It’s not a full season — but we’ll take what we can get! Big Brother Reindeer Games is heading to CBS this December as a brand new and holiday-themed spin-off show from the network’s flag series.
Before Big Brother 25’s book came to a close on Nov. 9, host Julie Chen Moonves turned everybody’s attention to the studio’s screens. Just like at the start of season 25 in August, we watched Big Brother veterans Frankie Grande, Britney Hayes, and Danielle Reyes sneak into the house and use a “Time Laser.” In the skit, they attempted to close the “Big Brother Multiverse” — something they opened before the houseguests moved into the abode. But, this time they brought to life Big Brother Reindeer Games.
So, what is it?
It’s a condensed season of Big Brother featuring nine former houseguests, as well as one contestant from Big Brother 25 who has yet to be announced. Chen revealed that the returnees will be “legends” from the series, but they’ll play an entirely new game.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the contestants won’t actually be houseguests — they’re not going to move into the Big Brother house. Also, no one will face eviction. They’ll square off in holiday-themed challenges ahead of Christmas, and in every episode, one player will be sent home after losing the “Santa’s Showdown” competition, according to the outlet.
It’s set to premiere on Dec. 11 — around a month after Big Brother’s 100-day battle ended, which was the series’ longest season yet. Big Brother Reindeer Games will play out over six episodes spanning under two weeks. All in all, four players will survive to finale night — Dec. 21 — and one player will snag the spin-off’s trophy and the $100,000 prize that comes along with it.
Further, because the show will be filmed before its first episode releases, live feeders won’t have the opportunity to eavesdrop on the players.
We already know three names attached to Big Brother Reindeer Games. Big Brother 13 alum and season 11 winner Jordan Lloyd will join season 23’s Tiffany Mitchell and Derek Xiao as “Santa’s Elves.” According to Entertainment Weekly, there won’t be a host for the mini-season. Instead, the elves will help navigate the players through the newest addition to the long-running franchise.
At the time of this writing, no players have been announced for Big Brother Reindeer Games. Considering Big Brother 22, CBS has been willing to pay it loose with terms like “all-stars” and “legends,” so your guess is as good as ours for who will show up on the mini-season next month.
