It's Academic
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It's Academic is a televised academic quiz competition for high school students, currently airing on two NBC affiliates in Washington, DC (WRC-TV), Charlottesville, Virginia (WVIR), and one CBS affiliate Baltimore, Maryland (WJZ). The show has been on the air since 1961, making it the longest continuously running game show ever. The show was created by Sophie Altman, who still produces the shows in Washington. Mac McGarry has hosted the Washington shows since the beginning. The Baltimore show is currently hosted by David Zahren. The show features three local high school teams of three players each competing for scholarship money. Over the years Giant Food has been the sponsor, over $2,000,000 has been given out for school scholarship funds.
The single elimination tournament features 81 schools. The winners in each region (Baltimore, D.C. Metro and Virginia) go on to battle each other in the "Super Bowl." The record-high score of 935 is held by Centennial High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, achieved in 2000.
It's Academic also aired in Chicago during the late 1960s on WMAQ-TV and was hosted by Ed Grennan. KCBS-TV in Los Angeles aired a similar show titled "KidQuiz" during the mid 1980's and into early 1990's, hosted by longtime weathercaster Maclovio Perez. The show has been running as Academic Challenge on WEWS in Cleveland since the 1960's.
Contents |
[edit] Format
Each contest is composed of 5 rounds:
[edit] Round 1
Toss-up questions, the amount of questions varies with the speed of the players.
[edit] Round 2
The teams introduce themselves. Each team is asked 8 questions for 10 points each.
[edit] Round 3
Toss-up visual round. The monitor displays an image and the host provides a question accompanying the image. 10 points for each correct answer, 10 off for each incorrect answer. 8-10 questions depending on time
[edit] Round 4
The captain of each team introduces the sponsors and administrators. 8 questions are given to each team. A 25 point bonus is given if all 8 are correct.
[edit] Round 5
Toss-up questions. 20 points are given for correct answers, and 20 points are taken off for incorrect answers. Visual questions are 30 points for correct answers and 30 points off for incorrect answers. The number of questions varies.
[edit] End
The show ends when Mac yells his signature phrase to the audience: "Come on down!". The audience then rushes down the stands and approaches the contestants.
[edit] Spin-offs
Many teams participating in It's Academic are also active in the Washington region's quiz bowl circuit.
The show is aired in western Pennsylvania as Hometown High-Q.
An Australian version of the show aired on Network Ten and the Seven Network from 1968-1975, and was revived by Seven's Perth affiliate in 2001. Seven took the show national in 2005.
A similar format airs in the United Kingdom as University Challenge. It first aired on ITV from 1962-1987 with Bamber Gascoigne, then was re-launched on BBC 1 in 1996 with Jeremy Paxman.
WNBC-TV in New York aired a local edition of It's Academic from the mid-1960s through about 1971, hosted most of the time by Art James, with Lee Leonard filling in for a year.
WNBQ in Chicago had a version in the 1960s and 1970s under the "It's Academic" name, hosted by Ed Grennan.
WLWT and WCET in Cincinnati aired a local "It's Academic" from the late 1960s into the 1980s.
A similar competition aired in Columbus, Ohio under the title "In The Know". It began in 1966 on WBNS television and later moved to WOSU, a PBS affiliate, where it still airs today.
A version of It's Academic aired on WBEN-TV in Buffalo in the 1960s and 1970s, hosted by sportscaster Van Miller.
A show using the It's Academic name aired in Richmond, Virginia in the 1970s, but that has been replaced by Battle of the Brains. Battle of the Brains has also replaced a version of It's Academic that aired in Hampton Roads.
The World Affairs Council, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, began hosting an annual It's Academic International event in 2002 whose aim is to promote interest in international affairs and events, also hosted by Mac McGarry.
In 2007, the game Brainstorm was introduced to Arizona. It featured 21 teams for its inaugural season.
[edit] Notable contestants
Notable figures who have competed on It's Academic include:
- Michael Chabon, author and Pulitzer Prize winner
- Max Chang, vice president of the Science Olympiad Foundation
- Bruce Cohen, producer of American Beauty and Big Fish
- Michael Edelstein, fertility specialist
- Joshua Foer, writer
- Donald Graham, chairman and chief executive officer of The Washington Post Company
- Angus King, former governor of Maine
- Laura Lippman, author
- Charles Schumer, U.S. senator from New York
- George Stephanopoulos, political commentator
Sandra Bullock appeared on the show as a cheerleader.
[edit] Champions
(Note: bold denotes Super Bowl Champions)
