Episode 101

The premiere episode of Season 1 of *Canada's Smartest Person*, **Let the Challenges Begin**, aired on CBC at 8:00 PM on Sunday, September 28, 2014.

## Contestants

 **Kiel Lemmen** | 31
 **Tova Sherman** | 52
 **Albert Tam** | 25

## Synopsis

The episode opened with Jessi Cruickshank narrating that thousands of Canadians applied to be on the show and that 32 of these applicants qualified for the show and will be competing for the title of Canada's Smartest Person. After the intro, Jessi introduced herself and explained to the viewers the theme and the format of the show. She then introduced her co-host, Jeff Douglas, who went on to introduce the Canada's Smartest Person app. After this, a video was shown which began with Jeff asking Canadians if they believe that they are smart and what makes them smart. It continued with Jeff explaining the Theory of Multiple Intelligences and how it differed from the original intelligence theory that conventional IQ tests are based off of. Also in the video, Dr. Adrian Owen, a neuroscientist from the University of Western Ontario, stated that he found it odd that people think that intelligence could be reduced to a single factor and that scans show that there is no single factor that accounts for everybody's performance. He was followed by Dr. Karyn Gordon, a careers intelligence expert, who stated that Dr. Howard Gardner's theory supports that every human has their own unique profile and that, in turn, everyone has differing levels of different intelligences that are independent from one another. As Karyn stated this, Jeff is shown presenting four different challenges to different people. The first consists of moving three Xs from the right side of a row to the left side of the row and moving three Os from the left side of the row to the right side of the row, with the only three rules being that the Xs and Os can only hop over their opposites, that they can only hop over one of their opposites at a time, and that they must land on a vacant space. The second consists of forming as many words that contain an O as one can using F, F, L, O, O, O, O, P, and R. The third, which Jeff considered a two-dimensional Rubik's Cube, consists of placing nine tiles on empty squares whilst ensuring that the colours of one tile are adjacent to the corresponding colours of other tiles. The fourth is a variation of the Spaced Out challenge. Jeff then narrated that the Theory of Multiple Intelligences has revolutionized education before Dr. James Parker, a Psychology professor at Trent University, stated that he is amazed at how the administrations at different school want to incorporate the Theory of Multiple Intelligences into their curriculum. Jeff then summarized the theory by stating that it is not about how smart people are, but about how they are smart. He demonstrated this by stating that he hopes that his taxi driver has the logical intelligence required to get him to the airport on time and the visual intelligence required to plot a decent route, but also adding that he could work on his social intelligence since he honked at Jeff. After the video ended, Jessi concluded that the definition of "smart" is changing since great chefs, choreographers, and mechanics all require high levels of intelligence like doctors and scientists, but that the areas of intelligence are different. She then stated that as the show counts down to the main competition, the six different intelligences would be explored through a closer look at the lives of certain Canadians. The first of these intelligences that was explored was musical intelligence. In the corresponding video, Jeff explained that people with strong musical intelligence think in sounds and are sensitive to rhythm, pitch, metre, tone, and melody as he knocked on the door of Ryan Wang, a child piano prodigy, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Ryan revealed that he is six years old and has been playing the piano since he was two-and-a-half years old. Ryan introduced himself and stated that he became interested in the piano after hearing the sounds of it. Karyn narrated that Ryan is a great example of someone with high musical intelligence since he loves playing the piano even though he doesn't exactly understand why. Then, Jeff tested Ryan's ability to compose by presenting him a challenge in which he had to play whatever came to his head after being shown a photo. He played a mellow tune in do major after being shown a picture of a mountain range by a body of water. He then played an upbeat tune in do major after being shown a picture of a spider. Finally, he played another upbeat tune in do major, which included a few glissandi, after being shown a picture of himself in a karategi. After the video ended, Jessi said that Ryan is adorable and unbelievable before stating that the show was going into a commercial break.

