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Fox's '5th Grader' gets high marks |
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Written by David Biancullim, MCT
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Tuesday, 06 March 2007 |
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When Fox launches a new series without providing any episodes for preview, it's usually because the network is hiding something — something awful.
But with last week's three-night premiere of its "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" quiz show, there was no reason to hide.
This "5th Grader" deserves a gold star. Actually, two: One for the clever concept and execution of this newest series from "Survivor" honcho Mark Burnett, and one for the equally clever way Fox has scheduled it.
The beauty of the show is its simplicity. Adult contestants come on, one at a time, and try to work their way though a series of 10 questions — two each from grades 1 through 5 in standard school textbooks. Getting through all 10 earns them $500,000, and a crack at answering a bonus $1 million question.
As with "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," the ABC show that revived the prime-time quiz show after decades of dormancy, there are three ways to get help with the answers. In "5th Grader," it's a benign form of cheating.
Five 10-year-olds sit on stage in a supportive mini-classroom, and take turns standing next to the contestant to provide their own answers to the questions. When stumped, the adult can peek at the child's answer, copy it, or — if the adult guesses wrong — be saved if the kid got it right.
Those academic lifelines can be used only once each, which means the adults must answer seven questions without help to reach the $1 million level.
Based on the first three very entertaining shows, it's amazing how difficult that looks.
Yet by having the children in supportive roles as the smarter heroes, "5th Grader" provides a perfect full-family TV series. Kids can watch it and learn, and at the same time laugh, along with the kids on television, when adults miss such questions as "How many states border the Pacific Ocean?" (Five, if you remember to count Alaska and Hawaii.)
Adults, meanwhile, can relearn.
And Jeff Foxworthy, about whom I've had nothing good to say for years, is casual, funny and charming here. Like Howie Mandel on "Deal or No Deal," he has found a brand-new career.
Already, "5th Grader," with its "Idol" lead-in, is a huge hit. Now it's settling into a 9 p.m. Thursday slot, just as the reigning powerhouses "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS and "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC are in reruns. By the time they come back, they may be surprised at how much of their audience has been whittled away. The show is going so well, Fox just ordered more editions, too.
Running "24" in January with no reruns was one brilliant Fox scheduling stroke. Holding "Idol" until January, and using it to raise all boats and launch new shows, was another great move. And, now, count the launch and positioning of "5th Grader" as master stroke No. 3.
Right when the show ends, the announcer on Fox says, "It's 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?"
Chances are, they'll be right next to you, laughing about what they've just seen on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"
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ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER?
9 p.m. Thursday
Fox
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David Bianculli:
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