‘Big Brother Canada’ cancelled after 12 seasons

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After 12 seasons, Big Brother Canada is getting evicted from television screens.

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Corus Entertainment announced Thursday that the Canadian spinoff of the U.S. reality juggernaut is being cancelled after more than a decade on the air.

“Today as we say goodbye to the beloved series, we celebrate the great success and impact Big Brother Canada has had in our country and in the Canadian media landscape for over a decade,” Troy Reeb, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Corus Entertainment said in a statement. “Global will always be proud to have been home to Big Brother Canada for 12 seasons.”

The official X account for the show shared the news with fans on social media calling the series’ demise “the end of an era.”

“Season after season, each group of Houseguests delivered their own unique dynamic and iconic moments that we will never forget,” they wrote. “But most of all, we are so thankful to have been able to go on this journey with you, the incredible Big Brother Canada fans.”

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In his message, Reeb thanked executive producer Erin Brock and host and executive producer Arisa Cox “for always leading thought-provoking conversations, telling uniquely Canadian stories, and reflecting the diverse culture of Canada in one of television’s biggest social experiments.”

“This series, and the production team behind it, have truly set the bar in creating entertaining unscripted television,” Reeb wrote.

The news generated hundreds of comments online, with one fan lamenting on Reddit, “I’m so sad to see this show go. I always thought I could be on it but here we are.”

“Knowing I’ll never be able to play BBCAN is a hard pill to swallow,” a second added.

Several viewers blamed the show’s decision to eliminate live feeds as a reason interest in the program faded.

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In 2023, producers announced they were ditching 24/7 live feeds in favour of Digital Dallies for its 11th season. At the time, Digital Dailies were described as “uncut content from inside the BBCAN house, offering viewers an extended peek into the houseguests’ lives.”

“Getting rid of live feeds killed the show,” one person wrote on X. “I stopped watching the show when that happened. A HUGE part of it is seeing what happens in the little moments. A simple look or conversation that doesn’t get aired. It was so important, and made the show a much better experience. Such a shame.”

It remains to be seen if another broadcaster will try and nab the rights to the show. After Big Brother Canada was put on hiatus in 2017, fans launched a petition to keep the show on the air. Their efforts were rewarded when it returned the following year.

The American version of Big Brother premieres on July 17 on CBS and Global.

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