Brain Eisteddfod isn’t like your regular quiz show, it celebrates the intelligence of youth and recognises the hours they spend learning about their chosen school topics.
“Other quiz shows are rubbish, they’re nonsense,” he joked. “You know, Hard Quiz has a bunch of freaks on that answer questions that no one knows anything about. I don’t know whether the answers are correct or not,” Shaun said.
“These year 11 students had to make decisions about what they’re going to do with their life, and they choose particular subjects to reflect that. We’re dealing with an interesting period where it’s absolutely essential they know the answers to various questions, otherwise, their life may be very different.”
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Studio tour on Studio 10
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Episode 1 has students Aiden, Jack, Jazlyn & Sophie from Prairiewood High School (top photo) competing against Jeremy, Anika, Max and Morgan from Barker College (bottom photo).
Both schools are in Sydney.
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Does anyone know when and where these episodes are recorded?
This is the kind of show that would have been broadcast after 3:30pm weekdays back in the 90s.
Shaun is great in this. But I think many people will hate it. They don’t get his absurdist humor. It’s also lacking some atmosphere they need a larger audience.
Shaun said in an interview they only had the crew, parents and some school chaperones so there’s not raucous applause and laughter.
Barker College is a large independent school in Hornsby on Sydney’s upper north shore and the other school is a public school from the west.
10s Pyrmont studios.
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Not sure why Ten decided to revive It’s Academic under another name. The straight laced 1970s version was a lot more watchable. ABC America’s Generation Gap would’ve had wider appeal and been a better prime time format to display Micallef’s humour.
He’s the only reason I’m watching it.
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It’s Academic is on 7Two.
Me too!
This could be a harsh reflection on the status of the Education System in this country/state.
Turns out that 18 high schools across Australia would fight it out over nine heats (episode 1-9). The heat winners would then be ranked based on their final scores, with the top two schools competing for the title in the grand final (episode 10).
It did remind me a bit of It’s Academic also.
Was not too bad of a first episode. Micallef’s “teasers” / questions into the ad breaks were funny. Show ran for 68 minutes. Could have been better at 60 minutes.
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Next week it will be Balwyn High School (a public school from Melbourne’s east) versus Emanuel School, an independent Jewish school located at Randwick in Sydney’s south east.
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It’s Time To Celebrate The Brain. Shaun Micallef’s Brain Eisteddfod.
Wednesday, 27 July At 7.30pm. On 10 And 10 Play.
Shaun Micallef is back for with another look at the intelligence of the next generation in episode two of Shaun Micallef’s Brain Eisteddfod on Wednesday, 27 July at 7.30pm on 10 and 10 Play.
The year eleven students of Balwyn High School in Melbourne and Sydney’s Emanuel School, will battle it out for their place in the grand final, and a position in TV quiz show history.
Brawn has been celebrated enough in this country, and now it’s high time we celebrate the brain.
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Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, Merewether High School, Prairiewood High School, Killarney Heights High School and Caringbah High School will all fly the flag for the state’s public education sector.
Watching the show tonight and found it rather enjoyable. But the set is so unevenly lit you’d be forgiven if they were broadcasting from the Harry Potter’s School of Wizards, and there is a lack of atmosphere in the studio with the small audience.
With the way it’s rating it probably should be on a Thursday night with minimal competition or be led in by a reality franchise like Hunted or Survivor.
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Emanuel School beat Balwyn High by just 10 points in last night’s episode.
Next week:
Brisbane’s Villanova College, armed with the mental equivalent of a net and trident, are in combat with shield-wielding Toorak College from Victoria in the gladiatorial arena that is Brain Eisteddfod.
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