Pinoy Big Brother
Encyclopedia
Pinoy Big Brother is the Philippine
version of the reality television show Big Brother
(the word Pinoy
is a colloquial term for Filipino
). It follows the same premise as its many foreign counterparts around the world: twelve Philippine residents are forced to live with each other inside a house for about 3 months or at least 100 days. Visit www.pinoybigbrother.com to learn more
It is shown on ABS-CBN
Channel 2 and its international affiliate
, The Filipino Channel
, with snippets shown on local affiliate Studio 23
. The uncut 24/7
version of the series can also be seen on the internet
through streaming video
and a special cable channel provided by ABS-CBN-owned cable TV
provider, SkyCable
.
The elimination process in the show is the reverse of the original Dutch format. At the start of the elimination process, the "housemates" (as the contestants are referred to) vote for which two (sometimes more if there are ties or Big Brother gives automatic nomination) fellow housemates they should eliminate. Once these nominations are chosen, the viewer votes come into play. For a week viewers are asked to vote, via SMS
or voice messaging through PLDT
's hotline (later abolished in favor of vote cards), for whoever they wanted to stay longer in the house. The housemate with the least viewer votes is eliminated. In the final week, the one with the most viewer votes will win the grand prize package, usually includes house and lot, a car, a business franchise, home appliances, and a holiday, and is given the title Big Winner. Pinoy Big Brother uses the tagline "Teleserye ng totoong buhay." or "Soap Opera of real life."
Other essential elements of the Big Brother franchise are present, such as weekly and daily challenges, the confessional room, and the voice known only as "Big Brother," sometimes referred to as "Kuya" (the program uses the literal English translation of "big brother" for the Tagalog
word "kuya," referring to the eldest son in the family).
was the main host of the show, along with young up-and-coming personalities Mariel Rodriguez
and Toni Gonzaga
. Toni hosted the primetime telecast which chronicles the events of the day before (unless an episode is telecast live). Mariel, on the other hand, hosted the late night
edition called Pinoy Big Brother: Uplate, which updates anything viewers missed in the primetime telecast, as well as what to look forward in the next one. Willie hosted the live telecast of the eviction and the public revelation of the nomination for evictees, but only for the first season. He has not returned to the program even before the first Celebrity Edition started because of the ULTRA stampede.
Asia Agcaoili
spearheaded the show for the viewers of Studio 23. Her show, called Pinoy Big Brother on Studio 23: Si Kuya, KaBarkada Mo (English: Eldest Brother, Your Buddy; the program instead prefers the translation "big" instead of "eldest" for the Tagalog word "kuya," which refers to the eldest son of the family), not only featured snippets from the primetime telecast the night before, but also featured opinion polls both from the man on the street and those sending SMS
, spoof
segments, unaired videos, and feed from inside the house (either live feed or footage taped earlier). Studio 23 has stopped the practice since the second Celebrity Edition and instead resorted to airing the delayed late morning/early afternoon feeds.
Talk show host Boy Abunda
hosted the post-season documentaries. It featured issues and controversies about the housemates.
The show also had its theme song called "Pinoy Ako" (English: I'm a Filipino) by Orange and Lemons
. This song is also the basis for much of the background music used in the show.
Luis Manzano
took over Willie's place for the Celebrity Edition
and later return on Teen Edition Plus
on 2008. The theme song in that edition was Sikat ang Pinoy by season 1 contestant Sam Milby and host Toni Gonzaga.
On its Teen Edition, Bianca Gonzalez
(a TV host and a former 'Big 4' housemate of the Celebrity Edition) took over Mariel Rodriguez for the Teen Edition: Update, and PBB: Uplate, a successful program that Mariel Rodriguez has hosted in its early editions - while Mariel became the primetime host. The theme song is "Kabataang Pinoy" (Filipino Youth) by Itchyworms
. The house was renovated for the preparation for the Teen Edition by the students of the Philippine School of Interior Design.
PBB Teen Edition Plus ex-housemate Robi Domingo
and Music Uplate Live
host Martin Concio makes a debut for new additional male host of Pinoy Big Brother: Unlimited
.
In the second primer, entitled Ang Bahay ni Kuya (Big Brother's House), Mariel and Toni indirectly gave the viewers a tour of the Big Brother house and its rooms, along with the control center and the confession booth. It also featured highlights a dry run where 12 of the network's talents stayed in the house for 24 hours and experienced the challenges and tests the housemates would experience at the start of the actual run.
.
A car was used to transfer the evicted housemate from the Big Brother house to the main building of ABS-CBN. Due to the number of people gathered outside to watch the eviction, it would be rather unsafe for the housemate to walk to the nearby building. Of course, the car can't go inside the building.
The Big Brother House is a multi-room studio designed with walls painted with pastel
colors complete with sets of cameras and microphones. The House is specially designed to capture the housemates' every move. Camera cross surrounds the house, it allows cameramen inside the house record the housemates' every move without being seen by the housemates. This hallway is equipped with a camera dolly
for the camera's movement. The house is surrounded by two-way mirrors to allow the camera to see what's happening inside the house. The cameras cannot be seen through the mirror because the camera cross is painted black, it has to be as dark as possible so the cameras cannot be seen, though sometimes reflections of the camera or the cameramen are seen in some episodes. It also has a garden and swimming pool. To capture the housemates' every move and speech, the house is equipped with cameras (in the camera cross or cameras on "hot heads") and microphones (lapel microphones used by the housemates, and boom microphones surrounding the garden area). For the housemates security and the essence of being locked away from the outside world, the garden area is totally covered with a camouflage-type of fabric. It also boasted of a multi-faith altar in one wall of the house (one which has a Bible
, a Koran, and twelve rosaries
), making the house the only Big Brother house that has a room set aside for religious purposes (although it is said that the Arab Big Brother house had prayer rooms). And although any form of communication from the outside world is banned inside the house, there is a large flat-screen television set
in the living room, used for only 2 purposes:
To complete the set up, 26 surveillance camera
s are positioned all over the house to watch the housemates' every move, including the bathroom. For modesty's sake, however, images from the bathroom will be shown if the bathroom is used for any purpose other than bathing (such as gossiping).
The set up of the house, especially when shown on television, makes the illusion that it is a one-storey house. But anyone who passes by the house can easily notice that its facade
is that of a two-storey house. That is because the second storey houses parts of the control room. The actual front doors to the house area are actually further inside.
The house interior was rebuilt for the second season. These changes include the following:
For the third season, more commonly referred to as Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up
, the Big Brother house was divided into two different, yet equally furnished "houses," which the show claims as a "first in worldwide Big Brother history," as other Big Brother franchises had opted for "half-houses," one more superior than the other.
Nene Tamayo
of Romblon
emerged as Pinoy Big Brother's first ever Big Winner, besting the other 12 housemates. Her win was declared on December 10, 2005, at Clark Expo, Angeles City, Pampanga
. Nene garnered the highest number of votes (557,000+) among the "big four" contestants.
ABS-CBN held auditions stretching from May to June 2006 in various cities in the Philippines, as well as overseas auditions in Sydney
, Milan
, Tokyo
, Dubai
, and San Francisco
, for the show's second season, which began on February 25 (originally scheduled for March), 2007, and ended on June 30 the same year. These same auditions were also held for another reality show, Pinoy Dream Academy
, another Endemol
franchise. This season of Pinoy Big Brother promised a bigger house, more housemates (fourteen to be exact), and a stricter Big Brother.
The "bigger house" concept stems from the fact that the house area was expanded and used in Pinoy Dream Academy. The house had been expanded with larger living and dining areas, larger bedrooms, separate restrooms, and more. The number of cameras had been increased from 27 to 42 and the front doors of the house were now at the garden, leading to the eviction hall built next door (the auditorium previously used in Pinoy Dream Academy). Previously the original front doors of the house area lead to the facade of the house.
