Interview with Allison Grodner

Whoa, 'Brother': The Truth About Chima
An Interview with Allison Grodner

"Big Brother" host Julie Chen never misses a chance to tell viewers (and contestants) to "expect the unexpected" when it comes to the CBS reality show.

This season, she really meant it.

The past two weeks of "Big Bro" have been among the most tense, action-packed and unpredictable in the history of the decade-old format. Critics who still think the show is about as exciting as watching paint dry (that would be season one, though even that year had its charms) don't know what they're missing.

We've seen power in the house shift dramatically -- from being overwhelmingly in the hands of an alliance of contestants most viewers would likely label "the meanies," to being fully in the grasp of a rival coalition (let's call 'em "the naive but nice").

A returning contestant named Jessie went from being within weeks of pulling off a stunning victory, to being the first to go. One of the strongest female players in the game's history, a feisty diva named Chima, self-destructed and became one of the few players ever to be ejected from the game (though she still somehow insists she chose to quit).

In the middle of all the drama, as always, are executive producers Allison Grodner, Rich Meehan and Scott Einziger. We've been talking to Grodner every Thursday after the eviction show, and she kept her promise to talk to us tonight-- despite all the recent hubbub.

Here's an edited version of what she had to say this week.

Two caveats: Grodner wouldn't talk about who won tonight's head of household competition (though any "Big Bro" fan worth his or her salt has already checked the Net to find out who won). And, after writing up this interview, we realized we forgot to ask Grodner a very key question: Will America end up the seventh member of the jury?

Knowing Grodner, she probably wouldn't have spilled.

So... Chima. What happened?

What we said on the show is what happened. You come on the show, you agree to play by the rules. And putting on the microphone is a crucial part of the show. We need to hear (players) in order to do the show. And a big rule is 'do not destroy equipment.'

Chima, of course, claims she quit-- even though she certainly didn't look like she was quitting when she went into the diary room.

When people are escorted out of the Big Brother house, they're out of the game. Once you've been exposed (to the behind the scenes operation), the game is over.

(Grodner notes the only exception to this came in season nine when medical emergencies forced evacuation of two players).

How tough was the decision to end Chima's game?

It was not an easy call to make. We want everyone to go out the front door, not the side door. It was serious. It was made with a heavy heart. I wish her well. She's an intelligent, lovely person. I know (some fans) beg to differ, but....

You had a cameo in Tuesday's show.

(Laughs) I don't particularly like to be a part of the show. I like to keep the producers away from the show as much as possible... but there was no choice. In a way, it was incredible to break the fourth wall.

Chima has been vocal on Twitter. Is this really Chima tweeting.

Yeah. They sign contracts with us where they need to discuss press with CBS. (CBS Media Relations) is aware of what she's releasing. She seems to be playing by the rules... outside of the house.

Natalie and Chima and others really seemed to have a problem with the Coup d'Etat.

It's the sore loser thing. The test of character on the show is how you deal with things when you're down and out.... If they had had the power, they would have used it.

They couldn't have been surprised. Plus, you warned them something big was happening....

There were many people (in the house) who had seen 'Big Brother' and had a sense the mystery power was the Coup d'Etat. It would have been easy for anyone to plan strategically for its use. (The complaining) is bewildering to all of us given the amount of warning they had.

So Lydia was voted out this week. Jeff and Jordan came close to backdooring Russell or Michelle due to Kevin's little lie. And Natalie survived!

Kevin has been in the shadows but he really stepped up tonight, along with Natalie. The lie they told tonight is partially true.... Russell considers himself even with Jeff.

(As for Natalie), she was so convincing with her lying. On Sunday's show you'll see where she strikes a deal with Jeff and Jordan. Natalie is playing the game. She was in Jessie's shadow. But she's a thinker. And she's certainly a liar.

What about her big lie-- namely, claiming she's just 18, when she's really much older? The HGs seem clueless. Don't they wonder why the producers don't object when she drinks alcohol?

And she's also talked about going to casinos! We've told Natalie we can't be a part of her lie. So if any contestants asked us about it in the DR, we would just say, "If there was illegal activity going on, we wouldn't allow it."

But nobody's asked?

Nope.

If Russell wins HOH this week (spoiler alert: he didn't), would he put Jeff up?

Absolutely.

Let's talk Jeff and Jordan. First, they really are one of the best couples in the show's history.

Everytime I see them in a room together, I smile. They have such genuine affection for each other.

Do you think it's a real romance?

They're realistic. They're in different stages of life and they live in different states. So it's not deep. I mean, they're not the sharpest tools in the shed, and they're a little naive. But they're very real.

They're in a good position to win, but are you worried they're getting caught up in the lies?

These people have not been in power for most of the game. Funny things happen when people get in the HOH room. You get the power. But you also get the paranoia. It happened to Russell, and Ronnie and certainly Chima.

You'd think Jeff and Jordan would realize that getting Natalie and Kevin out is key.

Well, I think Kevin and Natalie have the most friends in the jury house right now.

http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/whoa-brother-truth-about-chima_5397?page=2

Whoa, 'Brother': America's Vote Could Be Key

Another key player left the "Big Brother" house Thursday night, as big bad Russell got the boot by a unanimous 3-0 vote (the first unanimous vote of the season).

As always, TV MoJoe talked to "Brother" exec producer Allison Grodner right after tonight's episode to get her thoughts on this week's goings-on:

So why do you think Jeff went back on his final four deal with Russ?

He firmly believes that, in order to win this game, he needed to strike now. He felt Russ was the biggest threat physically. That's why he struck at Jessie.

But there's a big risk....

He chose to trust two people who've never had his interests at heart, over Russell.
I think he thought (Kevin and Natalie) weren't strong competitors.

Let's talk about the harsh words between Jeff and Russ. Did you have to warn them their talk was getting too tough?

They know the rules and they both know the line. They were both told that they needed to watch out for the line. They obeyed the rules.

Are you worried what might happen if Jeff ends up in the jury house?

There could be conflict if Jeff arrived. But I don't think it would get violent.

Let's say Kevin or Natalie win HOH. Do you think they'll go after Jeff?

Probably. The only doubt would be how (they) decide to do it. There's a possibility they do the old backdoor and put up Jordan and Michelle.

Do you think Kevin should have considered aligning with Russ and Michelle to vote out Natalie?

I think that would have been amazing for him to do that.. It would have been an awesome move.

So what's this secret HOH door we saw Thursday?

I'm gonna tease. There is a secret door that will weigh into the HOH. It's something we've had planned for a while. I wouldn't call it a power. It's just something that's been added to the HOH's (responsibility).

Can you confirm what will happen if there's a tie at the end of the game? How will you break it?

If you go back to "Big Brother" history, all the way to season two, it's always been the same.

Viewers get to break the tie?

Yup. We're going to announce it soon.

CBS confirmed last week that this year's finale will be two hours. Are you happy about that?

Sure. We've usually had to squeeze a lot of material in at the end. Now we'll be able to have more time for the first four houseguests (who didn't go to jury) to reveal secrets. And we'll be able to ask some really good questions. We're excited to give this season its due