Just returning to Monday’s post, I can definitely see what they’re going for with “save and replace” and the sorts of reactions they’re going to get, and that’s mildly entertaining and fine (after all, if you get put up for eviction by any means then voted out, you were never going to win anyway), but I think Phil E-J is being a bit disinginuous on the DS forums when it comes to changing the game – as I’ve said, there’s not an awful lot of tactical play you can use here.

I quite liked the nominations scoreboard. But maybe it would be better if Save and Replace happened on the same evening so they can open the phonelines a day earlier rather than drag it out some more.

In other BB news, Emma Willis is very good on Big Brother’s Little Brother, George Lamb I can take or leave (normally leave), the promise of more behind the scenes stuff hasn’t really come true I don’t think, it’s more like Big Brother Does The Big Breakfast which isn’t too bad an idea in itself. Big Brother’s Big Mouth is a genuinely terrible hours worth of masturbatory references as comedy, which is upsetting if the producer of it is who I think he is (the awesome Saturday task BB from BB6).

In other news, the BBC have picked up a show called Splatalot, filmed in Canada. It appears to be basically Kiddy Wipeout with some elements of Gladiators.

Also, surely Claudia Winkleman’s upcoming Channel 4 show Wannabe is exactly the same as Brian Conley’s Let Me Entertain You?

As I’ve mentioned, I’m quite enjoying Big Brother so far, whether this is down to quality of the show or whether I’m being positively predesposed to it for old time’s sake remains to be seen, although it certainly helps watching it on catch-up rather than live as that cuts twenty minutes from most episodes. Anyway.

For this week (and possibly future weeks, the production is being a bit cagey on the matter) there’s going to be a nominations twist. The people up for eviction will take part in a task, and the winner of the task gets to remove themselves from the vote and choose someone to put up in their place. The intention being to mix things up a bit and to eliminate a bit of clique power. And doubtless to cause some personal friction as well.

From a gameshow perspective, this is of course a good thing, it’s always nice to see the game element get played up. But this isn’t just any old gameshow, it’s Big Brother. The UK version of which has usually rather played down its gaming elements – it’s very difficult to form any sort of strategy when you’re not actually allowed to strategize with anyone overtly. As such, I’m not entirely sure how this is going to play out – not unless they let them start talking about nominations (this would be fine by me just as long as the entire show every night isn’t sixty minutes of it). Even then, with no idea of how the public view certain housemates, there’s only so much you can strategize for.

If they’re wanting to continue with this sort of eviction immunity task, wouldn’t it be more in keeping with Big Brother UK if the top three or more nominated did a task with a view to getting off, and not replacing? You still get your task, you still get your twist and it’s more in keeping with the UK show.

I have no idea how it’s all going to play out, but I look forward to seeing.

The entire list of nominees for the Rose D’or has been announced. The full list is here (pdf file), but for the purposes of the Bar I’ll just write out the gameshow ones:

• Bingo Banko (Babyfoot, Denmark)
• Cash At Your Door (Matal, Israel)
• Extreme Wedding Album (Armoza, Israel)
• Hot Seat (Nine Network, Australia) [This is Millionaire Hot Seat, presumably.]
• I Know What You Did Last Friday (Eyeworks, Netherlands)
• One World (Zodiak, UK)
• The Cube (Objective, UK)
• The Golden Bell Challenge (KBS, South Korea)  [Hasn’t this been nominated before?]
• The Line Up (Eyeworks, Netherlands)

For the record: One World involves celebrities trying to pull off the most impressive public stunt, Bingo Banko is TV bingo with It’s a Knockout style games to determine the numbers, Extreme Wedding Album involves bride and groom performing stunts to pay for a spectacular wedding, The Line Up involves guessing what people will and will not know (whilst teaching us some surprising things about stereotypes, inevitably). If The Golden Bell Challenge is what I think it is, kids sit a 50 question exam and if anyone gets all the answers right they get to ring the golden bell and get their name engraved on it. The rest I don’t know, but will attempt to research.

It’s a bit of an uninspiring line-up to be honest – The Cube may well walk it.

Meanwhile, series three of Pointless films in July if you’re interested.