Pinoy Ako had also been rehashed, this time sung by the band CeBaLo (Yvan Lambatan, Panky Trinidad, Eman Abatayo, and Davey Langit of Pinoy Dream Academy).
On June 30, 2007 (125 days after the season premiere), at the Araneta Coliseum
, Beatriz Saw was declared the Big Winner of the second season, besting 17 other housemates (14 official and 3 sub-official). She garnered about 1.5 million votes, or 30.29% of the total number of votes. This alone surpasses Kim Chiu's record for the most number of votes earned by a Big Winner.
. The second set was held in the Philippines, Tokyo, Japan, and San Francisco, US. There were a total of 57,824 people who auditioned. In fact, because of the multitude of people who tried to audition in Manila, a second set of audition dates were set, but only for those who registered through SMS.
Of all of the people who auditioned, fifty were included in a shortlist as potential housemates. Fourteen initially entered the House in the third regular season, dubbed Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up, which began on October 4, 2009. The "Double Up" moniker stems from the House being split into two near identical House areas, as well as the use of two sets of male identical twins, each twin of each set would live in each House area. A further twelve housemates followed into the House.
On February 13, 2010 (132 days after the season started), at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium
, Melisa Cantiveros was declared the Big Winner, amassing 1.23 million votes or 32.08% out of 3.8 million votes cast in a two-week final vote.
and auditions on key cities in the Philippines held between March and June of the same year, as well as two overseas auditions in Tokyo and Los Angeles. A total of 30,789 auditionees took part. It would be first edition not to feature Mariel Rodriguez, who transferred to rival station TV5
in October 2011. The fourth edition, which was given the name Pinoy Big Brother: Unlimited, began airing on October 29, 2011.
Initially, the house interior resembles a typical shanty town
in Philippines, with the housemates living in meager conditions. However, it is revealed later that Unlimited would follow the two-House concept of Double Up, with the second "House" following the traditional House layout of previous seasons. Because of this and each "House" having two different sets of housemates, the main weekday show has been split into two main programs, one continuing to air in primetime to show events in the "slum" half, the other, an afternoon show, looking into goings-on in the "traditional" half.
Celebrity Edition
Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition is a special edition of the Pinoy Big Brother franchise for celebrities, from the show business industry, sports, and politics to name a few. This edition is shorter than the regular seasons of the Pinoy Big Brother franchise.
The celebrity version is not confined only to showbiz idols. Celebrities who auditioned include athletes, stand-up comedians, ramp and commercial models, musicians, and TV personalities. Of these, fourteen were chosen for the edition's first run.
On April 1, 2006 at the facade of Central Post Office Building in Manila, starlet Keanna Reeves
was declared the winner of Celebrity Edition, garnering the highest number of votes among the "Big 4" finalists, with 571,607 votes or 44.2% of total votes cast. Reeves surpassed Tamayo's vote total during the first season.
There were a total of 15 individual celebrities but two pairs, namely Marylaine Viernes and Jen da Silva and Baron and Donnie Geisler, were part of the 2-in-1 housemates twist and each pair was counted as one. This brought the official total of celebrity housemates to 13. An additional housemate, Gladys Guevarra, entered the house midway of the season due to unprecedented circumstances, bringing the total to 16 individual housemates.
On January 5, 2008 at the Araneta Coliseum, comedian Ruben Gonzaga was declared the winner of the second Celebrity Edition, earning the highest among the four finalists, with 506,402 votes or 32.17% of the 1.6 million votes cast. Gonzaga also became the franchise's first ever male winner in its history.
Teen Edition
Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition is a special edition for teenagers aged 16-18 (although some exceptions have included 15 year old contestants as well as 19 year old house players) held during the summer months in the Philippines. This special edition is the shortest in the Pinoy Big Brother franchise.
Auditions in Cebu City
, Davao City
, and Metro Manila
were held and according to ABS-CBN, 30,000 teens answered the audition call. Of these, twelve are selected; eight come from the Manila auditions while the remaining four represent the Visayas
-Mindanao
area.
On June 3, 2006 at the Aliw Theater, Cultural Center of the Philippines
Complex in Pasay City
, Kim Chiu
of Cebu, was declared the winner of the first Teen Edition, besting 13 other housemates. Kim garnered 626,562 votes, or 41.4% of the total votes.
, has been announced. According to ABS-CBN, 15,000 teenagers auditioned; thirty were selected for the final casting call, from which fourteen were chosen to be official housemates. It had its premiere on March 23, 2008 and ran for eleven weeks.
On June 7, 2008 at the Araneta Coliseum, Ejay Falcon
was announced as the winner earning 624,920 votes, or 36.31% of the total votes.
during the months of March to May 2009. As these auditions were held a year in advance, the age limit was lowered to 14-17, since they would be within the correct age limit of 15-18 once the edition starts. A second set of auditions were announced, this time with an advanced registration through SMS and the age limit for auditioning was 15-18.
A total of around 50,000 teenagers attended the auditions, from which 16 were chosen. Like Double Up, there were two houses, each inhabited by eight housemates. Fifteen entered the Houses on April 10 with the last one to follow the next night. An additional eleven housemates (one Filipino, one half-Filipino, and nine foreigners without any Filipino lineage) entered the house for a Philippines vs. World clash. The nine foreigners, along with the half-Filipino, were dubbed as Teenternationals and were the first ever full-blooded ones (as opposed to participants who are part-Filipino) to compete in any reality show in the Philippines.
On June 26, 2010 at the Ynares Center
in Antipolo City
, James Reid was announced as the winner, earning 179,294 votes or 19.75% of the total vote. Only 1.05% or a little less than 10,000 votes separated him from second placer Ryan Bang.
segment is launched called Pinoy Big Brother: Yes or No. It is one which uses the board game
format and uses questions related to the show as well as ABS-CBN's other primetime soap opera
s. The show is hosted by Mariel Rodriguez
and it promises to give a daily studio contestant up to PhP
25,000. After a week as a segment of the show, it became a separate early afternoon game show on October 24, 2005. This show was terminated after the first season ended.
, gossip reporter AJ Dee
, and comedienne Pokwang
. Like its parent show The Buzz
, the show tackles events and goings-on inside the house, controversy surrounding the show, and the latest gossip about the housemates who were already evicted. This spin-off was cancelled during the run of the Celebrity Edition.
It later returned as the promotion What's the Word? Guess the Word! This time, however, the promotion is by Smart Communications
and it is separate from Pinoy Big Brother.
, while Bianca Gonzalez
took over the program once the first Teen Edition started, as the former became the primetime host. This airs late at night to early morning, Monday to Friday, after the News & Public Affairs programs; and shows some updates, live feeds, and interviews. It ceased its run since after the second regular season, being replaced by the late afternoon show Pinoy Big Brother Über (see below). The show would make its return on Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up under the name Pinoy Big Brother: Double UpLate with Bianca Gonzalez as host.
Pinoy Big Brother Update
This are short-segment updates shown 3 times a day, Monday to Friday, that shows daily happenings in the Big Brother house, and introduces what will be shown in the primetime telecast. Mariel Rodriguez used to be the main Update host for the first season up to the first teen edition. With the exception of Celebrity Edition 2 to which Beatriz Saw was seen as the Update host, Bianca Gonzalez has been the Update host, replacing Mariel Rodriguez. Robi Domingo served as a guest host for one week during Teen Clash 2010 as Bianca Gonzalez was then unavailable.
