Why didn't Big Brother air on October 2, 2024? Revised schedule explored ahead of the finale

Big Brother season 26 aired its last episode on Sunday, September 29, 2024. Episode 34 showcased the Head of Household (HoH) competition, where the houseguests competed for the coveted position of the HoH. Makensy outperformed the others to win the challenge.

She nominated Kimo and Rubina for the upcoming elimination. The episode ended with the nominations, but fans who follow the show on the Live Feeds on Paramount+ know that Makensy continued her winning streak and also won the Power of Veto (PoV). However, she did not use the power to save anyone, leaving Kimo and Rubina at risk of going home.

Viewers eagerly awaited Wednesday's episode, scheduled to air on October 2, 2024, which would have showcased the Power of Veto challenge and ceremony. However, the Wednesday episode was not released; instead, the encore of The Summit premiere was shown.

Starting October 2, 2024, Big Brother will no longer air episodes on Wednesdays for the rest of the season. This decision was made because its time slot overlapped with CBS' new show, The Summit, scheduled to air on Wednesdays at 9.30 pm ET, following Survivor.

Big Brother occupied the post-Survivor 9.30 pm slot for the past two weeks. However, it will now yield it to the newest reality show.

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When will Big Brother season 26 air its next episode?

Big Brother aired episodes on Wednesdays at 8 pm ET for the first ten weeks. However, after Survivor season 47 premiered on September 18, 2024, it was rescheduled to take on the 9.30 pm slot. Most recently, with the debut of The Summit, Big Brother was left with no room. Hence, it canceled Wednesday shows, reducing its typical three weekly episodes to two.

It will release the next episode on Thursday, October 3, 2024, at 8 pm ET. It will be a two-hour episode featuring the Power of Veto competition and ceremony, followed by the live eviction. The next episode will air on Sunday, October 6, 2024, at 10 pm ET, after the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary special. Lastly, the two-hour finale will be released on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at 9 pm ET.

Big Brother had to revise its schedule primarily because it had a late premiere compared to the previous seasons, which either started in early July or in the latter weeks of June. As a result, the show crept into the time slots reserved for the other shows.

In the past, it typically ended before Survivor aired, except for some finales that came on right after the latter premiered. However, minor adjustments were made to accommodate that. The All-Stars season that aired in 2020 could maintain its usual day and time of release because Survivor went into a filming hiatus due to the pandemic.

On the contrary, season 25 of the CBS show ran for 100 days and stretched well into November due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The sole change made by the season was to move their Veto episodes to Tuesday nights. However, things were different for season 26's houseguests.

In a day, viewers will see the iconic BB Comics Veto competition, which will crown Makensy as its winner. Soon, the final five, Makensy, Kimo, Chelsie, Rubina, and Cam, will head into the live eviction to bid farewell to one cast member, which will lead to the confirmation of the final four.

Each houseguest will strategize to eliminate their competitor before the finale week, vying to walk away with the winner's title and the $750,000 prize money.

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Big Brother season 26 airs Sundays and Thursdays on CBS.