CBS is close to picking up a candid-camera game-show that peeks in on the lives of real people living in close quarters in the same house.
The show would air three or four nights a week this summer.
Called “Big Brother,” it has been described as a cross between “The Real World,” “The Truman Show” and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and is a huge hit in Holland.
CBS has agreed to spend more than $20 million to buy the U.S. rights, according to a report in Variety.
“Big Brother” dumps a group of strangers into a house loaded with cameras and microphones and over the next 100 days the TV audience votes to eliminate one housemate at a time.
The player who remains by the end of the show’s three-month run wins a huge cash prize.
The show’s Dutch producer is reportedly insisting that CBS agree to air “Big Brother” several nights a week all summer long.
CBS is said to have won the rights to the show in a furious bidding war with ABC, Fox and a cable network.
The overwhelming success of ABC’s ratings phenom “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” is at least part of the reason behind the hot auction.
“Millionaire” proved that, given the right show, viewers will happily tune in the same show night after night — not just weekly.
Although it appears that no agreement has yet been made between CBS and the show’s Dutch producer, a deal is expected as early as next week.
CBS officials declined to comment yesterday.
Even though Fox and ABC are reportedly out of the running for “Big Brother,” they could develop similar versions of the show to compete.
The deal with CBS will have to overcome Dutch officials’ concerns about appearing on the American network that draws the oldest viewers, Variety reported.
CBS officials were reportedly worried that if a rival network won the rights, it could air “Big Brother” opposite the network’s upcoming adventure/game show “Survivor,” insiders said.