Since the original series of Big Brother in 1999 in the Netherlands, over 40 different countries have adapted the series with varying rules, all over the globe. The concept of the British series is similiar to the original series, as a group of people who've never met before are locked into a house, sealed off from the outside world and are recorded by dozens of cameras all day long. These Housemates are controlled by "Big Brother", an all-seeing entity whom we never see but frequently hear. Each week, after the other housemates nominate the people they want out of the house and the public decide who they want out, a nominee is evicted. After approximately three months, the public then vote for the winner, who wins a cash prize.

The show is represented in the media by a eye, which is different for each series, often trying to incorporate a theme for the series. These are often released before the show actually begins and are also used in the opening titles of the show. The theme tune by Paul Oakenfold and Andy Gray is released under 'Big Brother Theme' by Element Four - tweaks have being made to the theme used throughout each series.

Davina McCall has hosted the series since it began in 2000, Marcus Bentley has also being present in the presenting team since 2000, narrating the daily show which showcases highlights from the previous day in a daily hour long show. However it should be noted that the show has only aired for seven nights a week throughout certain series, in series 8 for example the highlights of Friday and Saturday were shown on Sunday. The airtimes of shows often differ from series to series as well, for example during the ninth series the shows aired on Monday & Tuesday at 10pm, whilst Wednesday-Sunday highlights aired at 9pm (sometimes a little later on the weekend).

Before each series of the show begins, their's often a teaser show aired, Dermot O'Leary has hosted the majority of the shows, before his departure to ITV1 in January 2008.

The Big Brother house is located in Elstree Studios, Elstree, Borehamwood. The house links to a staircase (adapted for each series), which leads down into a walkway, barriered off to hold the audience. The walkway leads into the tv studio, which consists of a seat for Davina, a seat for the interviewee and screens behind them. The screen, introduced in the ninth series, is used when Davina talks to the house. Previously, she would stand on the walkway and talk to the house.

Eviction shows have aired in two parts on Friday nights since the show began, incoporating Thursday's highlights within the first hour long show. These shows are broadcast as live, however their is a slight 5-10 minute delay as the following Saturday night highlights show, shows housemates leaving 5-10 minutes before we see the housemate leave on the eviction show. The announcement of the evicted housemate is made at the end of the first show, whilst in the second show, we see highlights of the previous half an hour, before Davina meets the housemate at the bottom of the stairs and leads them through the audience into the studio, she then interviews them about their time in the house. The Finale show has gone on for up to three hours previously and is broadcast as live, it has never featured highlights of the final day in the house, but often features the return of the previous housemates, seated in a area away from the rest of the audience.

In series 2-8, Dermot O'Leary and from series 9, George Lamb (who has so far co-hosted with Zezi Ifore and for the latest celebrity edition Michael Barrymore) have hosted Big Brother's Little Brother, the show brings viewers up to date with the latest from the house, features housemates friends and family and reveals exclusive upcoming twists.

After the nighly shows broadcast, E4 broadcast Big Brother's Big Mouth, Russell Brand hosted the show when it began at the start of series 5 and left at the end of series 7, since then the series has contineud with one week stints of guest presenters. It has been revealed that the upcoming series will have a different format, airing for one hour after Friday night eviction shows and will be presented by Davina.

Throughout series two, on Saturday nights viewers could watch Big Brother Reveals More..., which showed a round-up of the weeks action from the house. This format returned in series 7 in the E4 only show Diary Room Uncut, which showed extended highlights from the week, mostly from the Diary Room's point of view, this show still continues to this day. Beforehand in series 4-6, on Fridays in place of Big Brother's Little Brother at 7.30pm, that weeks nominations would air in full in Nominations Uncut.

Throughout series 3 to halfway through series 5, the normal highlights show on a Saturday was replaced by Saturday Night Live, were we saw the housemates compete in live tasks to gain access to rewards for their time in the house. The show quickly became unpopular and stopped airing on the 26th June 2004. In series 7, Dermot O'Leary hosted Big Brother's Big Brain, which featured psychologists analysis of the housemates and events that had taken place in the house during the previous week, resembling the Sunday night highlight shows in earlier series. This was replaced by Davina hosting Big Brother: On The Couch in series 8, in a new timeslot.

The show is heavily edited for daytime repeats to air on Channel 4 Breakfast in the morning and early afternoon on E4. The shows are also shown on the HD output of the stations and the +1 channels. On a weekend the show from the night before is also shown on teen strand T4. T4 is often first to air the follow up episodes, after the series has finished, normally going under the title 'What Happened Next' as well, which has taken on many forms since it first began, following the housemates from the past series around to see what impact the show has had on their life.

The show has spouted many spin-offs, the most famous of which Celebrity Big Brother, has been the most successful and although making two breaks due to other spin-offs Big Brother Panto and Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack, has aired from 2001 onwards.