SBS looks for Australia’s smartest kid

Lingo Pictures’ On the Ropes

Australian pubcaster SBS has commissioned a factual series that will look for Australia’s brightest child and a two-part documentary that will strive to break down the stigma around mental health.

At its mid-year showcase, the broadcaster also announced a travel series hosted by actor Ernie Dingo and the acquisitions of UK miniseries Butterfly and Dutch drama The Day.

Dr Susan Carland will host Child Genius, a six-part series from Warner Bros International Television Production Australia. Based on the UK show that airs on Channel 4, the series aims to find Australia’s brightest child in a competition documentary format.

Adapted from a BBC Horizon special, Blackfella Films’ How ‘Mad’ Are You? will follow a diverse group of 10 Australians who spend a week together; five have a history of mental illness and five do not. The group will take part in a series of specially designed tests and experiments while three medical experts work out who has been diagnosed with a mental illness and who hasn’t.

Produced by Indigenous network NITV, Going Places with Ernie Dingo will see the Indigenous actor visit some of Australia’s most spectacular locations while paying tribute to the traditional land owners and others who make these destinations great places to see.

The line-up includes CJZ’s previously announced Go Back to Where You Came From Live, which will examine the global refugee crisis, screening over three consecutive nights; and Lingo Pictures’ four-part drama On the Ropes (formerly The Ropes).

SBS has also bought Red Production Company’s Butterfly from FremantleMedia International, while The Day will screen exclusively on SBS On Demand.

Marshall Heald, SBS director of TV and online content, said: “The new slate of programmes tackles a broad range of contemporary issues including mental illness, the ongoing refugee crisis, cultural and gender diversity in sport and the modern migrant experience. We also have some of the best in-language dramas from across the world, entertaining documentaries and food programmes, and new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content.”