Ranking All Seasons Of Big Brother (US & Canada)
With the upcoming season of Big Brother, it's time to reminisce on the least fun we've had in the Big Brother house, to the most!
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26) Big Brother 1
Cast: To start off our list, we have the first ever season of the beloved reality show! I wouldn't exactly call it Big Brother though, as it was not the show we know and love today. There was no such thing as HOH, no Power of Veto, no nominations. Unlike Survivor, which solidified it's status as a staple in reality television after it's first season, Big Brother almost got cancelled after it's first run. The format of this season was extremely awkward - with the houseguests being able to cast a vote to evict anyone they wanted and the houseguest who received the highest percentage of votes got evicted. This might work for something like Survivor, which had Immunity challenges and whatnot, but this left the cast with no real way to save themselves. The cast had less than memorable personalities, besides Chicken George, the only BB1 contestant to be asked back for All Stars. Maybe this cast would have worked better with a more modern format, but unfortunately we will never know for sure.
Winner: Congratulations to Eddie for being the first ever winner of Big Brother? It's hard to rank Eddie anywhere amongst the rest simply because the format was so different for this season. There's no way to know how he would fare against the modern rules of Big Brother. So, sorry Eddie.
Rewatchability: By FAR, the most boring season of the show - heck, it almost got cancelled for a reason. Clocking it at over 70 episodes (if you can even make it through all of that), there is not one exciting moment that happened during this season of the show. I wouldn't even recommend watching it in the first place.
25) Big Brother 9
Cast: The first and only winter season of Big Brother, for good reason. There was not one likeable character in this entire cast. The casting twist of being forced into pairs made the first half of the season feel like some awkward dating show. This cast was filled with awful personalities and trash people. It's hard to remember any contestants this season other than how absolutely obnoxious Chelsia was. There was other controversy with Matt using the N word, and some controversy about James' gay porn past being uncovered while the show was airing. Overall, casting this season seemed like they picked anyone they could who was willing to leave whatever they were doing during that winter.
Winner: The worst winner in Big Brother history, Adam. Known for calling people with development disabilities "retards", his asshole reputation followed him after his stint on Big Brother. In 2009, he was arrested for drug possession with the intention to distribute and was therefore given a maximum of 20 years in prison with a 1 million dollar fine. Looks like that Big Brother money ended up going to more pressing matters.
Rewatchability: There really isn't any reason to rewatch anything from this abysmal excuse for a season. The only memorable part of the season was the so-called "Hamstergate". During an HOH, Sharon answered that there were 2 couples in the house, but Julie Chen said the answer was 3 to count for the two house hamsters, ultimately leading to Sharon's eviction. This caused loads of controversy over the rigging of the game. If something called "Hamstergate" is the defining moment in a season, then you might want to try tuning in elsewhere.
24) Big Brother 19
Cast: There was nobody in this cast that I was legitimately rooting for. Essentially, you found yourself rooting for whoever Paul was targeting that week. Everyone was found spewing racist, homophobic or transphobic hate on live feeds, with Cody, the apparent "fan favorite" being the worst of the bunch. Jessica was a fun underdog at one point, but her association with Cody just soured my experience of her. Above all, the inclusion of Paul in a cast of complete newbies resulted in one of the most obviously rigged seasons of all time. The "temptation" twist throughout the season constantly favoured Paul and his minions.
Winner: Josh is an awful winner who had little to no strategic game. However, watching Josh win the jury over Paul, who was so confident that he had the game in the bag made gave Josh's win the satisfying punch it needed.
Rewatchability: Week after week, production played into the hand's of Paul. There were no shocks of surprises, whoever Paul wanted out that week, that's who went. Yawn.
23) Big Brother 16
Cast: Any cast that has Frankie Grande in it automatically goes to the bottom of any list. The only likeable personalities were evicted in the first few weeks of the game, and from then on it was dominated by horrible masculine and macho men who had zero personality other than their misogynistic bravado that needed to be flaunted at every opportunity. It didn't help either that Frankie kept on getting saved from eviction by production. Besides that, he was a horrible person filled with delusions about his fame. Frankie Grande will go down in Big Brother history as the most unlikeable houseguest of all time. The only salvageable part of this cast was Donny, who definitely did not belong with the rest of the self absorbed muscle heads on this season.
Winner: Derrick is usually ranked amongst one of the best winner's of all time, and that is a fair statement. Derrick dominated the game and no one even dared to put him on the block because he had such good ties with everyone in the house. Even Cody took him to the final two with him, knowing very well that he would lose! However, it's easy to wonder how Derrick would fare in another season full of smarter players. Fortunately for Derrick, no one this season was particularly bright, so it gave him an easy pass to the end. It would be interesting to see Derrick on another season to really establish his legendary winner status.
