Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?

[LoneStarGirl]

I absolutely loved this show! Jeff Foxworthy wasn't that funny, but he is a good pick for a host. I loved how the UCLA grad didn't get one question right, that was beautiful. Some of the questions really stumped me, like Who was the first president to be impeached, and what month is columbus day in. But I got the others right... If the area of a triangle is 16 and the height is 8, what is the base? True or false, polar bears eat penguins? What ship did the pilgrims come over in?

I love watching people look like morons on TV.

[Drake]

Beth and I watched it. We thought it was really cute and a fun idea for a game show. The only criticism I'd have is that it's on too late in the evening. I know my kids would love watching a show like this with us.

[MJ4H]

I didn't know when Columbus Day was but I knew all the other answers instantly. It was an ok show but I thought it was going to be adults competing directly with 5th graders. That would've been better.

[Drake]

No doubt. I want to see some trash talk between contestants and 5th graders.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by Drake

No doubt. I want to see some trash talk between contestants and 5th graders.

"Go to the back of the slide little girl"

"Does your wife know you just got beat by a 5th grade girl?"

[Groundhog]

I may not be smarter, but I could totally kick their asses.

[lordscarlet]

It would help if they didn't get completely stupid adults.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

I may not be smarter, but I could totally kick their asses.

But how many at once?

[LoneStarGirl]

Well the guy was a UCLA graduate that went to Law school... I wouldn't call him stupid. I was thinking about taping the show and showing it to my classes and letting them guess. I promise most of my 10th and 11th graders would have missed every single one of them

[Warhammer]

I got all the answers right instantly. That said, my wife had some problems with some of the answers.

I agree with the premise though that we need to see some smack between the fifth graders and the adults. That said, I love how the kids start laughing when the adults miss a question.

[EagleFan]

That guy wasn't exactly a testimony to UCLA education. But hearing that he went to law school explains a lot...

[Vinatieri for Prez]

I would also add that "going to" law school" and "graduating" law school are quite different.

[JeeberD]

I had no clue about Columbus Day, and the area of a triangle one stumped me (math was never a strong point for me). The rest I knew right away...

[Ksyrup]

I can't believe that many people's memories of the Clinton impeachment have already vanished. We were beaten over the head with the fact that Clinton was the second President to be impeached, that Nixon resigned before he could be impeached, and that Andrew Johnson was the first President to be impeached. That was less than 10 years ago!

I thought the Columbus Day one was pretty easy, but maybe that's because I used to have it off as a holiday at my former job.

I only saw about half of the show - what was with the strategy of taking the "harder" questions (i.e., the 4-5 grade questions over the 1-3 grade questions) first? Did these people think they would breeze through the harder questions early on, and leave the even easier questions for the big money? That seemed to backfire.

[miked]

Having lived in Boston for several years, the Columbus Day answer was quite easy. I can remember getting woken up on those cold mornings in the North End to the sound of stupid bands and general ruckus.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by LoneStarGirl

Well the guy was a UCLA graduate that went to Law school... I wouldn't call him stupid. I was thinking about taping the show and showing it to my classes and letting them guess. I promise most of my 10th and 11th graders would have missed every single one of them

Did you see the questions he missed? I don't care if he went to law school, he was a moron.

[rkmsuf]

For some reason it rubbed me the wrong way. Didn't find it entertaining at all.

[gottimd]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

For some reason it rubbed me the wrong way. Didn't find it entertaining at all.

Not enough collie molestation accusations and werewolf driving theories? I do think they could crank out some interesting Stall stories.

[Ksyrup]

Maybe they could have a show where the roles are reversed, and Dom Irrera is asking 5th grade contestants stall etiquette questions that you could answer in your sleep.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I figured the show would at least debut strong, but damn, I didn't expect it to start this strong.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...icle_10479.asp

By questioning the intelligence of the American viewing public, Fox just may have found another perfect “American Idol” lead-out.