Grounds, Manila), with all the housemates for the first season, the Celebrity Edition, and the Teen Edition gathered in one spot. The show showcased and celebrated the success of the show, especially its greatest moments and accomplishments. This was done to cap off the show's first year on the air.
Two succeeding Big Reunions were held. The first was on June 9, 2008, wherein the housemates of the second Teen Edition, special housemates, and their Guardian took part. The second was on February 14, 2010, this time involving the Double Up housemates. Unlike the first Big Reunion, the gatherings only involved the housemates of each of the two seasons mentioned.
On June 27, 2010, another reunion special called High Five: The Big Five Years of Pinoy Big Brother gathered the Clash 2010 Big Six together with several notable housemates from editions past, many from the final group of their season, celebrate the memorable moments from the less than five years of the franchise.
body for cinema
and television
, saying that the show airs content that is definitely not suitable for children, such as talk on contraceptives and very "intimate scenes". ABS-CBN is reported to have acknowledged this and had promised to make an "improved" show more suitable for younger audiences in the coming weeks. As a result, as scenes like these are unavoidable at times without interference, each episode begins with a warning reminding viewers that some scenes in the show that are not suitable for young audiences.
In spite of this, though, the scenes that were deemed to be way beyond the parental guidance rating given by the Board were still shown. In this light, MTRCB ordered the program suspended for one episode. As compliance, the program was not aired on September 25, 2005, the day after the 2nd eviction night.
Columnist Nestor U. Torre of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
has also given a doubtful but optimistic
stance on the show, saying that while the scenes are chaotic and challenges in the first week were way too mundane and cheesy, he is hopeful that more compelling tasks would be given to the housemates in the future and the housemates' personalities will become clearly defined.
However, Torre wrote in a later article that in the first week alone, the show emphasizes more on creating controversy (such as sex) rather than exploiting the potential psychological
factors and showcasing human nature.
Despite this negative publicity
, ABS-CBN itself has reported that the show is so well liked that it extended its run to all seven days a week. In fact, not only its on-air talents have defended it, but viewers themselves (as shown on ABS-CBN programs) can attest to it. It also inspired the creation of fansites.
Later in the second season, film director Jose Javier Reyes
, who previously sat in as one of the jurors in ABS-CBN and Endemol co-produced reality show Pinoy Dream Academy
, lambasted the program, stating the show wanted to bring "everyone who had a face and a body." Reyes added that the program was a boot camp for Philippines' Next Top Model
, had disturbing behavior from certain housemates, and describing the challenges as "meaningless." He concluded that the whole ordeal was an audition for a new Star Cinema
(ABS-CBN's movie production company) or for an episode of ABS-CBN's drama Maalaala Mo Kaya
.
In reaction, the show's director, Laurenti Dyogi, defended the program by giving clarifications on certain issues presented by Reyes, especially the fact that housemates actually learn something, citing Nel Rapiz's atonement of not urinating in a public place again. But Dyogi admitted that there is no way please all of them, especially on their sensibilities. In fact, Dyogi divulged that Reyes already told ABS-CBN about his article even before it was published.
Other criticisms against the show, such as allegations of voyeurism and proliferation of vices, are also common in other versions of the Big Brother franchise.
There have been allegations saying that the melody of "Pinoy Ako" (included in the album with the same name) has been plagiarized
from the song "Chandeliers" by 80s British band Care
. Orange and Lemons
and the song's composer Jonathan Manalo claim that while Orange and Lemons may have been influenced by British rock
, they stressed that the two songs are completely different from each other and assured that Pinoy Ako is a completely original one.
However, musical correspondent Giselle Roque (who has connections to Care) claims in a separate article that Orange and Lemons and Manalo were "pressured" to come up with a theme song for the show within a week, hence the creation of "Pinoy Ako" which is very similar to "Chandeliers."
BMG
Music that owns the rights to Care
's "Diamonds And Emeralds" album from which "Chandeliers" came from is yet to issue a statement or take legal actions if it so warrants.
s for Uma and forty thousand pesos for Sam) each for failing to get permits. However, the article said that Uma applied for his permit after the end of the first season.
In response, the management and staff of the show clarified that the allegations are pure fabrication. The management said that no conceptualizers and talent auditors exist in the show since the show's concept is already created in the Netherlands, where the franchise originated. Furthermore, no conceptualizer was involved in the screening process, which selected the Top 30 auditioners to be screened for the show (not the Top 100 as the e-mail claimed). Furthermore, the entire tabulation of votes was done electronically and it is closely monitored by a third-party accounting firm since the start of the open voting, the results of which are totally unpredictable. In fact, according to management of the program, Nel and Bruce were really the lowest vote earners and the trend did not change when Bruce was evicted three days after Nel. Furthermore, the e-mail referred to Director Laurenti Dyogi, business head of the program, as "Direk Dyogi," not "Direk Lauren" or "LMD," as those who are involved in the show call him. This makes clear that the author of the e-mail was not even a part of the show (or even ABS-CBN for that matter) as he or she had claimed.
While these rumors and criticisms persisted, Wendy eventually reached the final four which further sparked speculations of conspiracy and put final voting results questionable. Consequently, she did not win the second season, ending up in third place instead.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
version of the reality television show Big Brother
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
(the word Pinoy
Pinoy
Pinoy is an informal demonym referring to the Filipino people in the Philippines and overseas Filipinos around the world. Filipinos usually refer to themselves as Pinoy or sometimes the feminine Pinay...
is a colloquial term for Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
). It follows the same premise as its many foreign counterparts around the world: twelve Philippine residents are forced to live with each other inside a house for about 3 months or at least 100 days. Visit www.pinoybigbrother.com to learn more
It is shown on ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
Channel 2 and its international affiliate
Affiliate
An affiliate is a commercial entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity.- Corporate structure :A corporation may be referred to as an affiliate of another when it is related to it but not strictly controlled by it, as with a subsidiary relationship, or when it is desired to avoid...
, The Filipino Channel
The Filipino Channel
The Filipino Channel is an international television station owned by the Philippine-based multimedia conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation. The network is currently available in Asia Pacific, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and the United States. It has over two million subscribers in these...
, with snippets shown on local affiliate Studio 23
Studio 23
Studio 23 is a Filipino television network owned by the ABS-CBN Corporation. The network is named for its flagship station in Metro Manila, DWAC-TV, which is carried on UHF channel 23...
. The uncut 24/7
24/7
24/7 is an abbreviation which stands for "24 hours a day, 7 days a week", usually referring to a business or service available at all times without interruption...
version of the series can also be seen on the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
through streaming video
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
and a special cable channel provided by ABS-CBN-owned cable TV
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
provider, SkyCable
SkyCable
SkyCable is a direct-to-home cable TV subscription service and the largest cable company in the Philippines. It is established by the Lopez and Central CATV group of companies, and one of ABS-CBN Corporation subsidiaries. In January 1990, SkyCable was founded and started its CATV operation on...
.
The elimination process in the show is the reverse of the original Dutch format. At the start of the elimination process, the "housemates" (as the contestants are referred to) vote for which two (sometimes more if there are ties or Big Brother gives automatic nomination) fellow housemates they should eliminate. Once these nominations are chosen, the viewer votes come into play. For a week viewers are asked to vote, via SMS
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
or voice messaging through PLDT
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company
The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company commonly known as PLDT, is the largest telecommunications company in the Philippines. PLDT is also the largest company in the Philippines, ranked 1138th in the April 2009 update, and 1080th in the April 2010 update, of Forbes' Global 2000 list...