Rewatchability: The season was relatively drama free. The alliance of "The Hitmen" dominated the entire season, every eviction was completely predictable. Also, spare yourself from ever having to see Frankie Grande on your television screens ever again. This season also introduced the horrible "Battle of the Block" twist, which forced players to nominate pawns every single nomination ceremony.
22) Big Brother 15
Cast: Undoubtedly the worst cast in Big Brother history. This season was infamous for being racist, homophobic and sexist. The queen of evil herself, Aaryn, made plenty of ignorant statements against minorities. She made fun of Helen, a Korean contestant in the house, and openly mocked Candice, an African-American woman, because of the way she spoke. Aaryn wasn't the sole perpetrator - Spencer made many sexist comments towards women, some in which he openly vouched for sexual assault. Fortunately, many of them found out upon leaving the house that they had been fired from their jobs. On the other hand, production never stepped in and let this awful behaviour continue for all of America to see. There is no excuse for the behaviour that went down on this season, let's hope these contestants never get a chance to "redeem" themselves by appearing on another season.
Winner: In a cast full of idiots, Andy was definitely the most deserving winner. Everyone was rooting for Elissa, and although she was an underdog, production pushed her and gave her game powers because she was Rachel Reilly's sister. Elissa didn't do anything spectacular in the game other than use the powers production granted her. There was no other worthy winner in the game, Andy properly manipulated the house into doing his bidding, and he perfected what many call "playing like a rat". It was not a popular strategy, but playing every side of the house got Andy the grand prize at the end.
Rewatchability: There were some fun fights in this season, from Gina-Marie screaming at the house when Nick got evicted (someone she knew for two weeks), or Amanda wrecking general havoc on the houseguests. However, no fights can take away from the awful racism that surrounded this season. It is tough to watch through this season a second time, hell, even just one time. Production should've done something about what was being said, but they didn't.
21) Big Brother Canada 4
Cast: Once more, a big UGH. This cast was completely unbearable. The personalities that had the most potential were evicted early on in the season, and then we got stuck with having to deal with Nick and Phil Paquette, Kelsey, Jared, and Raul. Loveita had potential to be an interesting character, but she got in her head too much and became extremely cringey to watch. The saving grace of the season came with Cassandra and Nikki. The second cast twist brought us a couple of international players, Nikki from the UK, and Tim from Australia. Although Nikki wasn't very good at the game of Big Brother, she was endless entertainment. Cassandra was strategic, and played an amazing social game. Unfortunately, the few positives get overshadowed by the huge negatives.
Winner: The worst twist in Big Brother history, the "Brothers Twist". It is still baffling as to why the rest of the house didn't even think to evict the brothers early on. They had a clear advantage of swapping challenges, not getting as tired as the other houseguests between them. The brothers did not make any significant moves in the game, acting like babies the entire time in the house, and treating women like garbage. Although the final two of Kelsey and the brothers was disappointing either way, it would have been better off with Kelsey winning.
Rewatchability: There a couple of standout moments, specifically Mitch's eviction speech, which will go down as one of the most iconic speeches of all time. However, other than watching Nikki make a fool of herself, there really isn't much to see.
20) Big Brother 11
Cast: There were not many memorable personalities on this season. Although production continues to push Jeff and Jordan seasons later they were on the show, nobody really actually likes Jeff. Even though he put on a "good boy" face for the show, he has been known to spew extremely homophobic opinions (check out Jeff and his view on Dumbledore on YouTube). The only memorable personality from this season was Chima, who got herself booted out by production for not listening to their rules, most notably when she threw her microphone into the pool. This season brought back Jessie for some strange reason, after he played a less than mediocre game in the tenth season. On top of everything, we had to deal with Lydia and her weird obsession with Jessie. There was also a horrendous casting twist in which the first part of the game had to be played in high school cliques.
Winner: Jordan was definitely a likeable and congenial winner. It was hard not to fall in love with her sweet personality, unfortunately for her, she got wrapped up with Jeff. She deserves a lot more than the homophobia spewing Jeff. However, even though Jordan was a "nice" winner, she was a horrible game player. Jordan did not make one memorable game move throughout the entire game. It was though, satisfying to see Jordan win over Natalie in the end, "good" triumphed over "evil".
Rewatchability: I suppose there were some memorable moments to go back to this season. Such as Chima's explusion, and the coup d'etat twist in which Jeff sent Jessie packing. Otherwise however, besides Jordan, nobody in the house is likeable enough to warrant this season a second watch.
