Fraternal greetings

Over. But how long will it take to get back to normal? The end of Big Brother will leave a yawning gap, not only for those gripped by its strangely compelling minutiae of the mundane, but also among deep-thinking social commentators, such as ourselves, in search of metaphors and messages for the larger world without.

Over. But how long will it take to get back to normal? The end of Big Brother will leave a yawning gap, not only for those gripped by its strangely compelling minutiae of the mundane, but also among deep-thinking social commentators, such as ourselves, in search of metaphors and messages for the larger world without.

Consider this, from one of our peers, the showbusiness editor of The Sun: "I would find myself asking friends or cab-drivers whether they watched the show. If they didn't, I'd be disappointed and ignore them, preferring to call a friend who was one of us..." Clearly, communal activity, from the refinery gates to the sofa, has never been so fashionable. Whoops, there we go again.

So, what next? A few suggestions: 1) "Changing Rooms Big Brother": four leading interior decorators are locked into a house with three rooms. 2) "Celebrity Big Brother": 11 celebrities are locked into a house with one hidden mobile phone and the number of OK! magazine. 3) "Casualty Big Brother": 11 members of the public are locked into a booby-trapped house with only Rolf Harris and a Norwegian vet to help. Channel 4, call us. We have more.