The Kids Are All Right, BBC1

1:45pm Monday 14th April 2008

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IMITATION they say is the sincerest form of flattery.

If that's the case, should anyone from Sky have watched BBC1's new early evening quiz show on Saturday, The Kids Are All Right, they must have been feeling pretty flattered!

For months Sky One has been pushing Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old?, in which junior masterminds embarrass the adults.

Now the Beeb has its version. Sure some of the kids are slightly older but the premise is virtually the same.

Where Sky has Noel Edmonds, the BBC has given a break to a much under-used talent, John Barrowman.

Let's hope Captain Jack doesn't get called in to help the Doctor or we'll have a whole Saturday of the man.

He's clearly got some presenting tips from Davina - ie shout a lot - but he's introduced his own peculiarity, namely waving his hands around like a demented windmill.

As for the kids - they've all be give Gladiators-style names such as The Don and The Connoisseur.

They all seem to have been picked from some sort of brain academy as they all speak fluent Mandarin or make submarines in their spare time.

Away from the studio I'm sure they're really nice but the way they have been asked to preen for the camera, when Mr B asks are you ready to beat the kids?', I'm reaching for a stick!