Latest news with #TheGeniusGame
Glasgow Times
14 hours 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."
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
David Tennant's new show set to be 'axed' after its branded 'ITV's most expensive flop' in years
David Tennant's ITV game show The Genius Game debuted earlier this year but has failed to bring in substantial viewing figures and is now at risk of being axed David Tennant's new ITV game show has reportedly flopped in the world of TV amid very low viewing figures. The Genius Game first aired earlier this year in a timeslot that put it up against the popular BBC show Race Across The World and it appears the gamble has not paid off as the programme has now been branded as an 'expensive flop'. Hosted by the beloved 54-year-old Scots actor, best known for his role in Doctor Who, the show saw 11 'geniuses' battle it out in what was dubbed as a 'fiendish battle of wits' by the broadcaster to test their intelligence and try to clinch a top prize. However, only 1.2M ITV viewers tuned in for the first episode, according to figures from Broadcast Now, compared to the 3.1M viewers pulled in by Race Across the World in the same time slot over on BBC One. On its second episode, viewing figures for the Genius Game slumped to 846,000. According to the Radio Times, the low ratings for The Genius Game put the show at just half the 2.2 million average for the 9pm time slot on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Following the underwhelming response to the show's debut, Tennant's programme is now reportedly at risk of being axed, the Metro reports. A TV insider told The Sun that after the game show's finale failed to accumulate viewing figures to trump a BBC Two nature documentary about pangolins, the show's future isn't optimistic. Viewing figures for one evening were matched by Pangolins: The World's Most Wanted Animal which looked at why the scaly creatures are so endangered. The source told the publication: "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 equaled by BBC2, thanks to those pangolins." Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here an d get the latest news sent straight to your messages Another insider previously told the publication that while Tennant is a beloved household name, his involvement with the show resulted in increased costs, meaning the disappointing ratings came as an even bigger blow to ITV. According to The Sun, the reality game show cost a whopping £2.5M to make but only drew an average of £661,000 by the end of its run. ITV shifted The Genius Game to Wednesday slots for the latter part of its run, with Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? celebrity specials taking the Thursday slot. An ITV spokesperson told The Sun no decision regarding the show's future has been made as of yet.
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
David Tennant show branded ITV's ‘most expensive flop in years' set to be axed
David Tennant's new ITV gameshow is reportedly not long for this TV world, amid low viewership figures. The Genius Game debuted earlier this year in a timeslot that put it up against Race Across The World, and it seems the gamble has not paid off, as the show has been branded an 'expensive flop'. Hosted by the 54-year-old Doctor Who star, the programme saw 11 people billed as geniuses battle it out in what ITV dubbed a 'fiendish battle of wits' to test their intelligence and try to clinch a top prize. Yet only 1.2 million viewers tuned in for the first episode (via Broadcast Now), significantly behind Race Across the World, which pulled in 3.1 million in the same timeslot over on BBC One. According to the Radio Times, the low ratings for The Genius Game put the show at just half the 2.2 million average for the 9pm time slot on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Following the surprisingly low ITV viewer numbers, the show is now reportedly on the precipice of being cancelled. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A TV insider has now told The Sun that since the game show's finale failed to muster viewing figures to trump a BBC Two documentary about pangolins, the show's future isn't optimistic. The source told the publication: '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 equaled by BBC2, thanks to those pangolins.' A group of 11 contestants must work together on a series of games designed to test their intellectual and teamwork skills, following guidance from 'The Creator'. In his role as The Creator, David guides players as they attempt to navigate the challenges. Each episode revolves around one key 'Main Match', in which all of the contestants participate in a group task. But only one winner will earn a 'Token of Life', which grants them immunity from elimination on that night. The player who ends in last place in that round is forced to select another contestant to face in a head-to-head 'Death Match' at the finale of each episode. The loser is then eliminated from the competition. Find out more about the Genius Game rules and prize. A TV source previously claimed to the publication that while Tennant is a household name, his involvement with the show resulted in increased costs. This in turn made the disappointing ratings more of a blow to the broadcaster. More Trending ITV shifted The Genius Game to Wednesday slots for the latter part of its run, with Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? celebrity specials taking the Thursday slot. An ITV spokesperson told The Sun no decision has been made. Metro contacted ITV and David Tennant for comment. View More » The Genius Game is available to stream on ITVX. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: TV fans all say the same thing as the soaps are taken off air MORE: When are Coronation Street and Emmerdale back on TV? MORE: You can now binge all 4 seasons of 'mind-blowing' sci-fi series for free on ITVX