19) Big Brother 18
Cast: Although there were quite a few likeable people in the cast such as Natalie, Bridgette and occasionally Michelle, this season is weighed down by Paulie. Paulie is one of the most disgustingly sexist players to ever be in the Big Brother house. The way he demeaned the women in the house was appalling, specifically his so called "girl" Zakiyah. He acted as if he owned her, and as if he was better than every female in the game. Watching him week after week was disturbing, and production should have put a stop to it way earlier on in the season. On another note, no one could ever forget the delusional Jozea, the self-proclaimed messiah, who played one of the worst games ever. There was an excitement to watching Victor fight his way back into the house TWICE, but other than that, Paul and Victor were both annoying fame-whores. The only redeeming part of the cast was the opportunity to see Da'Vonne play a second time. Unfortunately for her, she proved that she still wasn't a very good Big Brother player.
Winner: Nicole was an OK winner. There wasn't anything spectacular about her gameplay, she somehow avoided eviction and kept on using Corey as her meatshield for the entire season. The season would have had a more satisfying ending had Paul won in the final two over Nicole. Even though he was annoying most of the season, he represented more of an underdog storyline, and he also had the competition record to back up a solid win.
Rewatchability: There is no reason to rewatch this season. There are mind numbing twists every week that the producers have thrown in to make up for the fact that there was no actually good gameplay to air. Every episode features a James prank segment, and it would be great to never see Paulie Calafiore on a screen ever again. The show would be better off returning to Have/Have Not competitions as opposed to their making up new competitions season after season. Roadkill competitions were boring and a third nominee twist has been done many times before. Overall, a boring season filled with boring personalities.
18) Big Brother 13
Cast: The cast is full of forgettable personalities. The only exception being Rachel and Danielle, who we've seen from previous seasons. Why does production keep on insisting that the public like Jeff and Jordan? They keep on shoving them in our faces, while Jeff is one of the most unlikeable houseguests ever and Jordan (although extremely sweet), is not particularly memorable. We had to endure an entire season of wannabe metal-head Adam pretend like he knew what he was doing in the game. Kalia was the only newbie who made attempts at doing something in the game, other than that, the newbies just stood in the shadows of all the returning players.
Winner: Rachel is the most memorable player in Big Brother history, but somehow, her win doesn't feel extremely validated here. It was great seeing her play the game without Brendon in the second half of the game, and she proved to be a fierce competition beast and a somewhat decent strategist. However, it seems as if the season was tailor-made to get Rachel in the end for the win. There were some twists that directly gave Rachel and advantage in the game - most notably the Pandora's box that forced the duos to get back together. However, Rachel is an iconic player and deserves to win the game in some form or other.
Rewatchability: The season overall is quite predictable, and none of the players really make any exciting or big moves. However, it is always fun watching Rachel overcome obstacles and push forward and hard into her win. If anything, the funniest moment to rewatch this season is Lawon thinking that if he was evicted, he'll be able to come back and be granted with some "special power". Sadly for Lawon, that was not the case. It will go down as one of the worst moves in Big Brother history though.
17) Big Brother Canada 3
Cast: Big Brother Canada casting has always been it's strong point. In this case, most of the interesting personalities were evicted early on in the season. Although we got to see Sindy come back, she was gone immediately again. Players like Naeha and Risha would've made a much more interesting and diverse season had they gone farther. Other than that, we had Brittnee to root for as the underdog of the season, but besides Godfrey, all the men were just very meh personality wise.
Winner: Although Sarah is great and was lots of fun in the house, the season sort of felt rigged for her to go far and win. Twists seem to always favour Brittnee and Sarah, pushing them towards the end. Sarah did not play overall the best game, Godfrey probably should've won over her.
Rewatchability: Big Brother Canada has a tendency to overproduce their episodes, and if you are a fan of that, then this season is probably for you. Although it's all nice and fun to see fan favourites Brittnee and Sarah make it far, you can't help but feel their progress in the game tainted. On the other hand, rewatching the triple eviction play out is quite nerve wracking, and seeing Jordan get completely blindsided in his eviction is really a hilarious and somewhat heartbreaking moment.
16) Big Brother Canada 1
Cast: As with every season of Big Brother Canada, casting is it's strong point. This season brought the extremely likeable Jillian and Emmett, an actually likeable showmance (which is quite rare for a Big Brother season). It also gave some iconic character such as Topaz, Gary and of course, Suzette. Unforuntately, it had some weaker points. The alliance called "The Sheyld", consisting of Alec and Peter, was frustrating to watch go far in the game.
