Big Brother Arabia (franchise)

Big Brother: The Boss (Big Brother: الرئيس) (also known as Big Brother Arabia) was a 2004 Arabic-language television show, based on the worldwide hit Big Brother, in which contestants live in a specially built house while competing for a prize. The show was aired on MBC 2 with a big prize $100 000, not won because of the cancellation.

The show was filmed in the Amwaj Islands in Bahrain. It was hoped that the show would follow the success of such popular programs as Star Academy, and the recent dating show "Al Hawa Sawa," but failed to do so, and instead the show gained major controversy in the countries it aired in.

Many were offended by the fact that it featured six men and six women living together in one area due to gender segregation in Islam, despite staying in separate parts of the house, and the only way of communicating with each other was in open areas such as the kitchen and garden.

The show began on airing 21 February, and was discontinued 11 Days later on 2 March to avoid more controversy in the Arab World, specifically, the Arabian Peninsula. During the first (and only) nominations Asjan, Bashara, Najwa and Shaza were nominated. However, an eviction never took place.

The Big Brother House
The house was mainly segregated for the male and female housemates. Single-sex bedrooms, bathrooms and prayer rooms were provided and the only parts of the house accessible to both sexes were the kitchen and garden areas. Parts of the house (e.g. the women's bedroom) were monitored by female camera operators only. Five times a day, Big Brother would announce to the housemates the time for prayer.

Cancellation
Producers decided to cancel the show, as there were many complaints from viewers, and complaints on Arab radio talkshows. The shows producers actually went into the house in person to inform the housemates that it was to be cancelled. Many of the Housemates were devastated at the news that they had to leave. Had the eviction gone ahead, Shaza would have been evicted with 65% of the vote. Bashara received 20%, Asjan received 10%, whilst Najwa received 5%.

Trivia

 * Big Brother Arabia is the first series in the history of Big Brother, to be cancelled and not have a winner.
 * It would be followed by the Big Brother series in the Balkans, when three housemates died in a car accident.