History Main / TVGenius

Often overlaps with AmbiguousDisorder. Compare TheRainman, a.k.a. the TV Genius taken UpToEleven. The TeenGenius, MadScientist, and ExtravertedNerd all contain aspects of this.

** The fans have so many theories on the state of Sheldon's mind. You can pick any combination out of Asperger's Syndrome (or several other autism spectrum disorders,) Nonverbal Learning Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive ''Personality'' Disorder, Narcisstic Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder (in an unusual but not unheard of form,) Histrionic Personality Disorder, acquired brain injury to the frontal lobe...

* ''[[Literature/TheMillenniumTrilogy The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo]]'' so much. 'WordofGod' said she had Asperger's. Social dysfunction? Oh yes. But don't cross her, or those esoteric items she's memorized will be used to kill you, and erase your identity from the net completely.[[/folder]]

** The show subverts this somewhat with the other SmartGuy of the show, Jack Hodgins. He's likable enough to hang out and have a beer with ex-military guys, and dates a number of women, including [[spoiler: co-worker and TheChick Angela]].

** Though at least they give an explanation for how he suddenly had knowledge he couldn't possibly have acquired normally.

*** However, this had its other side too. Creator/AaronSorkin has clear ideas on [[EvenNerdsHaveStandards which wonky obsessions are a sign of intelligence and which ones mean you've been wasting your life]]. Therefore, in addition to [[IvyLeagueForEveryone having gone to Ivy League schools]] and knowing history, literature, science, art and classical music backwards and forwards, his TV geniuses are [[AuthorAppeal required to be familiar with things like]] the work of Creator/GilbertAndSullivan or the Film/JamesBond movies, [[GameOfNerds to make sports analogies]], and to spout trivia on any and all subjects. But the tradeoff is that they have to exhibit PopCulturalOsmosisFailure and GeniusDitz qualities to account for how much time they're spent becoming so well-rounded, and more lowbrow nerd interests, ''especially'' anything to do with the Internet, don't get the time of day (see: Josh's lecture to a low-ranking staffer for wearing a Franchise/StarTrek pin to work, which apparently is very different from, say, practicing making balloon animals in the office the way his girlfriend did).

*** Though it is true Salarians act and think at a faster rate than other species, Solus is unusual even compared to other Salarians you meet. It is quite clear after even a single conversation that he thinks and processes information far faster than most sentients.

** JustifiedTrope. Dexter is less than ten years old (one episode dealt with him getting promoted to the fifth grade). Spending so much time and effort maintaining a secret lab, he just wouldn't have much opportunity to associate with other people. Combined with his non-physical nature, he would have been viewed as a weird outsider. When he does have to work with others, he tends to be arrogant, but has fairly normal friendships. He just doesn't have many, and spends most of his time alone.

** Could also be considered a subversion considering Skeeter's intelligence is demonstrated realistically--he likes reading juvenile fiction, but he is capable of reading difficult, Kant-level material if he finds it interesting. Traits such as this challenges Doug's view of geniuses when he describes the typical TV Genius:"suspenders, thick glasses", the works, which further explains Doug's frustration at the fact that Skeeter does not fit the trope.

* Almost everyone on ''Series/{{Frasier}}''.
** At first blush, perhaps. As his character had to move closer to normality when he became the lead in his own series, Frasier himself is only intermittently this when his social aspirations get the better of him - as he himself says, "I'm a teamster compared to [Niles]" and, in a direct reference to ''Cheers'', "I used to have a regular bar and a regular bar stool, I even had a tab". He does seem to be largely aware of his social shortcomings compared to "normal" people like his father and Roz, while at the same time occasionally happily going to barbecues with his work colleagues or joining his father down at his local bar for a beer. Even Niles's self-awareness increases throughout the series.

* In ''TheWizardOfOz'', after the wizard "makes" the Scarecrow a genius by giving him a diploma, the Scarecrow is suddenly able to rattle off very complex-sounding mathematical formulas. Justified in that the Scarecrow was already shown to be plenty clever. The diploma was a MagicFeather, and he was acting how he ''thought'' a genius should act.
** Subverted, actually. He rattles off an incorrect version of Pythagoras' Theorem, applying it to an isosceles triangle rather than a right triangle. He gets it wrong, but with conviction; [[FridgeBrilliance a very subtle and rather brilliant bit of satire if it was intentionally done]].

*** However, this had its other side too. Creator/AaronSorkin has clear ideas on [[EvenNerdsHaveStandards which wonky obsessions are a sign of intelligence and which ones mean you've been wasting your life]]. Therefore, in addition to [[IvyLeagueForEveryone having gone to Ivy League schools]] and knowing history, literature, science, art and classical music backwards and forwards, his TV geniuses are [[AuthorAppeal required to be familiar with things like]] the work of GilbertAndSullivan or the JamesBond movies, [[GameOfNerds to make sports analogies]], and to spout trivia on any and all subjects. But the tradeoff is that they have to exhibit PopCulturalOsmosisFailure and GeniusDitz qualities to account for how much time they're spent becoming so well-rounded, and more lowbrow nerd interests, ''especially'' anything to do with the Internet, don't get the time of day (see: Josh's lecture to a low-ranking staffer for wearing a Franchise/StarTrek pin to work, which apparently is very different from, say, practicing making balloon animals in the office the way his girlfriend did).

