It's Academic was a general knowledge quiz show for high school students in New Zealand, broadcast by TVNZ from 1981 until 1988.[1] It's Academic was hosted by Lockwood Smith (who later became a member of the New Zealand Parliament, eventually serving as its speaker) and, later, John Hayden. The show was produced by Kevan Moore & Associates, an independent production house led by producer/director and ex-TV2 programming chief Kevan Moore,[1][2] with Patrick Macaskill as adjudicator.[1]
School teams of three pupils competed for digital watches, handheld calculators and sets of the Encyclopædia Britannica for their school.[1] The quiz followed the format of its long-running American counterpart.[1] The theme tune, 'Piano Parchment', was written as library music in 1968 by Johnny Pearson[3] and was well known in New Zealand living rooms about the same time as the theme for BBC drama series All Creatures Great and Small.
List of winning schools
edit- 1981: Onslow College, Wellington[4]
- 1985: Takapuna Grammar School, Team-Sarah Ell, Erica Heppleston, Suzanne Nola
- 1988: Takapuna Grammar School, Team- Simon North, Lyall McMillan, Janine Pritchard
External links
edit- It's Academic 1993 regional final on NZ On Screen website.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e it's Academic page on NZ On Screen website, viewed 2013-07-26
- ^ Kevan Moore page on NZ On Screen website, viewed 2013-07-26
- ^ Johnny Pearson obituary in The Independent, viewed 2013-07-26
- ^ Whatever happened to... on New Zealand Herald website, viewed 2013-07-26