Winner: Jillian was a good winner, and one of the only contestants in Big Brother to use a showmance as an advantage in the game. If it were her an Emmett in the final two however, Emmett would have probably won. He definitely played the stronger game. It's interesting how it is generally the weaker of the individuals in the showmance tends to end up winning the entire game. Unfortunately for Jillian, this season would have had a much higher ranking had Emmett won.
Rewatchability: This season had some great strategy, but what really makes this season standout is it's jaw-dropping finale. When Arisa (the Julie Chen of Canada) revealed Topaz' vote, it was shown that she had voted for Jillian to win. To everyone's surprise, Topaz interrupted claiming that she had voted for Gary. Unfortunately, camera footage showed that she did indeed cast her vote for Jillian. Although Topaz begged for her vote to be changed, her vote officially went to Jillian, causing her to win the game over Gary. This moment is worth the entire season of build-up. It is exciting and thrilling to watch over and over again.
15) Big Brother 4
Cast: Overall, this cast as pretty forgettable. There weren't many huge personalities. The cast twist of exes being in the house together was absolute genius. They had to make the choice of working with or against their ex, which gave us great TV. Generally, every single man on this season was insufferable (as is with most seasons of Big Brother though). The only memorable personalities come from the women, mainly Alison, who brought drama and paranoia throughout the entire season.
Winner: Jun is the most underrated winner in the history of the show. She perfected the "floater" strategy. Never excelling at any particular challenge, and veering clear from any house drama - she was able to fly perfectly under the radar until the end of the game. She made a secret final two deal with Alison, and kept her word till the end. The house never got rid of her because she was good at cooking and kept the house clean. A genius strategy that won her the final prize.
Rewatchability: The season has rewatchability in the drama of the exes coming back into the game, and to see where the floater strategy originated from. Other than that, there are not many big blow-up moments to keep on going back to. If anything, it's to watch Jun have the most awkward reaction to her winning the game (she just sat there in silence!)
14) Big Brother Canada 6
Cast: This cast was a mixed bag. There weren't too many exciting personalities, with Olivia being the only one that gave meme-able confessionals. Johnny was the only male who wasn't unbearable, unlikeable, and bad at the game. However, BBCAN6 did give us the iconic villainess Kaela. As unlikeable as she was, you cannot deny how ruthless and entertaining she was to watch.
Winner: Paras is one of the best Big Brother winner's in recent memory. Many downplay her game, but she played an amazing social game, avoiding the block almost until the end. Yes, many will claim Kaela was robbed, but she was playing a more aggressive game and forget to play to the jury. Paras' relationships and ability to snatch those last couple of HOH wins got her the win.
Rewatchability: There is lot of great strategy here, but the first quarter of the season is full of predictable and boring gameplay. The game starts to pick up around the half-way mark, but then we start losing easily the best people in the house. Big Brother REALLY needs to stop with the triple evictions, because we always end up losing some of the best players. Also, it would be difficult for me to have to rewatch Erica get screwed over by a last minute stupid twist to save the god awful Ryan. There are iconic fights though, and even though we ended up with an overall awful final five, the final two was the right one. Kaela and Paras each played such different games, and neither was a goat brought to the end for slaughter.
13) Celebrity Big Brother 1
Cast: For the first ever celebrity edition of Big Brother, the cast was a perfect mix of well known personalities and "who is that again?" Of course, the controversial casting of Omarosa, fresh out of the white house, made this season one to follow. Omarosa was melodramatic and over the top, but her stint in the Big Brother house had even non-fans waiting to see what she would spill next on the Trump administration. Most surprisingly however, the world learned to love Ariadna, the former Miss Venezuela. She came out of the season a huge fan favorite.
Winner: The season's biggest fault is it's winner. Marissa was likeable, but she didn't really do anything to deserve her win. Her runner-up, Ross Matthews, dominated the game, won loads of competitions, and was able to get himself out of sticky situations. Unfortunately, Ross fell victim to a bitter jury, who ended up giving Marissa the win because "she's a mother". Marissa was fine, but Ross winning would have made the finale much more satisfying and probably would have upped Celebrity Big Brother's placement by a couple of notches.
Rewatchability: Celebrity Big Brother excels by being such a short and sweet season. Gameplay was fast and addictive, because of the short time frame, players had to make moves as soon as they had the chance. The first bit of the season had a couple of boring votes, but who could ever forget Keisha's iconic breast milk plead, or how Metta World Peace voted for the wrong person. Shannon's meltdown and downfall was hilarious to watch enfold, and of course, Brandi and James' hatemance was absolutely fascinating.
