Big Brother 12 (CBS) Serves Up More Reality Summer Fun

When Survivor is away, Big Brother comes out to play. When my favorite reality TV show goes on summer hiatus, I still need my fix, which CBS has been ably providing for the past 11 summers with Big Brother. The premise of this voyeuristic TV reality show forces 11 - 13 people to live together in a house rigged with cameras and microphones everywhere, and have every facet of their lives recorded while they compete for prizes. The ultimate prize is $500,000 for the last contestant standing after a round of live weekly eliminations.

What's the new twist for Big Brother 12?
Big Brother has always had to tweak the format of the show to keep things interesting and this year is no exception. Producer Allison Grodner revealed today on the CBS Early Show that one of the contestants will be a saboteur. None of the houseguests will know the identity of this person, but he/she will be revealed to fans of the show, after which the saboteur will have to do the American public's bidding. Producers are banking on the fact that audience participation will increase the show's interactive nature and therefore boost its popularity.

It sounds a lot like America's houseguest from two seasons ago, when Eric did the public's bidding for money. Whereas Eric was asked to do benign things like break down and cry in front of a guest, or hug someone for ten seconds, the saboteur will be asked to carry out more destructive tasks to break down trust, stir up trouble and make life extremely difficult and miserable for the people in the house. If my sense of schadenfreude weren't so well developed, I truly would be putting this show to rest, but I admit it: I just can't help watching.

Who are the Contestants?
It's not a terribly diverse cast this season, but there are some interesting characters that look to keep the drama front and center. For instance, there's Andrew Gordon, a podiatrist from Miami Beach, Florida, who is an Orthodox Jew. He follows a strict kosher diet and will observe the Sabbath, which means he will not participate in any activity or competition if it falls on a Saturday. And of course, you have the beautiful camera ready people because, let's face it, this is TV.

Big Brother 12 debuts on Thursday, July 8 on CBS, 8PM ET, and will be hosted by Julie Chen.

The Cast:
Brendon Villegas, 30 (Riverside, CA)

Enzo Palumbo, 32 (Bayonne, NJ)

Monet Stunson, 24 (Glen Carbon, IL)

Britney Haynes, 22 (Huntington, AZ)

Andrew Gordon, 39 (Miami Beach, FL)

Kristen Bitting, 24 (Philadelphia, PA)

Hayden Moss, 24 (Tempe, AZ)

Rachel Reilly, 26 (Las Vegas, NV)

Kathy Hillis, 40 (Texarkana, AR)

Lane Elenburg, 24 (Decatur, TX)

Annie Whittington, 27 (Tampa, FL)

Matt Hoffman, 32 (Elgin, IL)

Ragan Fox, 34 (West Hollywood, CA)

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Sources:

CBS Early Show, June 30, 2010, CBS

ew.com - Meet the Cast!