Child Genius 2016: the competition searching for Britain’s cleverest children returns to Channel 4

The super-intelligent quiz contest is back with new host Richard Osman
Brainbox: will Mog be crowned Child Genius 2016 as the competition returns?
Channel 4 / Stephen Wells
Ben Travis13 July 2016

Get ready to feel epically unintelligent all over again as Child Genius returns for a brand new series.

The fascinating and funny Channel 4 documentary series follows a series of children who have made it into the last 16 places of a competition to find Britain’s cleverest youngster.

The kids, aged between 8 and 12, are able to answer questions that would feel at home in the latter stages of University Challenge.

As well as giving an insight into the competition itself, the series meets the kids who have found themselves in the running, asking how they got to where they are.

In the first episode we meet Mog, who has a love of sheep and is teaching himself numerous languages in his spare time. He entered the competition of his own accord, and is confident, ambitious, and independent.

“I want to prove that you don’t need to have pushy parents or be pushed to win a competition,” he explains matter-of-factly.

Then there’s 11 year-old Christopher, whose dad wants him to “nail it” in the contest, and Maximilien, whose mum entered him into the running.

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This time there’s a new presenter, Pointless host Richard Osman.

“These kids are deeply impressive, I have to say,” he says. “They’re not kids who have been trained or schooled or tutored or pushed. They’re kids who like learning stuff.

“I recognise that – I was one of them. I just liked learning stuff, it interested me. And you can see these kids are engaged with the world. They want to know stuff.”

As ever, it’s an inspiring and entertaining watch – though you might feel a bit sorry for some of the competitors who seem less enthusiastic than their parents.

Channel 4, 8pm

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