12) Big Brother 12
Cast: The one thing this season really had going for it was it's cast. Despite many hating Rachel and finding her extremely annoying, she was great television. Rachel is the meme queen of Big Brother, and is probably the first name that will pop in your head when you think of Big Brother. "FLOATERS GRAB A LIFE VEST" and her weirdly obsessive relationship with fellow houseguest Brendon, will forever be iconic. Nobody fought as hard as Rachel ever did. She knew she wanted to win and made it well-known. She was a competition BEAST given her small amount of time in the house. Rachel Reilly is forever iconic and will go down as one of of the best reality TV show characters of all time. We also got fan favourite Britney (who also appeared as a coach in BB14), providing us with numerous one liners and hilarious confessionals.
Winner: Hayden was a likeable enough winner, he was a competition beast in the house and was the head of the alliance known as "The Brigade". He played a good game, but it might be because no one else in the house was particularly challenging him.
Rewatchability: Part of this season is highly rewatchable because of the drama of "Brenchel" and the hysterical Britney, but also, the entire game is predictable because it was dominated by "The Brigade". There were no shocks or surprises throughout the entire last half of the game, which led to it being sort of boring. Also, the main saboteur twist was blown up in the first week. Annie was given the role of Big Brother Saboteur, and had to cause havoc on the house. If she were to last more than 5 weeks she would've walked away with 50,000 dollars. Alas, she was first evicted, so the twist didn't exactly work out. You will find yourself always coming back to the iconic Ragan Vs. Rachel fight, in which he called her "Rach-ress". Ragan tore into Rachel like a pro, and it was hilarious watching Rachel squirm and attempt to defend herself.
11) Big Brother 5
Cast: Big Brother 5 boasted an amazing cast full of big personalities. Another extremely successful cast twist was "The Twin Twist", where a set of twins swapped in and out of the game without the rest of the house noticing. The called this season "Project DNA", because Nakomis and Michael "Cowboy" found out that they were long lost siblings. It provided us with one of the most emotionally touching moments in Big Brother history. Watching them attempt to build a relationship despite having nothing in common while coming from completely different walks of life was fascinating television. We also had the pleasure of getting to know Holly, who was the textbook definition of "dumb blonde". She wasn't a great player at all, but her ignorance and dumb comments made her to be a funny reality character.
Winner: Literally who? Drew played an OK game at best, fared well in competitions but didn't really do much else. The final two should not have been the final two. Drew and Cowboy rode the coat tails of the girls the entire season. Had the finale been a final two of Nakomis and Diane, with Nakomis taking home the win, this season probably would be placed much higher.
Rewatchability: With the DNA twist, this season is quite rewatchable. Above all, Nakomis will forever go down as one of the best players to play the game with her invention of the 'backdoor'. Nakomis single handedly created one of the most used strategies in the game, showing everyone how to properly send a houseguest out through the backdoor, providing us with great drama with a jaw dropping mastery. It is for this reason why so many will go back to this season, just to watch the brilliance that was Nakomis and her gameplay.
10) Big Brother 17
Cast: The cast this season had lots of memorable characters, two of which (Da'Vonne and James) got asked back for BB18. Speaking of Da'Vonne, she is one of the most memorable and likeable reality TV characters in recent memory. Her confessionals were honest, funny and shady. This season also included the first ever openly trans contestant - Audrey. Although she wasn't a great player, she brought some great drama with her hiding out in the DR for hours. Characters like Jackie, Meg, Jason, Becky and John were easy to root for despite them not knowing the game very well. Of course there were some insufferable characters (Austin, Jace and Jeff), but the good outweigh the bad.
Winner: Steve is not a particularly bad winner, but he's not the best either. Steve's biggest and best move was cutting his biggest threat, Vanessa, at the final three. Vanessa shouldv'e won Big Brother 17. Vanessa used a strategy no one had ever seen before - crying. Vanessa was a comp beast (winning 4 HOH's and 3 Power of Veto's) and cried her way to manipulating people to do what she wanted while keeping the target off her back. Unfortunately for her, Steve made the right move by cutting her. Other than that, it sort of seemed as if Steve was making things up as he went along. A good winner - but not the best.
Rewatchability: This season has lots of content for rewatchability. If you could ignore the nauseating Clay/Shelly and James pranking segments then there's lots of good drama and strategy. Most memorable moment goes to Vanessa blindsiding a way too comfortable Austin, and of course, anything Da'Vonne had to say in the DR. This season also tried out the Twin Twist (recycled from BB5), and although it didn't really work out, the Liz/Julia swapping segments were always a highpoint in any given episode.
