Latest news with #GeniusGame
Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
ITV's The Genius Game show facing the axe after poor ratings
The Genius Game, fronted by David Tennant, launched with 1.2 million viewers but by the time its finale aired, that number had halved to just 661,000. In an unexpected twist, the final episode's ratings were matched by Pangolins: The World's Most Wanted Animal, which looked at why the scaly creatures are so endangered. READ MORE: David Tennant's Genius Game sparks mixed reactions A TV insider told the Scottish Sun: 'Publicly, ITV maintains that no firm decision has been taken, but most execs and commissioners view it as a disaster. 'Not only did it occupy a primetime 9pm slot, it had a big-name host and was seen as a potential rival for BBC's The Traitors. "But of the five main channels on June 11, it was beaten by two and equalled by BBC2, thanks to those pangolins.' READ MORE: Scots comedian and Hollywood star join forces as iconic series returns The Genius Game, which cost an estimated £2.5 million to produce, featured contestants competing in mental challenges. Despite the poor performance, ITV has not yet confirmed whether the show will return. An ITV spokesperson said to the Scottish Sun: "No decision has yet been made."
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ITV's 'most expensive flop' in years to be 'axed' after very low viewership
A new game show, which has been dubbed ITV's "most expensive flop" in years, is to be "axed" by the broadcaster. The programme starring Doctor Who and Broadchurch actor David Tennant is said to have suffered from very low viewing figures since its launch earlier this year. The Genius Game sees 11 contestants go head-to-head while testing their intelligence in what has been dubbed a "fiendish battle of wits". However, viewing figures from Broadcast Now have shown that only 1.2 million people tuned in to watch its first-ever episode. After 7 intense weeks of social strategy and betrayals, the final episode of #GeniusGame is ready for you on ITVX. — ITV (@ITV) June 12, 2025 Now, according to reports from The Metro and The Sun, the Genius Game starring David Tennant is at risk of being cancelled. An inside source claimed the show's future isn't optimistic after it failed to compete against Race Across The World on the BBC They said: "Publicly, ITV maintains that no firm decision has been taken, but most execs and commissioners view it as a disaster. "Not only did it occupy a primetime 9pm slot, it had a big-name host and was seen as a potential rival for BBC's The Traitors. 'Absolutely brilliant' show that is 'one of the best' of the 70s returning to TV Coronation Street fans label story 'predictable' as soap villain set for return Furious' Gregg Wallace 'breaks his silence' after being sacked by the BBC "But of the five main channels on June 11, it was beaten by two and equalled by BBC Two, thanks to those pangolins." Another source said that the whole of David Tennant is a beloved household name; his involvement with the show only increased costs and made it an even "bigger blow" for the broadcaster. However, an ITV spokesperson has said no decision about the show's future has been made.
Glasgow Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
David Tennant's new ITV show to be axed after low viewership
The programme starring Doctor Who and Broadchurch actor David Tennant is said to have suffered from very low viewing figures since its launch earlier this year. The Genius Game sees 11 contestants go head-to-head while testing their intelligence in what has been dubbed a "fiendish battle of wits". However, viewing figures from Broadcast Now have shown that only 1.2 million people tuned in to watch its first-ever episode. After 7 intense weeks of social strategy and betrayals, the final episode of #GeniusGame is ready for you on ITVX. — ITV (@ITV) June 12, 2025 David Tennant's new gameshow facing 'axe' after being branded 'most expensive flop' in years for ITV Now, according to reports from The Metro and The Sun, the Genius Game starring David Tennant is at risk of being cancelled. An inside source claimed the show's future isn't optimistic after it failed to compete against Race Across The World on the BBC They said: "Publicly, ITV maintains that no firm decision has been taken, but most execs and commissioners view it as a disaster. "Not only did it occupy a primetime 9pm slot, it had a big-name host and was seen as a potential rival for BBC's The Traitors. Recommended Reading: "But of the five main channels on June 11, it was beaten by two and equalled by BBC Two, thanks to those pangolins." Another source said that the whole of David Tennant is a beloved household name; his involvement with the show only increased costs and made it an even "bigger blow" for the broadcaster. However, an ITV spokesperson has said no decision about the show's future has been made.
