Big Brother is back in a new era of reality TV. But can these shows be ‘kinder’ – and still give us the drama we crave?

‘The challenge for Big Brother is not just whether it can recapture past glories, but whether it can conduct itself responsibly.’ Farida Khalifa becomes the first housemate to be evicted in the new series on Friday. Photograph: Sofi Adam for Big Brother/Shutterstock

When Big Brother first aired in Britain 23 years ago, it was billed as a harmless social experiment. Originating in the Netherlands, and with roots in 1971’s Stanford prison experiment, it was essentially a popularity contest played out in a confined space, with a cash prize for the last person standing. The only danger, or so it was thought at the time, was that it might bore viewers to death.

But Big Brother was a runaway success and transformed the TV landscape. From Survivor to I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! to Love Island, variations on the theme of people being thrown together and subjected to a public vote have been a staple of the schedules ever since.