Pinoy Big Brother, more popularly known by its abbreviated title PBB, is the Philippine version of the Big Brother reality game show franchise. The word Pinoy in the title is a colloquial term for the Filipino people. Is a Philippine television reality show broadcast by ABS-CBN, Studio 23 (now S+A) and its international channel, TFC in various countries worldwide. Originally hosted by Willie Revillame, Toni Gonzaga and Mariel Rodriguez, it premiered on August 21, 2005. The uncut 24/7 version of the series can also be seen on the internet through Kumu, a Philippine online livestreaming app, as part of their partnership on the current season, as carried over from the previous season. Kumunity Season 10, the recently concluded season, was hosted by Bianca Gonzalez and Robi Domingo.
Other essential elements of the Big Brother franchise are present, such as weekly and daily challenges, the confession room, and the voice known only as "Big Brother," sometimes referred to as "Kuya" (Tagalog for an elder male sibling). Pinoy Big Brother uses their tagline "Teleserye ng Totoong Buhay" or the "Real Life Soap Opera".
Overview
Format
It follows the same premise as its many foreign counterparts around the world wherein a number of Filipinos volunteered to live inside a house for a certain number of days.
The elimination process in the show is the reverse of the original Dutch format. At the start of the elimination process, the "housemates" (as the contestants are referred to) vote for which two (sometimes more if there are ties or if Big Brother hands out an automatic nomination) fellow housemates they should eliminate. Once these nominations are chosen, the viewer votes come into play. For a week viewers are asked to vote, via SMS or voice messaging through PLDT's hotline (later abolished in favor of vote cards), for whoever they wanted to stay longer in the house. The housemate with the fewest viewer votes is eliminated. In the final week, the one with the most viewer votes will win the grand prize package, usually includes house and lot, a car, a business franchise, home appliances, and a holiday, and is given the title the Big Winner.
The show has aired also two special versions. One of which is the Celebrity version of the show, which housed commercial models, actors and actresses, radio and TV show hosts, musicians, sports and fashion personalities, and even politicians in a certain number of days (the duration of this particular version of the show is lesser compared to the regular seasons). Celebrity housemates, like many counterparts abroad, play for charity, aside from themselves. Prizes given away from edition to edition can vary, but basically, the cash prize an edition's winner can receive is the same as the prize for that winner's chosen charity organization, i.e. the winner and his/her charity each win the same amount.
The other one is the Teen version. The adolescents chosen for this particular version are aged 13 to 19 years old, are from different cities in the Philippines, sometimes even from certain overseas countries with sizable Filipino communities. Other factors are disregarded; in-school and out-of-school youths, natural-born Filipinos and adolescents with a mixture of Filipino and foreign blood, those with intact and broken families, and even teenage single parents may be eligible as long one passes the age requirement and has a background worth exploring during the edition's run. This edition is usually done in the Philippine "summer" months of late March to early June. During this time, temperatures in the country are at their highest and most students are out of school; a regular school year in the Philippines runs from June of one year to March of the next.