9) Big Brother 8
Cast: This season had one of most perfectly executed cast twists in Big Brother history. The twist this season was the "enemy" twist, where three houseguests had a person from their past whom they are not on good terms with play the game with them. Danielle and Dick being the most notable, an estranged father and daughter. It's still not clear as to why Danielle does not talk to her father, but watching them work together behind everyone's back in order to make it to the final two is genius and satisfying. The cast also had the gem of Jen, or as she calls herself "Jenius". She was self-involved and dumb, which gave us one of the most entertaining houseguests of all time. Her most memorable moment probably being when she cried at her cast photo, begging for production to remove it. We also had Eric, who unfortunately had to take part of the "America's Player" twist, and couldn't really play his own game. Without this twist Eric could have potentially won the entire game.
Winner: The final two of Dick and Danielle is great television - we see these estranged family members coming together against all odds and winning the big prize. Despite playing a great game, Dick is one of the most problematic houseguests of all time. He bullied and tortured Jen throughout his entire time in the house. Some may argue that that was his gameplay, but it's probably more the fact that he's a sexist pig. Dick is an awful character, Danielle should have taken the win over him in the end.
Rewatchability: The season is extremely fun to rewatch. The enemy twist worked out great, Jen provides endless laughs, and it's an absolute joy watching Eric navigate through the game while doing America's bidding. If you could get through the cringe-worthy Dick being a dick moments, then there's some good gameplay and drama going on here.
8) Big Brother 14
Cast: Bringing back four returning players to act as "coaches" - who eventually entered the game themselves (to nobody's surprise), was an extremely interesting casting choice. Once we got through the torture of the first few weeks, watching the coaches pretend like they didn't know they were going to enter the game, the season was a standout. Of course, having legends Dan and Mike back in the game, accompanied with the hilarious personalities of Janelle and Brittany, helped quite a bit. The remaining cast was pretty exciting as well. Willie, who many recognized as Russel Hantz' (a notorious villain from the survivor franchise) little brother was an immediate target. Jenn-city provided us with laughs with her delusion of what a good player she thought she was, and we even had Frank to root for as every week the entire house seemed against him. Of course there were some flops, #Justice4Jodie became a thing after she barely made it past an hour in the house. Although she did became quite the favourite after the show, with many fans clamouring for her to get a second chance.
Winner: Ian's win brings a perfect ending to a storyline I'm sure the producer's were hoping for. Although Dan arguably played the much better game, having Dan and Ian (a coach and a newbie) in the final two, with the newbie winning over the coach, is the oh so sweet ending most of us wanted. The student became the master, and Ian was a likeable enough character throughout the season to make his win memorable and effective. But, storyline aside, Dan played the MUCH better game.
Rewatchability: This season would be ranked higher if we didn't have to watch the awful first few weeks of the "Coaches Competition". It was unnecessary and everyone knew the coaches would eventually end up in the game as players. After that however, the house was very interesting to watch. To see Frank up against the wall almost every week and get himself out of eviction is fun, and of course who could forget Dan's Funeral. One of the most iconic and memorable game moves of all time, Dan's strategy for saving himself from eviction is one of the most talked about Big Brother moments that makes this season worth the rewatch.
7) Big Brother Canada 5
Cast: Mixed season are always hit or miss, but BBCAN5 went ham and brought back some of the most memorable and loveable houseguests of all time. From the robbed goddesses Neda and Cassandra, to the iconic villainess Ika - this returnee cast had everything. In most Fans v. Favorites reality show scenarios, the favorites often outshine the fans, however, these fans proved their worth, bringing some of the most memorable and likeable castmembers in Big Brother history. Dre always gave us fun and high energy confessionals, and her relationship with underdog WillIam made for compelling storytelling. Karen was a STANDOUT, an older player who made it all the way to the final two, never afraid to single out big targets and play it risky. This cast was A+.
Winner: Kevin is a great Big Brother winner. Not only did he play a great game, he gave us a fascinating underdog storyline, winning veto or HOH anytime he knew he was in trouble. However, Ika was the true star and mastermind of the season, and although Kevin is a respectable winner, I'll always think about Ika when looking back on this season.
Rewatchability: The Double Eviction where Ika gets the Sindy to put Neda on the block is easily one of the most exciting and tense episodes in Big Brother history. Beyond that, there are many other memorable fights, confessionals and good strategy. Big Brother Canada 5 is a top notch season, and one that no superfan should miss.
