‘Pinoy Big Brother’ casting is key, housemates are legacy - Direk Lauren

MANILA, August 6 ------ One of the keys to the enduring popularity of the long-running reality program "Pinoy Big Brother" is finding the right set of housemates, ABS-CBN's head of TV production Laurenti Dyogi said.

"Key for Big Brother is really the housemates, the set of housemates," Dyogi told broadcaster Rico Hizon on "Beyond the Exchange." "Critical talaga 'yong casting sa'min. So I think if you have continuously very interesting people to watch, the format will continue and continue to thrive on either free TV and definitely on digital," said Dyogi, who previously served as the program's producer.

But Dyogi said there was no guarantee that the program casts the "perfect mix" for every season. "We just work on gut feel, what we've known for two decades that we've been doing 'Big Brother,' what may work on television," he said. He said that producers are clueless as to how each season will play out, giving examples from the recently concluded "Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition." "Like Will [Ashley], in this past ano, he started very parang introverted, so parang very reserved, very withdrawn pero nagkaroon siya ng character growth, slowly, sila ni Brent [Manalo]."

The showrunners were also unaware of the dynamics between Bianca De Vera, Dustin Yu, and Will Ashley, despite De Vera’s pairings with both male housemates gaining their own fan followings. "We knew for a fact na nagtrabaho si Bianca at si Will before, we didn't really know there was something hanging personally sa kanilang dalawa. And we didn't know that Dustin will be attracted to Bianca, so may mga ganoong moments," Dyogi explained.

But beyond casting, Dyogi said the show's popularity also stems from its format of following people's lives, which Filipinos are interested in. "Marites tayo. Gusto nating nalalaman 'yong buhay-buhay ng mga tao," he said. Viewers also look for authenticity. "'Yong concept ng Big Brother is really bringing out the real, true, authentic self of every housemate," he said.

When asked about the legacy of the program, Dyogi said it lies in the housemates who have managed to make it big in the entertainment industry. "Obviously, the legacy of 'Big Brother' ay iyong of course the housemates who became famous. The Kim Chius of this world. The Maymays. The Melais. The Biancas. The Robis," said Dyogi, who heads ABS-CBN's talent management arm Star Magic. Dyogi was referring to past Big Winners and housemates Kim Chiu, Maymay Entrata, Melai Cantiveros, Bianca Gonzalez and Robi Domingo. "Pinoy Big Brother," the Filipino edition of a global reality TV franchise, premiered in 2005, with Nene Tamayo emerging as the first-ever Big Winner.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com