When the Cheshire emerges...

Photo: bigbrother.com.au

I had intended to write an entry on the final three, but I've been a bit behind the eight-ball this week with my television - I only watched the Big Brother finale this morning after a self-imposed social media blackout.

And HOW GOOD was the result?! Out of the three, I think Australia got the order right. And Tim was the perfect player of this game, perhaps more open in that than anyone else we've seen.

Photo: bigbrother.com.au

While fast-forwarding through the three-hour broadcast makes you realise just how much they draw the announcement out, we get a great reflection of the season that was.

I wrote this time last year about how great the 2012 season was, but when you get a season that is just as good it becomes lost on you. The 2013 selection of housemates was not just interesting, but the continued twists kept them on their toes and it made for fantastic television.

And the relationships were some of the most intense yet.

Photo: news.com.au

Well, Tully and Drew's was the biggest. She cheated on national TV, he admitted to love. It was more than Ed could manage, although he changed his original plans to 'just have fun' to 'OK, Jade's persistent so I'll go with it' - so he gets some credit, right?

This series, while I wasn't in it, was the result of a good selection of people, that had interesting conflicts. Although news on the outside that it might be rigged has annoyed me a bit today. On wondering why Justynn wasn't at the finale, it's revealed he wasn't invited. And then I find out he's a part-time actor...

Oh and speaking of, I was reminded that Tim was the Rihanna plane streaker. So this year we've had an aspiring actress/model, a race car driver's boyfriend, former AFL player and well. It's been a bit of a B-grade special hasn't it?

***

I'm sad it's over for another year though. Maybe next year I'll give it a go. It looks like they have so much fun.

Photo: bigbrother.com.au

And PS: Sonia Kruger was in possibly her best dress for the year for the finale. Stunning.

WOW.

I've been watching Big Brother tonight in slight disbelief.

It's that time of year ALREADY. It's back. For season number 10 if you can believe it.

Last year's return of the best reality TV show around (sorry, I don't care for singing contests, that's not a social experiment) came off pretty brilliantly. I'd considered going for it but decided not to, and by the end of the season was so impressed I thought 2013 could be my year.

I did actually apply this year FYI, with a video audition because I live far enough from Sydney that I'm allowed to. In hindsight, I think I would have looked more reserved, and as a result didn't have that, ahem, x-factor.

***

This year's contestants really seem like a mixed bunch, different to usual. Ed's the hottie (and Adelaide born, woo!), Tim is going to rub everybody up the wrong way, I think Sharon's going to be a cooler 'older' person than previous counterparts, and this gay Ben is just so cuddly cute.

I can't believe how excited I was before on remembering Big Brother started tonight. It's going to be another three months of obsessing over people and their reactions to changes in their constrained environment.

I can't wait to see how it unfolds.

As the Big Brother winner for 2012 was announced last night, I apparently upset a fair amount of people on Central Standard Time by briefly sharing my happiness on Facebook. Unbeknownst to me - as Dubbo, like Adelaide, regularly gets the show on a half-hour delay - we actually got the result live, whereas they unfortunately did not.

As far as I'm aware it's my first boo-boo since being on NSW time, resulting from my incorrect logic. I've made my apology, but this episode (no pun intended) brings a timely reminder that there's one simple rule to follow: if you don't want to know, don't log on.

Living in a non-live time zone's hard in the days of mass social media. It's not like I haven't done it, and like most I've had my monumental stuff ups.

A particularly big one was finding out the Eurovision winner in 2009 (I think, or 2008) the hard way just before going to my friend's to watch the delayed final. Now, for those outside Europe, avoiding the result every year is REALLY HARD. A total media blackout for an entire day is usually required, but it can be done. Disappointingly in 2009, I found out not through the TV or radio reports, or even Facebook (because it most certainly would've been discussed there), but Google. Google is not even safe.

But ultimately, it was my fault for turning the computer on.

***

I wrote at the beginning of the season about my thoughts of the return of the series as well as the housemates in contention for the crown. I hadn't warmed to anyone then, and while I really liked the group as a whole entity I don't think I ever did cement a favourite in my mind. But the season was fantastic for a number of reasons, namely a rollercoaster of emotional drama, inventive tasks, and a back-to-basics approach.

