'Our Little Genius' Becomes FOX's Big Debacle

By Marc Schneider Posted Jan 8th 2010 10:26AM

In a shocking move, FOX has yanked the premiere of 'Our Little Genius,' a quiz show that was set to premiere next week after the premiere of 'American Idol,' because it was discovered some contestants were provided "information" ahead of time.

In a statement to the media, Mark Burnett, the show's creator and executive producer, said he asked the network to pull the episodes -- eight total -- because he is "not comfortable" with the end product.

Burnett said: "I recently discovered that there was an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants during the preproduction of 'Our Little Genius.' As a result, I am not comfortable delivering the episodes without reshooting them. I believe my series must always be beyond reproach, so I have requested that Fox not air these episodes."

It's believed "information" does not refer to actual answers being given to contestants of the show, which revolves around asking smart kids aged 6-12 brain-crunching questions with the chance to win thousands of dollars.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Burnett's production company will pay for reshooting the series and has agreed to pay out all the winnings of contestants in the never-to-be aired episodes. It's unclear if the same contestants will be used.

FOX respects the decision and provided a show of confidence that it will be back when Burnett gets things in order.

"Even though we were incredibly pleased with the quality of 'Our Little Genius,' we respect and appreciate his due diligence and the decision to pull these episodes," the network said in a statement. "We agree there can be no question about the integrity of our shows."

Still, losing out on premiering after highly rated 'American Idol' must surely sting for Burnett. If so, he hasn't commented.

A new premiere date has not been scheduled. Instead of premiering a new show after the 'Idol,' Fox will instead air a repeat of the 450th episode of 'The Simpsons.'

Burnett has quite the track record for creating hit shows, including 'The Apprentice' and 'Survivor,' but he has had his bumps in the road, most notably with projects involving children. In 2004, he convinced CBS to pick up 'Recovery,' a six-episode reality documentary that starred former CIA and military officials searching for kidnapped children and their abductors.

Child Welfare groups were critical of the idea, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Child Quest International, which accused Burnett of trying to exploit already exploited children. "The idea for ['Recovery'] sickens me," Quest's Lindsey Brooks said at the time. It appears 'Recovery' never aired.

His current hit 'Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?' weathered a very minor dust-up in 2007 with a classified ad posting for the show that asked for "attractive" kids to audition.

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Tags: mark burnett, our little genius

Comments

(116)

Sunday 10 January

By shilbob

Vote down Vote up Report this

i just love all of the people who are saying that fox is scripted, fox is evil. Sooooo everything on every other channel is honest and on the up and up??????
Fox is the only news station that tells both sides epople. Wake up!!! As far a Burnett, he makes great shows. All top tated. so, this one wasn't up to his standards and he is losing big bucks to redo it. How can you criticize that?
GO watch Nancy Grace repeat 4 week old news over and over.......

By Dave

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I'd rather endure a root canal than watch two minutes of Nancy Grace-less rehash more Michael Jackson crap or the "latest" on Tiger Woods.

By kramerdad1

oh you libs, you can't wait to take a shot at fox, how about your LYING president? 8 times he promised to have open and televised proceedings for the health care debate, iisn't that more important then some stupid tv show? it shows how full of hate you libs really are, you can all KMA!!!

By Karen L. McFillen

I hate the whole premise of this show. Kids vs. adults is NEVER a good mix and not, in my mind, entertaining.

By { it not easy}

To ninyo, you are referring to: Mr Barack Obama, Now, WHAT?,THE president of the UNITED STATES,HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS ABOVE SUBJECT? BY THE WAY, YOU ARE CONFIUSING THE PRESIDENT, WITH HARRY POTTER,cAN SOME PEOPLE GET ALONE? AND BY THE WAY IT IS ONLY A SHOW.

By spoonbill1498064

Does anyone want to see these spoiled, arrogant brats?

