Big Brother has reportedly begun preparing for production and working on the show's Big Brother house and set, giving fans a glimmer of hope the show's 22nd season will still premiere later this summer.
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However, no casting announcements have been made and producers are reportedly waiting to receive union and guild approval on principal photography and filming.
Big Brother's production team is taking necessary precautions amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in terms of health and safety measures as they construct the set, according to Deadline, with the crew being tested for COVID-19 regularly.
Crew members have also reportedly been wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment and practicing social distancing while working.
Once Big Brother's cast members test negative for coronavirus and enter the house, they are essentially quarantined for the remainder of the season, so risk of contracting or spreading the virus will be very low.
CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl told Deadline last month the network is confident Big Brother will still air this summer despite the television industry's ongoing production shutdown due to the global pandemic.
"With Love Island and Big Brother, we still hope to have on the air this summer, it could be a little later than usual but we're still optimistic about getting those on," Kahl said.
Big Brother typically premieres in June every year and ends in September, however given the late start and likelihood that CBS' fall schedule will not be ready to premiere in September as usual, it's appears increasingly more likely the show could run into the fall this year.
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"Those shows turn around pretty quickly," Kahl continued. "Big Brother has live shows every week and Love Island literally airs the night after it shoots, those shows do not have long post processes."
Given Big Brother debuted its first season in July 2000 and just celebrated its 20th anniversary on the air, rumors are swirling Season 22 could feature a cast of veteran houseguests or maybe even turn out to be the franchise's second All-Stars edition.
RELATED LINK: 'BIG BROTHER' SHOWMANCES NOWAccording to multiple sources, CBS has been quietly contacting former Big Brother players for a potential All-Star edition this summer, Us Weekly reported in June.
Talks are reportedly ongoing, and several Big Brother winners and memorable alums have been approached about returning for another shot to win the $500,000 grand prize.
However, sources told Us some of the former houseguests declined the opportunity to return due to a variety of reasons, including the fear of being exposed to coronavirus.
Insiders recently told the magazine that future Big Brother cast members will be sequestered longer than usual and required to quarantine for 14 days before entering the house in order to take prevent the spread of the virus among houseguests.
Fans have been voicing their desire for another full All-Stars season for a while now. The only full All-Stars season aired back in 2006 as Season 7, which ended with Mike "Boogie" Malin being crowned champion and Erika Landin finishing as the runner-up.
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Other reality TV shows that faced production shutdowns are on the verge of filming again as well.
Deadline reported NBC's America's Got Talent became the first major broadcast network show to tape in late June on an outdoor set for its upcoming "Judge Cuts" episode and The Bachelorette will probably begin production later this month.
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Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone reported on June 26 what the filming location will be as well as the dates cameras will start rolling.
"(SPOILER): I'm hearing that Clare, cast, & crew will arrive in Palm Springs, CA around July 9th/10th, everyone will be quarantined for a week, then filming will begin around the 17th," Carbone tweeted.
"The resort where the whole season will be filmed, I believe, is the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage."
Carbone continued, "(SPOILER) Obviously plans can change, maybe stuff gets pushed back, but that is what I'm hearing as of the last couple days."
A premiere for The Bachelorette has yet to be announced, but ABC confirmed the show will air on Tuesday nights at 8PM ET/PT this fall.
Big Brother, hosted by Julie Chen, documents a group of strangers living in one house outfitted with cameras as they compete in challenges and face weekly evictions until one houseguests wins the grand prize out of the Final 3 competitors.
Big Brother's 21st season wrapped last in September 2019 with Jackson Michie winning the $500,000 in a 6-3 jury vote over his girlfriend, Holly Allen, who had been his ride-or-die ally in the house.
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Big Brother is produced by Fly on the Wall Entertainment and Endemol Shine North America, with Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan serving as executive producers.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
