Genius Game will see David Tennant guide 11 players with exceptional abilities through a series of mind-bending rounds. But - there is a twist - becasue while contestants need to work together to be successful in the game, only one can ultimately win.
Adapted from the South Korean format of the original show, the series, which promises to have viewers on the edge of their seats, has already been described as "the ultimate TV challenge" that will bring together some of the country's finest minds.
Here is everything you need to know about your next TV addiction, Genius Game...
Genuis Game release date
Genuis Game will start on ITV1 and ITVX on Wednesday, April 30 at 9pm. The following episode will air at the same time on Thursday, May 1.
The show will then air on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 9pm. You will be able to catch up on any missed episodes on ITVX.
Genuis Game host
David Tennant will be The Creator, guiding players as they attempt to navigate each uniquely crafted challenge.
You will know David from shows like Broadchurch, Good Omens, Doctor Who, Litvinenko and Rivals.
At the time of Tennant's casting announcement, Katie Rawcliffe, head of entertainment at ITV, said: "This exciting reality format is designed to keep not just the players but the audience on the edge of their seats, with each episode containing compelling gameplay and thrilling twists.
"David Tennant is the perfect ringmaster to preside over this battle of brainpower, teamwork and deception. We’re delighted to be bringing Genius Game to the ITV audience."
Genuis Game premise
Genius Game will see strategically minded players, chosen not just for their high intellectual prowess but also their social IQ, face the ultimate battle of survival.
To win, contestants will participate in a host of never-before-seen games all designed to not only test their intellectual acumen but encourage them to carefully and creatively use the art of manipulation to outfox their opponents and win a cash prize.
Genius Game contestants
Name: Alison ‘The Author’
Age: 57
Occupation: Crime Writer
Region: East of England (near Cambridge)
Alison says: "I love tackling things in my head all of the time. I make puzzles in my daily life. From counting ceiling tiles in a waiting room, to how many people walk past a door per minute. I could even be counting two things at the same time. My brain is always ticking."
Name: Amanfi ‘The Coach’
Age: 23
Occupation: Business Graduate
Region: South London
Amanfi says: "I can read people but I was in a room with other geniuses. Sometimes I may have mistaken what people were thinking. All of them were really nice, charismatic people but I was surprised by the majority of people in the game - sometimes for the best but sometimes for the worst!"
Name: Bhasha ‘The Doctor’
Age: 28
Occupation: Doctor (GP)
Region: North London (originally from the Midlands)
Bhasha says: "I’d just finished an intense exam as part of my GP training. I’d found out I’d passed and I was feeling quite lucky I guess, so I applied for Genius Game. I thought if I could pass this exam, that was really going to be difficult, I could do anything."
Name: Ben ‘The Professor’
Age: 36
Occupation: Associate Professor, University of Sussex
Region: Brighton
Ben says: "If I get eliminated early not only does it end this dream, I also felt it would call my competence and my professional standing into question. I'm an associate professor who teaches negotiations and I worried, ‘What if I fail in spectacular fashion?’ I just felt I had so much more to lose than anyone else. I think that luck plays a huge role in these things, there's only so much you can control."
Name: Charlotte ‘The Chemist’
Age: 23
Occupation: PHD student
Region: London
Charlotte says: "You have to interpret how your opponents are, what they’re thinking, what their understanding of the game is, and then how you can use that against them!"
Name: India ‘The Student’
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Region: Salisbury
India says: "You want to come across as a strong contestant. You don’t want people to perceive you as weak and guess that you might not be so confident. I tried to push this false sense of confidence. As a poker player, even though I play for low stakes and for fun, I wanted to be vague about it and hope that people thought my poker skills were more advanced than they are! "
Name: Ken ‘The Comedian’
Age: 35
Occupation: Comedian and Poker Player
Region: London
Ken says: "When playing the game, the main thing is to prioritise your mental energy, prioritise staying calm and not over exerting yourself. It's a survival game, you have to survive and that includes being on top form."
Name: Bodalia ‘The DJ’
Age: 29
Occupation: DJ and Doctor
Region: Birmingham
Bodalia says: "My goal is to get on everyone's side and have people on my side to get intel, tips, strategy, and gain trust so they take me on the journey with them. But you can’t predict interpersonal relationships in anything because you can’t trust anyone! "
Name: Paul ‘The Businessman’
Age: 58
Occupation: Retired Global Sales Director
Region: Newcastle
Paul says: "I realised quite quickly that it wasn’t just playing a game, but that it was also very important to be able to build alliances and be prepared to break them when necessary. I also realised that there were going to be some super smart people playing. Not necessarily smarter than me but almost certainly sharper!"
Name: Rebecca 'Bex' ‘The Entrepreneur’
Age: 37
Occupation: Managing Director for own business
Region: Hunderfield
Bex says: "I relied on underestimation. I wanted the other contestants to not think of me as too much of a threat. I worked out who I thought was the cleverest and became their bestie, and aimed to play the game from a personal level. I think that’s what the Genius Game wanted to portray, what makes a genius? Is it someone who is academically clever or who can use their skills at reading people and manipulation to their advantage?"
Name: Scott ‘The Scientist’
Age: 30
Occupation: Forensic Scientist
Region: Currently living in Tanworth, originally from Coatbridge in Scotland
Scott says: "My game plan was to focus on controlling the game, controlling the strategy, controlling the narrative whilst being aware of the massive target I was putting on my back."
Genius Game episodes
Episode 1 - Wednesday, April 30
In the opening episode, the players take on Gold Heist, a group game and their first Main Match, as one set works out a strategy to become the player with the most wealth, while a lone contender finds themselves vulnerable and penniless. Who will be going home?
Episode 2 - Thursday, May 1
With the first person having been eliminated, only 10 players return for the Main Match of Zombie Game. The contestants who are designated zombies have to turn the ones who are humans into zombies, while their opponent must avoid being turned. Who will navigate their way through the apocalypse and be triumphant, and who will be sent home in the Death Match?
Episode 3 - Wednesday, May 7
Having said goodbye to another player, nine return for their third Main Match and compete to try to crack a 10-letter code word in Codebreakers. One player becomes the Undercover Agent and it's their job to protect the word and stop the other players from working it out.
Episode 4 - Thursday, May 8
The competition continues with Lights Off as players desperately try to avoid the Black Block in order to stay out of the Death Match, but tensions rise and tempers flare as players deceive to survive. When the Death Match then takes a surprising turn, which player's time will be up?
As we get more episode information we will add it to this guide.
Genuis Game trailer
The trailer gives us an exciting insight into how Genius Game works and the nail-biting drama to come as everyone battles it out for that coveted cash prize.
Behind the scenes and more on Genius Game
Genius Game is commissioned by Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment & Daytime ITV and Joe Mace, Entertainment Commissioning Editor, ITV.
Tamara Gilder is Executive Producer for Remarkable Entertainment (a Banijay UK Company) alongside Kelly Lynn and Anna Kidd. Remarkable Entertainment is run by Joint MDs Tamara Gilder and Cat Lawson.
Genius Game is represented by Banijay across eleven international markets, including the UK, Germany, Iberia, Mexico, Brazil, Israel and the Nordics and was originally created by leading entertainment company CJ ENM, which is known for creating hit formats that travel globally.
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