's hotline (later abolished in favor of vote cards), for whoever they wanted to stay longer in the house. The housemate with the least viewer votes is eliminated. In the final week, the one with the most viewer votes will win the grand prize package, usually includes house and lot, a car, a business franchise, home appliances, and a holiday, and is given the title Big Winner. Pinoy Big Brother uses the tagline "Teleserye ng totoong buhay." or "Soap Opera of real life."
Other essential elements of the Big Brother franchise are present, such as weekly and daily challenges, the confessional room, and the voice known only as "Big Brother," sometimes referred to as "Kuya" (the program uses the literal English translation of "big brother" for the Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
word "kuya," referring to the eldest son in the family).
Overview
Originally, TV personality and comedian Willie RevillameWillie Revillame
Willie Revillame is a television host, actor, and a recording artist in the Philippines.-Career:He is the host of TV5's primetime variety show Wil Time Bigtime...
was the main host of the show, along with young up-and-coming personalities Mariel Rodriguez
Mariel Rodríguez
Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla is a Filipino commercial model, endorser, TV host, former MTV VJ and actress. She first started as an MTV VJ. Currently, she co-hosts the noontime variety show Happy Yipee Yehey!...
and Toni Gonzaga
Toni Gonzaga
Celestine Cruz Gonzaga , better known as Toni Gonzaga, is a Filipino singer, television host and actress. She started her career with GMA Network, then later moved to ABS-CBN Network...
. Toni hosted the primetime telecast which chronicles the events of the day before (unless an episode is telecast live). Mariel, on the other hand, hosted the late night
Late Night
Late Night is shorthand for several different things:*Late night television - generally United States programming airing after 11:30pm EST**Late-night talk show, the most common type of late night television in the United States...
edition called Pinoy Big Brother: Uplate, which updates anything viewers missed in the primetime telecast, as well as what to look forward in the next one. Willie hosted the live telecast of the eviction and the public revelation of the nomination for evictees, but only for the first season. He has not returned to the program even before the first Celebrity Edition started because of the ULTRA stampede.
Asia Agcaoili
Asia Agcaoili
Asia Agcaoíli is a Filipino actress, model, sexy columnist of FHM Philippines and TV and radio host.- About Asia :Asia was born Junelyn Alexis Agcaoili on September 20, 1983 in Isabela, Philippines...
spearheaded the show for the viewers of Studio 23. Her show, called Pinoy Big Brother on Studio 23: Si Kuya, KaBarkada Mo (English: Eldest Brother, Your Buddy; the program instead prefers the translation "big" instead of "eldest" for the Tagalog word "kuya," which refers to the eldest son of the family), not only featured snippets from the primetime telecast the night before, but also featured opinion polls both from the man on the street and those sending SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
, spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
segments, unaired videos, and feed from inside the house (either live feed or footage taped earlier). Studio 23 has stopped the practice since the second Celebrity Edition and instead resorted to airing the delayed late morning/early afternoon feeds.
Talk show host Boy Abunda
Boy Abunda
Eugenio "Boy" R. Abunda, Jr. is a Filipino television host, publicist, talent manager and celebrity endorser. He is dubbed as the "King of Talk" in local show business.-Early life:Boy Abunda was born in Borongan City, Eastern Samar...
hosted the post-season documentaries. It featured issues and controversies about the housemates.
The show also had its theme song called "Pinoy Ako" (English: I'm a Filipino) by Orange and Lemons
Orange and Lemons
Orange and Lemons was a Filipino pop rock band formed in 1999. The band name "Oranges and Lemons" was initially recommended by a former member of the group. Apparently the band was not aware at that time that the name was actually derived from a British nursery rhyme and a title of an album by the...
. This song is also the basis for much of the background music used in the show.
Luis Manzano
Luis Manzano
Luis Philippe S. Manzano , also known by his nickname Lucky, is a Filipino actor, TV host, VJ and model. He is the son of award-winning actors Edu Manzano and Vilma Santos, from whom he inherited his Chinese features.Manzano started his career as a commercial model for clothing brand, HUMAN...
took over Willie's place for the Celebrity Edition
Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition
The first celebrity edition of Pinoy Big Brother, titled Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition is a special edition of the original show...
and later return on Teen Edition Plus
Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition Plus
Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition Plus was the second edition of Pinoy Big Brother for adolescents 16 to 19 years. It premiered on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008, and ran for eleven weeks, ending on June 7 of the same year....
on 2008. The theme song in that edition was Sikat ang Pinoy by season 1 contestant Sam Milby and host Toni Gonzaga.
On its Teen Edition, Bianca Gonzalez
Bianca Gonzalez
Bianca Gonzalez is a Filipina TV host and model.-Education:Bianca Monica Malasmas Gonzalez graduated from high school at the De La Salle Santiago Zobel School and graduated with a degree of AB Communication Arts with a minor in Philosophy at the Ateneo de Manila University.-Writer:Her first job in...
(a TV host and a former 'Big 4' housemate of the Celebrity Edition) took over Mariel Rodriguez for the Teen Edition: Update, and PBB: Uplate, a successful program that Mariel Rodriguez has hosted in its early editions - while Mariel became the primetime host. The theme song is "Kabataang Pinoy" (Filipino Youth) by Itchyworms
Itchyworms
The Itchyworms is a Filipino rock band whose music is primarily guitar-driven rock with pronounced 1960s and 1980s pop sensibilities and embellished with two- or three-part vocal harmonies...
. The house was renovated for the preparation for the Teen Edition by the students of the Philippine School of Interior Design.
PBB Teen Edition Plus ex-housemate Robi Domingo
Robi Domingo
Robert "Robi" Marion Eusebio Domingo , is an actor, a former VJ, and the first runner up of the reality television show Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus....
and Music Uplate Live
Music Uplate Live
Music Uplate Live is a Philippine late night musical variety show airing before network sign-off on ABS-CBN. Premiering March 15, 2010, its main presenters include Yeng Constantino and Tutti Caringal...
host Martin Concio makes a debut for new additional male host of Pinoy Big Brother: Unlimited
Pinoy Big Brother: Unlimited
Pinoy Big Brother: Unlimited is the fourth season of Pinoy Big Brother that aired on ABS-CBN from October 29, 2011. Toni Gonzaga and Bianca Gonzales reprised their hosting stints for the show, together with PBB Teen Edition Plus ex-housemate Robi Domingo...
.
Primers
To prepare the viewers for the program's run, two primers were aired. The first was Eto na si Kuya! (Here Comes Big Brother), which talked about the essentials of the franchise and its success around the world.In the second primer, entitled Ang Bahay ni Kuya (
The house
The house is actually located in front of the ABS-CBN studios in Quezon CityQuezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
.
A car was used to transfer the evicted housemate from the Big Brother house to the main building of ABS-CBN. Due to the number of people gathered outside to watch the eviction, it would be rather unsafe for the housemate to walk to the nearby building. Of course, the car can't go inside the building.
