Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images
What would George Orwell think? Big Brother, the CBS reality competition show that takes its name from the dystopian novel featuring extreme surveillance and exploited technology, is returning with an AI theme this summer. Season 26 will kick off with a special two-night premiere on July 17 and July 18. Below, here’s what to know about the show, including what happens in the premiere preview clip, who the cast members hoping to avoid eviction and take home a cash prize are, how to tune in for episodes, and what’s changing about the 24/7 live feeds.
Host Julie Chen Moonves has teased that the upcoming season will be “artificial intelligence, Big Brother-style.” It’s not fully clear exactly how that theme will play out, but a preview clip gives us a look at some futuristic rooms and uncomfortable-looking beds. Also, for the first time, the houseguests will have the ability to vote on whether to allow a mysterious 17th guest to join. So will Big Brother 26 just be a giant ad for AI? Probably not. Chen Moonves told EW that “we’re going to show you it’s more artificial than intelligent.”
CBS has revealed 16 houseguests this season. The cast includes:
- Angela, real estate agent, 50
- Brooklyn, business administrator, 34
- Cam, physical therapist, 25
- Cedric, Marine veteran, 21
- Chelsie, nonprofit director, 27
- Joseph, video store clerk, 30
- Kenney, former undercover cop, 52
- Kimo, mattress sales rep, 35
- Leah, VIP cocktail server, 26
- Lisa, celebrity chef, 33
- Makensy, construction project manager, 22
- Matt, tech sales rep, 25
- Quinn, nurse recruiter, 25
- Rubina, event bartender, 35
- T’kor, crochet business owner, 23
- Tucker, marketing and sales executive, 30
And of course, there’s the mysterious 17th competitor who may or may not be voted in. My money’s on a celeb or a ChatGPT-powered Chenbot.
We’ll watch the houseguests move in during a two-night premiere on July 17 and July 18 at 9 to 10 p.m. ET for both episodes. All of season 26 will air on CBS and live and on demand on Paramount+. Following the two-night premiere, new episodes will drop on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, also at 9 to 10 p.m. ET.
Feedsters won’t be getting fed as much. A Paramount+ FAQ page states, “Starting this season, archives and flashbacks are no longer available, but you can still watch all four cameras with the live feeds!” Live feeds will start airing at 1 a.m. ET on July 19 on Paramount+ and PlutoTV. But how will we know if any contestants use racial slurs again? If you want to catch every second of potential drama, guess you won’t be getting much sleep.