David Tennant in fresh blow as ITV game show at risk of axe following humiliating ratings: ‘A disaster!’
David Tennant has been dealt a fresh blow over his new ITV show, which has been described as “a disaster” for the channel.
The actor and presenter, 54, hosted Genius Game, which is understood to have cost £2.5million to make, but the show attracted fewer viewers than a BBC documentary about pangolins.
Despite the huge investment in the game show, it received an average viewership of 661,000, MailOnline reports.
On the show’s future, a source explained: “Publicly, ITV maintains that no firm decision has been taken, but most execs and commissioners view it as a disaster.
“Not only did it occupy a primetime 9pm slot, it had a big-name host and was seen as a potential rival for BBC’s The Traitors.”
Speaking to The Sun, they added: “But of the five main channels on June 11, it was beaten by two and equalled by BBC2, thanks to those pangolins.”
An IMDB synopsis of the quiz show read: “11 strategically minded players participate in a host of never-before-seen games designed to test their intellect.”
When it first aired in April, the show is understood to have drawn in 1.5million viewers, but by the second episode, ratings plummeted.
Other primetime shows airing at the time included BBC’s Race Across the World, which saw 4.2million viewers tuning in.
Genius Game’s scheduling also faced a shakeup, with the show originally intended to hit screens on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
However, this was soon changed to broadcast only on Wednesdays, with Jeremy Clarkson’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? celebrity special episodes moved to the Thursday slot for two weeks in May.
The fresh blow to the game show comes after viewers who did tune into the series slated the format.
In May, many viewers took to social media to blast Genius Game, with one writing on X: “David Tennant doesn’t even show up and speak face to face with the contestants. Never seen such a pile of rubbish. #GeniusGame.”
A second echoed: “I thought that was a load of c**p. They said it would be the next traitors, well don’t panic Claudia your job is safe #GeniusGame.”
Another asked: “How can anybody enjoy this programme if nobody understands how it works?
“The instructions are completely confusing with no recap whatsoever! It’s like a cheap knock off of The Traitors! Another poor programme from ITV! #GeniusGame.”
However, there was some support for the series, with one sharing: “I loved #GeniusGame on ITV, though I understand why many others haven’t, a lot of the show required a lot of explaining and a lot of thought.
“Definitely not one to just have on in the background. Tennent was a great host, but I wonder why they kept him in his broom cupboard?” (sic)
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
EastEnders star shares reason she refused to stop filming scenes after cancer diagnosis: ‘I need to’Gino D’Acampo sparks outrage with ‘disturbing’ cooking video as fans vow to ‘unfollow’ chefKelsey Parker issues heartbreaking request to fans as she shares update following tragic stillbirth
BBC’s The Traitors, on the other hand, has become one of the most-watched recent programmes, with the latest series having been viewed by more than 10 million viewers to date.
The Claudia Winkleman series has been renewed not only for a fourth series, but a celebrity special edition too.
GB News has contacted ITV for a comment on the reports.