Fans of CBS's Big Brother: All Stars expected to start the week with a cast reveal for the show's All Stars edition. Unfortunately, despite the intense sleuthing of the fanbase, CBS was quiet on Monday. The cast reveal became a widespread rumor over the weekend, as the Big Brother live feeds, which allow fans to spectate inside the house 24/7, ran a special announcement suggesting that cast interviews would be aired over the feeds on Wednesday, July 29. In previous years, those interviews aired just a couple days after the cast had been announced. Naturally, fans expected a similar dynamic this season.
The COVID-19 pandemic means that nothing will go quite according to plan this year, especially for a reality show that forces contestants to live in close quarters with one another for nearly 100 days. What was supposed to be a joyous day in the Big Brother community (finally ending months of guesswork as to which Big Brother stars will be returning for the show's 22nd season) was ultimately an uneventful one. CBS removed the announcement regarding cast interviews, replacing it with a vague invitation to stream the season premiere on Wednesday, August 5. The reinforcement of the previously announced premiere date is promising, but the sudden removal of the cast announcement has led many fans to wonder whether or not COVID-19 has complicated the show's plans.
Fans had more than just previous examples to go by when looking forward to a cast reveal on Monday. On Sunday night, longtime Casting Director Robyn Kass tweeted her excitement about Monday. She deleted the tweet soon after. However, according to Twitter Reality BBQ, the decision to delay the cast announcement plus interviews was made even earlier. The reason isn't clear just yet. Fans might have to exercise patience not only in the weeks leading up to the premiere of Big Brother: All Stars but throughout the show's run. There is currently very little reason to believe the actual season is in jeopardy, but putting a season of Big Brother together in the midst of a global pandemic will prove uniquely challenging for everyone involved. CBS taking its time about revealing this year's contestants is likely for the sake of the safety of cast and crew. Even if the cast had been announced today, a last-minute diagnosis could have forced one or more individuals to leave the show.
It also hasn't been the most positive media cycle for the CBS summer staple in recent months, with ugly BB developments involving Mike "Boogie" Malin, who just so happened to win the show's first iteration of an All-Stars season. As well, Nicole Franzel, winner of the show's 18th season, was accused of dishonesty. Meanwhile, Big Brother Canada has received positive attention for its commitment to greater diversity moving forward. CBS's Survivor, which was recently pulled from the network's fall schedule, has made similar commitments. The U.S. version of Big Brother has struggled mightily with diversity over the years, so perhaps All-Stars marks an opportunity for the show to make similar progress. The eventual cast reveal may show that progress soon enough.
There are several different names floating around right now as to who may or may not be involved with what will surely be an epic season of Big Brother, but fans will just have to wait a little while longer for CBS to separate fact from fiction.
Big Brother: All Stars premieres Wednesday, August 5th at 8pm EST.
Source: Reality BBQ