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Top show 'at risk of axe' just weeks after first series as ITV offer update
Genius Game, hosted by David Tennant, launched earlier this year on ITV but there is already speculation about its future just weeks after its first series concluded last month There's speculation that ITV is "poised to axe" a show that launched just months ago. Genius Game drew comparisons to the Traitors but didn't reach the same viewing figures as its BBC rival in its first series, which aired earlier this year. Genius Game, which was hosted by David Tennant, saw eleven contestants compete in a series of games for the chance to win a cash prize. It launched in April and ran for eight episodes, with the finale having aired last month. The first episode, as previously reported, drew 1.2 million viewers but ratings dropped to 800,000 for the second episode. They are said to have reduced even further by the finale six weeks later and the show is now reportedly at risk. The Sun claims that ITV is "poised to axe" Genius Game. It reports that the show is believed to have cost £2.5 million but had an average audience of 661,000 by the end. The finale is said to have drawn the similar figures as a repeat of BBC Two 's Pangolins: The World's Most Wanted Animal. A source told the outlet that the game show is considered a "disaster" by some people. They claimed: "Publicly ITV maintains that no firm decision has been taken, but most execs and commissioners view it as a disaster. "Not only did it occupy a primetime 9pm slot, it had a big-name host and was seen as a potential rival for BBC's The Traitors. But of the five main channels on June 11, it was beaten by two and equalled by BBC2, thanks to those pangolins." A spokesperson for ITV however suggested to the Mirror this evening that the future of Genius Game following its debut series has yet to be decided. When approached for comment, they told us: "No decision has yet been made." As reported by Radio Times, according to Broadcast, BBC One show Race Across the World 's fifth season pulled in 4.2 million overnight viewers on June 11. That was the same night that Genius Game concluded with its own finale. According to figures, published by the outlet the following day, Genius Game did slightly surprass Pangolins - The World's Most Wanted Animal. It was listed as the third most watched show in its slot mong the five main channels. The outlet said that Race Across the World "blew away" its competition that night. It reported that an episode of Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts on 5 was the closest to reaching its success with overnight figures of 718,000. It added that Genius Game on ITV followed with 661,000 and then BBC Two's Pangolins - The World's Most Wanted Animal with 660,000 viewers at the time. Whilst an episode of Britain's Most Expensive Homes is said to have brought 597,000 viewers to Channel 4 in the same slot. The first series of Genius Game saw eleven contestants compete in a series of challenges, with one player typically eliminated after each one. Like in shows such as the Traitors, some contestants engaged in social strategies to help with their efforts in a bid to make it all the way to the final. Viewers saw comedian Ken Cheng and student Charlotte Yeung reach the final after seven episodes. The pair went head-to-head in the eighth episode, which ended with Ken being named the winner and Charlotte the runner-up.
The Herald Scotland
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
TV reviews: Finally, Who Do You Think You Are? hits the mark again
Now I know WDYTYA has been a bit boring lately - frankly, some of the 'celebrities' have been human sleeping tablets - but come on, wasn't this a case of TV eating itself? As Morgan said: 'I never thought in a million years you'd actually ask me to be on it.' Bolton born and bred and now living in Bloomsbury (nice), Morgan had three aims: to learn more about her Aunty Ginny's fiance, Albert Dugdale, who died in the First World War; to trace her Scottish roots in Dumfries; and to find out the identity of 'German Charlie', the stuff of family legend. As she suspected, Morgan's journey was far from glam. She travelled on buses and suburban trains to small town libraries. There was a lot of weaving in her background. German Charlie's story was part of that history and wasn't terribly interesting unless you were into chimneys. Aunty Ginny, Morgan discovered, lived near the rest of the family in Bolton, as many of her generation did. That didn't set the heather on fire either. But Dumfries and Morgan's four times great-grandmother Isabella? Now you're talking. Isabella turned out to have had five children to four different fathers. History could relate this because she had taken all the absent fathers to court for child support. As a result, a record of her existence existed - a rarity for a woman, even more so someone who was working class. Between the lines there was obvious sadness. One record said Isabella had been known to the local lads as 'an improper character'. 'I thought you were going to tell me I was related to Robert the Bruce or Robert Burns, one of the Roberts,' said Morgan. 