The Genius Game: ITV 'set to axe' primetime game show after just one series amid poor viewing figures
ITV is reportedly set to axe a primetime game show after just one series following a major decline in viewers.
The Genius Game, hosted by actor David Tennant, premiered on ITV earlier this year and had been positioned by the broadcaster to rival huge BBC game show hit The Traitors.
Around 1.2 million people tuned in for the show’s first episode, but this viewership rapidly declined, with only 661,000 sticking around for the show’s finale. The finale was beaten in the ratings by BBC series Race Across The World, which drew in around 4.2 million viewers, Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts on Channel 5, which attracted more than 700,000 viewers. The Genius Game finale was matched in viewership with a BBC Two nature documentary titled Pangolins: The World’s Most Wanted Animal.
As a result, The Sun has now reported that ITV bosses are set to axe the show, which reportedly cost £2.5 million to make.
A source told the newspaper: “Publicly ITV maintains that no firm decision has been taken, but most execs and commissioners view it as a disaster.
“Not only did it occupy a primetime 9pm slot, it had a big-name host and was seen as a potential rival for BBC’s The Traitors. But of the five main channels on June 11, it was beaten by two and equalled by BBC2, thanks to those pangolins.”
ITV has said that “no decision” has been taken on the future of The Genius Games yet.
The series drew some frustration from some viewers who unable to follow along with the puzzles posed to the contestants. One frustrated viewer said: “I love quiz shows so much and was looking forward to this one. I tried but failed to understand any of the rules!”
Another added: “So complicated and difficult to understand that I turned it off after 15 minutes.”
However, the show appealed to some viewers, with fans begging ITV to recommission it for another series. One entertained viewer said: “Please ITV give this show a second series, one of the best reality competition shows out there.”
The Genius Game placed eleven boffins into the show, all competing to solve puzzles and riddles while forming and breaking alliances in order to win a cash prize. Poker player and comedian Ken Cheng won the first series, after defeating student Charlotte Yeung in the show’s finale.