The Big Brother 25 season was slow and familiar.
Increasing the season to 100 days was a way for CBS to deal with the Hollywood strikes, but it also caused the season to drag for some fans.
Meanwhile, Peacock debuted The Traitors to huge fanfare, showing how reality competition shows could be fresh and fun again.
The Traitors 2 recently ended and was even more successful than the first season, leading to increased ratings and much buzz on social media.
The Traitors has also shown how to put together an intriguing cast of people returning to reality TV if Big Brother producers decide to try another All-Stars season.
Big Brother: Reindeer Games also had noteworthy success. The spin-off helped bridge the gap between summer seasons and was very entertaining. It set a new model for the franchise.
Big Brother 26 needs to learn from the success of Reindeer Games
Viewers who tuned in to Reindeer Games saw fresh challenges, new gaming formats, and a unique way to nominate and eliminate players.
While slight adjustments are required to fit the style into the regular Big Brother format, it proved that the producers could do things differently. And fans want more of that.
The producers also remodeled the Big Brother house, giving everything an appealing new look that made it fun to tune in for each new episode. Sprucing things up could make Big Brother 26 a viewer destination as well.
We will have to wait a while longer to learn what the BB26 theme is, as the team is still putting together everything. They are also in the process of casting the next group of Big Brother houseguests.
Below is an interview with Nicole Franzel after she won the Reindeer Games.
More news from the world of Big Brother
Some sad news has come from the world of Big Brother showmances. Memphis Garrett filed for divorce from Christmas Abbott. They became a couple after appearing on BB22.
In better news, BB22 winner Cody Calafiore recently got married. Many other reality TV people were in attendance to help them celebrate.
Two-time Big Brother winner Nicole Franzel is also trying to have another baby.
As a reminder, BB25 featured the twist of having a mother and her son playing in the same game. Survivor legend and Traitors winner Cirie Fields played with her son, Jared Fields. Below is a clip from when the rest of the cast found out.
Previous episodes of Big Brother are available for streaming on Paramount+. It includes Celebrity Big Brother and the two All-Stars seasons (BB7 and BB22).