Every year I swear I'm not going to watch it and every year I somehow get sucked in. I'm talking about CBS' "Big Brother", the pointless reality series that I have come to rely on to get me through the summer rerun season.

"Big Brother" has not improved with age. The first season aired in 2000. Host Julie Chen has been a permanent fixture since the show's inception, which I think is part of the problem. It's not that I dislike Chen-- she's attractive and pleasant enough. It's just that I think it's a little odd to have a network news personality hosting a reality show (Chen is co-host on CBS' "The Early Show"). I'm really surprised that "Big Brother" hasn't replaced Chen with someone a little younger and more hip (the cast sure is). Could it be family ties that keeps Chen in the "Big Brother" hostess role? (she's married to CBS president Les Moonves). Or do the "Big Brother' producers think that Chen lends some credibility to the show? Who knows!

If you're not familiar with the show, here's the premise in a nutshell: 14 people are holed up in the "Big Brother" house for the entire summer. They have no access to phones, TV, computers or the outside world. Each week the cast will vote someone out of the house (2 nominees are chosen by the Head of Household). The last man standing wins $500,000.

Of course there are a few twists and turns along the way-- but barely. Nominees have the chance to win the Golden Power of Veto so they can take themselves off of the chopping block. Sometimes evicted houseguests return. And there's always a bizarre twist like last year's creepy Project DNA twist (two cast mates had the same father, unbeknownst to them).

This year is dubbed "The Summer of Secrets". The biggest secret? Each cast mate has a secret "alliance"-- a fellow cast mate that they knew before going on the show. Each pair thinks that they are the only secret pair. If an alliance pair can remain the last two standing, they win double the usual prize money. But I find this to be the lamest twist ever.

Two years ago, "Big Brother" had a twist called the Ex factor. Ex boyfriends and girlfriends were placed together in the house. Sure, the sparks flew. But I think any cast mate who has watched "Big Brother" in the past probably already suspects that they aren't the only secret pair. I think it will be easily figured out.

There is also a secret bedroom this year, which the cast mates discovered on the second episode. Not all that exciting so far.

This year's cast is "Big Brother's" youngest yet. There is no one that is really likeable, at least not yet. Most of the cast seem shallow and a little vain. They are all very attractive. There's the token Personal Shopper and Fireman. Several of them look like models.

The houseguests have to compete for things like food-- if they lose they live on peanut butter and jelly for a week. That's sure to make them cranky. But most of the show is devoted to watching the housemates talk about who should be voted off.

And if you can't get enough "excitement" via the thrice weekly airings of "Big Brother", you can shell out the bucks to watch the live Internet feeds of the housemates, because-- oh yeah-- there are cameras in every room of the house (even the bathroom).

Here's hoping the show gets a little more exciting as it progresses. But, based on the past seasons of "Big Brother", I'm not holding my breath.