Home : TV : "Big Brother" Wings Pilot

"Big Brother" Wings Pilot

Posted Aug 6th 2007 7:00PM by TMZ Staff

Big Brother 9UPDATE: To be absolutely clear, the banner that appeared on last night's show was NOT pulled by Jerry.

The producers of the CBS reality show "Big Brother" have grounded a pilot they say planned on ruining the show.

Lawyers for Endemol USA Inc. sent a cease and desist letter to Jerry Hider of Blue Yonder Air, to stop him from flying his plane over the "Big Brother" house. According to Endemol, Hider was planning a flyover carrying a message that told the other players in the house that Eric is "America's Player" -- essentially ruining part of the game.

Endemol alleges that by doing this, Hider's proposed actions would violate a "tort of intentional interference of an advantageous business relationship" -- or, in layman's terms, "Dude, don't ruin the game!"

Hider alleges that he's not trying to ruin the game, and that he was simply paid to do a job. The peeved pilot wouldn't release the name of the person who has been hiring him to make "Big Brother"-related runs, but said that up until now he, CBS and Endemol enjoyed "a symbiotic relationship." In 2001, Endemol even produced a story about the banner operation.

In a statement to TMZ, CBS says: "It's always great to have fans that are this engaged and passionate about 'Big Brother.' However, we also need to protect the integrity of the competition, which does not allow any outside influence on the houseguests who are sequestered from the public broadcast and therefore unaware of some of the secret twists in the show."

Is Hider going to try to fight Endemol and CBS? Not likely. He told us "If I had a bunch of attorneys I would fight this, but it's not worth my time."

Tags: big brother, BigBrother, cbs, endemol

Comments [56]
SHARE |
4ie6

Reader Comments

(Page 2 of 4) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

16. D1ck is a bully - You are reading more into this than there is. It is all an act for the show. If you have ever watched BB before, then you know that he is not the first person to try to get under someones skin. As long as it does not get physical, the people in the house can do whatever they want. They all knew that going in. If you don't like it, then don't watch the show. Simple enough, duh.

Posted at 4:41PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Spurs

17. Amazing how well those phone calls work. Our office just received a call from Will Estell himself who told us he absolutely had nothing to do with the banner prank and for us to, as he stated, "PLEASE post that on your site and where ever else you might have posted my phone number". Estell says he has received about 30 incoming calls from all over the country in the last half hour. He also stated, " I have to give it to your people, If I had've been the right guy that would have been a Great comeback, giving my phone number out like that- its brilliant, reminds me of something I would do".

Estell assures us that he had nothing to do with the banner incident but thinks he might know who did. "The people who will go this far just for a laugh are a small circle and I would bet that its someone in that circle that I know...thats probably why my name came up because someone was trying to "get me back" by penning it on me. Thats all good though thats how we play." He went further in saying, " Trust me if I had've been the one behind this, I would've hired someone who could get it done the first time and I wouldn't have been bothered by the producers or networks threats of suits".

So-o-o Maybe we were wrong. Lets lay off of his phone now!

Posted at 4:55PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Celeb News by E!

18. Those people in the house are so paranoid it's questionabl whether or not they will believe the banners anyway. E. D. rules! Jen is a smart girl & can take care of herself, CBS seems to know it, the rest of you E.D. haters need to get a clue. She is goading him to do it most of the time & he does, so who is in control of that situation? Jen, because she wants sympathy & that is her way of getting it.

Posted at 8:55AM on Aug 7th 2007 by boredatwork

19. Always a loser trying to screw things up for somebody. Why can't people learn to mind their own business?

Posted at 10:15PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Fiona

20. spurs, yes. I should just ignore that a contestant is getting bullied and their life threatened.

All people who witness a crime should just be quiet, right? Because this IS a crime. Threatening someone's life is WAY beyond the normal lying and scheming that goes on in reality TV.

I find your comment moronic. To say I should close my eyes, shut up and pretend I didn't see someone get bullied and their life threatened ----IDIOTIC!

