Big Brother is back, +1s and Bingo Night Live

The Big Brother freak show has begun and I’m sure that it will dominate our combined national mindset for the next thirteen weeks, or at least that’s what the tabloids will have us believe.

I was caught in traffic and didn’t make it home ’till 10pm so I missed HRH Davina’s big opening o C4. Or did I? BB is such water cooler stuff that I had previously decided I absolutely must have some knowledge of the lambs to participate in the mandatory post-slaughter discussions we meja types pretend to deride but secretly feed on.

So in I rushed, an hour late, fumbled aroud Sky and hurrah, there she was, Channel 4 +1. What BB was made for! However, there was a flaw in my plan. Everyone else was watching it live so my mobile was dinging away with messages remarking about him, her, them and it – as was everyone’s Facebook status (perhaps some of my friends lives revolve too much around TV…) – none of whom I’d seen yet! Reading the proverbial back page first!

The +1 channel is a genius idea, a great ratings and added-commercial-value tool, but it does dilute rather the wonderful potential for the shared national participation that we all know and love. I still don’t really understand why Five doesn’t have one – RTL take note. And Sky 2 is working so well now, from its Sky Mix mode, that surely it can survive the obvious need for a Sky1 +1.

BB is back and I for one caught myself organising my evening around it already. I’ve even had a sneeky peek at E4’s uninterrupted live coverage, during the breaks in ITV1’s Bingo Night Live… I’m going to let this one bed in before I pass ITV Play judgment. But I thought that Michael Underwood was a good anchor. Melinda Messenger has a lot of potential, but lacks confidense. And why did the stats. girl not do the numbers herself?? Studio look fab though – good shiny black floor entertainment feel – not sure on the overlay graphics though…