'Celebrity Big Brother' news: 13-episode show will start on February; CBS to cast Sammi Giancola from 'Jersey Shore'?

"Celebrity Big Brother" is gearing up for its launch early next year. There are rumors that the casting will include Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola of "Jersey Shore" fame.

CBS announced that "Celebrity Big Brother" will premiere on Feb. 7, with a full schedule already revealed. The show is expected to run for two-and-a-half weeks.

Mark. Your. Calendars. The celebrity edition of #BigBrother premieres February 7! pic.twitter.com/nP3Do6jTwM

— Big Brother (@CBSBigBrother) December 1, 2017 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">

The idea behind the show is almost the same as the classic "Big Brother." As per the mechanics, a bunch of personalities will be locked away in a house. They will be monitored 24/7 by the titular Big Brother as audiences at home wait for the drama to unfold.

However, "Celebrity Big Brother" will be different in that the participants will consist of recognizable, big-name celebrities.

In another deviation from previous "Big Brother" iterations, "Celebrity Big Brother" will also be significantly shorter. Instead of the usual 90 plus days inside the house, celebrities will spend only most of February.

However, host Julie Chen has expressed that shorter does not mean less intense episodes. She told The Hollywood Reporter that "Celebrity Big Brother" will, in fact, be "more intense." Also, she said that there would be "nonstop action because it's going to be on a fast-forward button."

There are several rumors about the casting for the show, but a particularly convincing one is about Giancola.

A source close to the "Jersey Shore" actress told Radar Online that Giancola would not be returning to "Jersey Shore" because she will be joining "Celebrity Big Brother."

In any case, the schedule for the show will prove to be a little bit inconsistent. Every episode will start at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) but on different days of the week. One consistent thing about the schedule is that the show will have two-hour episodes every Friday.

"Celebrity Big Brother" will be broadcast on the following dates on CBS. All episodes run from 8 to 9 p.m. EST except on Fridays when they air two-hour episodes (8 to 10 p.m. EST).

Feb. 7 (Wednesday, premiere episode)

Feb. 8 (Thursday)

Feb. 9 (Friday, two-hour episode)

Feb. 11 (Sunday)

Feb. 12 (Monday)

Feb. 14 (Wednesday)

Feb. 16 (Friday, two-hour episode)

Feb 18 (Sunday)

Feb. 19 (Monday)

Feb. 21 (Wednesday)

Feb. 23, (Friday, two-hour episode)

Feb, 24 (Saturday)

Feb. 25 (Sunday, season finale)

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