Although the show's return was never really in doubt and the new edition's casting process had already begun, CBS has formally announced it has ordered a ninth installment of Big Brother.

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Big Brother has been a summer stalwart since it first premiered in July 2000, however recent reports have stated that CBS is preparing to bring the long-running reality show back as early as February due to the recent Writers Guild of America strike.

While Big Brother casting director Robyn Kass posted that the show would be "coming back a little earlier this year" on her MySpace blog late last week and the network already recently announced a 15-city nationwide casting tour that will begin this weekend, the uncertain nature of the ongoing writers strike is causing CBS to continue to play coy about when the show's ninth edition will air. 

According to today's CBS announcement, which came two days after Reality TV World began attempting to confirm Kass' statement with the network, Big Brother 9 "will be broadcast in 2008 on dates to be announced." 

Should a strike settlement suddenly be reached -- an increasingly unlikely scenario, according to recent media reports -- CBS would presumably table its still-unconfirmed Big Brother 9 early 2008 premiere plans and instead debut the show in July, as usual.  The WGA's last strike occurred in 1988 and lasted 22 weeks.

According to CBS, The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen -- who is also the wife of CBS president and CEO Les Moonves -- will reprise her Big Brother hosting duties for the upcoming installment.   Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan will also return as the show's executive producers.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
Christopher Rocchio is an entertainment reporter for Reality TV World and has covered the reality TV genre for several years.