Tonight marks the debut of another new Canadian-from-American(-maybe-from-Britain-first)-televsion show called "Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader?" on Global.
Now, anything with Colin Mochrie in it, I'm there! But why is the only "original" Canadian programming these days clones of American-clones-of-British-tv-reality series? And even worse, why do they always have shorter run times?
When I first heard of it, I was looking forward to a whole season of a Canadian reality show; instead we're getting a whopping five episodes. That's right, not even enough to get us to Christmas. Ah well, for 5 weeks I can enjoy Thursday night television for another hour, after Ugly Betty. Now if there was only a decent Canadian drama on at 10 pm along the lines of a Due South or This is Wonderland...
----------------------------
Update: 09:46 pm
First contestant: a lawyer with 3 degrees. First question: Nathan and his four friends go skating on the Rideau Canal, how many ice skates do they need? Nathan, the first kid called up to help the contestant, writes his answer fast. Confident lawyer locks in and speaks. Eight.
Not good on the details, eh, says Colin. Luckily Nathan saved him.
Art question: Who was the only Canadian female painter to be associated with the Group of Seven? Taylor answered so fast, I swear she was done before Colin finished the question. Tough one for 30-year-old lawyer though. Hmmmmm, he hemmed, having no clue. He went for the Copy cheat. Good choice. She wrote down Emily Carr.
French question: Translate "I am tired." Now there's a question you wouldn't see on the American show! Isaiah had this one down pat. Man, those kids are smart, whipping off the answers the way they do. He wants to be a lawyer too, and unlike the other kids who picked two of the subjects as their best ones, he said all of them were his best. OTOH, the adult lawyer was confused. Was it Je suis fatigue or J'ai fatigue. He said it over and over and over and over and over. Nothing like repetition to ensure you can figure it out. He just did not know whether "am" is a "to be" verb or a "to have" verb -- he did know which they were in French.
Well, his schoolteacher mom did say he was not good under pressure.
He got it right, and finally, at last on a grade five geometry question, his lawyer confidence was proven right, and he solved it in less than 10 minutes. He stripped in celebration of his right answer and his perspicacious gut. I hope all the other contestants are this funny!
Now, anything with Colin Mochrie in it, I'm there! But why is the only "original" Canadian programming these days clones of American-clones-of-British-tv-reality series? And even worse, why do they always have shorter run times?
When I first heard of it, I was looking forward to a whole season of a Canadian reality show; instead we're getting a whopping five episodes. That's right, not even enough to get us to Christmas. Ah well, for 5 weeks I can enjoy Thursday night television for another hour, after Ugly Betty. Now if there was only a decent Canadian drama on at 10 pm along the lines of a Due South or This is Wonderland...
----------------------------
Update: 09:46 pm
First contestant: a lawyer with 3 degrees. First question: Nathan and his four friends go skating on the Rideau Canal, how many ice skates do they need? Nathan, the first kid called up to help the contestant, writes his answer fast. Confident lawyer locks in and speaks. Eight.
Not good on the details, eh, says Colin. Luckily Nathan saved him.
Art question: Who was the only Canadian female painter to be associated with the Group of Seven? Taylor answered so fast, I swear she was done before Colin finished the question. Tough one for 30-year-old lawyer though. Hmmmmm, he hemmed, having no clue. He went for the Copy cheat. Good choice. She wrote down Emily Carr.
French question: Translate "I am tired." Now there's a question you wouldn't see on the American show! Isaiah had this one down pat. Man, those kids are smart, whipping off the answers the way they do. He wants to be a lawyer too, and unlike the other kids who picked two of the subjects as their best ones, he said all of them were his best. OTOH, the adult lawyer was confused. Was it Je suis fatigue or J'ai fatigue. He said it over and over and over and over and over. Nothing like repetition to ensure you can figure it out. He just did not know whether "am" is a "to be" verb or a "to have" verb -- he did know which they were in French.
Well, his schoolteacher mom did say he was not good under pressure.
He got it right, and finally, at last on a grade five geometry question, his lawyer confidence was proven right, and he solved it in less than 10 minutes. He stripped in celebration of his right answer and his perspicacious gut. I hope all the other contestants are this funny!
Comments