Pinoy Big Brother
(ABS-CBN) |
Channel: ABS-CBN
Genre: Reality TV/Talent Search
Started: February 25, 2007 (2nd season)
Status: Running
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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 100 days (extended to another
12 days for the first season due to inefficient
scheduling of nomination and eviction of housemates
in the first week). 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) 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, 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 worth six million pesos
(approx. $111,000) all-in-all, including the one-million
peso cash prize (about $18,000), a house and lot
of his/her own, a Nissan Frontier, an entertainment
component system, a Yamaha motorcycle, and a livelihood
showcase just for the first season alone. The second
season adds an overseas tour package to the list
of prizes.
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."
The first series started with a grand entrance
party on August 21, 2005, with the first primetime
episode airing the next night. The finale was held
December 10 of the same year, 111 days after. The
second series has begun its run on February 25,
2007, and is scheduled to run for 126 days, two
weeks longer than the first season.
Television host and comedian Willie Revillame hosted
the show, together with TV personalities Toni Gonzaga
and Mariel Rodriguez. Toni hosts the primetime telecast
which chronicles the events of the day before (unless
an episode is telecast live). Mariel, on the other
hand, hosts the late night edition called Pinoy
Big Brother: Up Late, which updates anything viewers
missed in the primetime telecast, as well as what
to look forward in the next one. Willie hosts the
live telecast of the eviction and the public revelation
of the nomination for evictees.
Asia Agcaoili spearheaded the show for the viewers
of Studio 23. Her show, called Pinoy Big Brother:
Si Kuya, KaBarkada Mo (English: Pinoy Big Brother:
Eldest Brother Is Your Buddy), 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).
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. 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 housemate of the Celebrity Edition)
took over Mariel Rodriguez for the Teen Edition
Update and UpLate, while the latter became the main
host, replacing Toni Gonzaga. 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.
The House
The house is actually located in front of the ABS-CBN
studios in Quezon City. The clips, therefore, that
show the housemates boarding vehicles to go to the
ABS-CBN studios for interviews while not technically
evicted are a hoax.
The 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.
It is designed with walls painted with pastel colors.
It also has a garden and swimming pool. It also
boasts 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 show any video Big Brother wants to show to
any or all housemates, especially that of the TV
mass every Sunday (contrary to reports early in
the first season that a priest would visit them;
later on, a priest unseen by viewers visits them),
and
To announce the names of nominees for eviction directly
to the housemates and the person evicted from the
house. (The housemates see either host Willie Revillame
(prior to the Teen Edition) Mariel Rodriguez or
Toni Gonzaga (prior to the Teen Edition) Bianca
Gonzalez talk to them during nomination and eviction
nights.)
To complete the set up, 26 surveillance cameras
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-story
house. But anybody who passes by it can easily notice
that its facade is that of a two-story house. That
is because the second story houses parts of the
control room. The actual front doors to the house
area are actually further inside.
[ SYNOPSES
]
Pinoy Big Brother Season 1
Pinoy Big Brother Season
1 |
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The twelve original housemates were briefly introduced
in Ang Bahay ni Kuya, being asked by Toni and Mariel
to accept the key to the house and pack up. Their
faces were pixelized and they were only known by
their first names. They were formally introduced
with their faces and real names, as well as their
pasts, at the Grand Entrance Party called Ang Party
ni Kuya, held on August 21, 2005.
According to ABS-CBN, all of the housemates were
chosen from 25,000 people who auditioned in Metro
Manila, Cebu, and Davao. However, there were allegations
that some of the housemates did not audition at
all and were chosen by the ABS-CBN management. These
rumors circulating through e-mail claimed that Uma,
Cass, and Sam 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.
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.
Season 1 housemates
Season 1 Big Winner Nene
Tamayo |
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Winner: Nene Tamayo
Other Big 4: Jason Gainza, Cass Ponti, Uma Khouny
Others: Say Alonzo, Franzen Fajardo, Jenny Suico,
Sam Milby, Chx Alcala, Bob dela Cruz, Racquel Reyes,
JB Magsaysay and Rico Barrera
Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition
Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity
Edition |
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The first celebrity edition of Pinoy Big Brother,
entitled Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition is
a special edition of the original show. Its first
edition officially began on February 5, 2006 and
ran for 56 days (up to April 1, 2006), this new
edition auditions Filipino celebrities from different
fields such as those from movie and television,
sports figures, notable personalities, and professional
models. The prizes at stake cost three million Philippine
pesos, which includes a million pesos for the winning
housemate, another million for the winner's chosen
charity, and another million for the charity of
Big Brother's choice. Aside from the cash prizes,
a condominium unit in Valenzuela City is also at
stake.
The Big Brother house that is used on this edition
is the same as the house used on the first season,
although there were some changes in the house's
interior.