6) Big Brother 3
Cast: This season had a mix of some of the most memorable cast members of all time and others who's nobody remembers. Amy might have been a dumb player, but she was a southern belle with charm and personality. Of course, Marcellas was casting GOLD, providing us with much necessary shade and sass in his confessionals. The world also fell in love with Jason, the man who came out as a virgin on national television.
Winner: Now here's where things get iffy. Although Lisa is a commendable winner, she was likeable and played a decent game, everyone will remember this as the season where Danielle was robbed. The duo alliance of Danielle and Jason dominated the game, manipulating every single eviction to their will. Unfortunately, this season was before the introduction of the jury house and sequestering the houseguests. Danielle was the first ever victim of a "bitter jury". As the entire house got to see what Danielle was saying in her confessionals, they decided they did not like Danielle and refused to hand her the win. This season would be ranked MUCH higher if Danielle had come out the eventual winner.
Rewatchability: This season brought about some iconic moments. First of all, this season introduced the power of veto, further revolutionizing the game into the Big Brother we know today. As a result of that, we saw Marcellas not use the Power of Veto on himself, sending him straight out the door. It goes down as the worst move in Big Brother history but it's still hilarious to watch. The strategy was good, the drama high, and introduced us to some of our favourite houseguests.
5) Big Brother 2
Cast: A season with the most simple structure, not very many twists, and a lower budget allowed this cast to feel real and relatable. The simple nature of the show back in the day allowed the cast to have massive story arcs and character development. Nicole, initially hated by the house, turned her story around and ended up in the final two. Hardy, a stone cold hunk on the outside, proved to be a caring and emotional character. Ken, a homophobic southern preacher learned to accept the show's first openly gay man, Bunky, and become the best of friends. One of the most heartbreaking moments in reality TV history comes when Monica gets the news that her cousin was in one of the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attack. To watch the entire cast deal with a situation they knew nothing about was brutal, real and a fascinating look into the human psyche. Lastly, how could we forget the show's first ever expulsion, with Justin putting a knife to Krista's throat (apparently, jokingly), and the strange yet hilarious Shannon toothbrush situation. This house was boasting with personality and relatable characters.
Winner: Dr. Will Kirby is one of the most memorable personalities in Big Brother history. Despite his cockiness, he is probably the best player to ever play the game, next to Dan Gheesling. Charming his way to the final two without ever winning HOH, all while avoiding eviction from the block FOUR times. Will's game is undeniable, and could never be replicated.
Rewatchability: Big Brother 2 is really the "Survivor: Borneo" of the Big Brother world. It was the season that put the show on the map, that defined what modern day Big Brother is. It is fascinating to watch this season just to see where the ever so common strategies and competitions originated from. This was the first season to introduce Head of Household! Although it's a bit harder to watch because of the lesser production values, out of all the older generation seasons of Big Brother, this is definitely the one to watch.
4) Big Brother Canada 2
Cast: This season's cast brought the DRAMA. Once again, it's the women who take on the roles of being the most endearing reality show characters. Ika shredding the entire cast's letters from home is one of the most dramatic moments in Big Brother history. Watching Neda manipulate the eventual winner Jon into doing everything she wants while keeping the target off her back is GENIUS. Lastly, how could anyone forget Sabrina who asked us all "DOES EVERYBODY WANT GOOD FUCKING TV? IS THAT WHAT THEY WANT?". The cast was a perfect diverse mix of people, but it was the women who once again shined the most.
Winner: Jon is a good winner, even though it was easy to be bitter when he blindsided Neda (the deserving winner of the season), he made the right move by cutting her at third, because she had the jury votes to win. He was a likeable enough personality, but unfortunately for Jon, he's going to be remembered as the man who took the win from Neda.
Rewatchability: Big Brother Canada delivered one of the best modern seasons of Big Brother in a while after the USA version had an extremely dry-run of about 2-3 seasons. The drama was high, there were memorable characters, fun and inventive challenges, and above all, Arisa Cox (the "Julie Chen" of Canada) proved to be a fun and likeable superfan. You'll find yourself heading to youtube to rewatch some of the most dramatic moments from this season!
3) Big Brother 7 (All Stars)
Cast: Of course, with this season being "All Stars", the cast is filled with a perfect mix of fan favourites, master strategists and cut-throat villains. Luckily, we got to see Janelle compete a second time - this time watching her win a record- breaking 5 Power of Veto's and 4 HOH's. The level of strategy this season was simply awe-inspiring. Will was the only winner apart of the cast, and to see him get so close to winning a second time further solidified his status as a Big Brother legend. Unfortunately, as with any "All Stars" season of any reality show, some contestants fell short. Notably, most of the season 5 cast, with fan favourite Nakomis (known for inventing the backdoor strategy), leaving early on. Still, to see legends of the game play all together made up for an exciting mix of personalities and gameplay.
