Here's Why the CBS Reality Show 'Big Brother' Is Called 'Big Brother'

The CBS reality TV show Big Brother has been on the air for 25 years, but many fans have no idea why the show is called Big Brother. The mega hit has dominated the small screen for literal decades and features a cast of people living inside a house where they are watched by cameras 24 hours a day, seven days per week. One by one, houseguests are voted off the show, and the winner takes home $750,000.

The longtime host of the reality competition series, Julie Chen Moonves, told People ahead of Big Brother's 25th anniversary that she was surprised the show didn't get canceled during its first season.

"Not only did I not think I would be here 25 years later, there were rumors that first season it was going to get canceled mid-season," she said.

So, how did Big Brother get its name?

The reality show Big Brother got its name from the George Orwell novel, "Nineteen Eighty-Four," which was published in 1949. The book is about totalitarianism and mass surveillance by Big Brother, who is essentially the government. Since the houseguests on the TV show are always being watched by "Big Brother," the name is fitting.

According to IMDb, the CBS show is based on the Dutch reality show with the same name. Julie has been the host of the show since the beginning, and she spoke about thinking it would be canceled mid-season during Season 1.

"What do you do? Just open up the front door and send everyone home? How do you pull the plug on this live show that has a 24/7 element to it where people have subscribed to watch them live and sleep and breathe in the house?" she said.

"I thought, 'Oh, this show's going to get canceled or I'm going to get canceled from the show.' Back then, we didn't have the motto 'expect the unexpected,' but it was in existence."

The Big Brother host also noted the challenges of hosting a reality television show after working as a journalist for the network.

"My main job was as a journalist," she said. "I came from the news division of CBS News. Season 1, the critics were not wrong that I was stiff as a board and had no personality. I mean, that's what I'm attempting to do."

She went on to say that she had to "strike the right balance," adding that she has "grown" as the show's host and knows when to be humorous and when to "play it straight."

"We make fun of things that are popular, and we make fun of ourselves, and I've learned to make fun of myself on a public stage and show the lighter side of me," she added. "It's been nice."

The longtime host has no plans of leaving the reality show anytime soon, adding, "That's a world I don't even want to imagine."

Big Brother airs on CBS on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The reality show can also be streamed live on Paramount+.