Fox believes the children are the future. Fresh off the successful return of "MasterChef Junior" and the swift cancellation of "Utopia," Fox has learned a valuable lesson. Fox announced on Thursday (November 6) afternoon that "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" will be making a triumphant return to the network. With that in mind, we'd like to suggest to Fox that the network's $50 million investment in facilities for "Utopia" could be at least partially recouped by purchasing the format rights for "Kid Nation" and depositing a group of tykes out in the California desert. Or don't but the "Kid Nation" format. "Utopia Juniors" sells itself. But back to "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"... Produced by Mark Burnett and hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" premiered on Fox in 2007 and the essentially self-explanatory format ran through 2009, with 80 episodes. The series also had a run in syndication.
- 11/6/2014
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Update: At Twitter, Kevin Pollak replies: Really, I've enjoyed your insights/musings for quite a while, but your angle on my recent work/luck has me questioning yours. Kevin Pollak is a respected actor-comedian with memorable turns in such movies as The Usual Suspects, A Few God Men and Miami Rhapsody. But in just the past year he signed on to host not one but two TV game shows which then became mired in controversy. The most recent is Fox's Million Dollar Money Drop which aired during the most recent Christmas week and erupted in an on-air gaffe that cost one couple $800,000. But a year ago Pollak surprised many when he agreed to host Fox's Our Little Genius. True, it had all the makings of a sure thing: big-name producer - Mark Burnett; killer time slot - airing behind TV's top show American Idol; and adorable kid prodigies showing off their knowledge for cash prizes.
- 12/29/2010
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Fox will premiere new game show Million Dollar Money Drop as a strip during the holidays, airing on Dec. 20, 21, 22 and 23. On the show, based on an UK format, two contestants are given $1 million and have to work together to keep the money by answering multiple-choice questions. The project, which has been in the works at Fox for a while, will be hosted by Kevin Pollack who was previously attached to the network's ill-fated Our Little Genius game show.
- 11/8/2010
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Mark Burnett is one of those eccentric, highly self-motivated idea guys who'll design a keg that doubles as a jet pack and then crash it into a ferris wheel.
Before building his reality TV empire, Burnett made his way as a commander in the British army, a Hollywood nanny and a boardwalk T-shirt salesman. When it comes to reality TV, he's a mad genius, but sometimes the madness overtakes the genius with disturbing results.
For the most part, Burnett's track record is sterling (Survivor, The Apprentice, The Contender) except for a few small blemishes. Two of those missteps come to mind; Our Little Genius, a high-stakes academic bowl type show where presumably overachieving kids with underachieving parents would compete to win money to save the family farm and Recovery, a docu-reality series about ex-military/police operatives searching for kidnapped children. Neither series made it to air, although both got dangerously close.
Before building his reality TV empire, Burnett made his way as a commander in the British army, a Hollywood nanny and a boardwalk T-shirt salesman. When it comes to reality TV, he's a mad genius, but sometimes the madness overtakes the genius with disturbing results.
For the most part, Burnett's track record is sterling (Survivor, The Apprentice, The Contender) except for a few small blemishes. Two of those missteps come to mind; Our Little Genius, a high-stakes academic bowl type show where presumably overachieving kids with underachieving parents would compete to win money to save the family farm and Recovery, a docu-reality series about ex-military/police operatives searching for kidnapped children. Neither series made it to air, although both got dangerously close.
- 8/10/2010
- UGO TV
Fox's president of alternative Mike Darnell has signed on for another three years at the network.
While Darnell's contract negotiation caused a fair amount of hand wringing for the network during the last round, where he was courted by NBC, this time the executive quietly renewed his contract several weeks ago.
Darnell oversees "American Idol" for the network, which continues to rank as broadcast's top-rated show, as well as this summer's "So You Think You Can Dance," which has performed solidly. The department goofed earlier this year by booking, then yanking, Mark Burnett's game show "Our Little Genius," which had unspecified production problems. Next up for Darnell is his latest collaboration with Gordon Ramsay, the cooking competition series "MasterChef."...
While Darnell's contract negotiation caused a fair amount of hand wringing for the network during the last round, where he was courted by NBC, this time the executive quietly renewed his contract several weeks ago.
Darnell oversees "American Idol" for the network, which continues to rank as broadcast's top-rated show, as well as this summer's "So You Think You Can Dance," which has performed solidly. The department goofed earlier this year by booking, then yanking, Mark Burnett's game show "Our Little Genius," which had unspecified production problems. Next up for Darnell is his latest collaboration with Gordon Ramsay, the cooking competition series "MasterChef."...