The show began with a welcome party along Manila
Bay. They were transported by yacht before the chosen
housemates was formally introduced and were taken
to the Big Brother House. It was supposed to be
held on February 4, 2006, but because of the stampede
that occurred on another ABS-CBN show earlier that
day, it was rescheduled to the following night (February
5) by the network. To commemorate this, a prayer
which is lead by Jesuit priest Fr. Tito Caluag,
S.J., a minute of silence and a performance of "You
Raise Me Up" were done before the show started.
Furthermore, Myx VJ Luis Manzano played pinch hitter
for Willie Revillame, who was at the time still
devastated by the said stampede (he was also the
host of the said program).
Furthermore, host Toni Gonzaga becomes the main
host for the nomination and eviction nights, a job
that she played in the first season as a substitute
for Revillame.
Talk show host Boy Abunda hosted the Big Debate,
a debate show which celebrity supporters of the
four housemates. The debate was held two nights
before the Big Night.
The edition uses a different theme song, entitled
Sikat Ang Pinoy (Filipinos Are Famous) by Sam Milby
and Toni Gonzaga, although the original theme song
Pinoy Ako is occasionally used.
House interior theme
Initially, the concept of the Big Brother House
for the celebrity edition is going back to basics.
On the first day the Big Brother House initially
has no furniture or appliances (save for the plasma
TV and refrigerators). This was also seen in Big
Brother Bulgaria Season 2. Another concept in this
edition is getting away of one's comfort zone, forcing
the housemates to use a stick for brushing their
teeth, clay jars and an outdoor kitchen for cooking,
bare hands for eating, and a water pump for potable
water. All pieces of furniture provided to them
were even made of bamboo.
After two weeks, Big Brother lifted the "Back
to Basics" concept after seeing the housemates
adapting to the said lifestyle, despite difficulties.
The so-called "Forbidden Room," a pink-walled
room with beds and mattresses reserved only for
eviction nominees, became the ladies' bedroom, while
the bamboo beds in the eventual men's bedroom were
suddenly covered with mattresses. Earlier, they
were provided with a microwave oven, an electric
stove, utensils, and some toothbrushes and were
allowed to use the swimming pool at any time, as
well as wearing footwear indoors. Later, sofas (and
a center table) replaced the bamboo benches in the
living room.
Celebrity housemates
Below are the housemates who are introduced in the
Grand Welcome Party. Rather than twelve in the original
edition, fourteen were chosen for this edition and
are listed below in order of introduction. Days
before the Grand Welcome Party, only their feet
were shown. However, in the morning of the Grand
Welcome Party's new date, the Philippine Star prematurely
published a full-page advertisement showing the
new housemates in full view.
Although not all of the following are popular,
they are all celebrities in their own fields and
in their own right.
Rudy Fernandez (triathlete/leg-amputee; not to
be confused with the actor of the same name)
Bianca Gonzalez (TV host/model)
Angela Calina (TV host/news reporter)
John Prats (actor/dancer)
Rico Robles (radio personality)
Roxanne Barcelo (singer-actress)
Christian Vasquez (actor/model)
Budoy Marabiles (reggae musician/songwriter)
Mich Dulce (fashion designer)
Zanjoe Marudo (commercial model)
Gretchen Malalad (karateka; 2005 SEA Games gold
medalist/Air Force Airwoman 2nd Class)
Aleck Bovick (actress)
Keanna Reeves (starlet)
Rustom Padilla (actor)
The four remaining housemates (Keanna, John, Bianca,
Zanjoe), were wearing blindfolds and headphones,
were taken to Manila Post Office from the Big Brother
house in Quezon City by a limousine. They were then
sequestered in a secret location before the actual
live final.
The finale, so called Big Night was held on April
1, 2006 at the Philippine Post Office Building on
Lawton, Manila. In the final tally, Keanna Reeves
was declared the Big Winner, garnering 44.2% of
the vote (571,607 votes). John Prats came in second
with 28.8% (372,198 votes), Bianca Gonzalez in third
with 19% (245,594 votes), while Zanjoe Marudo exited
first (and therefore came in last) with 8% (103,422
votes).
Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition
Pinoy Big Brother Teen
Edition |
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Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition was the edition
of Pinoy Big Brother for adolescents 16 to 18 years
old shown on the ABS-CBN network. It began on April
23, 2006, three weeks after the end of the Celebrity
Edition. It ran for six weeks (42 days) and closely
resembled the original show, unlike the relatively
short Teen Big Brother, its British counterpart.
The prizes included a condominium unit in Valenzuela
City, a livelihood showcase, one million pesos,
and an all-expense paid trip to any Philippine destination.
During the last few days of the above-mentioned
Celebrity Edition, auditions in Cebu City, Davao
City, and Metro Manila were announced, and 30,000
teenagers answered the audition call. Of these,
twelve housemates were selected: eight represented
the Luzon area (all from the Metro Manila auditions)
while four came from the Visayas (Cebu auditions)
and Mindanao (Davao auditions).
Mariel Rodriguez took over as main host of the
primetime edition, while former Celebrity Edition
contestant Bianca Gonzalez hosted the UpLate edition
of the show.
