Big Brother roommates have been trapped inside the house, but this has never been more true than in season 22.
The new season of the CBS Summer Truth Series still has a dozen people living in combination in a space competing for part of a million dollars, of course, however, this is the first time roommates must be evaluated to detect something like COVID-19 before. entering, not to mention dressed in a mask while chatting with “Brother” host Julie Chen Moonves.
But when the screen shows a pandemic, masks, tests, and a distance of six feet (or more) from other people who interview him on live television, they’re the only way forward. Most of Hollywood closed its doors in March when the pandemic invaded the world, however, during the summer, some series and films resumed filming, with security measures in place. “Brother” and the season of the cbS truth series “Love Island” (leaving the island by the roof of a hotel in Las Vegas) are among them.
So, can you gather other people in space or sexy singles on the roof of a pandemic safely? So far, it turns out that the CBS series has been controlled to keep the bubbles intact without COVID. But can you still make smart TV? More or less.
Also: when ‘Ninja Warrior’, ‘Love Island’ and other truth TV contests return with COVID-19 protocols
The premieres of “Brother” and “Love” spent time reassuring the audience that everyone was safe, that they had all been screened for the virus and quarantined before passing in front of the cameras. Before entering Big Brother’s house, the roommates put on a mask to interact with Chen Moonves, who gave the impression on the set of “Brother” without the same studio audience. The “Love” bachelors each won a glass of champagne with their call (although this specific fitness protocol was questionable after the hopefuls began to kiss).
But the biggest effect of the pandemic on any of the emissions has been the way competition interacted with each other. Of course, in a dating exhibition like “Love”, hugs and caresses are expected, but the joy of the maximum of the contestants of either shows when they were able to kiss someone who was not in their immediate circle of relatives radiated from the screen. . And those are some of the most refreshing moments that real TV has given in a long time.
When “Brother”, which broadcast their first live premiere in its 20-year history, took roommates to others, spent so much time hugging and joking about others, Chen Moonves had to rebuke them for supporting the broadcast. The guys from “Love” told how lucky they were to be away with such lovely women as last year, but they also noticed that they can meet strangers and have fun when no one else can (well, no one else is meant to do that), anyway).
Not for a moment do I seek to participate in a show of truth, but seeing the islanders of “Love” dance together, drinking champagne, makeup and high heels and just being with other people, it would be a lie if I said I wasn’t just a little jealous.
The seriousness with which applicants talk about the months of quarantine makes the transition to play a little jarring and honestly boring. When business returns as usual, whether plugging in or betting social manipulation games, it’s even more hollow than the old ones. There is a possibility that the pandemic will replace the way the “Brother” game played, for example, or bring more genuine love to “the island,” but instead, the show’s manufacturers make boring options possible to watch and exit. Really. out of the doors of the truth TV as temporarily as possible.
In addition, both systems are hampered by probably unrelated artistic choices. The manufacturers of “Brother” have chosen to populate the quarantined season with all the stars (a season that “All Stars” has not positioned since 2006), however, the roommates they controlled to convince them to return are a bit boring. Making the season premiere live might have seemed like a smart concept for taking notes, but it was too transparent how much the display of truth depended on a professional montage to create rhythm and history. (The show’s mythical competitions in genuine time are suddenly boring. Who would know?)
“Love” bored in its first season 2019 when they arrived on an island, and has the same unrest in Las Vegas. The CBS edition of the series, which is an adaptation of a British format, is not as daring as you think. As last year, competition lacks chemistry, twists are not ambitious enough, and jocular storytelling is more in bad taste than shrewd.
Even if they didn’t have to shoot in Zoom or with iPhones across the country, “Brother” and “Love” can’t escape the pandemic any more than we do. But there is a missed opportunity to push the narrative of truth further. Instead, their quarantines can end up being as boring as ours.