The premiere of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” at 9:30 p.m. last night averaged an impressive 11.2 adults 18-49 rating last night, according to Nielsen overnights, retaining 83 percent of “Idol’s” lead-in. That's the best ever retention for a new show out of the reality hit.

It also marked the best premiere in 13 years for a Fox show in that demographic, since "The George Carlin Show" in 1994. (That excludes the post-Super Bowl premiere of "Family Guy.") It was the highest-rated series debut for any broadcast network since "Inside Schwartz" on NBC five and a half years ago.

“Smarter” drew 26.6 million total viewers, the best-ever series premiere on Fox and the best in eight and a half years on any broadcast network, since "Jesse" on NBC.

It certainly bettered recent premieres launched out of "Idol." Last March, the debut of “The Loop” in the Wednesday 9:30 p.m. post-“Idol” timeslot retained just 57 percent of its lead-in, averaging a 6.5.

Another sitcom, “Free Ride,” retained just 48 percent of “Idol’s” audience in the same timeslot last year.

“Smarter” is now obviously the top-rated premiere for any new program this year among adults 18-49 and total viewers. It also matched Fox’s best numbers this season for any non-“Idol” program, tying a rating for usual Tuesday 9 p.m. occupant “House” earlier this season.

Certainly part of “Smarter’s” strength can be attributed to weak competition. While “Free” and “Loop” had to face CBS’s “Criminal Minds” and ABC’s “Lost,” “Smarter’s” top competition was CBS’s “The Unit,” which averaged a 3.4 in its final half hour. The other three Big Five programs were at a 3.0 or under.

The premise of "Smarter" is simple. It asks contestants to compete in elementary school subjects like math, social studies and art while giving them a chance to cheat with real grade school kids. It’s hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, the popular “Blue Collar TV” comedian, which may have also contributed to its success.

“Smarter” will have ample chance to show if it’s just a one-night phenomenon or a blossoming hit as the week progresses. It airs after “Idol” tonight and tomorrow as well.

[Ksyrup]

Wow. That's surprising. Had the wife not insisted on watching a few minutes, I would have turned it off immediately. We ended up watching the whole thing.

I guess, in the broad sense, this isn't that surprising, since it's basically a game show twist on the popularity of talk shows that highlight the stupidity of others. We get confidence from watching people publicly humiliate themselves. When the high school dropout is answering questions a college grad can't, that both makes him feel good about himself and give him sleone to laugh atm instead of being the object of ridicule.

[rkmsuf]

People love that fucking Jeff Foxworthy.

*Scratches head*

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

People love fucking Jeff Foxworthy.

what's that now

[cuervo72]

Holy crap, Jesse was 8 1/2 years ago??

[Ksyrup]

"You know you're a redneck, when your gun rack has a gun rack on it."

[rkmsuf]

Foxworthy looked about as out of place as you can on Idol.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

For some reason it rubbed me the wrong way. Didn't find it entertaining at all.

No Shatner, right?

[Butter]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

It also marked the best premiere in 13 years for a Fox show in that demographic, since "The George Carlin Show" in 1994. (That excludes the post-Super Bowl premiere of "Family Guy.") It was the highest-rated series debut for any broadcast network since "Inside Schwartz" on NBC five and a half years ago.

George Carlin had a show? WTF? Where was I?

[Surtt]

I had a brain cramp and said Andrew Jackson instead of Andrew Johnson.
I didn't realize this was the first episode (I do not watch much tv.)
That was the only one I missed. Mmmm I wonder how you get on the show.
I am sure if you are actuality smarter then a 5th grader you are SOL.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

No Shatner, right?

Hmm, I considered that but Shatner is much better with adults. Preferably female dancing adults.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Holy crap, Jesse was 8 1/2 years ago??

Wow, time flies. I was just thinking about some of those awful "must see" shows the other day. All that dreck with Silverman, and then that Union Station garbage. NBC was litterally throwing shit in a fan back then hoping something would stick.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

George Carlin had a show? WTF? Where was I?

