5 Shows Like ‘Big Brother’ to Watch Next
CBS’s hit reality TV show Big Brother follows a group of strangers living together in a house with cameras and microphones recording their movements 24 hours a day. Someone gets voted out of the house each week until one remaining Houseguest takes home the grand prize. If you’re a fan, here are five reality TV shows like Big Brother you might enjoy.
‘Love Island’ (2015-present)
Love Island is a British dating show that has gone on to inspire an entire franchise, including Love Island: Aftersun, Love Island: The Reunion, and Love Island USA.
Despite only gaining widespread popularity thanks to the 2015 reboot, Love Island actually premiered its first two seasons in 2005 and 2006. The show was originally titled Celebrity Love Island and aired on ITV, per IMDb.
The series follows a group of contestants — referred to as Islanders — who are placed in a house in Mallorca, Spain. They must be coupled up with each other throughout the show to win. Similar to Big Brother, the Islanders are under constant surveillance. Any contestant who remains “single” is kicked off the island, but participants can also get booted off via public vote.
To win the cash prize, participants must be in a couple by the end of the series. Some Love Island pairs even stay together after the show — though that’s somewhat rare.
‘The Challenge’ (1998-present)
The Challenge is one of MTV’s longest-running reality competition shows. Originally titled Road Rules: All Stars, the series is a spinoff from two of the network’s other reality shows, Road Rules and The Real World, per The A.V. Club. Former contestants from each of these shows are pitted against each other, though some unknown participants have joined the cast in previous seasons.
The show sees each of the contestants hashing it out in various extreme challenges to take home the cash prize of $500,000. If viewers like the intense challenges and shocking alliances of Big Brother, they’re sure to enjoy The Challenge and its spinoffs. Fans might also notice a few Big Brother veterans on The Challenge: USA, including David Alexander, Alyssa Lopez, and Tiffany Mitchell, per GoldDerby.
‘Claim to Fame’ (2022-present)
Claim to Fame is a new reality series that premiered its first season on ABC in July 2022. Hosted by siblings Kevin and Frankie Jonas, the show follows 12 lesser-known relatives of celebrities as they attempt to keep their identities a secret to win the $100,000 cash prize, per Screen Rant.
Even though Claim to Fame isn’t as established as Big Brother, there are some similarities. For one, the participants share a house, meaning they form alliances, friendships, and enemies during the show.
Big Brother fans will enjoy the show’s challenges, which include a surprise talent show and two truths and a lie. So far, Claim to Fame has featured cast members like Maxwell, who is Chuck Norris’ grandson; Michael (Cubb Coleman), Zendaya’s cousin; and Brittany, Brett Favre’s daughter.
‘Survivor’ (2000-present)
Survivor is one of TV’s most widely known reality competition shows. On the show, 16 contestants (plus a camera crew) are stranded in a remote location with only the bare necessities. Each episode a contestant is voted off. The last-standing “survivor” is the winner and takes home $1 million, per IMDb.
Surviving in an isolated location for up to 39 days is certainly far less luxurious than the comforts of the Big Brother house. But fans of one show are bound to enjoy the other.
While Big Brother requires its participants to have more complex strategies to win, Survivor competitors are asked to do just that: survive in the wilderness. But although the rules are extremely different, both of the series’ end goals are roughly the same.
‘The Circle’ (2020-present)
The Circle made waves across the internet following its premiere on Netflix in 2020. The highly addictive show follows eight contestants who live in isolated apartments in what appears to be the same building.
However, they can’t make physical contact with each other and communicate through a voice-activated social media platform called The Circle, per The Daily Beast.
Unlike other competition shows, The Circle is slightly different. Participants seek to become the most “popular” cast member, with the two most-liked players each week becoming “influencers.” The contestant who ranks first at the end wins $100,000.
There’s plenty of lying, cheating, and “catfishing” behind the scenes. So Big Brother fans can certainly expect the same level of drama from The Circle.
