"But first..."

It has been nearly five years since E4 last broadcast Big Brother USA (Tuesdays/Thursdays, E4), and I remember that for a long while I thought that was a shame. At the peak of our country's BB obsession and immediately on the back of the creation of the monster Jade Goody, we got a glimpse at how things were done in the USA. Less of a sociological experiment and more of an out-and-out game show, we saw people openly (and viciously) scheming for success in a manner far more brazen than our tightly-buttoned English sensibilities would allow. Encouraging open alliances, hidden agendas, constant manipulation and personal betrayals, it was cut-throat in a way we'd never seen, and actually sought to reward the person who could behave most abominably. It was a massive culture shock. It was fun, certainly, but with the start of this new series I'm starting to think it was mainly the novelty of it that made it so.

"It's only a game show..."

With a Gump-esque combination of idiocy and perspective, this oft-repeated refrain from BB1 highlights the major difference between our BB and the US version. Our BB contestants needed a song to remind themselves that not only were they on a game show, but that it was only a game show, and therefore not as important as retaining some sense of integrity to walk back into the world with. Say what you will about the decline in house-mate quality over the years or creative editing or anything like that, our BB is designed to start debate; it's a viewing experience that encourages reflection in even the most shallow viewer, and so its appeal is enduring. In the US version, from its robotic presenter to its house-mates' singular focus, that is not a concern, and so BB1's most annoying catchphrase sums that up too: in the US, at least, Big Brother is nothing more than a game show, and therefore not half as engaging as the version our nation so slavishly gathers around each summer.

I think I'm going to pass on the ChenBot & Co. this time around. I just don't know what I'd gain from watching it.