CBC and Media Headquarters announced today that Electus International, the global distribution arm of Ben Silverman’s multimedia studio, Electus, will be the worldwide distributor for Canada's Smartest Person, a groundbreaking format and interactive television experience that redefines what it means to be smart.
"We're excited to be working with great partners to develop innovative formats like Canada's Smartest Person that resonate and engage viewers in a social television experience,” said Julie Bristow, CBC's Executive Director of Studio and Unscripted Programming. "We're thrilled Electus has added this to their slate of programming to bring this experience to viewers around the world."
“We are delighted to be joining forces with Electus to bring Canada’s Smartest Person to the global market,” said Robert Cohen, Creator and Executive Producer of Canada’s Smartest Person. “Canada’s Smartest Person is a format that transcends borders with a cutting edge definition of smarts. With so many great champions of this project we’re excited about where it’s going.”
Canada's Smartest Person (an original Media Headquarters production produced in association with CBC Television and Group M Entertainment and with the participation of the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund) is a prime time event that draws upon the latest research to show that there is more to being smart than having a high IQ, or being a whiz at math or trivia. Four top finalists, chosen through a nation-wide application process, undergo fun and spectacular challenges in each category of smarts. The person who proves they have the most versatile smarts in the country, with strengths across the board, earns the title of Canada’s Smartest Person. Whether it is navigating an “intelligence obstacle course” at breakneck speed, improvising a speech using random words, or deciphering a musical mystery, every kind of smarts will be challenged.
During the broadcast, viewers are able to go head to head with the finalists on their smart phone, tablet or home computer using an innovative and interactive app. The Canada’s Smartest Person app features challenges synchronized in real time. Viewers can put their own wits to the test, discover more about their personal smarts and see how they compare to family members, friends and the rest of the country. Viewers can prepare for the broadcast by taking a “How Are You Smart” Facebook test designed to identify primary and secondary intelligence strengths. Users can share their "intelligence identity" on social media platforms and invite others to take the test as well.
Canada's Smartest Person is Created and Executive Produced by Robert Cohen. The show is also Executive Produced by Shari Cohen.