Big Brother Season 23 Premiere Date And Theme Have Been Revealed, And I Have Questions

Julie Chen on the set of Big Brother CBS

Julie Chen teased not too long ago that she was preparing for Season 23 of Big Brother, and with good reason, because the premiere is not that far off. The host recently revealed in a Q&A that the CBS reality series will return Wednesday, July 7, and also revealed the season's theme that has me asking all the questions.

The Chenbot joined Love Island narrator Matthew Hoffman and host Arielle Vanderberg for a Q&A in the Clubhouse app and jointly revealed both Big Brother and Love Island (which struggled in its opening season following the reality juggernaut) will premiere in an epic night. Julie confirmed that Season 23 will once again feature a live move-in special and that the theme for this season is the "BB Beach Club."

Big Brother Season 23 will kick off with an all-new group of Houseguests moving into the newly redesigned house, with a tease of "high risk" and "high reward." It's said that "one wrong gamble" could cost Houseguests everything, which is one too many gambling references for an alleged beach-themed season. That is unless this season is themed after the Jersey shore, which is a stone's throw away from Atlantic City.

After the live premiere, Big Brother will resume the typical schedule of episodes on Sundays and Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET, with the live eviction on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET as well. Houseguests will be moving into the redesigned house, though Julie Chen paused somewhat when Ariella Vandenberg asked whether they'd be on a beach. What was that about?

One thing that struck me as odd was that during the Clubhouse Q&A, Julie Chen talked about how we all need a vacation and will enjoy living vicariously through the Houseguests. I could be reading into it too much, but is it possible these Houseguests could be getting out of the house a bit this season? That seems a bit risky given the onslaught of wall-yellers that spoiled secrets for the show last season, but I'm just so conditioned to "expect the unexpected" I can't rule it out.

One other minor note for Big Brother fans – it was stressed that this season will feature an "all-new" group of Houseguests. That means no returning players, which is probably for the best given the lackluster sequel season to Big Brother: All-Stars. Plus CBS pledged to have a more diverse cast this coming season, so this has an opportunity to be a season truly unlike ones we've seen in the past.

Big Brother will return to CBS Wednesday, July 7 for its live move-in premiere at 8:00 p.m. ET. To get hyped for the series, be sure to check out our many lists on Big Brother, including the series' most iconic quotes over the years.

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.