The Big Brother House is a multi-room studio designed with walls painted with pastel
Pastel
Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation....
colors complete with sets of cameras and microphones. The House is specially designed to capture the housemates' every move. Camera cross surrounds the house, it allows cameramen inside the house record the housemates' every move without being seen by the housemates. This hallway is equipped with a camera dolly
Camera dolly
A camera dolly is a specialized piece of filmmaking and television production equipment designed to create smooth camera movements . The camera is mounted to the dolly and the camera operator and focus puller or camera assistant, usually ride on the dolly to operate the camera...
for the camera's movement. The house is surrounded by two-way mirrors to allow the camera to see what's happening inside the house. The cameras cannot be seen through the mirror because the camera cross is painted black, it has to be as dark as possible so the cameras cannot be seen, though sometimes reflections of the camera or the cameramen are seen in some episodes. It also has a garden and swimming pool. To capture the housemates' every move and speech, the house is equipped with cameras (in the camera cross or cameras on "hot heads") and microphones (lapel microphones used by the housemates, and boom microphones surrounding the garden area). For the housemates security and the essence of being locked away from the outside world, the garden area is totally covered with a camouflage-type of fabric. It also boasted of a multi-faith altar in one wall of the house (one which has a Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, a Koran, and twelve rosaries
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
), making the house the only Big Brother house that has a room set aside for religious purposes (although it is said that the Arab Big Brother house had prayer rooms). And although any form of communication from the outside world is banned inside the house, there is a large flat-screen television set
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in the living room, used for only 2 purposes:
- To show any videoVideoVideo is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
Big Brother wanted to show to any or all housemates, especially that of the TV MassMass (liturgy)"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
every Sunday (contrary to reports early in the first season that a priestPriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
would visit them; later on, a priest unseen by viewers would visit them), and - To announce the names of nominees for eviction directly to the housemates and the person evicted from the house. (The housemates saw either host Willie Revillame (prior to the Celebrity Edition), Mariel Rodriguez or Toni Gonzaga, or (prior to the Teen Edition) Bianca Gonzalez talk to them during nomination and eviction nights.)
To complete the set up, 26 surveillance camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s are positioned all over the house to watch the housemates' every move, including the bathroom. For modesty's sake, however, images from the bathroom will be shown if the bathroom is used for any purpose other than bathing (such as gossiping).
The set up of the house, especially when shown on television, makes the illusion that it is a one-storey house. But anyone who passes by the house can easily notice that its facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
is that of a two-storey house. That is because the second storey houses parts of the control room. The actual front doors to the house area are actually further inside.
The house interior was rebuilt for the second season. These changes include the following:
- The number of cameras have been increased to 42.
- There was a secret room built behind the confession room and a large activity area leading from the garden.
- The house has a prayer room rather than just an altar.
- The flat screen monitor found in the living area is now used to call any housemate.
- The front door now leads to the Eviction Hall next door.
- Instead of watching a TV mass, the housemates have a spiritual session with Coney ReyesConey ReyesConey Reyes is an award winning Philippine Film/TV actress, television host and producer with Chinese and Spanish descent. She has been one of the co-presenters of Student Canteen and Eat Bulaga . She earned a degree of Bachelor of Arts major in Communication Arts at Maryknoll College...
, the show's spiritual adviser. This has been done since the first Celebrity Edition.
For the third season, more commonly referred to as Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up
Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up
Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up was the third regular season of Pinoy Big Brother, which began on October 4, 2009 on ABS-CBN. Toni Gonzaga, Mariel Rodriguez, and Bianca Gonzalez reprised their hosting duties this season...
, the Big Brother house was divided into two different, yet equally furnished "houses," which the show claims as a "first in worldwide Big Brother history," as other Big Brother franchises had opted for "half-houses," one more superior than the other.
The changes that were made for the third season are the following
- The house was completely rebuilt from the ground up, new set up, and larger space.
- The guardians' area from the second teen edition was renovated to accommodate the season's twist.
- The housemates that are evicted every week exit out of the house through the confession room.
- Eviction takes place right outside of the Big Brother House (the Eviction Hall was used as the show's activity area, due to having the old activity area used as a living area).
Season 1
Nene Tamayo
Nene Tamayo
Nene Tamayo was one of the 13 housemates of ABS-CBN's Pinoy Big Brother, Season 1...
of Romblon
Romblon
Romblon is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. It lies south of Marinduque and Quezon, east of Mindoro, north of Aklan and Capiz, and west of Masbate. Its capital is also named Romblon....
emerged as Pinoy Big Brother's first ever Big Winner, besting the other 12 housemates. Her win was declared on December 10, 2005, at Clark Expo, Angeles City, Pampanga
Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991...
. Nene garnered the highest number of votes (557,000+) among the "big four" contestants.
Season 2
ABS-CBN held auditions stretching from May to June 2006 in various cities in the Philippines, as well as overseas auditions in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, and San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, for the show's second season, which began on February 25 (originally scheduled for March), 2007, and ended on June 30 the same year. These same auditions were also held for another reality show, Pinoy Dream Academy
Pinoy Dream Academy
Pinoy Dream Academy is the Philippine version of Endemol's Operación Triunfo . The format is similar to Big Brother, where a set number of finalists would live inside the Academy for four months and will be trained by guest teachers to be multimedia performers...
, another Endemol
Endemol
Endemol is an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland,...
franchise. This season of Pinoy Big Brother promised a bigger house, more housemates (fourteen to be exact), and a stricter Big Brother.
Pinoy Ako had also been rehashed, this time sung by the band CeBaLo (Yvan Lambatan, Panky Trinidad, Eman Abatayo, and Davey Langit of Pinoy Dream Academy).
On June 30, 2007 (125 days after the season premiere), at the Araneta Coliseum
Araneta Coliseum
The Smart Araneta Coliseum, known as The Big Dome is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena located in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines...
, Beatriz Saw was declared the Big Winner of the second season, besting 17 other housemates (14 official and 3 sub-official). She garnered about 1.5 million votes, or 30.29% of the total number of votes. This alone surpasses Kim Chiu's record for the most number of votes earned by a Big Winner.
Season 3: Double Up
There were two sets of auditions that were held for the third season: first was being held in key cities in the Philippines as well as in Dubai, Milan, and MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. The second set was held in the Philippines, Tokyo, Japan, and San Francisco, US. There were a total of 57,824 people who auditioned. In fact, because of the multitude of people who tried to audition in Manila, a second set of audition dates were set, but only for those who registered through SMS.
Of all of the people who auditioned, fifty were included in a shortlist as potential housemates. Fourteen initially entered the House in the third regular season, dubbed Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up, which began on October 4, 2009. The "Double Up" moniker stems from the House being split into two near identical House areas, as well as the use of two sets of male identical twins, each twin of each set would live in each House area. A further twelve housemates followed into the House.
On February 13, 2010 (132 days after the season started), at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Ninoy Aquino Stadium
The Ninoy Aquino Stadium is one of two indoor sporting arenas located in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, Philippines, the other being the Rizal Memorial Coliseum....
, Melisa Cantiveros was declared the Big Winner, amassing 1.23 million votes or 32.08% out of 3.8 million votes cast in a two-week final vote.
Season 4: Unlimited
A fourth edition was announced on February 26, 2011, with auditions taking place on March 4 at the SM Mall of AsiaSM Mall of Asia
SM Mall of Asia is a shopping mall owned and developed by SM Prime Holdings, the largest mall developer and owner in the Philippines. SM Mall of Asia is the 2nd largest mall in the Philippines after SM City North EDSA, 3rd largest shopping mall in Asia and the 4th largest shopping mall in the world...
and auditions on key cities in the Philippines held between March and June of the same year, as well as two overseas auditions in Tokyo and Los Angeles. A total of 30,789 auditionees took part. It would be first edition not to feature Mariel Rodriguez, who transferred to rival station TV5
Associated Broadcasting Company
The Associated Broadcasting Company, Inc is a television network in the Philippines, with main broadcast facilities and transmitter located at 762 Quirino Highway, San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. The network was previously known as the , Associated Broadcasting Company remains the legal...
in October 2011. The fourth edition, which was given the name Pinoy Big Brother: Unlimited, began airing on October 29, 2011.
Initially, the house interior resembles a typical shanty town
Shanty town
A shanty town is a slum settlement of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal and sheets of plastic...
in Philippines, with the housemates living in meager conditions. However, it is revealed later that Unlimited would follow the two-House concept of Double Up, with the second "House" following the traditional House layout of previous seasons. Because of this and each "House" having two different sets of housemates, the main weekday show has been split into two main programs, one continuing to air in primetime to show events in the "slum" half, the other, an afternoon show, looking into goings-on in the "traditional" half.
