20 Years Ago Big Brother Debuted With Rockford’s Chicken George

It's been twenty years since the show, Big Brother, debuted featuring a contestant from Rockford know as Chicken George.

When I think back, television was so different in the year 2000 then it is now. There were no streaming services. On-Demand wasn't as extensive as it is today. It was the early days of Reality TV. Summer was full of reruns.

Then a show came along that caught viewers' attention. It was called Survivor. It was something new and exciting.  I remember getting hooked on it.

Just when I thought, how are they going to top this? Promos started airing during the hit show about another new program called Big Brother. It looked very interesting. Plus, there was a local angle. There was going to be a contestant from Rockford. His name is George Boswell, AKA Chicken George.

Like its predecessor, Survivor, Big Brother was huge. George became a star. He was one of the more popular characters in the cast. Unfortunately, he didn't win but it was still fun to watch.

After many seasons, the show is still around. In fact, this summer marks the 20th anniversary. It's hard to believe that much time has passed.

According to variety.com,

“Big Brother launched July 5, 2000, on CBS."

If you didn't get a chance to see it back in the day or you'd like to relive that era, the episodes are available through Amazon, HERE.

For a little bit of Big Brother 1 history, HERE.

Video: Big Brother Season One "Chicken" George Boswell Flashback