With 32 minutes and 12 seconds remaining before the main competition would begin, Jessi restated that only a fraction of the thousands of applicants made the cut and added that the selection process included interviews, online tests, and special multiple intelligences assessments. The second of the six intelligences that was explored was physical intelligence. In the corresponding video, Jeff explained that people with strong physical intelligence learn and process information through the body using muscle, sensation, and movement before stating that Toronto native Richelle Simpson, a Cirque du Soleil performer, arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada, in order to perform with the company due to her skills as an acrobat. Richelle stated to Jeff that many acrobats have a background in gymnastics, acro-sport, or tumbling in their youth because it is during that time that their technique is formed. Hina Kahn, an expert on the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, narrated that people with strong physical intelligence have a natural ability in athletic areas since their brains have a heightened awareness as to how their body moves and reacts. Richelle then explained and demonstrated to Jeff how she determines the correct timing to perform a flip in conjunction to the bungee ropes. James narrated that people with strong physical intelligence can train their bodies quickly and efficiently due in part to their good hand-eye coordination and Jeff narrated that people like Richelle make what they do seem easy even though it is difficult for most people. Then, Jeff challenged various people to bend over and lift a bag using a hook strapped to their head whilst standing using only one leg, who were unsuccessful, before challenging Richelle to do the same, who did it with ease. Jeff gifted Richelle with a stuffed moose doll before hugging her goodbye. After the video ended, Jessi stated that logical intelligence would be the third of the six intelligences to be explored. In the corresponding video, Jeff explained that people with strong logical intelligence use calculation and reasoning in order to anticipate a chain of events and a final outcome and that this is important for Canadian Forces fighter pilots in 4 Wing, Cold Lake, Alberta, such as Rich Cohen, Captain of the 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron. Rich stated that fighter pilots are stereotyped to have outgoing and Type A personalities, but that this is true and that a lot of them have backgrounds in engineering or mathematics. As Rich was shown delegating his team, Hina narrated that a pilot's logical intelligence kicks in like a flow chart since they're processing data from many sources simultaneously in order to make split-second decisions. Rich stated that a person's logic truly kicks in once they are more progressed in their training since the training gets more and more complex. Karyn narrated that the brain of a person with strong logical intelligence operates like a computer since they function by processing a lot of information and then form a solution based on that information. Then, Jeff tested Tom Morrison, 2nd Lieutenant of the 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron, and Rich's problem-solving by presenting them a challenge in which they must place nine tiles numbered 1-9 on a 3x3 board, ensuring that all rows, columns, and diagonal lines have a sum of 15. Hina narrated that puzzle-solving is natural for people with strong logical intelligence because they can easily identify a problem, form an algorithm to solve it, and then arrive at an answer. Tom solved the puzzle first and explained how he did so. After the video ended, Jessi stated that the show was going into another commercial break.