By Mike

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

TV is geared for the ignorant, uneducated, and people of low intelligence. That's why they call it the boob tube. Unfortunately too many people enjoy it, just like too many people enjoy smoking, drinking, and eating sugar. Their definition of nirvana goes something like this take a swig of beer a bite of donut and a puff of Marlborough while watching favorite TV show. Ahhhh does it get any better than this.

By Junieb

Has anybody noticed that the kids on the "original" Are You Smarter Then A Fifth Grader" had an earpiece in???? I always thought they were feeding those kids some of the answers.

By Paul

Looks like "Our Little Genius" turned out to be "Our Little Sneak".

By Ben Trovato

It's like "reality politics." Everyone knows that all politicians are crooked to a degree. Just how crooked we'll never know until or unless they get caught. We know that more of the Senators are more crooked than the Congressional Representatives because more of them are lawyers - 56%, to be exact to only 44%.

Another thing to remember: Don't try to buck the system, you'll lose. Just ask Jim Traficant,ex-Rep. Hansen, et. al.

By Rick

I wonder why that spew has had theb top rated news show for 11 years straight ??

By Sophie

Mark Burnett is part of the problem as far as all of this reality garbage on television. I wish all reality television would be "yanked" off the air never to return.

I think we take FOX off the air good. Too many dishonest dealings

By LUCKY

CAN'T THEY FIND ANYTHING ELSE TO WRITE ABOUT, THEY HAVE TO EXPOSE CHILDREN TO THEIR IDIOTIC REALITY SHOWS."ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER" IS A FUN SHOW ,BUT HARMLESS. EXPLOTING CHILDREN TO MAKE MONEY CLAIMING THEIR A GENIUS WHEN THEIR YOUR AVERAGE A STUDENT THAT CAN ACT! THEN EXPOSED ON "OPRAH"

By amtbrown

Don't even get me started on Oprah...she is the queen of exploitation to make herself look like Mother Theresa. She insinuated and then shoved her presence into the Obama campaign, hoping her huge influence (which totally turns me off) would turn her audience to Obama on voting day. I think she believed that he would give her a cabinet post or abassadorship...instead she doesn't pass up an opportunity to reference her close personal friendship with the "First Couple", which makes me dislike her even more. She is sanctimonious, and pompous. She may be "generous" but never without making sure everyone knows about it. She remians totally out of touch with true reality now, as does our president and his fashionista wife. (screw her little garden) -One of her outfits could pay my mortgage after losing my job! Oh, and the trips to NY, Hawaii, Marthas Vinyard, etc. (nobody begrudges an employed person a vacation), but regardless of whether they pay for it, we still pay astroniical amounts of money flying AF1, the Secret Service detail needed, and other necessary govermental arrangements to serve and protect the first family while they vacation all over the place. And the Olympics bid for CHICAGO was beyond a joke of favoritism - Michelle, Barak, Oprah and and slew of others, so cozy, so much money down the toilette for another BO pet project and embarassment. Nobel Peace Price, yet another aspirational joke. These are the "stimulus" initiativs, this is how "his highness and mrs. fashion plate" are spending your/my money. Sounds good to ya libs, huh? This what you had in mind? There's more, much worse, but you won't care. Oh, and by the way he's white (or just as much as he is black), so perhaps I don't understand, if he is half white and half black, why is he BLACK, renouncing the only family memeber that actually had a part in raising him after the age of 7 or so (his WHITE grandmother)- he's actually a dark-skinned white man...that doesn't work for the liberal agenda though does it?

By Barbara

Just from the previews I saw, these kids looked forced to grow up well before their time. Smart as they are, they will go the route of many child stars. Using kids to get rich is bad in any form.

By tommy2tounges

The white boy was loosing so it got pulled period.

By nickiethenose

the white kid was not going to win so it got fixed

By stevebakerguitar

Fox got a lot of heat for tring to air a show with kid genius from the child welfare groups & child quest int. the pressure from the far left in the unions. they dont want smart kids to make there dumd down american public school system kids feel bad and have to defend them self's..... it might start conflict.
the progressives at work ?????