Child Genius 2016

I must catch up - I usually watch this with my jaw slightly dropped. Some of the parents are really quite cruel IMO.

My nephew was an extremely intelligent child, but not pushed at all by his parents. If he showed an interest in something they provided him with what he wanted to pursue it, but if he lost interest then they put all that stuff away.

They were summoned by the head teacher on his second day at primary school and were severely chastised because the teacher had found him READING to other children. They had no right to send a child to school already able to read and he would just have to learn again using the ITA system that was in place then! Didn't phase him at all - he coped with both systems as if it was the natural thing to do

The school wanted him to be moved to one which catered for "his type" of child. His parents refused on the grounds that he would lose out on a normal childhood and, in any case, he might slow up as he got older, which he did, but was still exceptionally bright. 5 A* at 'A' level.

Only thing was he didn't have an ounce of common sense until he was about 12.

He's a dentist now.

I hate this type of programme and the pushy parents. Obviously trying to live their own inadequate lives through their children.

I've caught up now.

First thoughts, what sort of a name is 'Mog'?

And Jack-Bob?

Most of the parents are GHASTLY. Poor Christopher.

Maximilien is delightful but how did he make it to the final 16 when he didn't get even one maths question right? Don't they get tested with an audience and cameras to make sure they can cope with the stress (or do the programme makers want one or two 'failures')?

I hate myself but shall be watching next week. (I'm gawping at the parents, not the children.)

I'm getting annoyed with this programme now.
Firstly they are showing just the answers for some questions, why not the questions as well?
Secondly,  I'd rather see more of the kids doing the actual questions, and less of their parents.

This is just a horrible, horrible programme. I'm not squeamish about 9 year olds being pitted against each other, and then blubbing their cold, black, hearts out when it goes wrong for them, but the execution and delivery of this is just horrible. I'm stunned that the RI got involved with this. I know they need the cash but, blimey, letting this crew through the door was desperate.

Was it explained why they have A4 laminated name "badges" hung around their necks? Give them gas masks they'll look like evacuees.

Some observations...

1. This was recorded quite some time ago. I know this because the oak paneled café, sometimes seen behind the atrium café where the pushy parents are pumping their kids up, hasn't been part of the RI's demise for some time.
2. Christopher's mother was clearly not comfortable with all of this. Christopher's father is an utter d**k.
3. "Language expert" Mog explained Mandarin brilliantly but, unfortunately, while he wrote "You are good" in English and pinyin, in the Hànzì, he wrote "You are (a) woman". Good on him for giving it a go but if he doesn't know where he is going wrong he'll never learn properly. Also learning "I am..." and "You are...", in Mandarin, are day one, lesson one, which keeps him some distance from being an expert. I'd always encourage learning but the narrated BS doesn't help.
4. These children are not geniuses. They are drilled. If they remember something they have drilled, they'll progress, otherwise they'll just go out in the corridor and cry.
5. That being said, Rhea (correct name?) has clearly learned and understands the structure and origin of language.
6. It's wrong, I know, but I really wanted to punch Stephen. I'm a bad, bad, person.