Sep. 08, 2006
Hollywoodreporter
MADRID -- The Spanish version of "Big Brother" was set to break worldwide records in longevity Thursday as it moved into an eighth season on private television channel Telecinco.
"Gran Hermano," as it's known in Spain, is produced by "Big Brother" format inventor Endemol's Spanish subsidiary, Zeppelin, and averaged 28% of the audience in its seventh season, with 4.17 million viewers.
The show, which launches with slight decorative changes to the set and new rules to avoid possible pacts between the contestants, uses 60 cameras and 70 microphones for a 24-hour vigil on 15 people between the ages of 18 and 35.
Reality shows were huge hits in the mid-1990s in Spain, but now programming has been reduced to "Operation Triumph," aired on Telecinco also, and the new "Supermodel," which premieres this season on Cuatro. (Pamela Rolfe)