The theme song for this new edition was "Kabataang
Pinoy" (Filipino Youth) by Itchyworms, which
contained a familiar line from the original theme
song "Pinoy Ako". The new theme song was
first performed by the band during the Celebrity
Edition's finale on April 1, 2006.
For this edition, the house was redecorated with
a pop art theme. The colours of the walls were changed,
and even the living area had a mural with pop art
depictions of Mao Zedong, Bruce Lee, and Marilyn
Monroe, to name a few. The housemates were also
provided with a foosball table and some trampolines.
Also, for one week, traffic lights and road signs
were installed to teach the young housemates about
helping their country in little ways by obeying
traffic rules.
The twelve original housemates were introduced
in the grand welcome party on April 23, 2006 near
the facade of the Pinoy Big Brother house. They
were transported through motorbikes before they
were introduced onstage and were sent to enter the
house. Initially, some of the housemates introduced
themselves with their surnames, while most of them
were only known by their nicknames. The surnames
were revealed two days later in an article published
in the Philippine Star.
Teen Edition Big Winnner
Kim Chiu |
|
On June 3, 2006 at the Aliw Theater in Pasay City,
Kim Chiu was crowned the runaway winner of the first
Teen Edition, garnering 41.4% (or about 600,000)
of the final votes casted since Day 29. Mikee Lee
came in second with 20.7%, while Gerald Anderson
in third with 19.4%. Clare Cabiguin was the first
to come out among the final four, garnering 18.5%.
A record 1,512,218 votes were cast in the Big Night.
The Big Night was entitled A Fairy Tale Finale,
therefore all the sets and costumes were fairy tale
related. The final four were also addressed as princes
and princesses.
The finale also marked Toni Gonzaga's return to
the show as host.
Teen Edition housemates
Winner: Kim Chiu
Other Big 4: Mikee Lee, Gerald Anderson and Clare
Cabiguin
Others: Jamilla Obispo, Brenda Fox, Matt Evans,
Olyn Membian, Fred Pawayan, Joaqui Mendoza, Niña
Jose, Bam Romana, Mikki Arceo, and Aldred Gatchalian
Pinoy Big Brother Season 2
Pinoy Big Brother Season
2 |
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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 started airing on February 25 (originally
scheduled for March), 2007. These same auditions
were also held for another reality show, Pinoy Dream
Academy, also a franchise from Endemol. The new
season of Pinoy Big Brother promises a bigger house,
more housemates (fourteen to be exact), and a stricter
Big Brother.
A billboard advertising the second season.The "bigger
house" concept stems from the fact that the
house area was expanded and used in Pinoy Dream
Academy. The house has been expanded with larger
living and dining areas, larger bedrooms, separate
restrooms, and more. The number of cameras have
been increased from 27 to 42 and the front doors
of the house have been moved from the facade to
the eviction hall built next door (the auditorium
previously used in Pinoy Dream Academy).
Pinoy Ako has also been rehashed, this time sung
by the band CeBaLo (Yvan Lambatan, Panky Trinidad,
Eman Abatayo, and Davey Langit of Pinoy Dream Academy).
House Concept
The concept of the house developed into a pop-art
scheme, with a predominantly lime green living area
with pastel colors. It is also equipped with 42
cameras and 42 overhead microphones.
The bedrooms for the men are now linear while those
for the women is circular. Rocking chairs and other
furniture have also been added, as well as gym equipment,
a large bathroom with showers and a jacuzzi, separate
restrooms for the men and women, a separate prayer
room, and a bridge over the swimming pool. The now-tangarine
confession room is now expanded with the door leading
to it resembling the door leading to the diary room
in the British Big Brother house. Furthermore, the
front doors to the house are now located at the
garden, leading to the eviction hall next door (the
auditorium previously used in Pinoy Dream Academy).
There is also two secret areas in the house. One
is separated from the garden by a gate. That room
is filled with sand, bamboo furniture, and an area
for bathing and urination. There is another secret
room where the secret housemates stay for the rest
of the day. It has equally colorful walls and furniture,
tables, chairs, and a monitor which serves the same
purpose as the one in the main House area. This
colorful second secret room's location is unknown
because it is only accessed through the House's
restricted areas (those used by the crew).
The interiors of the various rooms is designed
by students from the Philippine School of Interior
Design. The revamped larger layout of the House
is attributed to the fact that the original house
area was previously used as the Academy living quarters
in Pinoy Dream Academy and is again renovated for
the second season.
Season 2 housemates
Wendy Valdez, Nel Rapiz, Saicy Aguila, Gee-Ann
Abrahan, Mickey Perz, Robert Woods, Beatriz Saw,
Kian Kazemi, Bruce Quebral, Dionne Monsanto, Bodie
Cruz, Maricis Dizon, Ezekiel Dimaguila, Jasmin Engracia,
Jeremy Legazpi, and Mikah Dizon.
