Returning: Child Genius

Season 2 of SBS reality contest Child Genius begins in November, again hosted by Dr. Susan Carland.

4 episodes of the Warner Bros showcases a diverse range of 8 -12 year olds tested on their general knowledge, in pursuit of a series title.

SBS Director of Television and Online Content, Marshall Heald, said: “We’re delighted to build on the success of the first season in highlighting what it’s like to be considered a gifted child in Australia today. It’s been fascinating seeing the different approaches to learning and life from the children and their parents. The competition can be dramatic and tense, but it also provides some really uplifting and funny moments. We’re excited to discover what this year’s children and families will bring and we’re proud to celebrate some more outstanding children in this unique celebration of cleverness.”

“I am so thrilled to be back for a new season of Child Genius Australia! There are even more surprising and staggering performances from the kids, including something I never thought I’d see any of the children do. And, as usual, I was just struggling to say the questions, let alone answer them,” said Dr. Susan Carland.

Overseen by Australian Mensa, and Quiz Master extraordinaire Dr Susan Carland, this 4-part documentary competition series brings together sixteen of Australia’s brightest kids from all over the country as they undergo a series of challenging quizzes that would stump even the smartest adults. These gifted children all showcase extraordinary cognitive abilities in maths, general knowledge, spelling, history, science and memory.

Child Genius Australia will capture the families at home as the children prepare to take on their intellectual competitors, and will shine a light on the highs and lows of being one of Australia’s most fascinating and brightest 8 -12 year olds.

For some of the participants, Child Genius Australia is also a rare opportunity to meet like-minded peers.

Amongst those competing are siblings, Sienna, aged ten and eight-year-old Zachary, who asked their mum if they could enter the competition. The pair live in Western Sydney with their four siblings. Can they survive the pressure of the opening day?

Twelve-year old Callum from Western Australia is extremely bright, with an IQ of 145, which is in the top quarter of one percent of the population. Callum immediately bonds with fellow competitor eleven-year-old Celia, who is also from Western Australia. Callum says the friendships are the most important aspect of the competition.

Twelve-year-old Karin was born in Egypt and now lives in Wagga in New South Wales. Karin loves to compete and is determined to do well “for the girls” in Child Genius Australia. Karin speaks Arabic and French and excels in pretty much anything she does, including tennis, swimming, flute and karate.

Mahesh, who is twelve-years-old, was entered into Child Genius Australia by his dad Ravee so that his giftedness can be measured on a national scale. Mahesh is a member of Mensa and wants to overcome the stereotype that all smart kids are nerdy.

Elsewhere, ten-year-old Harlan lives on the New South Wales Central Coast. He lives with autism and knows that it may have contributed to his high functioning skills. His mum Melissa says Harlan has worked hard on his social skills and now has lots of “bright” friends.

From the naturally gifted to the highly competitive, these are just some of the impressive children who take part in an edge-of-your-seat competition that runs over four days, with an episode covering each day. Every day, the children take part in two rounds and are tested on subjects including science, maths, spelling, history and memory. At the end of every day, the lowest scoring competitors leave the competition, with the top five taking part in a Grand Final on Day Four to discover… who will be crowned Child Genius Australia 2019?

Child Genius Australia seasons one and two will also be subtitled in Simplified Chinese and will be added to the subtitled collection on SBS On Demand, available immediately following its premiere on SBS. Early this year, SBS launched the Chinese and Arabic collections featuring a range of diverse dramas, documentaries and current affairs programs to enable growing multicultural communities to engage with local and international stories in their first language.

Wednesday, 20 November at 8.30pm on SBS.