'Instead my great, great, great grandmother was a bit of a hussy.' For fear of spoilers I won't say what happened next in Dumfries, or how Morgan got on tracing Albert Dugdale's family to give them the 'death penny' that had been kept safe in her family. If you haven't seen the show yet you are in for a treat on iPlayer. Morgan's WDYTYA probably isn't destined for the hall of fame. But the very ordinariness of the people we learned about was what made them special. They weren't kings or queens or captains of industry or explorers, they did dull jobs and lived in terraced houses, but they were here once, and their lives mattered. Whoever decided Diane Morgan would be a good pick for WDYTYA should be given a pay rise. This could have been a disaster; instead it was a triumph. The same cannot be said for Genius Game (STV, Wednesday), which reached its finale this week. A test of intelligence rather than general knowledge, Genius Game has been a hit in its home country of South Korea. Here, it struggled from episode one. Where to start? The games were ridiculously complicated and poorly explained. The contestants lacked sparkle. But nothing fell on its backside as much as David Tennant's hosting. It was up to him to bring the party, and he didn't. Given the grand title of 'The Creator', his part in proceedings was limited to sitting in another room, isolated from the contestants, chipping in the odd comment now and then. Tennant can usually do that kind of thing in his sleep; here he seemed to be between naps. After grinding on for eight weeks we finally had a winner. Everyone still watching should have been given a share of the £44,000 prize just for getting to the end of the series (Why £44,000? Who knows?). Still in his attic, Tennant readied himself for the big finish, such as it was. 'What a ride!' he said. 'For now, I shall bid you farewell!' For now? What a ride? I don't know what quiz show he was watching, but if he expects a second series of Genius Game he may have a very long wait. Defying all advice about returning to the scene of a crime, Neil Forsyth was back with The Gold (BBC1, Sunday-Tuesday), a follow-up to his 2023 hit about the Brink's-Mat robbery. In the hands of another writer this might have been a sequel too far. Fortunately, the creator of Bob Servant and Guilt expertly blew the bloody doors off the tale again. At the end of the first series it was revealed only half the gold had been found. Some £13 million was still out there, together with mountains of dirty cash waiting to be laundered. So it was back on the chain gang again for gentleman copper Brian Boyce (Hugh Bonneville), and side-kicks Tony and Nicki (Emun Elliot and Charlotte Spencer; worth a spin-off series on their own). Following the money was never going to be as exciting as watching the original heist, and so it proved. It was episode three before anyone even broke into a run (the whole series is on iPlayer now). Forsyth made up for this lack of action by adding layers to existing characters and creating new ones. Of the latter, Joshua McGuire was a standout as Douglas Baxter, Oxbridge graduate and lawyer fallen on hard times on the Isle of Man. Baxter was a terrible snob but highly amusing with it. 'The Isle of Man doesn't offer much,' he said. 'I once ordered a martini in a pub and the landlord came at me with a poker.' At times, Forsyth's villains seemed a touch too clever and eloquent. While this made for some great dialogue - there's an old lag's speech later on that's one for the ages - it didn't always ring true. But this, after all, was a drama about Brink's-Mat, not a documentary. Forsyth brought the threads of the story together with deceptive ease, righting a key wrong of the first series along the way. Kenneth Noye (an excellent Jack Lowden), made out to be a charismatic Robin Hood-type in early episodes, was shown in his truly grisly colours. 'The gold' remained a fascinating character in its own right, a siren luring men to their doom. Who, in the end, profited? Where did all the money go? As one villain said, 'Loads of people got rich from that job, but it weren't the six blokes in the van.' David Tennant was the host of Genius Game (Image: ITV1) More villainy was at work in the new historical drama Shardlake (STV, Monday). I say 'new' but admirers of CJ Sansom's novels will know this period murder mystery had been this way before. It first aired on Disney+ in 2024, but after four episodes the show wasn't renewed. Never mind Tudor England, it's a tough old world out there in streaming land. Young Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes) was a lawyer/detective for hire. He was also disabled, which made him an outsider in a society that saw difference as a curse. We knew what Shardlake thought about that, and much else, because he had a handy habit of talking out loud to himself. 'Ready Matthew, ready for what this day might bring?' he asked his reflection in the window. The day brought a summons from Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean) no less. One of his commissioners had been murdered in a distant monastery. Cromwell appointed Shardlake to head the investigation. Mark Rylance made Cromwell his own in Wolf Hall, so all power to Bean's elbow for taking on the gig. His Cromwell was more swaggering than quietly sinister, but he more than passed muster. The drama's treatment of disability, the attempts at witty asides, the hero's empathy, turned Shardlake into a modern affair, presumably to widen its appeal. But the more talk, less action approach also made the hour seem as slow as a week in the Tower. Shardlake also wanted to have its period cake and eat it, which meant lots of gloomy scenes where you could barely make out what was going on. When times got tough, there was always that man Bean to liven things up, even if you did half expect him to start banging on about a certain brand of tea. Mark Rylance didn't have that problem.
