The Big Brain Theory

The usual stuff of such shows--arguments among team members; a race against the clock--is served up, though here the disagreements are peppered with phrases out of a physics class about kinetic friction, static friction and so on.

In the end, we come away from Big Brain Theory realizing that nerds can be just as insufferable as anyone, and just as interesting. The only thing that seems to separate the competitors on Big Brain from those on “Survivor” is that the nerds wear more clothes.

In the broad strokes, this looks and feels like almost every other made-for-TV elimination game.