It’ll premiere Wednesday (April 30) at 9pm.
Genius Game host David Tennant. (Remarkable Entertainment)
ITV is staying in the David Tennant business, as next week he’ll launch the broadcaster’s latest reality series Genius Game, produced by Remarkable Entertainment.
After his two consecutive years hosting the Baftas, everybody’s favourite Doctor Who steps into the sharp tailoring of The Creator, overseeing “strategically minded” contestants as they face the “ultimate battle of survival” across eight episodes.
Together with Hotel Fortune, which was fronted by Stephen Mangan, Genius Game may be yet another attempt from ITV to catch that same lightning in a bottle as BBC’s The Traitors.
The show premieres Wednesday, 30 April on ITV1, but what can viewers expect to see?
Genius Game’s format
The reality TV show’s official logo. (Remarkable Entertainment)
Taken from the South Korean television vaults just like its channel stablemate The Masked Singer, Genius Game sees 11 players chosen “not just for their high intellectual prowess but also their social IQ”.
To win a life-changing cash prize, they’ll participate in a series of never-before-seen games each designed to “not only test their intellectual acumen, but encourage them to carefully and creatively use the art of manipulation to outfox their opponents”.
As The Creator, Tennant’s role is to guide them through these brain-bursting challenges.
According to an official teaser provided by ITV, the first episode introduces us to a ‘Main Match’, and in this particular one the players are up for the ‘Gold Heist’. They’ll need to work alongside each other if they want to remain in contention for glory.
Should they complete this heist successfully, they receive a ‘Token of Life’ which allows them to be saved and save somebody else. The loser, however, has to take part in the ‘Death Match’ with one of the other players of their own choosing. Whoever runs out second-best there… well, it’s game over.
Who are the participants?
Alison is a crime writer. (Remarkable Entertainment)
Alison, nicknamed ‘The Author’ for purposes of the game, is a 57-year-old professional crime writer.
Detailing her strengths, she said: “From being a mum you’re always looking at potential risks. What people’s real motivations are. You want to see the best in people but you’re always ready to protect. I think that gives an extra layer of emotional intelligence.
“When I write a book I have to think about what I’m putting on the page, what’s really happening and what I think the reader is going to think has happened. I have to think of three strands at the same time. It makes me think of permutations of outcomes and I’m a logical thinker.”
Amanfi is hoping to get the better of his opponents. (Remarkable Entertainment)
Amanfi (or ‘The Coach’) is a business graduate from South London, and at 23 is one of the cast’s youngest.
“I am a generalist and can find a way to do anything,” he stated.
“I love games that involve bluffing, hiding my true intentions. The social side of games is fun but I do like playing games where you have to understand the game if you want to go far. And I’m a very lucky person, everyone in my life will tell you and that’s a skill as well.”
Bhasha stars in the first-ever UK edition of Genius Game. (Remarkable Entertainment)
Bhasha (or ‘The Doctor’) is 28 and originates from the Midlands.
The general practitioner shared of her decision to apply for the show: “I’d just finished an intense exam as part of my GP training. I’d found out I’d passed and I was feeling quite lucky I guess, so I applied for Genius Game.
“I thought if I could pass this exam that was really going to be difficult, I could do anything.”
Benjamin works at the University of Sussex. (Remarkable Entertainment)
Benjamin (or ‘The Professor’) is an associate professor at the University of Sussex.
The 36-year-old conceded: “If I get eliminated early, not only does it end this dream, I also felt it would call my competence and my professional standing into question.
“I’m an associate professor who teaches negotiations and I worried, ‘What if I fail in spectacular fashion?’ I just felt I had so much more to lose than anyone else. I think that luck plays a huge role in these things, there’s only so much you can control.”
Charlotte is nicknamed ‘The Chemist’. (Remarkable Entertainment)
Charlotte (or ‘The Chemist’) is a PhD student based in London.
“I’m just too trusting,” she picked as her weakness.
“I want to believe in the good of everyone. Even when they outright lie to you. There were some times during the course of the game where I thought, ‘I want that person out!'”
India is the youngest contestant. (Remarkable Entertainment)
21-year-old India (or ‘The Student’) is exactly what her codename states.
“I joined the poker society at university and I feel playing poker has definitely instilled a lot of skills which make me strong in Genius Game,” she said.
“Being able to hold my own in unusual situations with people I don’t know, being one. Also, the actual strategy of playing poker was at points really relevant.”
Ken is going to bring the laughter. (Remarkable Entertainment)
Ken (or ‘The Comedian’) is a 35-year-old stand-up comic and poker player.
He reckoned: “When playing the game, the main thing is to prioritise your mental energy, prioritise staying calm and not over-exerting yourself.
“It’s a survival game, you have to survive and that includes being on top form.”
Will Bodalia win the cash prize? (Remarkable Entertainment)
‘The DJ’ himself Bodalia is 29 years old and hails from Birmingham.
“I thought I’d play my social game to my advantage,” teased the doctor.
“I feel like I have been building that through my DJ career as this profession relies on social connections and to be a good doctor, it’s all about the rapport you build with your patients.”
Here’s retired Global Sales Director, Paul. (Remarkable Entertainment)
Paul (or ‘The Businessman’) is a Geordie ex-global sales director now enjoying his retirement.
“I’m very loud and talk too much,” he claimed. “I’m not as sharp as I used to be, which I feel just comes a bit with age.
“If somebody does bad by me, I will seek revenge even at the cost of losing the game!”
Bex will soon be competing on our TV screens. (Remarkable Entertainment)
Bex (or ‘The Entrepreneur’) is the managing director of her own business in Huddersfield.
The 37-year-old revealed: “I think my strengths are relationship-building. Being able to make people feel I’m someone that they can come to with a problem and be a trusted team member.
“I think I can also scout out people telling fibs, reading faces and looking for changes in people.”
Scott is not the best judge of character, apparently. (Remarkable Entertainment)
Scott (or ‘The Scientist’) works in forensics in the village of Tanworth, having come down from Scotland.
“I don’t always have the best read on people,” admitted the 30-year-old.
“If I can control my own game, control my narrative, people will follow me rather than me following other people – I then don’t have to rely on anyone.”
Tennant’s role as The Creator has already been praised
Is there any job on the tele that Tennant can’t do? (Remarkable Entertainment)
Chatting to RadioTimes ahead of Genius Game’s start date, the show’s games executive producer Anna Kidd weighed in on why Tennant was the ideal man for the job.
“In the Korean version of the show, The Creator is this shady character – their face is wrapped in a bandage, you never see them, they’re very sinister,” she began. “We knew for ITV we wanted to bring some personality and wit to it. Genuinely, the only name who was ever on our list was David Tennant.”
Intelligence? Tick. Humour? Tick. Charm? Tick.
“He totally nailed the brief,” continued Kidd. “Obviously, he’s phenomenal at what he does, but he was really invested, and he really understood what the role was and what the games were.
“He brought so much more than we could ever have hoped. We were really lucky – he was absolutely brilliant. He’s really going to add something extra to the show.”
Genius Game starts Wednesday, April 30 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
