When Did Big Brother First Air?

The first series of Big Brother was aired in the Netherlands in September 1999, and the show was subsequently adapted to virtually every other part of the world. Though each country has made its own adaptations and changes to the format, the general concept has stayed the same: "house mates" are confined to a specially designed house where their every action is recorded by cameras and microphones at all times; and these house mates are not permitted any contact with the outside world.