In the end, I'm impressed that Benjamin won. Why? Well yes, he was a bit of a bully and a lot of people hated that. But he didn't try and hide his dislike of people all that much, and the girls weren't exactly perfect. Layla dumped George to go with Sam (debate for or against that all you like), while Estelle ended up kissing three of the guys: Bradley (to help him out yes, but still, there was an almost romance there), Ryan and finally Michael. So you could judge and point fingers at all of them about something really.

Benjamin had different sides to him that made for very good television. And that's what it comes down to really. He was excellent at dishing out constructive advice, good at taking on challenges in a number of questionable outfits and OK, a bit of a gossip. Does it matter that he's gay? Yes, on the point that in a country not officially accepting of gay marriage we were acceptant of his personality and preferences.

The Big Brother finale was very well programmed; impressive from Nine. I look forward to watching again in 2013 - oh hang on, no, I plan to try and be ON THERE... The show was fun, and not without a huge surprise from the winner to his partner. For me it was a huge deal - it was a marked statement not seen before on Australian television before; a defiant stance that marriage is not a dirty word.

At least I left that for everyone to discover themselves.

So with Channel Nine bombarding us with ads for their new program schedule during the Olympics, my interest was taken. Although half have started, I thought I'd weigh in on how they might fare.

Big Brother

Well you all know where I stand with the return of the reality TV king, returning for the first series since I came of age. I don't think Nine have great production value overall but so far it's looking OK.

Underbelly: Badness



This has started already - and while I was excited for a new Underbelly series and also to see how Jonathan LaPaglia would fare as a bad-ass, I've decided to give it a miss. Just have too much going on right now. Plus LaPaglia doesn't look great on the ads (purely because of his character) - if I want to watch him I might as well watch The Slap again where he looked reeeeeally good.

Anger Management



Not a fan of Charlie Sheen or a watcher of Two and a Half Men, but really appreciated the first teaser ad where he took the mickey out of himself. He DID make the channel what it is (whatever that means for Nine), and he's clearly not losing (so that means he's wi..., geddit?) if he's back being paid a shitload for every episode of this show. I won't be watching.

House Husbands



I wouldn't mind giving this one a look actually, it sounds like a good concept. Great Australian cast and something of a dramedy that's making me think of the dads in What To Expect When You're Expecting.

Dallas



This is the one that intrigues me the most. I thought it was in vein of the remakes of 90210 and Melrose Place where they've just rehashed the same characters and stories. This will no doubt rehash some things too, but it's a continuation to focus on the descendants. I like that idea, and I like that Jesse Metcalfe's in it (the other guy's creepy looking, if he's not the really evil one that would weird a lot of people out).

I latched onto the other big event of the early 80s, Dynasty, for a time but never got onto the episodes of old from JR and the gang. I know about the whole 'who shot JR?' thing and how HUGE that was, and it turns out my parents were big fans and fully into it when that went down. Hilarious. Very curious to see how it'll rate, whether people will tune in to see where it goes.

***

Have you seen the American offerings in advance? Will you be watching or leaving Nine in the dumps?

I was meant to make the trip to Penrith in Sydney's outer west yesterday which from Dubbo is about five hours away.

I was planning to present myself with a filled-out application form for Big Brother auditions.

But as I'm talking in a negative tense, I didn't go.

Excited to hear Big Brother Australia was coming back from a significant hiatus (although on a different channel with a host many aren't happy about), it was finally my chance to be eligible.

But filling out the form, I didn't feel as positive about the idea as I thought I would. I'm stable in life and live in a much smaller place where the repurcussions would be more sorely felt. Not that I would do anything really stupid, but people easily create rumours and negative innuendo and my work would be affected. And I really didn't want to miss out on my soccer game if I was doing it half-heartedly.

The perfect years for me to apply were those it had left Australian screens.

I was a bit disappointed because I've always wanted to go on this show over anything else on TV. I consider the concept the ultimate social experiment and I think I'd be an amazing BB contestant. At least, I've told I would be.

I will watch this year's season with interest to see how differently it's handled. I'm more comfortable going into this with a bit more wisdom and confidence under my belt, if I ever decide to get to an audition.