CBS Optimistic 'Big Brother' Will Air This Summer

While Big Brother and Love Island's 2020 summer seasons were initially thought to be victims of the coronavirus-caused filming shutdown, CBS is confident that both reality series will be airing this summer, reported Deadline. The shows may be debuting slightly later in the summer than usual, but network executives seemed optimistic about the possibilities as locations across the world begin to reopen.

"With Love Island and Big Brother, we still hope to have on the air this summer, it could be a little later than usual but we're still optimistic about getting those on," CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl told the outlet. "Those shows turn around pretty quickly, Big Brother has live shows every week and Love Island literally airs the night after it shoots, those shows do not have long post processes."

Big Brother typically begins airing around the end of June, but could be kicking off its 20th anniversary season a little later than usual, as the show films in Los Angeles, which is still under lockdown. Despite the inherent quarantining that the houseguests undergo while living in the Big Brother house, it is unlikely the show would be able to begin before mid-to-late summer. Interestingly enough, Big Brother Germany contestants were so cut-off from the world during their most recent season that players had to be informed about the coronavirus outbreak by producers in an emotional and surreal moment back in March.

Love Island, meanwhile, was scheduled to begin airing Mary 21, going into the second season of the American spinoff of the hit U.K. show. While the first season, hosted by Arielle Vandenberg, was filmed in Fiji, CBS and producer ITV Entertainment are reportedly exploring other locations, including within the U.S., reports Deadline.

ITV America CEO David George told the outlet in March that because the nature of the show requires each episode to be turned around in less than 48 hours, Love Island is perfectly set up for this kind of fiasco. "Once the switch is turned on, we can get it to air very quickly," he said. "We're trying to get it as ready as possible so when [CBS] says 'go', we're ready, location-wise, build-outs, casting."

The coronavirus has also halted production on popular reality shows including The Amazing Race, Survivor and The Bachelorette, affecting reunion filming for shows such as The Real Housewives of Atlanta and RuPaul's Drag Race. Both of these popular shows opted for Zoom reunions, and Drag Race is expected to air its finale in a similar at-home format Friday.