- 7/9/2010
- by By James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
His last game show attempt, 'Our Little Genius,' didn't even make it to the airwaves, but reality TV uber-producer Mark Burnett has a new idea that sounds like a winner. ABC has ordered to pilot 'Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host,' a Burnett-produced ... Read more
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- 3/11/2010
- by Kim Potts
- Inside TV
Mark Burnett is back in the game show business.
ABC has ordered a pilot from the prolific producer for "Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host."
In a format twist, the show will have two hosts who will match wits about various subjects with contestants culled from a studio audience.
One of the hosts will be telling the truth, the other will be deceptive, and contestants will have to figure out which to trust. Casting is under way for the two hosts.
The pilot, produced by Mark Burnett Prods. and Monkey Kingdom, comes after Burnett's game show "Our Little Genius" was pulled from Fox's schedule before its debut after Burnett alerted the network that young contestants might have received information about the show's questions in advance.
Burnett's "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" was a long-running quiz show on Fox.
The producer still awaits a verdict from ABC on...
ABC has ordered a pilot from the prolific producer for "Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host."
In a format twist, the show will have two hosts who will match wits about various subjects with contestants culled from a studio audience.
One of the hosts will be telling the truth, the other will be deceptive, and contestants will have to figure out which to trust. Casting is under way for the two hosts.
The pilot, produced by Mark Burnett Prods. and Monkey Kingdom, comes after Burnett's game show "Our Little Genius" was pulled from Fox's schedule before its debut after Burnett alerted the network that young contestants might have received information about the show's questions in advance.
Burnett's "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" was a long-running quiz show on Fox.
The producer still awaits a verdict from ABC on...
- 3/10/2010
- by By James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Brent Lang
Mark Burnett's trouble-plagued game show "Our Little Genius" may never get broadcast, but an FCC complaint filed by the parent of one of the contestants is seeing the light of day.
Its disclosure may mean more public relations headaches for the Burnett over a mounting controversy that's already been drawing parallels with the quiz-show scandals of the 1950s.
Production on the Fox show, which featured whiz kids aged 6 to 12 answ...
Mark Burnett's trouble-plagued game show "Our Little Genius" may never get broadcast, but an FCC complaint filed by the parent of one of the contestants is seeing the light of day.
Its disclosure may mean more public relations headaches for the Burnett over a mounting controversy that's already been drawing parallels with the quiz-show scandals of the 1950s.
Production on the Fox show, which featured whiz kids aged 6 to 12 answ...
- 2/23/2010
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
This is the fifth "American Idol" trip to Atlanta, a city that gave the show Fantasia, Clay Aiken and Jennifer Hudson. It also gave us Ryan Seacrest, but we can't hold that against the Dirty South, can we? Oh, we can? Well, it's back to the Peach State for Wednesday (Jan. 13) night's "American Idol." We're going to play a game tonight. It's called Spot the Filler. Until late last week, this episode was only supposed to be 75 minutes, but when Mark Burnett yanked "Our Little Genius" for reasons that still haven't been adequately explained, Fox had to expand the...
- 1/14/2010
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Despite intense speculation that Fox could steal Conan O’Brien away from NBC now that Jay Leno is bumping him at 11:30 p.m., the Fox executives didn’t have any breathless announcements to make today regarding their future late-night plans. “Our position has been consistent all along,” Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly told the nation's TV critics in Pasadena, CA. “We do have the desire to do (late night) five nights a week. I love Conan personally and professionally but right now he has a decision to make about his future, so there are no conversations to be had.
- 1/11/2010
- by Lynette Rice
- EW - Inside Movies
Is "The X Factor" coming to Fox? (Yes!) What about Conan O'Brien? (Not yet, anyway).
Fox executives Kevin Reilly and Peter Rice are about to face those questions and more at the Television Critics Association press tour.
We're live-blogging the executive press conference. Follow along with us.
Reilly and Rice are taking their time getting to the stage. We're a few minutes behind.
We're listening to the "Glee" soundtrack while we wait. The delay makes me wonder if they're dotting i's on some announcement or other.
Ok, here we go: Whatcha got for us, guys?
Rice: We have a good reason for the delay, which we'll tell you about later. Now! Tell us now!
There are two "enormous" stories going around, and Rice promises us he'll get to that soon. But first, some prattle about the network's fall performance. We know -- you had a good fall in the demo.
Fox executives Kevin Reilly and Peter Rice are about to face those questions and more at the Television Critics Association press tour.
We're live-blogging the executive press conference. Follow along with us.
Reilly and Rice are taking their time getting to the stage. We're a few minutes behind.
We're listening to the "Glee" soundtrack while we wait. The delay makes me wonder if they're dotting i's on some announcement or other.
