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32 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday November 14, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Artscene Oakville Beaver · WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2007 Are you smarter than Elliot? Find out tomorrow night as Oakville fifth grader appears on popular TV game show By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF E lliot Tomlinson has to remain tight-lipped about the results of Are you Smarter than a Canadian Fifth Grader? He will admit, though, that "some of the contestants messed up quite a lot." The 10-year-old Linbrook Public School student appears on the show that sees adults test their knowledge against Grade 5 students tomorrow at 9 p.m. on Global. Tomlinson, who was born in England, but grew up in Oakville, was one of just nine kids selected from across Canada to appear on the show. He was chosen as an understudy to fill in for another student if needed, and had the opportunity to participate in the episode that airs tomorrow. "There were some questions that really surprised me that the adults didn't get," said Tomlinson, who taped the show in September. "I'm not really allowed to talk about it. I can tell you that some of the questions were very easy, but the contestants didn't get them." And what did he make of that? "I thought it was really silly, but I suppose some adults have probably forgotten all their grade school skills." "There were some questions Host Colin Mochrie that really surprised me that of the comedy skit show the adults didn't get." Whose Line is it Anyway? tests kids and Elliot Tomlinson of adults on questions Are You Smarter than from curriculum in a Canadian Fifth Grader? Grades 1-5. While none of the seven regular Grade 5s on the show dropped out, Tomlinson and the other understudy appear in tomorrow's episode because two kids sat out to give them the opportunity to get involved. "I'm really excited to see myself. It'll be really cool," he said. He had never heard of Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader? until his mom, Joanne, saw an ad for an open casting call to audition, held Aug. 24 in Toronto. "We decided it would be a good thing to audition for," Tomlinson said, adding one of the reasons is because he does "pretty good in school" and is "very enthusiastic." More than 300 kids auditioned in Toronto alone, a process that featured a test of Grade 5 curriculum questions ­ even though the students at this point had only done a few weeks of Grade 5 ­ and a mock of the game. The kids were told "Another thing that helped they would receive a call-back if they made me get used to nervousness it to the next round. is I've done some really big "My mom answered tests that some kids freaked the phone and she out for." came running outside, and I went `Oh my Elliot Tomlinson of gosh, oh my gosh!' And Are You Smarter than I was jumping up and a Canadian Fifth Grader down. They said we should come back the next day," Tomlinson said. The call-back involved another test, a show-and-tell event and a mock game ­ and then he had to wait two weeks to hear. His mom answered the phone again and they found out he was selected as an understudy. "I was just really happy that we found out we made it," Tomlinson said. "It was really exciting." After some tutoring to make up for the school they were missing and rehearsals for the show, they began shooting the episodes over the course of a week. While the show was being taped, Tomlinson and the other understudy got to hang out backstage and watch live feed. And when it was his turn to appear before the live studio audience and cameras, Tomlinson says he wasn't all that nervous. "I'm pretty used to being nervous," he said. "I do piano and singing, and I did this thing in the Peel Music Festival where there's lots of people watching, so that helped me get used to it. "Another thing that helped me get used to nervousness is I've done some really big tests that some kids freaked out for." The adults on the show, Tomlinson explains, are "just some regular Canadian people," including a lawyer, a priest and an air traffic controller. As for what he plans to be when he grows up, the 10-yearold has a lot of ideas. "When I grow up I do want to be an architect or a scientist or a photographer," he said."I think this show went really well, so I might also want to do something else involved in acting or something. "It's really good experience, and it's fun." Tune in to Global TV tonight at 9 p.m. to watch Oakville's Elliot Tomlinson take on an adult contestant on Are you Smarter than a Canadian 5th Grader? Fifth grade panelist Elliot Tomlinson Moreopportunity You want your business to succeed. We want to help. 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