With 19 minutes and 46 seconds remaining before the main competition would begin, Jessi stated that the contestants are going to be put through various challenges that are designed to push their intelligence to the limit. Then, a clip showcasing the development of said challenges in a warehouse was shown. In this clip, Alan Bishop, the supervising challenge producer, considered the warehouse a "mad scientist area" where the staff try to find different ways of testing the multiple intelligences of the contestants. James narrated that the dilemma that the staff has to face is deciding on which challenges best test a given specific intelligence. Hina narrated that these challenges are designed to explore the degree of a type of intelligence in any individual and that only a select few made the final cut. After the clip ended, Jessi joked that it will get very messy on the stage later on. The fourth of the six intelligences that was explored was social intelligence. In the corresponding video, Jeff explained that directing a group of people in a pressure-filled kitchen requires strong social intelligence as he entered a restaurant in Toronto, Ontario. Lynn Crawford, a head chef, stated that she has to create an environment where a group of chefs with different goals, needs, and ambitions are able to make decisions and contribute. Hina narrated that Lynn is an example of someone with high social intelligence because she motivates her staff and she has a natural ability to connect with people, with the latter of these reasons contributing in part to her success on television cooking shows. She also narrated that people with high social intelligence often assume positions of leadership and are able to inspire people in situations where cooperation and support are crucial. Finally, Lynn stated that her open cooperation with her staff and her encouragement of ideas ultimately results in a perfect service at the end of the day. After the video ended, Jessi stated that linguistic intelligence would be the fifth of the six intelligences to be explored. In the corresponding video, Jeff explained that auctioneers like Brennin Jack of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, are in a league of their own when it comes to talking fast. Brennin, a livestock auctioneer, stated that an auctioneer has to keep the crowd engaged and paying attention in order to get a bidding momentum going. Hina narrated that Brennin is an example of someone with high linguistic intelligence because he is able to quickly process which words he chooses to use in order to generate the most interest from the crowd and that his mind is keyed into the sound of the words, rhythm, and inflection. Brennin then added that a crowd at an auction is entertained by the enthusiasm in and the speed of his sentences. Fellow auctioneer Dave McCormick commented that Brennin is an excellent auctioneer and that he has a chant that is world-level. Brennin demonstrated a mock auction in which he speaks at a normal speed, to which Jeff narrated that his words wouldn't have the effect that he would want from the bidders because there is a lack of excitement. Brennin restated that the speed and enthusiasm behind his words gets the crowd more engaged, which in turn yields more revenue. Finally, Brennin challenged Jeff to try to sell him a pen as if Jeff were an auctioneer, to which Jeff, despite performing somewhat decently, did not succeed based on Brennin's standards. After the video ended, Jessi claimed that there isn't a true way of preparing for the upcoming challenges which really makes the competition a true test of a person's multiple intelligences before stating that the show was going into another commercial break.

With 8 minutes and 27 seconds remaining before the main competition would begin, Jessi explained how viewers could use the Canada's Smartest Person app as they are watching the show and take part in challenges in synchronization with the show. The last of the six intelligences that was explored was visual intelligence. In the corresponding video, Jeff revealed that Fireworks Spectaculars of Calgary, Alberta, and Royal Pyrotechnie of Saint-Pie, Quebec, were collaborating in Saint-Pie to compete in the Montreal Fireworks Festival and explained that they would be using special software, creativity, and visual intelligence in order to light up the skyline of Montreal. Brad Dezotell of Fireworks Spectaculars explained that they are able to use the software in order to project the three-dimensional images in their minds and Yanick Roy of Royal Pyrotechnie explained that his company already has experience in Montreal and therefore he has an idea of how their sequence will play out in the sky of Montreal. James narrated that people with strong visual intelligence think in images, remember in images, play with images in their minds, and can think using three-dimensional images. Then, Brad and Yanick demonstrated their 30-minute show to Jeff, which they had been planning for almost a year. When Jeff asked where their vision came from, Yanick replied that he can read an effect and determine how that will correspond in the sky. Finally, footage of the two teams' full performance in La Ronde at the Montreal Fireworks Festival was shown and Jeff narrated that they won the Gold Jupiter for Canada that year. After the video ended, Jessi again listed the six intelligences and announced that the main competition would begin after the commercial break.

Jeff reexplained how the Canada's Smartest Person app works and how viewers could participate in the episode's challenges in synchronization with the contestants. In order to present the four contestants that would be competing in this episode, a clip of Tova Sherman, Roselyn Kelada-Sedra, Albert Tam, and Kiel Lemmen introducing themselves in that order was shown. Jessi personally introduced the contestants to the viewers and summoned them to the stage before explaining to them how the evening would proceed. Jessi announced that logical intelligence was going to be the first intelligence that the contestants would be tested on before Jeff revealed that Moving Sum would be the corresponding challenge. By the end of the challenge, Roselyn got 5 correct answers, Kiel got 9, Tova got 10, and Albert got 11. Therefore, Albert was awarded 5 overall points for finishing in 1st place, Tova was awarded 3 for finishing in 2nd place, Kiel was awarded 2 for finishing in 3rd place, and Roselyn was awarded 1 for finishing in last place. After the challenge, Jessi stated that the show was going into another commercial break.

