Big Brother Reindeer Games not returning this year (exclusive)

The Reindeer Games have closed… for this year, at least.

Big Brother ended its 25th season in 2023 by announcing a new holiday-themed mini-edition titled Big Brother Reindeer Games. Taking place over the course of six episodes that aired last December, the show — which was filmed in advance — featured nine former fan favorites who competed in a series of challenges. Instead of players voting each other out, one was eliminated each episode after losing in the “Santa’s Showdown” competition. Eventually, Big Brother season 18 winner Nicole Franzel-Arroyo was crowned the champion after beating season 24 winner Taylor Hale in the finals.

The series won acclaim as one of the most dramatic competitions in franchise history when a hamster wheel maze was introduced with an evil twist: The first person to compete would be eliminated if they could not complete it in under five minutes and thirty seconds. But if they were successful, one minute would be taken off the clock for each person that followed until someone was eliminated.

Britney Haynes on 'Big Brother Reindeer Games'.

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The shrinking clock led to a shocking win by Britney Haynes, and an even more shocking result when she forced Danielle Reyes to go next — instead of Taylor, who volunteered — after Xavier Parether explained that he was protecting the season 3 fan favorite. Danielle was then eliminated, and not happy about it.

But even with all that drama, Reindeer Games will not be back this holiday season, and according to the executive producers, it is all due to scheduling. “Because we started so late this season and CBS’ fall schedule starts so late this season, everything just pushes back,” EP Rich Meehan tells Entertainment Weekly. “So if there's not airtime, there's not much you can do for that.”

Fans had their hopes raised at the end of the Big Brother season 26 finale, when host Julie Chen Moonves stopped the festivities to announce that something was happening inside the house. While that is how they originally announced Reindeer Games the year before — courtesy of a malfunctioning Time Laser (you honestly can't make this stuff up) — this time, it was just news that ice cream and pizza-loving artificial intelligence entity Jankie had come back to life.

Danielle Reyes on 'Big Brother Reindeer Games'.

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“I think people really expected when Julie said, ‘Oh wait, there's something in the house,' that it would be that," says EP Allison Grodner. “There were some amazingly creative people online pitching that Jankie finds the true meeting of Christmas and things like that, which we loved.”

If fans are bummed for no season 2 of Reindeer Games, so are the producers. “Reindeer Games is one of our favorite things that we've done recently,” Meehan says.” It was really fun and we thought it worked really well.”

The all-star contestants who thought they were in for an easy ride on Reindeer Games soon found it to be anything but. “It was intense,” Grodner says. “These are seasoned players who were thrown off their game, And they weren't even sleeping there! They were going to hotels! It was great to do such a fast-paced version — not necessarily Big Brother, but a Big Brother-esque show, as opposed to obviously being more of a marathon every summer.”

Winner Nicole Franzel and the cast of 'Big Brother Reindeer Games'.

Sonja Flemming/CBS

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But while the Reindeer Games may not be opening for 2024, producers are hopeful they have not staged their last holiday edition of the franchise. “It holds a special place for both Rich and I,” says Grodner. “We loved doing the show. We thought it worked out really, really well. It's a great way to bring back alumni in a unique manner. While it's not happening this year, it could resurface.”

Adds Meehan: “Hopefully, we're in a new year and everything looks like it's going to be smooth sailing and everything's worked out, so hopefully, maybe next year. That's the goal.”