John Cena Hosting ‘Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader’ Reboot For Nickelodeon
Rebooting game shows seems to be the latest television craze. With Howie Mandel’s Deal or No Deal performing well for CNBC after an eight-year TV absence, and Snoop Dogg’s modernized version of the classic Joker’s Wild — which originated in the early 1970s — currently airing its second successful season on TBS, Nickelodeon is bringing back another favorite competition series — Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader.
Charismatic WWE wrestler and actor John Cena will host and executive produce the new version of the game show for the family-friendly network, one which first debuted on Fox in 2007 and aired in syndication until 2011. The program, which also had a one-season revival on Fox in 2015, was hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy for its entire original run. Foxworthy recently signed on to be a judge on NBC’s upcoming talent competition series Bring the Funny.
The Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader reboot will follow the same format as the original version of the game show, in which adult contestants must correctly answer questions on topics such as English, science, and math taken directly from elementary school curriculum. This is the method of play to advance and potentially win the game. Contestants have several actual grade-school students as their “classmates,” students who can assist them at various times throughout the competition.
Furthermore, according to a press release from Nickelodeon published on the Futon Critic website, there will be a couple of new game elements. These include an additional “cheat” option, new ways to enlist the help of classmates, and a new “final exam” in which contestants must correctly answer a question from each grade in a race against the clock.
“I’m excited to partner again with Nickelodeon to host this new series, and I can’t wait to see kids defeat grownups who find themselves back in the classroom,” said 41-year-old Cena, who previously worked with the network when he hosted the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in both 2017 and 2018.
“Today’s kids and parents are laser-focused on their family time together, so we want to give them shows and series that appeal to every member of the household. We’re happy to go back to school with an amazing talent like John Cena and the MGM team for a brand-new version of this mega-hit game show,” added Brian Robbins, the president of Nickelodeon.
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader will begin filming in Los Angeles, California, this spring. It is slated to premiere in late 2019 on Nickelodeon.
