Variety Big Brother

Infobox Television
show_name = Variety Big Brother


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show_name_2 = zh-tsp|t=綜藝大哥大|s=综艺大哥大|p=zōngyì dàgēdà
genre = Variety
creator = Chang Fei
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country = Taiwan
language = Mandarin Chinese
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network = China Television
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website = http://www.ctv.com.tw/ctv_entertainment/entertainment_2/11.php
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Variety Big Brother (zh-tsp|t=綜藝大哥大|s=综艺大哥大|p=zōngyì dàgēdà, literally Big Brother of Entertainment) is a television show hosted by Chang Fei, a.k.a. Fei Ge, which screens on Taiwanese channel China Television on Saturdays, but taped a week before its broadcast. It is representative of the format and style common to Taiwanese comedy-variety shows, with amateur performances and a vast number of Taiwanese celebrities. Every week the show has celebrity guests and performers from Taiwan and/or abroad. Despite being billed as a talent-based show, much of the show focuses directly on comedic banter between the host and the guests.

The program is split into two separate types of performances. The first segment uses amateur performances and the second segment uses magic performances, all judged by celebrity guests. Earlier episodes typically have comedy sketches with the main cast.

Like most Taiwanese variety shows, there are frequent on-screen displays (if freudian slips or puns occurred), stock sound effects and a laugh track (despite being taped in front of a small audience).

Chang's brother, Fei Yu Ching, a well-known classical singer, is a frequent guest.

Co-host Ni Min Jan failed to appear in several shows, and it was later revealed he had committed suicide after learning his wife had allegedly had an affair. [cite news|last=Chang|first=Rich|title=Body of famous Annette Lu impersonator found|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/05/02/2003252826|work=Taipei Times|page=4|date=2005-05-02|accessdate=2008-03-16] [cite news|title=Taiwan pays tribute to late comedian Ni Min-jan|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmafp/is_200505/ai_n14750090|publisher=AFP|date=May 2005|accessdate=2008-03-25]

It is shown in the United States on the San Francisco Bay Area-based television station KTSF, which shows much Chinese-language programming for the area, under the English translation "Big Brother of Entertainment", the literal translation of the Chinese title. [cite web|title=SF KTSF 26 Schedule|url=http://media.bactvs.com/KTSF.htm|publisher=Bay Asian Channel|accessdate=2008-03-16

Many non-Asian viewers had criticised the constant use of laugh tracks since the program is promoted to be a talent show.

References