★★★★★ 0/5

Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?

The host's likability and the infuriating element that a kid could really be smarter than an adult, are key to this show's charms.

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There’s a lot to be said for simple formats, and this ‘kid-size Millionaire‘ format works effortlessly well under school teacher Rove McManus. It gets a big elephant stamp for being the cheeriest pupil in the class without overdoing it, aiming too high or outstaying its welcome.

This year there are another five kids (like Skins the last lot were dumped when they got too old -show biz is tough). They all come bounding into class waving and high-fiving. Ok, maybe they’re overdoing it here. The contestant also runs in waving. Ok we definitely are. But after this, things settle down to a nice rhythm.

This year there is also an extra $500,000 question on offer -that’s $499,000 more than anybody won on the first episode of Power of Ten.

Rove really masters this format with consummate ease. He’s cool with the kids, relaxed and jocular with the contestant, and reminding us of what’s at stake in case we all think it’s too much fun. I love how he wanders around the set like a detective in a crime scene. Eddie never got to leave his Millionaire chair, did he?

TEN has chosen the first episode well. She’s affable, smart and rises quickly through the early cash stakes. Also unlike Millionaire, Rove keeps things moving -even if he does thrown in that “we’ll find out the answer after the break” trick.

In its second week TEN appears to be bringing us celebrity contestants, which is a bit of a shame not having enough confidence in the format so soon in its second season. Still, I’m sure Hamish & Andy will provide plenty of fun.

The host’s likability and the infuriating element that a kid could really be smarter than an adult, are key to this show’s charms. It may not be a show you want to watch every year. Indeed, it may not even be a show we want on air all year. But it’s a great elective to have in this week’s timetable.

Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? airs 7:30pm Thursday on TEN.

11 Responses

  1. i would really like to go on are you smarter than a fifth grader because i think it would be a challenge for me and id like to give it a go to see if im smarter than 5th graders and im wanting this badly and i have wanted t6o go on 5th grader for a few years now im 43 so i think that i would be smarter than 5th graders but you never know id like to find it out?????

  2. i like watching fifth grader but think they should swap it with something else on another day i think it would do better on another day coz it’s in competition with make me a super model i was watching are u smarter than 5th grader last nite then i turned 2 channel 7 i couldn’t resist but watch it

  4. Maybe they could try three or four episodes a week at 7pm and then put Friends/Futurama/Simpsons on Friday/Thursday when not many people watch Ten.

    If the workload is too big for the kids, have two groups of kids to compensate.

  5. Let’s not forget child labour laws, Ryan. The length of the tapings (how many shows to do) would be restricted because of the children’s ages.

    But I do reckon that swapping Taken Out and Fifth Grader would be a better option than what’s doing now.

  6. I’ve thought since I saw this show last year, it would be a good candidate for the 7pm slot…..surely it would do ok, and like someone else mentioned, would be great condensed to half an hour. Could solve TEN’s woes at 7pm…but would Rove be up to the commitment?

  10. Hmmm, I read that last paragraph as “The host is a liability…” and thought that was a great call. Rove is one of those people viewers either love or hate, and I don’t love him.

    Then I read it properly….

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