FOX Postpones New Burnett Game Show

BURBANK: FOX is postponing the premiere of Mark Burnett’s new quiz show Our Little Genius after the producer raised concerns about the integrity of the episodes that have already been shot.

The new show was due to premiere on January 13 following American Idol, featuring child contestants answering questions for a cash prize. Burnett issued a statement noting:“I recently discovered that there was an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants during the pre-production of Our Little Genius. As a result, I am not comfortable delivering the episodes without re-shooting them. I believe my series must always be beyond reproach, so I have requested that FOX not air these episodes.”

FOX stated: “Mark Burnett is one of the pre-eminent producers of unscripted programming on television. Even though we were incredibly pleased with the quality of Our Little Genius, we respect and appreciate his due diligence and the decision to pull these episodes. We agree there can be no question about the integrity of our shows. While these episodes will not air, the families who participated in the show will receive their winnings, and we are grateful for their participation.”

In place of the January 13 premiere, the network will present an extended episode of American Idol, followed by encore of the 450th episode of The Simpsons. The following week, the 9 p.m. slot after Idol will be filled an encore of the pilot episode of the new action-drama series Human Target. No further scheduling information has been provided for Burnett’s new show.