I am getting over my initial shock at the lack of Big Brother 10 live streaming via the red button. I was originally going to write a big diatribe bemoaning the decision, but on reflection I've decided that my initial premise was basically wrong.
My first thought was of the order, "but this is our show, how can they deny us 24 hour access?" Then it occurred to me that this was based on an illusion of control. My point was that the hour long highlight show is the producer's version of the house and that the live stream was the house, allowing for full access, full disclosure. Of course this is wrong. Even within the live stream we are still at the mercy of the decision making of the producers - the most obvious example being the continuous silences imposed throughout the stream because of language or privacy concerns (although I quite enjoyed these silences, imagining conversations so much more interesting than those the housemates were actually having), through to the simple choice of which camera to show us action from. Everything was mediated through the authority of the producers, even in the live stream.
Having said that, I still think the decision is wrong and will make Big Brother 10 a less satisfying experience than previous years. For instance, this morning I turned on the TV to watch the stream (before remembering my mistake), to get acquainted with the housemates. It is so much easier to learn who's who by dipping in and out of the stream than it is by simply relying on the highlight show, especially in the early stages where there are so many housemates that an hour long show cannot possibly hope to give decent representation of everyone in the house - the live stream may be mediated by the producers, but it still has the luxury of time within which to give us a broader view of everyone than the highlight show could possibly manage.
This year I will know the housemates less. It even seems counterproductive on the part of Channel 4. So they get more control of the show and what is seen, but they will surely lose the loyalty of the audience - a show that can only be viewed a few hours a day commands less attention than one that can be accessed 24/7.
My first thought was of the order, "but this is our show, how can they deny us 24 hour access?" Then it occurred to me that this was based on an illusion of control. My point was that the hour long highlight show is the producer's version of the house and that the live stream was the house, allowing for full access, full disclosure. Of course this is wrong. Even within the live stream we are still at the mercy of the decision making of the producers - the most obvious example being the continuous silences imposed throughout the stream because of language or privacy concerns (although I quite enjoyed these silences, imagining conversations so much more interesting than those the housemates were actually having), through to the simple choice of which camera to show us action from. Everything was mediated through the authority of the producers, even in the live stream.
Having said that, I still think the decision is wrong and will make Big Brother 10 a less satisfying experience than previous years. For instance, this morning I turned on the TV to watch the stream (before remembering my mistake), to get acquainted with the housemates. It is so much easier to learn who's who by dipping in and out of the stream than it is by simply relying on the highlight show, especially in the early stages where there are so many housemates that an hour long show cannot possibly hope to give decent representation of everyone in the house - the live stream may be mediated by the producers, but it still has the luxury of time within which to give us a broader view of everyone than the highlight show could possibly manage.
This year I will know the housemates less. It even seems counterproductive on the part of Channel 4. So they get more control of the show and what is seen, but they will surely lose the loyalty of the audience - a show that can only be viewed a few hours a day commands less attention than one that can be accessed 24/7.
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