The Netherlands produced the original reality format later adapted as 'Big Brother'. The Dutch series premiered in 1999 and was created by John de Mol and his production company, Endemol.
The format placed a group of strangers in a specially designed house under constant observation. Contestants nominated or voted against one another while completing tasks and living together for an extended period.
The name was inspired by the all-seeing authority figure in George Orwell's novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'. The reality format used cameras and microphones to make surveillance the central premise.
The United Kingdom, United States and many other countries later produced local versions. Their rules, presenters and eviction systems differ, but the shared core is the house-based social experiment.