Celebrity EditionPinoy Big Brother: Celebrity EditionThe first celebrity edition of Pinoy Big Brother, titled Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition is a special edition of the original show...
Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition is a special edition of the Pinoy Big Brother franchise for celebrities, from the show business industry, sports, and politics to name a few. This edition is shorter than the regular seasons of the Pinoy Big Brother franchise.Edition 1
A 56-day celebrity version was started on February 5, 2006, known as Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition.The celebrity version is not confined only to showbiz idols. Celebrities who auditioned include athletes, stand-up comedians, ramp and commercial models, musicians, and TV personalities. Of these, fourteen were chosen for the edition's first run.
On April 1, 2006 at the facade of Central Post Office Building in Manila, starlet Keanna Reeves
Keanna Reeves
Keanna Reeves is a Filipina actress who first gained national attention and notoriety in the Philippines for exposing a private escort girl service in December 2004, and confessing that lawmakers were among her clients.-Pinoy Big Brother:In 2005, she appeared on Extra Challenge, where she won the...
was declared the winner of Celebrity Edition, garnering the highest number of votes among the "Big 4" finalists, with 571,607 votes or 44.2% of total votes cast. Reeves surpassed Tamayo's vote total during the first season.
Edition 2
The second Celebrity edition began on October 17, 2007 and had a 84-day run. The show was supposed to run for only 70, but the extension was announced through a seemingly fake news report and was later implied to be confirmed by Big Brother.There were a total of 15 individual celebrities but two pairs, namely Marylaine Viernes and Jen da Silva and Baron and Donnie Geisler, were part of the 2-in-1 housemates twist and each pair was counted as one. This brought the official total of celebrity housemates to 13. An additional housemate, Gladys Guevarra, entered the house midway of the season due to unprecedented circumstances, bringing the total to 16 individual housemates.
On January 5, 2008 at the Araneta Coliseum, comedian Ruben Gonzaga was declared the winner of the second Celebrity Edition, earning the highest among the four finalists, with 506,402 votes or 32.17% of the 1.6 million votes cast. Gonzaga also became the franchise's first ever male winner in its history.
Teen EditionPinoy Big Brother: Teen EditionPinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition began airing on April 23, 2006, three weeks after the end of the first Celebrity Edition. It ran for six weeks and closely resembled the original show, unlike the relatively short Teen Big Brother, its British counterpart...
Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition is a special edition for teenagers aged 16-18 (although some exceptions have included 15 year old contestants as well as 19 year old house players) held during the summer months in the Philippines. This special edition is the shortest in the Pinoy Big Brother franchise.Edition 1
A teen version of Pinoy Big Brother, Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition, was shown in the Philippine "summer months" of April and May, when children and teenagers take their vacation from school. This edition premiered on April 23, 2006, roughly three weeks after the end of the first Celebrity Edition and ran for six weeks. It featured teenagers aged from 16 to 18 years old as housemates.Auditions in Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
, Davao City
Davao City
The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....
, and Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
were held and according to ABS-CBN, 30,000 teens answered the audition call. Of these, twelve are selected; eight come from the Manila auditions while the remaining four represent the Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
-Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
area.
On June 3, 2006 at the Aliw Theater, Cultural Center of the Philippines
Cultural Center of the Philippines
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines. The CCP was established through Executive Order No. 30 s. 1966 by President Ferdinand Marcos...
Complex in Pasay City
Pasay City
The City of Pasay is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the north by the country's capital, Manila, to the northeast by Makati City, to the east by Taguig City, and Parañaque City to the south.Pasay City was one of the original four...
, Kim Chiu
Kim Chiu
Kimberly Sue Yap Chiu , better known as simply Kim Chiu, is a Chinese Filipino actress,singer and model. She lived in Cebu City before she went to Manila for Pinoy Big Brother...
of Cebu, was declared the winner of the first Teen Edition, besting 13 other housemates. Kim garnered 626,562 votes, or 41.4% of the total votes.
Edition 2: Plus
A second Teen Edition, called Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition PlusPinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition Plus
Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition Plus was the second edition of Pinoy Big Brother for adolescents 16 to 19 years. It premiered on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008, and ran for eleven weeks, ending on June 7 of the same year....
, has been announced. According to ABS-CBN, 15,000 teenagers auditioned; thirty were selected for the final casting call, from which fourteen were chosen to be official housemates. It had its premiere on March 23, 2008 and ran for eleven weeks.
On June 7, 2008 at the Araneta Coliseum, Ejay Falcon
Ejay Falcon
Ejay Lasap Falcon is a Filipino-French model and actor who is currently a contract artist of ABS-CBN. He is also the Big Winner of Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus....
was announced as the winner earning 624,920 votes, or 36.31% of the total votes.
Edition 3: Clash 2010
The third Teen Edition, called Teen Clash 2010, began on April 10, 2010. Auditions for this season were held simultaneously with Pinoy Big Brother: Double UpPinoy Big Brother: Double Up
Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up was the third regular season of Pinoy Big Brother, which began on October 4, 2009 on ABS-CBN. Toni Gonzaga, Mariel Rodriguez, and Bianca Gonzalez reprised their hosting duties this season...
during the months of March to May 2009. As these auditions were held a year in advance, the age limit was lowered to 14-17, since they would be within the correct age limit of 15-18 once the edition starts. A second set of auditions were announced, this time with an advanced registration through SMS and the age limit for auditioning was 15-18.
A total of around 50,000 teenagers attended the auditions, from which 16 were chosen. Like Double Up, there were two houses, each inhabited by eight housemates. Fifteen entered the Houses on April 10 with the last one to follow the next night. An additional eleven housemates (one Filipino, one half-Filipino, and nine foreigners without any Filipino lineage) entered the house for a Philippines vs. World clash. The nine foreigners, along with the half-Filipino, were dubbed as Teenternationals and were the first ever full-blooded ones (as opposed to participants who are part-Filipino) to compete in any reality show in the Philippines.
On June 26, 2010 at the Ynares Center
Ynares Center
The Ynares Center is an indoor sporting arena located in Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines.The arena was built at a cost of P350 million. The coliseum was constructed in a 5-hectare lot located at the heart of the City of Antipolo. This is the current landmark in the province where PBA games and big...
in Antipolo City
Antipolo City
Antipolo is a city in the Philippines located in the province of Rizal; about 25 kilometers east of Manila. It is the largest city in the Calabarzon Region in terms of population...
, James Reid was announced as the winner, earning 179,294 votes or 19.75% of the total vote. Only 1.05% or a little less than 10,000 votes separated him from second placer Ryan Bang.
Pinoy Big Brother: Yes or No
Due to the show's popularity, a game showGame show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
segment is launched called Pinoy Big Brother: Yes or No. It is one which uses the board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
format and uses questions related to the show as well as ABS-CBN's other primetime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s. The show is hosted by Mariel Rodriguez
Mariel Rodríguez
Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla is a Filipino commercial model, endorser, TV host, former MTV VJ and actress. She first started as an MTV VJ. Currently, she co-hosts the noontime variety show Happy Yipee Yehey!...
and it promises to give a daily studio contestant up to PhP
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
25,000. After a week as a segment of the show, it became a separate early afternoon game show on October 24, 2005. This show was terminated after the first season ended.
Pinoy Big Brother Buzz
The popularity of the show and its former housemates spawned another show called Pinoy Big Brother Buzz, hosted by actress Anne CurtisAnne Curtis
Anne Ojales Curtis-Smith, also known as Anne Curtis is a Filipino-Australian actress, model, television host, singer and VJ currently active in the Philippines....
