Brian Smith
2024-11-26 19:05:42 UTC
Big Brother producers address rapidly disappearing Have-Nots twist
(exclusive)
Rich Meehan and Allison Grodner address possibly altering the
longstanding element of the game.
By Dalton Ross
Published on November 13, 2024 10:30AM EST
Remember Have-Nots? Those unfortunate souls on Big Brother that would be
relegated to eating slop, taking cold showers, and sleeping in a
super-uncomfortable bed in some sort of room from hell? If you are a
longtime Big Brother fan, a Have-Not may seem like a relic from
yesteryear back when folks getting put on slop for the week was a big
point of emphasis on the show.
Introduced in season 11, the Have-Nots twist even included a special
Have/Have-Nots competition that aired every week through season 15 that
would determine who was unable to eat normal food and take hot showers.
Then, starting on season 16, the Head of Household would pick people to
be Have-Nots. Sometimes in recent seasons it would also be announced
during a Head of Household competition that the first few people out
would become Have-Nots for the week.
While a mention of Have-Nots occasionally pops up on the weekly CBS
broadcast, the entire thing has basically become something of an
afterthought and no longer plays a significant part on the reality
competition program. Why did Have-Nots stop being a point of emphasis on
the show? We asked executive producers Rich Meehan and Allison Grodner
exactly that.
“We talk about it every season,” Meehan tells Entertainment Weekly. “The
reason why we don't really service the story is that there's just so
much now in this modern era of Big Brother. There's so much going on
game-wise and strategy-wise, and in the early days it just wasn't as
active as it is today, so there was time to service that story.”
While there may not be much airtime devoted to the separation of Haves
and Have-Nots, it can still provide some classic moments, such as this
past season when Angela Murray became a Have Not and was despondent over
Brooklyn Rivera eating the charcuterie board she won while Head of
Household. “We always say, ‘Oh, do we need it?’” notes Grodner of
keeping the Have-Nots element of the game. “And then something like that
happens.”
Producers say they are open to all ideas when it comes to the Have-Nots,
and will continue to discuss possible new wrinkles or changes to the
format. “We do it when appropriate,” Meehan says. “There is something to
the Have and Have-Not nature of the house and how it makes people feel
and how it impacts the psychology of the game. So we've kept it for that
reason, even though we don't necessarily service it on the show. But we
have talked about: Is there a new take? I just don't know.”
In the end, it always comes down to choices and having to pick one thing
over the other. “Will there be time to service stories about food
currently in the way that they play the game?” Meehan wonders out loud.
“It's just so active. It's hard to find the time. I mean, we already
have a hard time being able to tell the story that exists with so much
going on for the broadcast. So that's the challenge really with it, but
we do like that it still creates things in the house that are interesting.”
Even if producers do find a way to tweak the formula and bring Have-Nots
back in a more prominent way, one thing you should not expect (even
while expecting the unexpected) is a return to the food competitions of
yesteryear, which never held the same edge-of-your-seat appeal as the
Head of Household or Veto contents. “The stakes weren't really that
high,” Meehan concedes. “And our goal is: We don't want challenges that
you just want to fast forward through. We want you to be watching the
challenge and we want it to be fun, entertaining, or funny, or whatever
it might be. That’s the goal.”
With that in mind, maybe it’s time to change the twist to
Charcuterie/Not-Charcuterie.
Source:
https://ew.com/big-brother-producers-address-disappearing-have-nots-twist-exclusive-8739176
(exclusive)
Rich Meehan and Allison Grodner address possibly altering the
longstanding element of the game.
By Dalton Ross
Published on November 13, 2024 10:30AM EST
Remember Have-Nots? Those unfortunate souls on Big Brother that would be
relegated to eating slop, taking cold showers, and sleeping in a
super-uncomfortable bed in some sort of room from hell? If you are a
longtime Big Brother fan, a Have-Not may seem like a relic from
yesteryear back when folks getting put on slop for the week was a big
point of emphasis on the show.
Introduced in season 11, the Have-Nots twist even included a special
Have/Have-Nots competition that aired every week through season 15 that
would determine who was unable to eat normal food and take hot showers.
Then, starting on season 16, the Head of Household would pick people to
be Have-Nots. Sometimes in recent seasons it would also be announced
during a Head of Household competition that the first few people out
would become Have-Nots for the week.
While a mention of Have-Nots occasionally pops up on the weekly CBS
broadcast, the entire thing has basically become something of an
afterthought and no longer plays a significant part on the reality
competition program. Why did Have-Nots stop being a point of emphasis on
the show? We asked executive producers Rich Meehan and Allison Grodner
exactly that.
“We talk about it every season,” Meehan tells Entertainment Weekly. “The
reason why we don't really service the story is that there's just so
much now in this modern era of Big Brother. There's so much going on
game-wise and strategy-wise, and in the early days it just wasn't as
active as it is today, so there was time to service that story.”
While there may not be much airtime devoted to the separation of Haves
and Have-Nots, it can still provide some classic moments, such as this
past season when Angela Murray became a Have Not and was despondent over
Brooklyn Rivera eating the charcuterie board she won while Head of
Household. “We always say, ‘Oh, do we need it?’” notes Grodner of
keeping the Have-Nots element of the game. “And then something like that
happens.”
Producers say they are open to all ideas when it comes to the Have-Nots,
and will continue to discuss possible new wrinkles or changes to the
format. “We do it when appropriate,” Meehan says. “There is something to
the Have and Have-Not nature of the house and how it makes people feel
and how it impacts the psychology of the game. So we've kept it for that
reason, even though we don't necessarily service it on the show. But we
have talked about: Is there a new take? I just don't know.”
In the end, it always comes down to choices and having to pick one thing
over the other. “Will there be time to service stories about food
currently in the way that they play the game?” Meehan wonders out loud.
“It's just so active. It's hard to find the time. I mean, we already
have a hard time being able to tell the story that exists with so much
going on for the broadcast. So that's the challenge really with it, but
we do like that it still creates things in the house that are interesting.”
Even if producers do find a way to tweak the formula and bring Have-Nots
back in a more prominent way, one thing you should not expect (even
while expecting the unexpected) is a return to the food competitions of
yesteryear, which never held the same edge-of-your-seat appeal as the
Head of Household or Veto contents. “The stakes weren't really that
high,” Meehan concedes. “And our goal is: We don't want challenges that
you just want to fast forward through. We want you to be watching the
challenge and we want it to be fun, entertaining, or funny, or whatever
it might be. That’s the goal.”
With that in mind, maybe it’s time to change the twist to
Charcuterie/Not-Charcuterie.
Source:
https://ew.com/big-brother-producers-address-disappearing-have-nots-twist-exclusive-8739176
--
Brian
Brian