Rumours around a Big Brother revival have been swirling for weeks while producers Endemol Shine Australia have been shopping the show to several networks.

As late as yesterday neither network nor production company could confirm details while numerous media reports flourished….

A casting notice for the show has now emerged, declaring “Big Brother is back. The game has changed. Are you ready to play?”

Nine most recently staged the show in 2014 and still has has right of refusal for a few more weeks (and whether that expires in time for Seven’s Upfronts on October 23 is unclear).

If Nine decides not to proceed -and that seems unlikely- Seven is interested in the show. As of yesterday no contracts had been signed at Seven, until Nine’s rights expire. But Nine also has Love Island, is it too much of the one genre?

The show would clearly help to lower the average age of Seven’s audience, which is something CEO James Warburton has flagged.

As to where the show will be staged….. look to the UK model of a house built inside existing studio facilities. It’s cheaper than the stand-alone Dreamworld model. Chatter has suggested FOX Studios -but those are all tied up by Marvel. Another plan will be likely.

Those key words “the game has changed” also nod to BB in a different guise than how we remember….

Former host Gretel Killeen recently said, “I think the essence of Big Brother is brilliant because when we first started that show it was about just watching humans interact without interference, just seeing what humans do.”

The casting notice appears to be something of an each way bet… either Nine will be pushed to remount it, or Seven will pounce on it. That puts ESA in a prize seat and the more the show is reported in media, the better their bargaining position.

Endemol Shine Australia has not confirmed the network late today.

An Endemol Shine Australia Spokesperson said, “We are thrilled to be casting for Big Brother, to apply bigbrothercasting.com.au”.

Sources: Colin Vickery, TV Blackbox, news.com.au

Related