, gossip reporter AJ Dee
AJ Dee
Angel James Dee III professionally known as 'AJ Dee in Naga City, Bicol Philippines. Dee is a Filipino actor-model and swimmer. He is the brother of fellow swimmer, actor and Star Magic talent Enchong Dee...
, and comedienne Pokwang
Pokwang
- Filmography :TelevisionFilms-External links:...
. Like its parent show The Buzz
The Buzz
The Buzz may refer to:*The Buzz , a fictional character in the Marvel Comics' series Spider-Girl*The Buzz , a television show on the UK channel Eat Cinema...
, the show tackles events and goings-on inside the house, controversy surrounding the show, and the latest gossip about the housemates who were already evicted. This spin-off was cancelled during the run of the Celebrity Edition.
What's the Word? Thats the Word!
It was launched during the first season of Pinoy Big Brother. It is a raffle hosted by Mariel Rodriguez and airs during commercial breaks at primetime telecast. At first, it started as a trivia game show for Pinoy Big Brother, and then later, it is extended as a trivia game show for the whole Primetime Bida. It still continued even after Pinoy Big Brother's first year run ended.It later returned as the promotion What's the Word? Guess the Word! This time, however, the promotion is by Smart Communications
Smart Communications
Smart Communications is a wholly owned mobile phone and Internet service subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company .On June 30, 2010 the company reported that it had over 45 million cellular subscribers.-Brands:...
and it is separate from Pinoy Big Brother.
Pinoy Big Brother UpLate
Pinoy Big Brother Up-late is a late night spin-off of the reality show, and has been one of the most successful spinoffs to date. It was primarily hosted by Mariel RodriguezMariel Rodríguez
Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla is a Filipino commercial model, endorser, TV host, former MTV VJ and actress. She first started as an MTV VJ. Currently, she co-hosts the noontime variety show Happy Yipee Yehey!...
, while Bianca Gonzalez
Bianca Gonzalez
Bianca Gonzalez is a Filipina TV host and model.-Education:Bianca Monica Malasmas Gonzalez graduated from high school at the De La Salle Santiago Zobel School and graduated with a degree of AB Communication Arts with a minor in Philosophy at the Ateneo de Manila University.-Writer:Her first job in...
took over the program once the first Teen Edition started, as the former became the primetime host. This airs late at night to early morning, Monday to Friday, after the News & Public Affairs programs; and shows some updates, live feeds, and interviews. It ceased its run since after the second regular season, being replaced by the late afternoon show Pinoy Big Brother Über (see below). The show would make its return on Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up under the name Pinoy Big Brother: Double UpLate with Bianca Gonzalez as host.
Pinoy Big Brother UpdatePinoy Big Brother UpdateThis are short-segment updates shown 3 times a day, Monday to Saturdays, that shows daily happenings in the Big Brother house, and introduces what will be shown in the primetime telecast.-Pinoy Big Brother Season 1 Update Host:...
This are short-segment updates shown 3 times a day, Monday to Friday, that shows daily happenings in the Big Brother house, and introduces what will be shown in the primetime telecast. Mariel Rodriguez used to be the main Update host for the first season up to the first teen edition. With the exception of Celebrity Edition 2 to which Beatriz Saw was seen as the Update host, Bianca Gonzalez has been the Update host, replacing Mariel Rodriguez. Robi Domingo served as a guest host for one week during Teen Clash 2010 as Bianca Gonzalez was then unavailable.Pinoy Big Brother: the Big Reunion
On June 4, 2006, a night after the finale of the Teen Edition, a live musical special was held at the Aliw Theater (in the CCPCultural Center of the Philippines
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines. The CCP was established through Executive Order No. 30 s. 1966 by President Ferdinand Marcos...
Grounds, Manila), with all the housemates for the first season, the Celebrity Edition, and the Teen Edition gathered in one spot. The show showcased and celebrated the success of the show, especially its greatest moments and accomplishments. This was done to cap off the show's first year on the air.
Two succeeding Big Reunions were held. The first was on June 9, 2008, wherein the housemates of the second Teen Edition, special housemates, and their Guardian took part. The second was on February 14, 2010, this time involving the Double Up housemates. Unlike the first Big Reunion, the gatherings only involved the housemates of each of the two seasons mentioned.
On June 27, 2010, another reunion special called High Five: The Big Five Years of Pinoy Big Brother gathered the Clash 2010 Big Six together with several notable housemates from editions past, many from the final group of their season, celebrate the memorable moments from the less than five years of the franchise.
Pinoy Big Brother Über
This is the show's late afternoon edition (as opposed to the primetime edition). Hosted by Mariel Rodriguez; and often Bianca Gonzalez, this is also the show's interactive portion wherein viewers can participate. The show was originally created as a replacement for UpLate as the show's main offshoot; the two programs would later become the show's co-main offshoots on the third regular season. For Teen Clash 2010, ex-Housemate Tricia Santos was made as a special guest co-host for one week.Controversy and criticisms
On its first week alone, the show was already given a stern warning by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), the Philippine censoringCensorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
body for cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, saying that the show airs content that is definitely not suitable for children, such as talk on contraceptives and very "intimate scenes". ABS-CBN is reported to have acknowledged this and had promised to make an "improved" show more suitable for younger audiences in the coming weeks. As a result, as scenes like these are unavoidable at times without interference, each episode begins with a warning reminding viewers that some scenes in the show that are not suitable for young audiences.
In spite of this, though, the scenes that were deemed to be way beyond the parental guidance rating given by the Board were still shown. In this light, MTRCB ordered the program suspended for one episode. As compliance, the program was not aired on September 25, 2005, the day after the 2nd eviction night.
- See: MTRCB's suspension order:
Columnist Nestor U. Torre of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
has also given a doubtful but optimistic
Optimism
The Oxford English Dictionary defines optimism as having "hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favourable or hopeful view." The word is originally derived from the Latin optimum, meaning "best." Being optimistic, in the typical sense...
stance on the show, saying that while the scenes are chaotic and challenges in the first week were way too mundane and cheesy, he is hopeful that more compelling tasks would be given to the housemates in the future and the housemates' personalities will become clearly defined.
However, Torre wrote in a later article that in the first week alone, the show emphasizes more on creating controversy (such as sex) rather than exploiting the potential psychological
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
factors and showcasing human nature.
Despite this negative publicity
Publicity
Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject. The subjects of publicity include people , goods and services, organizations of all kinds, and works of art or entertainment.From a marketing perspective, publicity is one component of promotion which is one...
, ABS-CBN itself has reported that the show is so well liked that it extended its run to all seven days a week. In fact, not only its on-air talents have defended it, but viewers themselves (as shown on ABS-CBN programs) can attest to it. It also inspired the creation of fansites.
Later in the second season, film director Jose Javier Reyes
José Javier Reyes
Jose Javier Reyes is a Filipino writer, director, miscellaneous crew and actor. He has won awards at the Gawad Urian, Metro Manila Film Festival and Filipino Star Awards for Movies for his films, which include Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga, Batang PX and Kasal, kasali, kasalo.-References:...
, who previously sat in as one of the jurors in ABS-CBN and Endemol co-produced reality show Pinoy Dream Academy
Pinoy Dream Academy
Pinoy Dream Academy is the Philippine version of Endemol's Operación Triunfo . The format is similar to Big Brother, where a set number of finalists would live inside the Academy for four months and will be trained by guest teachers to be multimedia performers...
