Child genius -which bright spark decided to put it on on a Tuesday???

[Emochild]

Anyone watching?

banjoplayer actually 2rebecca could well have watched 2 series plus one show and be well aware of the tests.

Also the criticism is not of the children but of the use of such tests to determine a 'genius' - when it so obviously does not distinguish a 'genius' from a very very clever child with a fantastic memory and aptitude for maths. However, a competition entitled 'Child with fantastic memory skills and very good at maths' is not a snappy title for competition or TV program.

I think the competition could be really fun for the children and I'm sure plenty of children have great fun, unfortunately after watching 2 series (and 1 episode) some children have the fun destroyed by their parents, who take it way too seriously.

The show was made as entertainment, pure entertainment, and a parent would have to be very naive to not realise what happens when these shows are edited (particularly by the third series). The company needs to pull as much entertainment value as possible from all the characters, they are telling a story for us, with a high point, then a bit of jeopardy, sadness, then triumph for one - it is a formula as old as story-telling itself. And just as any story, it will be discussed and criticised, mulled over and dissected - that's the nature of such things.

I am genuinely interested to know whether it was compulsory to consent to being on camera to enter the competition? Does anyone know?

Well, of course you'd have to consent to being on camera! It's a television programme!

You couldn't say, "I'm happy for you to show my daughter winning but when she cries when she loses, I want you to turn the camera off" could you?

What I meant was could you do the competition even if you didn't consent to be on camera? The competition isn't run by the TV production company but by MENSA.

If I thought my child would find the competition fun, I wouldn't mind them entering, but not for them to be on camera.

No, it wasn't to you, Banjoplayer. I was responding to justasingularity asking "I am genuinely interested to know whether it was compulsory to consent to being on camera to enter the competition." I replied with "Well, of course you'd have to consent to being on camera!" - I thought it was pretty obvious I was replying to her!

Sorry, just read upthread and saw who you are. I think you have to be careful coming on an online discussion about anyone on tv when you're so closely related to the person involved, because what is just idle chatter here can really hurt. I think we all know we just get a snapshot of someone's life when we see them on television. In your position I wouldn't be showing my daughter what random people online are saying; why would you do that?

This sort of programme is always going to be watched by people on a parenting forum and I think you should take it all with a massive pinch of salt.

Hope she does well - best of luck to her and good for her not going back on.

Banjo player are you Holly's mum? I would be very interested in hearing more about the process. Holly seems like a very clever girl who is crippled by her self-consciousness. It must be tough as her mother to try and support her in doing the things she wants to achieve, whilst knowing how hard she finds some of them.

I watched the previous series. If you get eliminated after day 1 which was purely memory and recall tasks then it doesn't matter how good you are at other aspects of the tests on other days this TV programme has decided you aren't a "genius".
If they wanted to add all the test scores together and find a winner they could do that but they prefer to go for the more humiliating and unfair elimination in stages approach because they think viewers find this more entertaining as a format and TV producers seem to like this format.
If a child of mine was in this programme I wouldn't read a mumsnet thread on it.

But I suppose elimination is the nature of any quiz show on tv, isn't it? It makes for more exciting telly rather than just totting up the scores.

Agree with toughasoldboots. Looking back to the previous series and what reality programmes are like, it's very tough on adults let alone children being monitored and filmed for television purposes.

I agree that the first rounds have been about memory and maths rather than applying logic.
Do you remember the Krypton Factor? It should be more like that really, puzzle solving (not the assault course).

I think they must have all had to consent to being on camera generally, but I guess some families haven't consented to interviews/cameras at home etc - in every series there have been entrants who didn't 'feature' at all. Although I wonder how that would work if one of the non-interviewed children went on to win? Or maybe all children had the footage made but only some got shown.

FWIW I didn't get to see the full episode (stupid laptop) but I felt so sad for Holly, who seemed absolutely lovely. I hate seeing children plagued by self doubt, and it must have been very hard to let her do this knowing how her confidence could be eroded further. I have a very anxious DD and I find it so difficult to know what to let her do for her own good.

I dislike the elimination in stages procedure in other competitions too. I have an allotment and hate the fact that the allotment competition programme (which has far too much poncy flower arranging and weird chutney making in it in my opinion anyway) eliminates people straight away. In the last series there was a young lad who had tried doing things scientifically but because his flower arranging and getting matching bean or whatever other nonsense they had wasn't up to spec in the first programme he went out straight away. Lazy sensationalist programming.

I think they should include the assault course. I suspect many of them don't get enough exercise and practising assault courses would be fun! They should make the parents do it too.

I hate those bloody labels round their necks. Well, that's one of the things I hate about the programme. The others are the parents (without exception- doesn't matter if your child wants to do it, it's up to you to stop your child making crap decisions), those deeply unpleasant people running it and the production company that thought it up. Oh, and Mensa. Think that just about covers it.

I like Thomas! he is just like a friend of ds. Looks like him and has the same mad professor way of talking

Anyone watching this tonight?

Wow Thomas is amazing! He seems to come from a really 'normal' grounded family as well rather than just been pushed into being clever iykwim?

Most of these children seem to have been dealt about five times more confidence than the general population along with their intelligence whilst poor Holly seems to have none. Wish she would believe in herself as she seems a sweet kid and her mum seems lovely as well. I hope she does well!

The world map memory round seems too similar to the UK motorways memory round.

I'm surprised they let Thomas make so much noise in a communal study room.

I would be worried about Hollies lack of self belief if I were her mum, she seems a sweet girl but her self confidence is so low

Thomas is walking this

Oh my Goodness actually just welled up at 'I failed you Mummy' which completely sums up why I feel uncomfortable with these competitions.