Winner: Did Mike really deserve the win here? The "ChillTown" alliance of Will and Mike dominated the game, manipulating Erika and Janelle to do their own bidding - but really, Mike would be nothing without Will. It was heartbreaking to see Janelle come third a second time - the definition of a truly robbed queen. Also, post-show, Mike has had trouble with the law and was reported to be 23 million dollars in debt. Unfortunately, it's hard to root for a real life "sleaze". This season could have been bumped up a few spots if the winner had gone to a more likeable and worthy contestant.
Rewatchability: Although there weren't many explosive fights along the likes of Season 6 or 10, the season is worth the rewatch solely based on gameplay. To watch legends come together and play the best game they can is a must see for any Big Brother fan. If anything, it's to rewatch Will's ICONIC Power of Veto speech over and over again.
3) Big Brother 20
2) Big Brother 6
Cast: A rare season in which the house was perfectly split into two groups - "The Friendship" and "The Sovereign Six". "The Friendship" is probably the most hated alliance of all time, and the most mind numbing to watch. Following the eviction of Cappy, a weird cult-like alliance formed with Maggie as their leader. They were constantly spewing hate, ignorant to the fact that there was a camera in the HOH bedroom. On the opposite side of the house, the more lovable cast members formed "The Sovereign Six", which included fan favorites Janelle and Keysar. Janelle is the epitome of what a reality TV star should be. She delivers one-liners, she brings drama and she's good at competitions. You were rooting for Janelle all the way until the end. Watching a different alliance come into power with every new week kept the game exciting, suspenseful, and most importantly, filled with drama and fights.
Winner: Unfortunately, the final two had two members from "The Friendship", Yvette and Maggie, with Maggie eventually winning. As frustrating as it was to watch "The Friendship" play, Maggie was a strategic genius. She was able to basically brainwash her alliance into following her and do her bidding however she pleased. Although many would have rather the season ended with a Janelle win, it's hard to deny that Maggie played an excellent game, and I would rank her among the top tier winners.
Rewatchability: "You're going home Jennifer" will forever be ingrained in the minds of every Big Brother fan. The drama this season is extremely juicy, having both sides of the house attacking each other where they're most vulnerable. Janelle always being the center of attention, the entire season is worth re-watching just for her. From her iconic confessionals, to her drunkingly screaming at Beau "You're a gold-digging whore!", while Beau replies "POLYESTER HAIR!!". Season 6 would have been a perfect season had a more likeable character taken the win at the end.
1) Big Brother 10
Cast: Without a doubt, the greatest casting in Big Brother History. The women made this season of the show, never taking any shit from anyone. The dynamic that Keisha, Michelle, Libra and April brought to the house resulted in the most explosive and drama-filled season to date. How can anyone forget Keisha's infamous birthday? Besides the women going at it for the entire season, we had a diverse cast with people of all ages. Jerry is the oldest contestant to ever appear on Big Brother (clocking in at 75 at the time of filming). Renny was the motherly figure of the season with her over the top diva personality. The season even introduced us to the oh so cringe-worthy Mr. Pectacular (Jessie Godderz), who has since made many future appearances on the show.
Winner: The greatest winner in Big Brother history - Dan Gheesling. A mastermind player, he laid low for the most of the game with the strategy of throwing competitions. While the rest of the house was at each other's throats, Dan and Memphis formed "The Renegades", slowly masterminding the eviction of each houseguest. The hardest to watch being Keisha's eventual eviction, powerless against the bond between "The Renegades". In the end, Dan won the game with a unanimous 7-0 vote.
Rewatchability: With the constant drama, it's easy to keep on coming back to BB10. What makes this season so fun to watch is that it's a "back to basic" season, with no silly twists hindering anyone's game. It's pure old school Big Brother strategy with the higher budget of later seasons. Renny is a gem of a reality show character, and the fallout from Jessie's eviction - watching April and Michelle gang up on Libra and Keisha - is reality TV gold. This season is a must watch in order to study Dan's gameplay. Big Brother 10 is the pinnacle of the franchise.
So, do you agree with this list, and what do you hope to see from the upcoming season of Big Brother? Drama? Good gameplay? All of the above? Let me know in the comments below!
(This ranking did not include Big Brother: Over the Top)
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