This is the 20th season of Big Brother on CBS, and the show has not been renewed for Season 21.
Having been in the television news business for nearly 20 years let me explain the bottom line of how TV works: Ratings sell ads. Ads generate revenue. The higher the ratings (especially in the 18-34 year old demographic), the more money comes in. If ratings drop, ads decrease, and a show will be in trouble.
That’s the reality of reality TV. Except in the case of Big Brother, where the host was married to the top honcho, who just happened to be a big fan.
At the helm of Big Brother since the first season, way back in 2000, is Julie Chen, a former anchor of the CBS Morning News. She took the job 18 years ago, giving up her news credentials, upon the recommendation of Les Moonves, who at the time was head of CBS entertainment.
Nancy Moonves filed for divorce from her husband in 2003, after 25 years of marriage, blaming Chen for the breakup. The divorce became final in 2004, and Moonves married Chen that same year.
All of that is important because Big Brother brought Moonves and Chen together. And when he became the CEO of CBS in 2006, it locked in the show’s future for years to come.
Julie Chen-Moonves told interviewer Larry King that she and her husband have watched the show together for 17 years. It is must-see TV at the Moonves house.
When you think of Big Brother it’s impossible to separate Moonves and “Chenbot” from it. They are as attached to the show as any two people could be in this business.
But the times are a changing.
Moonves is now leaving CBS in disgrace, the victim of scandal of his own making. With that, there are serious questions of what Chenbot’s role will be now that “the boss” is gone.
To search for the answer we need to consider three things:
- How much does it cost for CBS to air Big Brother each summer?
- Are the ratings still holding strong, generating the ad revenue?
- Will the new CBS leadership consider the show antiquated and too closely associated with Moonves?
COST:
Not much of a factor for a network. Big Brother is a relatively cheap show for CBS to produce. It runs during the summer, when major shows are on break, and the salaries of staff (with the exception of Chen) do not break the bank. The half million dollar payout to the winner is chump change, considering CBS is getting a cast of 15 others for three months for relatively nothing.
RATINGS:
In the early days of Big Brother (like many reality TV shows) sponsors hated it. Reality shows have been considered lowbrow television from the start. However, Big Brother survived because it always showed strength in that coveted 18-34 age group category.
That is until recently. So far this year, the 18-34 demo for Big Brother is down on all three nights that it airs (Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday) an average of 18 percent. That’s a huge chunk of young (future) viewers gone, and a terrible sign when you look at the options for CBS next summer.
The Moonves Factor:
If you’re the new CEO of CBS looking at a show so closely associated with your disgraced predecessor, and more importantly, slumping ratings in the key demo, would you really give it the green light for another season?
The Future:
Several people I know who have worked at CBS in LA agree Chen is an incredibly loyal person who will not stick around with her husband out of the building. Don’t expect an announcement from her until after this season of Big Brother ends, but just about everyone is in agreement that her days at CBS are limited. With Chen gone, the networks opportunity to cut Big Brother is made easier.
Many have speculated that Big Brother, like American Idol, could just jump to another network. That is a possibility, with a major qualification that the 18-34 demo somehow magically return to the show on its new network. If that can’t be guaranteed, why would another network revamp it?
Maybe Gen Z is a lot less interested in the Big Brother concept. Give them something new (hello Love Island). That wouldn’t be shocking. Every show runs its course.
If that’s the case, we could be watching the closing days of a reality TV giant.