Dara O Briain is to present a new BBC game show. The Family Brain Games follows eight families from all walks of life as they come together in a specially designed ‘games lab’ to compete in the ultimate test of intelligence.
Each episode will see two families go head-to-head in a series of games, designed with the help of leading cognitive neuroscientist Dr Adam Hampshire from Imperial College London, to test mental ability. Going beyond traditional ideas about how to measure brain power, such as IQ, the families will also be put through their paces in a range of more surprising areas including communication, technology and strategy now seen by experts as critical components of 21st Century intelligence.
After four heats, three semi-finals and a grand final, just one family will emerge victorious. But as each family will be judged as a whole, individual brilliance will not be enough in The Family Brain Games, as the teams will have to work together as a high-performing team to succeed.
As these families tackle each demanding challenge, documentary cameras will follow them behind-the-scenes, helping us to understand what makes these relationships tick by exploring their family dynamics and their response to the pressure of intense competition.
Neuroscientist Dr Hannah Critchlow will help Dara use their experiences to unpack the latest research in the fascinating science of intelligence.
Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two, says: “We’re excited about bringing the UK’s most brilliant families together and celebrating their incredible brainpower. Mixing documentary sensibility with the entertaining world of family competition, all hosted by the excellent and scarily smart Dara O Briain promises to be an thoroughly enjoyable watch.
Simon Dickson, Creative Director of Label1, says: “We are absolutely delighted to be making this big-scale popular format for the BBC. The Family Brain Games’ hybrid of tense competition and inquisitive documentary feels like it has the potential to take us into an exciting new world of storytelling.”
The Family Brain Games was commissioned by Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two and David Brindley, Head of Popular Factual and Factual Entertainment. The Commissioning Editors are Clare Mottershead and Ricky Cooper. It is made by Label1, the Executive Producers are Simon Dickson and Lorraine Charker-Phillips.
The Family Brain Games, weekdays from June 17, 8pm, BBC Two.
Dara O Briain is on The One Show on June 12.