It was a sitcom that was actually pretty funny, as I recall it. I think it only lasted one season, but it was better than most of the other junk that FOX offered in the early '90s.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by LoneStarGirl

I absolutely loved this show! Jeff Foxworthy wasn't that funny, but he is a good pick for a host. I loved how the UCLA grad didn't get one question right, that was beautiful. Some of the questions really stumped me, like Who was the first president to be impeached, and what month is columbus day in. But I got the others right... If the area of a triangle is 16 and the height is 8, what is the base? True or false, polar bears eat penguins? What ship did the pilgrims come over in?

I love watching people look like morons on TV.

My wife wanted to watch this one. I loved seeing the UCLA grad bomb. Although, I was embarassed that I missed two questions during the show.

[RendeR]

OK i found this show tonight and I gotta say.."WTF are they using to screen these contestants?"

This guy is a complete freaking moron.

And Foxworthy needs to speed this shit up, my god the drag time is pathetic.

[Raiders Army]

The contestants have to be mildly mentally retarded. The 5th graders have to be the smartest of the smart. I hate how shows have gone to the American Idol commercial break fuck-the-audience-over-thing. It isn't cute any more. Seacrest, Mandel, and now Foxworthy are all losers.

[Logan]

My problem is that you're rewarding people for being complete fucking idiots. Like that chick last night who won $100k...she was a moron, plain and simple. She got that much because the kids were getting the questions right.

Just give the money to charity or something.

[RendeR]

ok I finally got one wrong, I confused the stratus and cummulus question. I always thing stratus == stratosphere for higher or something...ahh well, its not like I had ANYthing like that in grade school. 8th grade earth science maybe.

[MJ4H]

That was the first question I missed since the first one (Columbus Day).

[Lathum]

this show has maybe the most annoying theme song ever.

[ISiddiqui]

Foxworthy was pretty funny on that "Pledge of Allegiance" question.

"Are you trying to confuse me"

No retard, just pointing out there is no THE in the phrase!

[Ajaxab]

Originally Posted by RendeR

And Foxworthy needs to speed this shit up, my god the drag time is pathetic.

Quoted for truth. I cannot stand the 'ask 5 questions per half hour' routine these game shows have decided to go with since Millionaire. I'll take Jeopardy any day. Or at the very least, I want to see Foxworthy imploring everyone to dance after every question.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Given the complaints here, it'll be interesting to see the ratings for last night's third episode. Ep 2 held up very well, holding more than 85% of the lead-in from Idol, but the next trick is sustaining that performance.

[Ksyrup]

I have to say, I enjoyed the show last night. The dragging out stuff sucks, but they all do it. I find this to be a better form of "self-confidence boost" TV than Springer. It's at least less violent and can be watched by kids, but the premise is the same - as crappy as your life is, it could be worse, you could be these people. Honestly, going on that show is lose/lose. Even if you win money, you still come off looking like an idiot. It appears that you pretty much walk away with a minimum of $25K if you're just breathing. I think this show has to rival that Shatner show for biggest payoff for least amount of work, although the amount of money people won on the Shatner show still makes it #1 on that list. As easy as these questions are, I haven't seen anyone try much above $100K yet. The millenia question and the one the guy had last week...both of those people should have had $175K.

Given the premise of this show, I'm stunned they put it on so late. I know they want the AI lead-in, but if this show continues as strong as it began, they would be stupid not to move this to an 8pm time slot where kids would be much more likely to watch. I would think that could boost rating even more. JIMG, am I wrong about that?

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Given the complaints here, it'll be interesting to see the ratings for last night's third episode. Ep 2 held up very well, holding more than 85% of the lead-in from Idol, but the next trick is sustaining that performance.

If it holds even a slight bit - this has to be the model for Fox introducing MANY new shows, right? That potentially the after Idol timeslot, particularly when they have 30 minutes to spare, should be reserved for introducing now mid-season replacements?