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
ITV's 'most expensive flop in years' fronted by David Tennant facing the axe after getting fewer viewers than niche nature documentary
The show described as ITV's 'most expensive flop in years' is facing the axe after drawing in fewer viewers than a BBC documentary about pangolins. Hosted by David Tennant, The Genius Game is reported to have cost £2.5 million to make, but despite the huge investment, it had average viewership numbers of 661,000 after a promising start. This matched the viewership figures of BBC2's Pangolins: The World's Most Wanted Animal, which examines the plight of the endangered animals also known as scaly anteaters. An insider told The 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.' The Genius Game is intellect-based and sees contestants put their IQ to the test in never-before-seen games and manipulate each other for a cash prize, but many found it confusing and difficult to understand. While the show had a promising 1.5 million viewers when it first aired in April, by the second episode this number had plummeted to 846,000 viewers. To put this into context compared to other primetime TV shows, BBC1's Race Across The World attracted 4.2 million viewers at the same time. ITV has said: 'No decision has yet been made.' News of the show's uncertain future comes after its broadcast schedule was changed amid plummeting viewer numbers. When it first premiered, Genius Game was set to air on Wednesday and Thursday. But now, there was a change in the schedule and it was subsequently only broadcast on Wednesday evenings. Jeremy Clarkson's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? celebrity specials were then moved into its Thursday slot for two weeks in May. The shake-up meant the show was spread out over seven weeks instead of four. It comes after many viewers during the first episode took issue with the new program and commented on how 'complicated' it seemed, with many not understanding the premise It comes after many viewers during the first episode took issue with the program and commented on how 'complicated' it seemed, with many not understanding the premise. Some took to social media to share their concerns and posted on X: 'Just starting this. Seems very complicated. I'll watch it out but not looking good tbh #GeniusGame.' One watcher turned off the show in just ten minutes and penned: 'Bye bye.' Others said: 'Sorry #GeniusGame it's a no from me, way too complicated for that time of night, I need mindless entertainment after a busy day, ITV should've just extended #CBBUK instead.' 'I'm struggling to understand. I'm clearly no genius, the rules on rules on rules are something else #GeniusGame.' The MailOnline has reached out to ITV for comment.
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
ITV's ‘most expensive flop in years' poised to be axed after reaching new low by having less viewers than nature doc
The show had debuted with 1.2 million viewers GAME OVER ITV's 'most expensive flop in years' poised to be axed after reaching new low by having less viewers than nature doc Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ITV is poised to axe expensive flop The Genius Game after its finale had the same viewing figures as a BBC2 show about pangolins. The reality game show hosted by David Tennant is believed to have cost £2.5million to make but drew an average audience of 661,000 by the end. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 2 ITV is axing expensive flop The Genius Game after low ratings, pictured host David Tennant Credit: ITV 2 The show's finale had the same viewing figures as a BBC2 show about pangolins Credit: Getty That was matched by Pangolins: The World's Most Wanted Animal which looked at why the scaly creatures are so endangered. A TV insider 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. "But of the five main channels on June 11, it was beaten by two and equalled by BBC2, thanks to those pangolins.' That night 4.2 million watched BBC1's Race Across the World. Channel 5's Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts had 718,000 viewers. The Genius Game, in which contestants take on mental challenges, drew 1.2 million at the start, slumping to 846,000 by episode two. ITV said: 'No decision has yet been made.' Pangolins live in Africa and Asia and are hunted for their keratin scales and meat, which are said to have medicinal qualities in China. ITV viewers switch off David Tennant's new gameshow after 10 minutes as they say it's 'too complicated' to understand Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
