As Julie Chen has noted for 25 seasons on the flagship program, “Expect the unexpected.” And if the preview tells us anything, it’s time to do it all again! Set to debut on July 17, 2024, the twenty-sixth season of the hit summer reality extravaganza Big Brother is ready to glue its fans to the live-feed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The show has even spawned its own lingo that has pervaded the lexicon. Throughout its history, Big Brother has never been shy about its outlandish, controversial, or shocking twists. They’ve had a season where long-lost siblings discovered each other in the house while twins played as one, twice. There have been secret pairs, arch nemesis, and exes galore. And if the cryptic teaser trailer is any indication, another twist will rock the house. In the teaser trailer for Big Brother 26, voices of past players can be heard in iconic moments of their game as the text on the screen reads, “If these walls could talk.” With voices like Dan Gheesling, Rachel Reilly, Josh Martinez, and Taylor Hale, these winners of Big Brother could have an impact on this season. Or it’s just a reminder to the players that in order to win, they have to create their own game-defining moment. With infamous players being teased in the trailer, could they be involved in this season’s action? Or is there a brand-new twist hidden inside? Time to do some analyzing!
Big Brother has been a reality television addict’s guilty pleasure every summer since 2000. Isolating a group of house guests inside a giant house with cameras to capture their every move and microphones to capture their every word, Big Brother has been the air-conditioned answer to Survivor. Like its CBS sibling series, Big Brother has given fans something to obsess over when the broadcast is not on, as they have almost 24/7 access to the live feeds. With the opportunity to peek into the action, Big Brother is truly a reality television like no other. With a little less than a month to go before the next group of house guests move into the Big Brother house, fans are eager to speculate and investigate every photo and video leading up to the new season. Could Julie Chen be hiding some major clues inside?
‘Big Brother’ Loves a Theme and a Twist
Big Brother’s theme might be “expect the unexpected,” but viewers have come to expect each season will feature some sort of theme or twist that will rock the house.The beauty of a reality show playing in real time is that the producers have the opportunity to adjust the game as they see fit. Should a theme or twist not work out as planned or approved by the die-hard fans, they have the opportunity to pivot and abandon ship. The season could start one way and weeks later, it could be an early-summer forgotten memory. Fans will forever remember the immediate discourse when Big Brother 16 introduced the Battle of the Block twist. Fans were split, so when it did return as a “fan-favorite” twist during Big Brother 17, some viewers were asking, “who the hell were you asking!”
When it comes to themes, many seasons have revolved around a very specific concept. During Big Brother 4, the show introduced the X-Factor theme. Of the eight original house guests to enter the house, five more would enter who were exes of someone in the house. Let’s just say some players were not thrilled to see their ex again, let alone be forced to live in such tight quarters with them. Big Brother even tried it again twice, but not as a full theme, and it didn’t work. Let’s just say it was a very awkward summer. Then there was Big Brother 5’s Project DNA. That season featured a pair of twins who would switch in and out of the game with one another until they were both awarded the chance the play the game individually. Plus, Big Brother 5 reunited estranged half-siblings Nakomis Dedmon and Michael Ellis. For Big Brother 14, the season invited back four former players; Dan Gheesling, Mike “Boogie” Malin, Janielle Pierzina, and Britney Haynes to coach a team of new players. The list goes on. Hell, even the house is often fitted with a decorative theme, ranging anywhere from the great outdoors to the BB Multiverse. And then there was a complete Christmas house for the spin-off Big Brother: Reindeer Games. So now, it’s time to determine what Big Brother 26 has in store for this summer’s lot of contestants.
Could ‘Big Brother’ Be a Smart House?
Big Brother has been a show that has enjoyed trying to keep up with the trends whenever possible. Whether it’s tying an upcoming movie or television into a challenge or reward or leaning into the world of memes, Big Brother likes to remain up to date. And if the fans are thinking that the teaser is an indication of a current and modern trend, Big Brother 26 may be entering the world of AI. Artificial Intelligence is one of the most prevalent technological and social topics in the world today. And for a game that marries the two, AI could be the direction this season goes. So how could this AI integration work? On the heels of the technologically inspired new logo, technology could be the unexpected house guest this season. While the newest Instagram post says “Made with AI,” some sleuths believe that leans into the potential AI concept, it might just be a new META tag for certain posts.
A couple of seasons ago, Big Brother threw in a wild, and a tad unfortunate twist, where Sam Bledsoe was temporarily turned into a robot, there surely is a universe where a talking house could come into play. Imagine if the house guests are living in a Smart House, a la the Disney Channel Original Movie of the same name! For those unfamiliar with the film, the 1999 DCOM featured the voice and body of Katey Segal as the titular computerized house that slowly turns into an overbearing mother. Could the actual Big Brother house talk to the house guests and alter how the game is played? Perhaps these talking walls that the teaser teased will feature former players speaking and interacting with the contestants. Yes, the disembodied Big Brother voice has been present since the start, but maybe that voice will get its own identity this time around!
Is AI Taking Over Big Brother?
There’s always a possibility that it may not be the house that is AI but an actual player. Though Big Brother wouldn’t be the first show to attempt that concept. If Big Brother is smart, if there is any AI to be found in the house, hopefully, they’ll allow the twist to last longer than they did on the most recent season of The Circle. Some fans are still bitter about that show abandoning the AI player almost immediately. It’s already creepy in itself that the house guests are having their lives watched by complete strangers. Imagine amping up the technological terror of an artificial being getting in the way of their $750,000 prize! BB better be sure that the player isn’t attached to a wall outlet.
Some fans have speculated that the house could be moving to a new studio. It would be groundbreaking to have a new house studio. As the Chen Bot says, expect the unexpected! If that is the case, maybe the house has been artificially generated to fit the needs and desires of this season’s cast. Or maybe the walls will just be giant, ever-changing computer screens that will dictate the actions of the season. That might just be too close to an episode of Black Mirror for contestants to handle. Of course, there’s always this possibility: the teaser trailer means absolutely nothing! This trailer and new logo could be a ploy that will lead to nothing but endless speculation until premiere day. All press is indeed good press. Fans have a month to toss out their conjectures before their summer obsession returns! The clock is ticking!