Ok, here we go: Whatcha got for us, guys?
Rice: We have a good reason for the delay, which we'll tell you about later. Now! Tell us now!
There are two "enormous" stories going around, and Rice promises us he'll get to that soon. But first, some prattle about the network's fall performance. We know -- you had a good fall in the demo.
- 1/11/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
By Brent Lang
Mark Burnett's last-minute decison to yank "Our Little Genius" a week before it aired has prompted questions about what rules and regulations the show was potentially violating.
The "Survivor" producer hasn't said specifically what motivated him to pull the program, but he did release a vague official statement Thursday that alluded to "an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants during the pre-production."
Also in the statement, he said he wanted the show to be "beyond reproach"
<img style="margin: 15px; height:...
Mark Burnett's last-minute decison to yank "Our Little Genius" a week before it aired has prompted questions about what rules and regulations the show was potentially violating.
The "Survivor" producer hasn't said specifically what motivated him to pull the program, but he did release a vague official statement Thursday that alluded to "an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants during the pre-production."
Also in the statement, he said he wanted the show to be "beyond reproach"
<img style="margin: 15px; height:...
- 1/9/2010
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
Fox has pulled one of its reality game shows from its lineup. Is it because they felt the show was exploiting families and their gifted children by publicly humiliating them in front of a national audience for profit? Hell no, this is Fox, a network that would pit a bear against a roided bald eagle in international waters and call it "educational programming."
Producer Mark Burnett has temporarily pulled the plug on his newest venture called Our Little Genius because of the possibility that some of the contestants were coached before competing.
Burnett said he learned that some of the producers told the contestants the topics on which they would be quizzed and even some of the questions they would be asked. This doesn't mean the show is gone forever, just for the moment. Again, hello, it's Fox.
Filed under: Game Show, Cancellations, Reality-Free
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Producer Mark Burnett has temporarily pulled the plug on his newest venture called Our Little Genius because of the possibility that some of the contestants were coached before competing.
Burnett said he learned that some of the producers told the contestants the topics on which they would be quizzed and even some of the questions they would be asked. This doesn't mean the show is gone forever, just for the moment. Again, hello, it's Fox.
Filed under: Game Show, Cancellations, Reality-Free
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- 1/8/2010
- by Danny Gallagher
- Aol TV.
Fox has pulled its new game show "Our Little Genius" off the air less than a week before its scheduled premiere.
The network and executive producer Mark Burnett don't say exactly why they made the decision, but statements from both suggest there could have been some questions about what contestants were told going into the show.
"Our Little Genius" was to have premiered Wednesday (Jan. 13) following "American Idol." Hosted by comedian/actor Kevin Pollak, it would have featured super-smart kids in a "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"-style game, with potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money at stake. The catch is that the player's parents could stop the game at any time.
Here's what Burnett had to say about the sudden yanking of the show: "I recently discovered that there was an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants during the pre-production of 'Our Little Genius.
The network and executive producer Mark Burnett don't say exactly why they made the decision, but statements from both suggest there could have been some questions about what contestants were told going into the show.
"Our Little Genius" was to have premiered Wednesday (Jan. 13) following "American Idol." Hosted by comedian/actor Kevin Pollak, it would have featured super-smart kids in a "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"-style game, with potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money at stake. The catch is that the player's parents could stop the game at any time.
Here's what Burnett had to say about the sudden yanking of the show: "I recently discovered that there was an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants during the pre-production of 'Our Little Genius.
- 1/8/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
The January 13 premiere of Our Little Genius has been delayed, Fox has announced. According to a written statement by producer Mark Burnett, certain details were relayed to contestants during the reality gameshow's pre-production which caused an "issue". Burnett said that he was not "comfortable" with delivering the episodes to the network without reshooting them. "I believe my series must always be beyond reproach, so I have requested that Fox not air (more)...
- 1/7/2010
- by By Mike Moody
- Digital Spy
Fox has pulled the Mark Burnett-produced game show "Our Little Genius" from its schedule less than a week before its January 13 premiere date. "I recently discovered that there was an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants during the pre-production of 'Our Little Genius,'" Burnett says in Fox's cryptic statement. "As a result, I am not comfortable delivering the episodes without re-shooting them. I believe my series must always be beyond reproach, so I have requested that Fox not air these episodes." That suggests that "Our Little Genius" has not been cancelled, just pushed for reshooting...
- 1/7/2010
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
By Wrap Staff
Mark Burnett's new reality series "Our Little Genius" was scheduled to debut Jan. 13, but it is being postponed to do reshoots for unspecified reasons.
