I never thought I'd find myself launching a thread with that title!

I hate Big Brother with a vengeance. I've never watched more than a few minutes of any of the series, because to me it's something so utterly banal and life-sapping. Last year the show seemed to have died a death, but Channel Four reanimated it this year. It doesn't look like they'll keep life support for it beyond series 11 next year, if that. Viewing figures for the 2009 series seem to be falling off quicker than the proverbial lemmings over a cliff.

In fact, I had wondered at the lack of news about BB seeping into the other media outlets. Normally, even the Beeb would report on evictions and scandal. I don't read any red-top papers, so I don't know if they've given it any coverage. You'd be hard put to even remember the show is running, to be honest.

So, who here is actually following the activity in the Big Brother House this time round?

Can't stand it. Watched about half an hour of the first series, never come back.

Apart from the odd few seconds when channel flipping, to see if there is anything on, I haven't seen any of the current, German, series.

That said, I don't watch any of the similar stuff, such as Germany's Next Top Model, DSDS etc.

I watched the first few series but this one I watched about 10 mins of the first show to see the freak show contestants and that's it.

I haven't heard or seen anything about it since then.

Good god no.

I'm with them ^^

I watched the first series when it was more "experimentation" and les "C-lebrity creation" but haven't watched any since then. Now I'm happy not to own a tv 'cos there's so much of this cr@p on nowadays.

Right. Come on. Own up. Who voted that they're following avidly?

If you're ashamed to admit it, fair enough, but I want excuses dammit!

Had to force myself into it this year, but it's paying off now, really starting to enjoy it. They're always dicks when they go in, you have to give it a while before it becomes watchable. This is the first I've watched for two or three.

I do think Channel 4 are trying to kill it off though, they're not giving them anything to do in the house and ever since 'Fight night' a few years ago, they don't give them decent amounts of alcohol, so for the housemates it's very, very dull at the moment. I'm quite enjoying the way they're coping with it, but it's not exactly easy watching.

It was me, and I'm not ashamed to admit it!

I appreciate your explanation. I want to get some kind of balanced view of whether BB is past its prime or not.

The blogosphere seems to be inclined toward the view that it's definitely past its sell by date. It just struck me this morning that I haven't been aware of the inmates at all this series, whereas even last year I'd become aware of some of the characters by a kind of osmosis, drip-fed stories into the news media on a regular basis.

I don't tend to follow daily newspapers or watch the news, so I don't really hear about the housemates outside of the show. I didn't watch at all last year, and had and still have no idea who a single one of them is/was.

I watched near-as-damnit every single ep of the first few seasons. Then when the focus become less and less on the psychology (the reason I was interested in the first place) and more and more on the sensationalism and idiotic behaviour, I watched less and less until about 4yrs ago when I made a concious decision not to watch at all. I have not returned since and feel better for it.

The concept is still sound and if it were handled as the social experiment and centre of debate that it originally was, I would probably dip in occasionally. But I simply feel that is unlikely and it is just another tool to make people stupid.

I like BB and I pretty much always have.

However, they do this thing that I just hate. After a few weeks they introduce new housemates. I hate it when they do that and usually at that point I stop watching.

I will perhaps "dip in" from time to time but an influx of new characters into the plot just kills it for me.

CC

I agree with you there. It upsets the whole dynamic, which is why they do it, but I don't like it either.

Where's the "I'd rather smash my TV with an axe than watch Big Brother" option?

While channel hopping in the wee small hours in work, I have come across Big Brother and they have always been doing one of two things that are equally exciting- sleeping or talking with no sound (I guess because they are saying controversial things )

Thankfully, I seem to have avoided it so well this time around that I keep forgetting that it is on. As I don't buy any of the tabloid newspapers that follow BB, I am doubly lucky.

Where's the "I have NEVER watched Big Brother" option? I could choose the "not watched this series" option, but that would sway the vote towards a suggestion that I have watched it in the past.