, lambasted the program, stating the show wanted to bring "everyone who had a face and a body." Reyes added that the program was a boot camp for Philippines' Next Top Model
Philippines' Next Top Model
Philippines’ Next Top Model was a Filipino reality competition broadcast by the Radio Philippines Network where a number of women competed for the title of the country's "next top model". The series was a local version of America's Next Top Model...
, had disturbing behavior from certain housemates, and describing the challenges as "meaningless." He concluded that the whole ordeal was an audition for a new Star Cinema
Star Cinema
ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. , is the wholly owned film production subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corporation. It is the Philippines' largest film production, producing most of the highest grossing films in the Philippines.-1994:...
(ABS-CBN's movie production company) or for an episode of ABS-CBN's drama Maalaala Mo Kaya
Maalaala Mo Kaya
Maalaala Mo Kaya is a Philippine drama anthology series broadcast on ABS-CBN every Saturday evening and being hosted by Charo Santos-Concio. Currently, it became the longest-running drama anthology on Philippine television and on Asia...
.
In reaction, the show's director, Laurenti Dyogi, defended the program by giving clarifications on certain issues presented by Reyes, especially the fact that housemates actually learn something, citing Nel Rapiz's atonement of not urinating in a public place again. But Dyogi admitted that there is no way please all of them, especially on their sensibilities. In fact, Dyogi divulged that Reyes already told ABS-CBN about his article even before it was published.
Other criticisms against the show, such as allegations of voyeurism and proliferation of vices, are also common in other versions of the Big Brother franchise.
Theme song conflict
- See also: Orange and Lemons
There have been allegations saying that the melody of "Pinoy Ako" (included in the album with the same name) has been plagiarized
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
from the song "Chandeliers" by 80s British band Care
Care (band)
Care were a New Wave band formed by Paul Simpson and Ian Broudie in 1983 in Liverpool, England.-History:Paul Simpson is the vocalist of The Wild Swans, whose songs include the 1981 single "The Revolutionary Spirit". Simpson has said that the Care single "Whatever Possessed You" was originally...
. Orange and Lemons
Orange and Lemons
Orange and Lemons was a Filipino pop rock band formed in 1999. The band name "Oranges and Lemons" was initially recommended by a former member of the group. Apparently the band was not aware at that time that the name was actually derived from a British nursery rhyme and a title of an album by the...
and the song's composer Jonathan Manalo claim that while Orange and Lemons may have been influenced by British rock
British rock
British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by The Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the...
, they stressed that the two songs are completely different from each other and assured that Pinoy Ako is a completely original one.
However, musical correspondent Giselle Roque (who has connections to Care) claims in a separate article that Orange and Lemons and Manalo were "pressured" to come up with a theme song for the show within a week, hence the creation of "Pinoy Ako" which is very similar to "Chandeliers."
BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
Music that owns the rights to Care
Care (band)
Care were a New Wave band formed by Paul Simpson and Ian Broudie in 1983 in Liverpool, England.-History:Paul Simpson is the vocalist of The Wild Swans, whose songs include the 1981 single "The Revolutionary Spirit". Simpson has said that the Care single "Whatever Possessed You" was originally...
's "Diamonds And Emeralds" album from which "Chandeliers" came from is yet to issue a statement or take legal actions if it so warrants.
Casting allegations
There are also rumors circulating through e-mail claiming that Uma Khouny, Cassandra Ponti, and Sam Milby were just hired by Pinoy Big Brother and did not audition for it at all. To prove these rumors wrong, the show actually aired some footage to show that the three indeed auditioned for the show. Although Uma and Cass made it to the final four (or "Big 4" as they were called), they ended up as also-rans. As for the Youth Alliance of the Philippines, the group that is said to author the original e-mail, its existence is still being determined.Labor violations
A Philippine Daily Inquirer article published in early 2006 said that both Uma Barum Khouny and Sam Milby were reportedly fined by the Department of Labor and Employment for failing to get an Alien Employment Permit, a special permit permitting non-resident foreigners to work in the Philippines, before actually participating in the show. Uma and Sam (Israeli and American nationals, respectively) were reportedly fined (ten thousand Philippine pesoPhilippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
s for Uma and forty thousand pesos for Sam) each for failing to get permits. However, the article said that Uma applied for his permit after the end of the first season.
'15 Minutes of Fame'
Many have criticized ABS-CBN for giving all the Big Brother housemates management contracts and television projects, even before exiting the Big Brother house. This is without auditioning or the standard workshops in which ABS-CBN talents must go through to obtain said projects and contracts. Since the debut of "Pinoy Big Brother," many of ABS-CBN's programs have featured former Big Brother contestants in roles, denying the chance for the dozens of ABS-CBN's existing talents from attaining television projects. Many of the Big Brother contestants have proved to be unexperienced; however, ABS-CBN insists on its plan to flood the airwaves with Big Brother contestants taking part in almost all ABS-CBN programs.Censorship issues
In a March 22 memorandum, the movie-TV board took the network to task for airing the "naughty actuations" of a female housemate later identified as Dionne Monsanto of Cebu by MTRCB chair Ma. Consoliza P. Laguardia. According to Laguardia, Dionne "inserted her hands in the underwear" of Zeke Dimaguila of in the March 20 episode. In the same memo, the network's representatives were invited to a meeting on March 27 at the board's office in Quezon City. As a result of the hearing, Laurenti M. Dyogi, PBB director and ABS-CBN business unit head, wrote a letter to Laguardia. In the letter dated March 27, Dyogi stated that the network would issue an apology to viewers who may have been offended by Dionne's behavior. As promised, show host Toni Gonzaga said sorry on PBB's March 27 episode. Laguardia also expressed satisfaction that the camera is no longer focusing on Dionne. In his March 27 letter, Dyogi assured Laguardia that PBB would avoid giving exposure to Dionne. Dyogi also promised that the show would check the behavior of Dionne, through a reprimand and a directive from Big Brother. Dionne was also prohibited from having any interaction with Zeke from March 28 to March 31. Dyogi's letter said, "Big Brother would also remind all housemates to conduct themselves properly while they are in the house."Vote manipulation
On days after Nel Rapiz's eviction from the House on June 23, 2007 during the second season, an anonymous e-mail coming from an "MA Masscom graduate" who claimed to work for the show as a "conceptualizer" and is said to be involved in the voting procedure divulged that on the night in question, Wendy Valdez was in fact the lowest vote-earner, but she was not evicted because "administrators" wanted her relationship with Bruce Quebral "to give it one last shot." The e-mail also mentioned that the author is said to be part of the screening process and the existence of "talent auditors" in the show and it has already drawn the fates of each housemate.In response, the management and staff of the show clarified that the allegations are pure fabrication. The management said that no conceptualizers and talent auditors exist in the show since the show's concept is already created in the Netherlands, where the franchise originated. Furthermore, no conceptualizer was involved in the screening process, which selected the Top 30 auditioners to be screened for the show (not the Top 100 as the e-mail claimed). Furthermore, the entire tabulation of votes was done electronically and it is closely monitored by a third-party accounting firm since the start of the open voting, the results of which are totally unpredictable. In fact, according to management of the program, Nel and Bruce were really the lowest vote earners and the trend did not change when Bruce was evicted three days after Nel. Furthermore, the e-mail referred to Director Laurenti Dyogi, business head of the program, as "Direk Dyogi," not "Direk Lauren" or "LMD," as those who are involved in the show call him. This makes clear that the author of the e-mail was not even a part of the show (or even ABS-CBN for that matter) as he or she had claimed.
While these rumors and criticisms persisted, Wendy eventually reached the final four which further sparked speculations of conspiracy and put final voting results questionable. Consequently, she did not win the second season, ending up in third place instead.