[Ksyrup]

This isn't the first time they've done this, but it's the most successful by far. The original article JIMG posted I think details past unsuccessful shows FOx has tried to introduce with AI as the lead-in. They just might have hit it big finally with this one.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Given the premise of this show, I'm stunned they put it on so late. I know they want the AI lead-in, but if this show continues as strong as it began, they would be stupid not to move this to an 8pm time slot where kids would be much more likely to watch. I would think that could boost rating even more. JIMG, am I wrong about that?

Eh, a little bit of a toss-up on that, since the big question becomes whether they would have the same strength in key demos at the earlier hour (or in the absence of the strong lead-in, which I'm not sold completely on). Idol is appointment television, but whether 5th Grader would be is obviously less certain.

As for the boost in kids watching at an earlier time, that seems like a gimme. But the value in having them watch is minimal since they really only show up in the ratings for total viewers & the various kid demos and the parents are apparently already watching. And the price (because of the high HH rating) would be prohibitive for most advertisers who target the kids. I think there's a real chance of gaining <18 viewers but having the increase offset by the loss of 18+.

All that aside, if the numbers keep holding up this strong, I would think they're likely to at least try an episode in the earlier time just to see whether they can bring the existing audience to the show in the absence of AI.

[Bee]

Producer Mark Burnett’s two strongest shows will run head-to-head for more than a month now that Fox has announced that it is extending the Thursday night run of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Fox has added four more episodes to air 8-9 p.m. ET Thursdays on top of two previously announced airings March 15 and 22. The game show is slated to air after American Idol 9-10 p.m. Thursday and March 8.

That puts the Jeff Foxworthy-hosted game show head-to-head with Burnett’s Survivor on CBS for a total of six weeks. When NBC aired Burnett’s The Apprentice on Thursdays, it had an agreement with Burnett to air the show out of the path of Survivor at 9 p.m. (excluding “super-sized” episodes that started 15 minutes early).

It will be interesting to see how it does against Survivor.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Eh, a little bit of a toss-up on that, since the big question becomes whether they would have the same strength in key demos at the earlier hour (or in the absence of the strong lead-in, which I'm not sold completely on). Idol is appointment television, but whether 5th Grader would be is obviously less certain.

As for the boost in kids watching at an earlier time, that seems like a gimme. But the value in having them watch is minimal since they really only show up in the ratings for total viewers & the various kid demos and the parents are apparently already watching. And the price (because of the high HH rating) would be prohibitive for most advertisers who target the kids. I think there's a real chance of gaining <18 viewers but having the increase offset by the loss of 18+.

All that aside, if the numbers keep holding up this strong, I would think they're likely to at least try an episode in the earlier time just to see whether they can bring the existing audience to the show in the absence of AI.

I was thinking it might bring more adults in if kids of parents not already watching have an opportunity to watch at an earlier time. Something of a twist on the old ABC Friday night "family night" sitcoms (Urkel, etc.), except this is obviously a game show. But it would seem to have that same "family TV time" draw that could be big. But admittedly, I have no clue about these things.

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...icle_10541.asp

When a new show debuts to huge numbers, the question always is whether that momentum will carry or whether it will slump in the following episodes.

It seems a clear case of the former for Fox’s new hit game show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” For the third straight night, the Jeff Foxworthy-hosted quiz show put up huge numbers, managing to hold most of its “American Idol” lead-in.

“Smarter” averaged a 9.4 adults 18-49 rating last night, according to Nielsen overnights, retaining 90 percent of lead-in “Idol’s” 10.4.

“Smarter” was down a tad from Wednesday’s 9.7, but its lead-in dipped as well. On a night where the other networks aired mostly reruns, Fox earned its third straight nightly win in dominant fashion, more than doubling CBS.

Not surprisingly, Fox has ordered four additional episodes of “Smarter” and scheduled them for Thursdays at 8 p.m. That’s in addition to already announced episodes airing the next three Thursdays.

“Smarter’s” numbers will likely dip once “Idol” contracts back from Thursday to a two-night schedule two weeks from now, but it should give Fox a Thursday presence that it has lacked for years. Even if the show lost half its audience, it would still compete for No. 1 in the timeslot.

[gstelmack]

I had no clue this show even existed.

I love my TIVO...