Genre

Big Brother belongs to the genre of reality TV shows.

The conventions
1- Contestants are voted off one at a time to leave a winner.
2- There are private interviews with contestants everyday, allowing them to have time to express their private thoughts.
3- Contestants have to complete a range of tasks - often to earn food for that day
4- Although contestants are filmed 24 hours a day, the programme is edited down just one hour of material - the identity of contestants is therefore constructed by editors.
5- Viewer participation is increasing - viewers can vote off contestants by phone, by text, or interactive TV. This audience participation is helping to grow the genre.
6- Contestants become C list celebrities simply by taking part in the programmes. Most of them gain little in the way of prizes or prize money so it is the fame that attracts them to the genre.