Truemors
Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor
Reality TV is looking for 5th Graders with all the answers, for my children it is a decade and a half too late.
My two daughters, ever since they learned to speak had all the answers, everything from why they should have that party dress to a car, while my son right to this day at 18 has all the answers as well.
What Reality TV should have is a Debating Reality Show for Teens, because I like most Parents have spent our entire parenting lives "Debating" with our children who have all the answers. Of course until our kids move out of the house and soon find out in life, their answers were totally wrong and the parents were totally right! "No Debating about it"
My Final Thought
They could call the show, Can You Debate a 5th Grader?
Now that is a show I would watch as most parents would too.
url="http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e0f31b2c-ac21-4f5e-b298-73dd9e1834e7&k=98219"]Almost 200 eager fifth graders armed with report cards, extraordinary wit and lots of charm lined up early Sunday morning hoping to become Vancouver's representative on the cast of Are You Smarter Than A Canadian Fifth Grader?
A lineup of the aspiring TV stars and their parents wrapped around Vancouver's Plaza 500 Hotel beginning at 5:30 a.m. They braved the morning rain and an hours-long wait to face the unlikely odds of being selected to join the kid-expert panel on Canada's version of the quiz show, which will air for five episodes in early fall.
Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?, which made its debut on U.S. television earlier this year, challenges adult contestants to compete against 10-year-olds by answering select questions from the elementary school curriculum.
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Kids wanting to take part in the Canadian version crammed in some last-minute brain exercises while they waited in line. Some played rounds of Nintendo Wii's Big Brain Academy before going on to write a quiz and participate in a simulation of the show for casting directors.
Ayla Buckberry, a 10-year-old from Westbank, was among the keen youngsters hoping to rely on their brains and charisma to dazzle the show's producers after taking the written quiz. Ayla, who described that test as "easy," was confident about her chances.
"I have high energy and I like school a lot and I get good grades," she said. Ayla, who had been in line since 6:30 a.m., said she was excited about the opportunity and only "a little" nervous about the audition. She said she decided to audition for the show after taking some of her mother's advice to heart.
"My mom always says 'life's an adventure and you have to make it happen,'"she said.
About 20 kids will receive callbacks before casting directors ultimately determine who will represent Vancouver on the show, said Aviva Frenkel, casting producer for the show.
"It's a hard decision, all the kids have been fantastic so far," said Frenkel. "But the diamonds in the rough will shine through."
Casting directors are searching for kids who demonstrate energy and enthusiasm, and are articulate and clever, said Frenkel. But the competitive atmosphere didn't stop Cloverdale's Nick Ouderkirk and Port Coquitlam's Niamh Mcdonnell from fostering a friendship while they were standing in line.
"We just met and we were exchanging e-mail addresses," Nick said.
The kid-casting tour began Aug. 20. It will visit five Canadian cities - Halifax, Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg are the other stops - and select five children who will fly to Toronto for the filming of Global TV's fall debut of the show, Frenkel said.
Casting for adult contestants hoping to match wits with the country's brightest 10-year-olds - and win up to $1 million - will be held in Toronto between Sept. 28 and Oct. 5. [/q]
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