Television is in a renaissance phase of game show television at the moment, and some of the medium's wackiest past game shows are coming back to get in on the action. Of course, this means Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader is getting a revival, although it's getting a new host and a new network. A revamped version of the program is headed to Nickelodeon, and it's tapped living WWE legend John Cena to host.
This version of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader will place children "squarely in the center of the action." Beyond that, one would presume the series still pits adults against grade school children, and asks questions a child of that age would know. John Cena will be an executive producer on the series alongside the original producers Mark Burnett and Barry Poznick. The series will premiere later this year.
This will be the second time Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader has been revived, as Fox brought back original host Jeff Foxworthy in 2015. Now it's back with John Cena, who may bring a different type of energy to the program than the Blue Collar Comedy Tour legend did during his tenure. Airing on Nickelodeon as opposed to Fox may also alter the vibe, although it's not as though the show was edgy or not family friendly before.
This is not John Cena's only collaboration with Nickelodeon as of late, as the actor currently does voice work for one of its animated shows. Cena's voice can be heard in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, where he plays Baron Draxum. Cena is still involved in the WWE part-time, and his film career is still active, so this is just another plate for him to juggle in his increasingly busy and impressive career.
Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader's revival is just one of the major moves on Nickelodeon's live-action programming slate, which includes an All That reboot, an unboxing show with famous Youtuber Ryan of Ryan ToysReview, and a competition called America's Most Musical Family. Of course, there's plenty happening in animation as well, including spinoff shows for Spongebob Squarepants. With all that on the horizon, it appears Nickelodeon may soon be just as entertaining for adults as it is kids!
As mentioned, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader is due out on Nickelodeon sometime before the end of the year. Stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest and greatest entertainment news worth reading up on, and be sure to head on over to our midseason premiere guide to see what shows are premiering or returning in the coming weeks.
None of those shows will probably help if you want to refresh your memory of what you learned back in fifth grade, but at least you can have fun while you wait to potentially be schooled by (or school) youngsters on the new version of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader.