Jessi briefly restated how the evening would proceed to the contestants and announced that linguistic intelligence was going to be the second intelligence that the contestants would be tested on before Jeff revealed that Spin-a-Speech would be the corresponding challenge. Jessi then introduced Colin Mochrie, stating that he would serve as a guest judge in the challenge. She commented that Colin is a perfect judge for this challenge because much of his success in his career has been based upon improvising, to which Colin simply replied, "Yeah." After being asked by Jessi what he was looking for from the contestants, Colin replied that he'd expect the contestants to use as many words as they can, actually remember what their topic is, and deliver their speeches in a thorough manner. By the end of the challenge, Colin ranked Albert in 1st place, Tova in 2nd place, Roselyn in 3rd place, and Kiel in last place. Therefore, Albert was awarded 5 overall points for finishing in 1st place, Tova was awarded 3 for finishing in 2nd place, Roselyn was awarded 2 for finishing in 3rd place, and Kiel was awarded 1 for finishing in last place. After the challenge, Jessi revealed that, after the first two challenges, Albert had received a total of 10 overall points, Tova had received a total of 6, and Roselyn and Kiel had each received a total of 3. Jessi commented that Roselyn and Kiel still have the chance to catch up before Jeff explained to the viewers how they could share their scores obtained for challenges on the Canada's Smartest Person app online. Then, Jessi stated that the show was going into another commercial break.

Jessi announced that social intelligence was going to be the third intelligence that the contestants would be tested on before Jeff revealed that Faces would be the corresponding challenge. By the end of the challenge, Roselyn got 1 correct answer, Kiel got 3, Tova got 4, and Albert got 2. Therefore, Tova was awarded 5 overall points for finishing in 1st place, Kiel was awarded 3 for finishing in 2nd place, Albert was awarded 2 for finishing in 3rd place, and Roselyn was awarded 1 for finishing in last place. After the challenge, Jessi revealed that, after the first three challenges, Albert had received a total of 12 overall points, Tova had received a total of 11, Kiel had received a total of 6, and Roselyn had received a total of 4. Directly after, Jessi announced that visual intelligence was going to be the fourth intelligence that the contestants would be tested on before Jeff revealed that Model Mayhem would be the corresponding challenge. By the end of the challenge, Roselyn selected 14 out of the 15 correct items for her model, Kiel selected 11 for his, Tova selected 9 for hers, and Albert selected 13 for his. Therefore, Roselyn was awarded 5 overall points for finishing in 1st place, Albert was awarded 3 for finishing in 2nd place, Kiel was awarded 2 for finishing in 3rd place, and Tova was awarded 1 for finishing in last place. After the challenge, Jessi revealed that, after the first four challenges, Albert had received a total of 15 overall points, Tova had received a total of 12, Roselyn had received a total of 9, and Kiel had received a total of 8. Jessi told the contestants that it is still anyone's game despite there being one challenge left before the final challenge before stating that the show was going into another commercial break.

Jessi reminded the contestants that only the two of them with the most overall points after the next challenge would qualify for the final challenge and announced that the said challenge would be worth double the points because it would test the last two remaining intelligences, physical intelligence and musical intelligence, simultaneously. Jeff revealed that Twisty Tune would be the corresponding challenge. By the end of the challenge, Roselyn received a total time of 1 minute and 28 seconds, Kiel received a total time of 1 minute and 29 seconds, Tova received a total time of 2 minutes and 34 seconds, and Albert received a total time of 2 minutes. As a result, Roselyn was awarded 10 overall points for finishing in 1st place, Kiel was awarded 6 for finishing in 2nd place, Albert was awarded 4 for finishing in 3rd place, and Tova was awarded 2 for finishing in last place. After the challenge, Jessi revealed that, as a final total score for the first five challenges, Roselyn and Albert had both received a total of 19 overall points and tied for 1st place and Kiel and Tova had both received a total of 14 and tied for 3rd place. Since only the top two finishers could advance to the Gauntlet, Jessi congratulated Roselyn and Albert on making it to the Gauntlet and prompted applause for Tova and Kiel in spite of their shared elimination. Jeff then revealed that, in relation to a pie chart, the public performed best in challenges of musical intelligence (consisting 20% of the pie chart) and performed the worst in challenges of logical intelligence (consisting 9% of the pie chart). Physical intelligence, linguistic intelligence, visual intelligence, and social intelligence, based on the related challenges, consist 19%, 18%, 17%, and 17% of the pie chart, respectively. Then, Jessi stated that the show was going into one last commercial break.