In a statement, Burnett said, “I recently discovered that there was an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants during the pre-production of ‘Our Little Genius.’ As a result, I am not comfortable delivering the episodes without re-shooting them. I believe my series must always be beyond reproach, so I have requested that Fox not air these episodes.”
A statement from Fox Broadc...
Mark Burnett's new reality series "Our Little Genius" was scheduled to debut Jan. 13, but it is being postponed to do reshoots for unspecified reasons.
In a statement, Burnett said, “I recently discovered that there was an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants during the pre-production of ‘Our Little Genius.’ As a result, I am not comfortable delivering the episodes without re-shooting them. I believe my series must always be beyond reproach, so I have requested that Fox not air these episodes.”
A statement from Fox Broadc...
- 1/7/2010
- by Lisa Horowitz
- The Wrap
In a shocking move, Fox on Thursday pulled Mark Burnett's quiz show "Our Little Genius" less than a week before the series' Jan. 13 premiere to do reshoots.
At the heart of the matter was a recent discovery by Burnett that some contestants were provided "information" -- though not the actual answers -- ahead of time.
Hosted by Kevin Pollak, "Genius" features academically accomplished kids ages 6-12 answering tough questions for the chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"I believe my series must always be beyond reproach, so I have requested that Fox not air these episodes," Burnett said.
Mark Burnett Prods. will shoulder the cost for reshooting the episodes. The company also will pay the winnings to the contestants who took part in the original eight episodes, which will be shelved. No new premiere date was announced.
"Even though we were incredibly pleased with the quality of 'Our Little Genius,...
At the heart of the matter was a recent discovery by Burnett that some contestants were provided "information" -- though not the actual answers -- ahead of time.
Hosted by Kevin Pollak, "Genius" features academically accomplished kids ages 6-12 answering tough questions for the chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"I believe my series must always be beyond reproach, so I have requested that Fox not air these episodes," Burnett said.
Mark Burnett Prods. will shoulder the cost for reshooting the episodes. The company also will pay the winnings to the contestants who took part in the original eight episodes, which will be shelved. No new premiere date was announced.
"Even though we were incredibly pleased with the quality of 'Our Little Genius,...
- 1/7/2010
- by By James Hibberd and Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Josef Adalian
Comic/actor Kevin Pollak ("The Usual Suspects") has signed on to host Fox's new Mark Burnett-produced game show "Our Little Genius."
The series features super-smart kids using their brain power in a bid to win big bucks. Burnett is producing the show with Zoo TV, his partner on "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader."
“I’ve been a fan of Kevin Pollak’s work for many years," Burnett said. "His incredible humor, intelligence and quick wit are all perfect additions to an incredibly dynamic format. He instinctively knows when...
Comic/actor Kevin Pollak ("The Usual Suspects") has signed on to host Fox's new Mark Burnett-produced game show "Our Little Genius."
The series features super-smart kids using their brain power in a bid to win big bucks. Burnett is producing the show with Zoo TV, his partner on "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader."
“I’ve been a fan of Kevin Pollak’s work for many years," Burnett said. "His incredible humor, intelligence and quick wit are all perfect additions to an incredibly dynamic format. He instinctively knows when...
- 12/3/2009
- by Dylan Stableford
- The Wrap
Kevin Pollak has been tapped to host Fox's new competition series "Our Little Genius."
The actor and comedian will serve as host for the upcoming Mark Burnett game show, which gives child prodigies the chance to prove their knowledge and win money for their families.
Pollak has appeared in more than 50 films such as "The Usual Suspects," "Casino" and "A Few Good Men."
"I've been a fan of Kevin Pollak's work for many years," Burnett said. "His incredible humor, intelligence and quick wit are all perfect additions to an incredibly dynamic format. He instinctively knows when to add seriousness and when to add humor. I am so glad he has joined the our team."
"Genius" is premiering out of "American Idol" on Jan. 13 and will regularly air on Tuesday nights. "Genius" effectively takes the place of Fox/Burnett's "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader," which has entered syndication...
The actor and comedian will serve as host for the upcoming Mark Burnett game show, which gives child prodigies the chance to prove their knowledge and win money for their families.
Pollak has appeared in more than 50 films such as "The Usual Suspects," "Casino" and "A Few Good Men."
"I've been a fan of Kevin Pollak's work for many years," Burnett said. "His incredible humor, intelligence and quick wit are all perfect additions to an incredibly dynamic format. He instinctively knows when to add seriousness and when to add humor. I am so glad he has joined the our team."
"Genius" is premiering out of "American Idol" on Jan. 13 and will regularly air on Tuesday nights. "Genius" effectively takes the place of Fox/Burnett's "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader," which has entered syndication...
- 12/3/2009
- by By James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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