ITV1 recently aired the debut episode of "Genius Game," a new game show hosted by David Tennant, which has garnered mixed reactions for its complex and confusing format. The show, adapted from a South Korean television hit, features multiple contestants competing in a series of challenges involving strategic decision-making and the accumulation of a currency called "zircons," each worth £1,000. However, the rules and objectives of the game have proven difficult for viewers and participants alike to fully comprehend.
David Tennant, who portrays a character known as The Creator, is not physically present on the game set. Instead, he appears in pre-recorded video segments that explain certain rules, delivered in a manner likened to reading cereal box ingredients. The set itself is designed to resemble the TARDIS from "Doctor Who," complete with panelled walls and staircases leading to nowhere, while the central gameplay area features a cage where players can trap each other, visually representing the "jail" concept meant to impede opponents from collecting zircons.
The structure of the game includes rounds such as "raiding a bank vault," where three vaults are available, and contestants must decide which to target. If multiple players choose the same vault, nobody wins, and they face penalties in subsequent rounds. Players have engaged in tactical alliances and betrayals, with one contestant, Paul, attempting early on to assure others that his strategic actions were merely part of the game. Despite his efforts, he was swiftly voted off, underscoring the competitive and interpersonal dynamics of the show. The final elimination round involved shape-matching, but was conducted in a separate room, limiting viewer participation in solving the challenges alongside the players.
Critiques of "Genius Game" highlight its opaque and overly intricate rules, making it challenging for both participants and audiences to grasp the stakes or overall objectives. The Daily Mail reported that the first hour-long episode felt "dull and meaningless," with the gameplay becoming more frustrating upon repetition. Commentary from viewers included humorous remarks illustrating the confusion; for example, one viewer jokingly suggested the show's complexity warranted revising Einstein's theory of relativity, while another likened it to playing multiple games of blindfold chess without understanding the point.
Though drawing from a successful South Korean format, "Genius Game" appears to demand a particular kind of patience and intellect, possibly reflecting cultural differences in television entertainment preferences. Tennant's limited on-screen role and the show's heavily stylised set design contribute to an experience that some find more mystifying than engaging, with several expressing uncertainty about the potential prize money and how many players stand to benefit.
The review in the Daily Mail summarised the experience as a "brain-twister" that ultimately fell short in clarity and entertainment, casting doubt on its appeal despite the involvement of a well-known actor and an elaborate production setup.
Source: Noah Wire Services