It’s the boring middle of Summer and it’s boring midweek so for some reason I decided to update the site’s FAQ. The questions aren’t actually frequently asked, in truth.
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It’s the boring middle of Summer and it’s boring midweek so for some reason I decided to update the site’s FAQ. The questions aren’t actually frequently asked, in truth.
Aside: This week, I discovered “Brig’s Pub” in Ottawa.
You or somebody else has defintely sent me a picture of this, or another pub called Bother’s Bar.
that was B(r)other’s Bar 😉
So, with the news-but-maybe-not-news that someone UK bound has secured the rights to “The Genius (Game)”, I’ve been dreaming up a new cast for a UK series. Here’s where I’m at:
Rachel Riley (Numbers Guru on Countdown)
Jenny Ryan (Upcoming Chaser)
Sue Perkins (Comedienne & Host)
Hannah Fry (Numberphile and mathematics lecturer)
Konnie Huq (Blue Peterer and King of the Nerds’ host)
Liv Boeree (Poker playing extraordinare)
Alex James (The cheese bloke from Blur)
Wil Wheaton (Host of “Tabletop”, Big Bang Theory serial cameo-er)
Lee Sangmin (Winner of “The Genius: Rule Breakers”, my favourite)
Dara O’Brien (Comedian and Number cruncher)
Tim Key (Modern poet)
Noel Clarke (Film Director and Mickey from Doctor Who)
Tried to mix things up and stray from my original list a while back. Still utter hogwash, but a line-up like that would have me utterly over the moon. Keeping an even balance of mathsy people, wordsy people and others, and Sangmin is there because I genuinely can’t imagine a series without him.
I’d like to see at least seven non-celebrity and a far wider variety of backgrounds.
Some of the best Genius players have been lawyers, eastern medicine practitioners, weather forecasters,…
I tried going as wide as possible, but I too would like quite a few non celeb players (so I myself had a chance), but also decided I may as well write a full list of ideas, as its be a bit boring to have “+7 civilians”.
Plus there is the thought that British TV loves famous people, and might think it safer to stick to an all “celeb” first series to see how it does before letting people apply once the show has caught on.
Apropos of nothing, discovered at some ungodly hour of this morning while up with the little one that Sky customers can download box sets of The Amazing Race Seasons 20-22.
Mmm, this came up a little while ago on Twitter and people wondered what it meant.
I don’t think TAR has been very good for a long time, although I might try watching the next series to see if it can change my mind.
I have been watching the last series (26) and have to say I think they’re running out of fresh ideas.
The “Save” is the current new idea (Where a team gets the chance to bring themselves back from elimination), but still enjoying the Double U-Turn.
Problem is the teams are all so dislikable.
Why the UK version never took off, I don’t know!
If you’re up for it, check out Amazing Race Canada. Yes I know I’m from its country, but I find it’s a nice fresh take on the format. S1 only played in Canada but rated highly. S2 played legs outside of Canada in China and France. S3 is currently airing and features in one leg something called the “faceoff” where a team has to win a battle against another team to move forward and the last team left has to serve a penalty.
Canadian Season 3 is on? Thanks for the tip.
Imho, their problem is fundamentally one of execution, rather than freshness. You can get neither a race nor drama if contestants are only allowed to race for four hours every other day (and then reset). You can’t get people to care for contestants that are exclusively twee, bland, or obnoxious. And you can’t get a travel show that doesn’t have time for the places it goes to.
But none of that speaks of the format so much as it speaks of production exhaustion and aging. I don’t think they ever really understood what makes their show tick (which is why they spectacularly misfire with the season gimmicks and bonuses that make the game staler), but the slow decrepitude seems to be positive feedback between exhaustion and budget cuts.
I absolutely love the show’s concept, but I can’t defend the US series with a straight face now. You get to watch obnoxious people propose to each other after the thrill of balloon shaving and the sixth cross-dressing dance of the season; I think they regret having travel in the format.
Pretty much every other version is more fun, including the Vietnamese one. The Canadian and Australian versions are reasonably good though, if you’re in need of a fix.