(L) Julie Chen Moonves; (R) ‘Big Brother’ logo. Credit :

Diana King/CBS; CBS via Getty 

• Big Brother premiered on July 5, 2000 and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer
• While host Julie Chen Moonves’ catchphrase is to “expect the unexpected,” sometimes the show leans more into “expect the expected”
• The PEOPLE staff have a few suggestions that we feel would help spice things up, including hiding the vote count during live evictions, more double evictions and changing up the Veto

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Big Brother — and, like any franchise, it’s had its fair share of ups and downs.

Since its premiere on July 5, 2000, Big Brother has continuously evolved, tweaking its gameplay and format while delivering many twists and turns. This constant evolution aligns perfectly with host Julie Chen Moonves‘ iconic reminder each season: “expect the unexpected.”

Despite some of these changes, however, sometimes the show has started to make me “expect the expected.”

Julie Chen (center) surrounded by contestants from ‘Big Brother 4’. Doug Benc/Getty 

Before we delve into some proposed fixes, I would like to preface everything that follows by explaining just how deep my love for Big Brother runs.

I’ve watched the competition show with my parents since the first season. The show is such a staple summer viewing for us that we’ve gone from discussing it at the dinner table to having weekly phone catch-ups over the years. I even remember recording it using a VCR in the days before TiVo and DVR. Yeah, we’re that cool and that obsessed.

So, as a devout superfan, I feel I’m especially equipped to offer some suggestions since all I want is the best for my summertime guilty pleasure.

When Julie announces who is evicted during the live evictions on Thursday nights, she also reveals how many votes each contestant received from their fellow Houseguests.

This does nothing for the viewer, who has already seen how everyone voted in their individual Diary Room visits. Instead, it potentially exposes how everyone voted, which has historically been a problem when large alliances and voting blocs have taken over the game.

Taylor Hale on ‘Big Brother 26’. Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty 

If the vote counts were kept hidden from the Houseguests and only the name of the evicted Houseguest was announced, it might encourage players to vote how they want, not how they’re expected to vote.

A greater sense of anonymity may encourage more strategic gameplay that prioritizes the individual over the majority, leading to more surprising evictions and epic blindsides.

Big Brother can be a lengthy game.

Seasons have ranged from 71 days (season 10) at their shortest to 100 days (season 25) at their longest. No matter what end of the spectrum, that’s much longer than the 42-day height of Survivor: The Australian Outback (the exception of the typical 39-day run) and much, much longer than the 26-day schedule of Survivor‘s “New Era” brought to you by the pandemic and which is seemingly here to stay.

Having a season this long, combined with the fact that it airs three times a week, creates the risk that it could feel a little too predictable.

Let’s aim for a shorter season. But how could that be accomplished? May we suggest…

To have a shorter season while maintaining the same number of Houseguests, the show could utilize one of its best twists each summer — the double eviction — by simply having more of them.

These are usually the more exciting nights of the season and tend to come around the same point of the game each summer, making them less of a surprise. If there were to be more than one and they occurred at random moments each season, that could keep the Houseguests and viewers on their toes.

Janelle Pierzina on ‘Big Brother 6’. Frederick M. Brown/Getty 

Imagine having a double eviction early on in a season before the alliances firm up and the chaos that would create.

Or, picture things getting a little stale and production having the option to throw in a double eviction to shake things up whenever they want. The possibilities are endless.

To put it simply, a cast can make or break a season.

While the show always finds a few gems each summer, fans have complained in recent years that it feels like more and more Houseguests are there to kickstart their influencer careers rather than to win the grand prize with the best strategy and gameplay.

The show could use Houseguests who are truly there to play the game in their unique way and, most importantly, make great television. The most memorable players are those who do whatever it takes to survive, whether that means stirring up drama or causing a scene. If you asked any viewer, the best of the best were always polarizing. Think: Dr. Will Kirby, Rachel Reilly and Angela Murray.

(L-R) ‘Big Brother’ contestants Will Kirby, Rachel Reilly and Angela Murray. Robert Mora/Getty; Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty; Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty

Since we’re on the topic of casting, we need more superfans who are true students of the game and come in well-steeped in the show’s history.

While this could be a hindrance in a game like Survivor, where diehard players go to extreme lengths to prepare for certain aspects, Big Brother is built differently. This show is less serious than Survivor and isn’t afraid to lean into its silliness at times, making it harder to prepare for on the outside.

We need more players ready to play Big Brother hard, not ones who are there only to find a “showmance,” work on their tan or gain followers.

This one has precedent in the Big Brother universe.

For the first few seasons of Big Brother Canada, the Veto competition ran similarly to how the U.S. version has since it settled into its current rules back in season 7. The Head of Household and the two nominees were guaranteed to compete alongside three other players selected by a random draw.

Season 7 of the Canadian iteration introduced a slight change to these rules: the HOH wasn’t allowed to compete for the Veto until the season got down to the final five. This means that just five players, the two nominees for eviction and three randomly drawn HouseGuests, compete for the Veto.

Frankie Grande on ‘Big Brother 16’. Lisette M. Azar/CBS via Getty 

This changes up the game, putting a twist on the nomination and backdoor strategy we see every summer while stripping a little potential power from the HOH.

Another option here could be to permanently upgrade the Golden Power of Veto to the Diamond Power of Veto. This advantage allows the Veto holder not only to save a nominee from potential eviction, but also to name the replacement nominee, taking a bit of power away from the HOH and spicing things up.

As we head into season 27, here’s hoping our favorite summer pastime keeps the heat coming for years to come.

Big Brother can be streamed on Paramount+ and season 27 premieres Thursday, July 10 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.