Easy Does It

Why has that happened? Beverly thinks the intellectual deterioration of quiz shows mirrors a decline in intellectual standards among viewers. "We have less of an expectation of ourselves that we'll learn rigorous material today," he says. "We have accepted a degree of mediocrity in education. We don't really want to work too hard to achieve success."

So quiz shows are dumber these days because they have to be to attract an audience.

Fred Wostbrock, co-author of "The Game Show Encyclopedia" and the agent for such game show legends as Bob Eubanks, Monty Hall and Chuck Woolery, blames young viewers, in particular. Since advertisers want to attract younger people, he argues, it's not surprising that the content of quiz shows has become more frivolous to lure them.

The effect, he says, is that we might never again see the likes of such classic game shows as "Password," in which a contestant tries to get a partner to say a secret word by offering one-word clues. "You could get 'kangaroo' by saying 'pouched,' 'marsupial' and 'Australia,' " Wostbrock says. "With MTV and 'Entertainment Tonight,' do young people still read? I doubt very many would know what a 'pouched marsupial' is anymore."

Well, they probably would on "It's Academic," which pits local high school brainiacs against each other, and has done so continuously since the show's inception in Washington in 1961. Over the years, "It's Academic" has been syndicated to other cities and has featured such wunderkinder as George Stephanopoulos (now host of ABC's "This Week"), Chuck Schumer (a New York senator), Donald E. Graham (chairman of The Washington Post Co.) and a certain Chicago area student then named Hillary Rodham.

In Washington, the show still has the same host, Mac McGarry, the same station (WRC-Channel 4), the same long-running sponsor (Giant supermarkets) and the same producer, creator Sophie Altman.

One thing that has changed is the questions. If anything, they draw from a wider and deeper pool, Altman says. "There's so much more knowledge now [than in 1961], much more science and math," she says. "The [competitors] are very bright and very knowledgeable. They have to be prepared.

"I hate to call it 'trivia,' " she adds. "We expect anyone who has graduated high school to be able to answer these questions. These are facts you should know."

Smart, very smart. Which is to say, not at all like most quiz shows these days.