LOS ANGELES — Born from the premise of George Orwell's "1984" and its signature slogan "Big Brother is watching you," the CBS hit reality show "Big Brother" has featured 24/7 surveillance since it first premiered 24 years ago.
So, when the network recently changed up its live feed experience, loyal viewers were outraged.
Paramount+ quietly removed the archive and flashback features on its live feeds of the "Big Brother" 26 houseguests, meaning fans can no longer pause or rewind the stream. They're features fans frequently relied on in the past to catch up on all the conversations, new alliances and secret deals that happened while they were asleep.
"We've recently made some changes to our Live Feeds experience. Starting this season, archives and flashbacks are no longer available, but you can still watch all four cameras with the live feeds!" the Paramount+ website reads.
In addition to letting fans see unedited footage that didn't make it into the TV episode, the live feeds have also been a major tool in uncovering scandals in seasons past.
Just last season on "Big Brother" 25, a houseguest was caught on camera saying a racial slur. The live feeds recorded Luke Valentine, a 30-year-old illustrator from Florida, saying the N-word in a casual conversation with other contestants.
The moment not only prompted immediate backlash online, it ultimately led to Valentine's removal from the game.
Fans have speculated that CBS and Paramount decided to remove the archive and rewind features to keep controversial moments like these from coming to light. Others like "Big Brother" 8 winner Dick Donato — better known as "Evel Dick" — think the company did it to save money.
Donato told TMZ that the show is filmed with HD cameras, and archiving all that footage can be rather costly.
Popular reality TV commentator Taran Armstrong from "Rob Has a Podcast" said it could be a sign of "significant trouble" for the show, noting that Big Brother Canada was canceled after removing its live feeds.
"This is very likely a sign that the 25-year-old reality juggernaut may be on its last legs," Armstrong said in a video.
While the network hasn't said what led to its decision, fans can still watch the live feeds in real-time this season on Paramount+ and watch "Big Brother" on 10 Tampa Bay (CBS) from 9-10 p.m. ET on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The 10 Tampa Bay digital team will also be recapping "Big Brother" 26 throughout the season on their commentary show "Hey, Houseguests," which you can watch on the 10 Tampa Bay+ streaming app and the 10 Tampa Bay YouTube channel.
