‘Big Brother’ is back with more drama than ever
Voted in: Everyone has a guilty pleasure, and mine happens to be watching drama unfold between strangers. No show provides this better than “Big Brother,” and the new season already promises to be bigger and more personal than those that came before. Season 19 premieres Wednesday, June 28, on CBS, with a completely remodeled house and a variety of new housemates.
This live game show features contestants, referred to as Houseguests, who live in a custom-built house under constant video surveillance. The contestants are completely isolated from the outside world and must compete for a grand prize of $500,000. They vote each week to evict one of their fellow housemates and compete to win immunity from said eviction via immunity challenges. The famous live feed also returns this year, so viewers can see what’s happening inside the house at any time.
The promo for the new season shows everything we love (and love to hate) about the series: housemates yelling, crying, laughing and falling. Julie Chen (“The Talk”), host of “Big Brother” since 2000, returns to guide the Houseguests through challenges and get them to dish on their experiences. The iconic “Big Brother” house has grown into a village this season, with a massive garden-inspired social space replacing the standard living room. The housemates also lose all privacy, as the structure is now equipped with an open shower, which looks out onto the garden.
The different rooms have been turned into kitsch storefronts, and unruly housemates are sent to a separate, much rougher house, to stay out their punishments. See the new Houseguests attempt to outplay each other when season 19 premieres Wednesday, June 28, on CBS.
Classic revival: For 13 years, people consistently tuned in to find out which network would take home the prize in one of the most competitive events in television. Now, “Battle of the Network Stars” returns for more competitive drama. Hosted by ESPN’s Mike Greenberg (“SportsCenter”) and Joe Tessitore (“ESPN Friday Night Fights”), this unique revival premieres Thursday, June 29, on ABC.
“Battle of the Network Stars,” which first debuted in 1976 and ran for a 12year stretch, has various television stars from ABC, CBS, NBC and more compete in different sporting events. Ronda Rousey (“Furious 7,” 2015) and recently retired Denver Bronco DeMarcus Ware are the two team captains, and lead 100 television stars from 14 different networks and genres in events including kayaking, three-on-three football and the infamous tug of war.
Greenberg is ecstatic about his role, saying, “If someone could go back in time and tell the 10-year-old me, glued to the television, watching Howard Cosell and all the biggest names in television running obstacle courses and playing tug of war, that someday he would be directly involved with ‘Battle of the Network Stars,’ he would have said it was the coolest thing ever. Decades later, that’s exactly how I feel.”
The revival attempts to stick closely to the tried-and-true format of the past in order to keep the same nostalgia and positive energy of the original series. However, executive producer Andrew Glassman has said that the network vs. network format didn’t make as much sense as basing the teams on characters people have loved over the years. “We might see teams like Cops vs. TV Sitcoms, White House vs. Lawyers, TV Moms and Dads vs. TV Kids, etc.,” Glassman reveals.
Don’t miss the premiere of this rebooted classic airing Thursday, June 29, on ABC.
Believe the impossible: People can’t get enough of magic shows; they line up in droves to see impossible tricks. “Masters of Illusion” brings the same wonder and amazement to your living room. You can see some of the most famous and skilled magicians perform their best illusions when season 4 premieres Friday, June 30, on CW.
“Masters of Illusion,” revived from its original version by CW, invites skilled magicians from around the world to perform their best illusions and acts. Without the assistance of camera or computer gimmickry, these magicians perform in front of a live audience, showing off their skills and amazing millions. Dean Cain (“Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”) returns to host this season, and introduces a variety of new acts and illusionists.
One of the illusionists returning to the stage for the new installment is Michael Grandinetti, who has made a name for himself across the country for stunning acts like levitating in a stadium surrounded by 70,000 people. In previous seasons, Michael has levitated an unsuspecting audience member, shrunk a dancer to the size of a basketball, and vanished from the stage. He returns as a featured performer, ready to bring some insane new acts to the show. He has plans to pass his body through the blades of an industrial aircraft fan, use a live mouse to read the mind of a volunteer, and suspend a dancer in mid-air.
The greatest magical acts return to television Friday, June 30, on CW.