Jessi revealed that, in relation to two pie charts, Roselyn performed best in challenges of physical intelligence, visual intelligence, and musical intelligence (each consisting 26% of her pie chart) and Albert performed best in challenges of logical intelligence and linguistic intelligence (each consisting 26% of his pie chart). Linguistic intelligence, logical intelligence, and social intelligence, based on the related challenges, consist 11%, 5%, and 5% of Roselyn's pie chart, respectively, and visual intelligence, physical intelligence, musical intelligence, and social intelligence, based on the related challenges, consist 16%, 11%, 11%, and 11% of Albert's pie chart, respectively. The final challenge, the Gauntlet, consisted of five sections that would test, in order, the contestants' visual intelligence, musical intelligence, logical intelligence, physical intelligence, and linguistic intelligence. Jessi told the contestants to take to their starting positions and wished them both luck before the challenge began. Albert consistently held the lead throughout the challenge as he proceeded through each section more quickly than Roselyn did. Ultimately, Roselyn stopped at the logical section as Albert hit the buzzer, which signalled his victory and his spot in the season finale. Jessi reminded the viewers that they should keep trying out challenges on the Canada's Smartest Person app and that they could share their results on Facebook and Twitter. The show closed with the four contestants and Jessi celebrating onstage.

## Episode Progress

  WON  This contestant won the final challenge and advanced to the finale.
  LOST  This contestant lost the final challenge and was eliminated from the competition.
  ELIMINATED  This contestant was already eliminated from the competition.
     This contestant qualified for the final challenge due to a sufficient total score.
     This contestant was eliminated from the competition due to an insufficient total score.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on linguistic intelligence.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on physical intelligence.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on musical intelligence.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on visual intelligence.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on social intelligence.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on logical intelligence.
### Notes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Despite sharing a total score of 14, Tova placed 1st in one challenge and Kiel did not place 1st in any. Therefore, Tova and Kiel placed 3rd and 4th, respectively, for this preliminary episode.

## State of the Nation

* Mid-Week (before Episode 101)
* Episode 101
The top overall performing Canadian cities, by percentage score, were New Westminster, British Columbia, with 85%, Bedeque, New Brunswick, with 84%, and Walkerton, Ontario, with 84%.
As for the public, the top overall performers were Melanie Martin, Andrew Legge, Monica Chakravarty, Mike Ward, Kyle Holland, and Braden Lauer.

The top overall performing Canadian cities, by percentage score, were Gloverton, Newfoundland and Labrador, with 87%, Rothesay, New Brunswick, with 86%, and Martensville, Saskatchewan, with 86%.

In terms of gender, women performed better than men overall with average percentage scores of 60% and 59%, respectively. More specifically, women performed better than men in linguistic, visual, and social challenges with average respective percentage scores of 67% and 65%, 62% and 56%, and 59% and 56%, respectively. However, men performed better than women in physical, musical, and logical challenges with average respective percentage scores of 69% and 71%, 70% and 71%, and 35% and 38%, respectively.

As for the public, the top overall performers were Victoria Cambridge, Shuli Jones, Jamie Langen, Andrew Kwai, Kim Roy, Sarah Elizabeth, and Éloïse Racine.
## Current Placements

### Notes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Despite sharing a total score of 14, Tova placed 1st in one challenge and Kiel did not place 1st in any. Therefore, Tova placed higher than Kiel.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.cbc.ca/smartestperson/blog/canadas-smartest-person-opens-with-a-bang
2. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2535618049
3. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2535618049
4. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/smartestperson/blog/canadas-top-performers-for-the-week
5. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/smartestperson/blog/canadas-top-performers-from-episode-1