This isn't just him demeaning her appearance, being a sexist pig talking about her private parts or calling her names.. this is about him THREATENING TO KILL HER and RAPE HER WITH HIS BOOT UNTIL SHE BLEEDS TO DEATH!

Posted at 5:04PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Evel Dck Donato is a bully

21. I am very happy that Eric is going home. I subscribe to 24/7. He is an absolute jerk.
'
ERIC .... Y.O.U.'.R.E. ....F.I.R.E.D.....

Posted at 5:07PM on Aug 6th 2007 by ERIC IS GOING HOME THIS WEEK

22. last night's show was hilarious. Yes ideed the plane flew over the BB house as the contestants stuck it out in the HOH competition. On my opinion, it has already had an effect on the game. Eric was not considered a suspect at ALL in the mystery of who cast the votes to evict Kail the last two weeks. Now Daniele and her father have taken the "anonymous" plane message and confirmed any suspicions they had as to who cast the votes...Eric. Now from what I can tell she is planning to back-door Eric as a result of this. So, wouldn't it be foolish to even say that the banner stunt did not ultimately have an effect on the outcome of the game? Had it not flown over, Eric may have been under the radar up until the end, I presume. The reason for the houseguests' votes the last 2 weeks were to get the 'deceitful' players out that weren't coming clean about who they voted for...needless to say I miss Nick on the show! The truth will unfold soon in the BB house!

Posted at 5:07PM on Aug 6th 2007 by dallas

23. Whether you like Eric or not, it is NOT fair to him. The only reason he got caught was because the plane banner said "Eric is a liar". CBS should come clean to the house guests and let Eric stay in the house and play his own game. Let Eric and the rest of them play fair and square, and don't let that stupid pilot ruin the game and ruin the twist from CBS.

Posted at 5:28PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Tropez

24. They should put some sort of tarp over the backyard so they can't read the banners.

Posted at 5:34PM on Aug 6th 2007 by RealityTVHo

25. For any of you that appreciate the truth about the banner operation last Thursday, it was not airbanners.com that flew Thursday evening.

I only flew M.T.W ....another banner company came in from the south and did the flight. My last flight was thurs....and I can prove it.

JH

Posted at 5:43PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Jerry Hider

26. i think it would be a good idea for cbs to hire another plane quickly to fly a banner appearing to be from the same person with some sort of "just kidding" message!

Posted at 5:50PM on Aug 6th 2007 by sonja

27. If the banner speech doesn't do anything but make a statement it seems to me CBS could be hit with an Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) action CCP 425.16. No? What is more embarrassing for CBS is the promotion of abusive behavior while Julie Chen (the one who beds Leslie Moon(beam)ves) moderates the show. Great promotion of women Julie. Wanker.

Peace.

Posted at 6:18PM on Aug 6th 2007 by ButtMonkey

28. Our sources say it was definetely Estell and his company bcb Media who had this done and that they are not giving up. Apparently they have two other companies helping now and though Hider and his operation might be out of the loop they are not giving up on "exposing the BB secret". Will Estell and bcb Media in Oxford, AL have done things like this before and normally do it with the help of a few other "media trixsters" who operate with money pooled from some big wigs from business, entertainment and media central who think its really funny to pull off things like this.

One of our main sources (who prefers to stay in the dark) says, "If this is the work of Will Estell and his buddies, they won't stop until they pull this off, they never do".
And sources tell us you can bet these guys are getting paid BIG for doing this.

Posted at 6:22PM on Aug 6th 2007 by The Hollywood Scoop

29. What happed to free speech??

Posted at 6:40PM on Aug 6th 2007 by ChuckyDee

30. It looks like the legal argument for restricting someone's freedom of movement, and expression (the pilot and the guy who hired him) in order to "protect" a situation billed as a "game" - profit margin is being sanctified into a reason to curtail constitutional and human rights. "Big Brother" is Big Brother ... that ought to get your paranoia juices going ...

Posted at 7:56PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Stephen R. Carnefix

Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments