled from the reality show The Amazing Race. There are certain players in The Challenge who we would love to see adapt to life inside the Big Brother house. Wes Bergmann, regularly called out for his deal-making would be an ideal houseguest as he is both athletic and focused on the social aspect of the game. Other challengers that could bring interesting new strategies into the game include CT, Bear, Ninja, Dee, Nany, and more!