* Charlie began exhibiting traits of one on ''ItsAlwaysSunnyInphiladelphia'' after taking pills that supposedly increase his intelligence. It turns out the pills were [[PlaceboEffect actually just Placebos]] and his "heightened intelligence" was just an extreme level of misplaced arrogance.

* [[PunnyName Ox Ford]] from SoulEater, complete with OpaqueNerdGlasses, skill in chess, and being top of his class in studies until he's eventually edged out by Maka. Maka herself is a subversion, being studious and liking to read while being bad at sports, but is also more emotional and prone to violence, while finding it fairly easy to make friends.

* [[PunnyName Ox Ford]] from SoulEater, complete with OpaqueNerdGlasses, skill in chess, and being top of his class until he's eventually edged out by Maka.

* [[PunnyName Ox Ford]] from SoulEater, complete with OpaqueNerdGlasses and skill in chess.

** Subverted, actually. He rattles off an incorrect version of Pythagoras' Theorem, applying it to an isosceles triangle rather than a right triangle. He gets it wrong, but with conviction.

* Subverted in ''TheWestWing'', particularly with the character of President Jed Bartlet; a Nobel Prize-winning economist, veritable mental warehouse of obscure trivia and unashamed intellectual, Bartlet was also a genuinely caring, personable and likable man with a great deal of charm. He was, after all, able to get himself elected twice to the office of President of the United States, which requires ''some'' people skills.

* Rebecca Cunningham of ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' has an MBA and is refined in terms of social inequity, her temperament and stubbornness often lead to unpleasant situations, and she often shows an extreme naivete in terms of the outside world (providing good contrast to the extremely BookDumb but streetwise Baloo). While she managed to bring Baloo's cargo service back from death's door in terms of business arrangements, her attempts to actually fly a plane were [[CaptainCrash somewhat disastrous]], to say the least.

* Rebecca Cunningham of ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' has an MBA and is refined in terms of social inequity, however her temperament and stubbornness often lead to unpleasant situations and she often shows an extreme naivete in terms of the outside world (providing good contrast to the extremely BookDumb but streetwise Baloo). While managing to bring Baloo's cargoo service out of death's door in terms of business arrangements, her attempts to actually fly a plane were [[CaptainCrash somewhat disasterous]] to say the least.

** ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' has an arguably more straight example in Brainstrom. While Grey Matter knows more and speaks longer, the Ben personality doesn't change, as shown when Ben says "How do I know that?/I have no idea what I'm talking about". Brainstrom adapts a British accent, uses words simply because they are longer and not because they have any scientific value at hand, and becomes much more arragont in how smart he is.

** He once showed up at a convention dressed as [[Series/DoctorWho The 4th Doctor]], and is seen trying to talk to Morgan about the logistics of [[Franchise/StarWars the Death Star]], though both shows are examples of "nerdy" interests.

* Reid from ''Series/CriminalMinds'' takes this to a whole new level, being a culmination of literally everything, without exception, in the description for this trope - right down to the vague Franchise/StarTrek reference (not surprisingly, the only pop culture phenomenon he knows is Franchise/StarTrek). It's even implied in the show that he might have a form of high-functioning autism.
** Not true; he once showed up at a convention dressed as [[Series/DoctorWho The 4th Doctor]], and is seen trying to talk to Morgan about the logistics of [[Franchise/StarWars the Death Star]], though both shows are examples of "nerdy" interests.

* ''Main/TheGirlWithTheDragonTattoo'' so much. 'WordofGod' said she had Asperger's. Social dysfunction? Oh yes. But don't cross her, or those esoteric items she's memorized will be used to kill you, and erase your identity from the net completely.[[/folder]]

* [[PaniPoniDash Rebecca Miyamoto]], 11-year-old teacher who just graduated from MIT with a triple major!

** Koizumi and Yuki are more [[AvertedTrope aversions]] than straight examples. Yuki's behavior is due to her status as a StarfishAlien; and Koizumi is the Mask playing up his role in accordance with how [[RealityWarper Haruhi]] [[AmbiguouslyGay wants him to act]]. a straight example is [[StrawVulcan Sasaki]]. Her SpockSpeech, tendency to [[DeconstructorFleet deconstruct the crap out of everything the sees,]] and her inability to understand people who believe in the supernatural are in line with this trope.

In TV land, it seems, intelligence isn't just a matter of being able to learn quicker, reason better, and understand more easily. The TVGenius is what you get when intelligent characters conform to an unintelligent person's idea of how an intelligent person acts. A TVGenius bears [[ImprobablyHighIQ an impossibly or immeasurably high IQ]], never uses a short word [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness when a sententious alternative might elicit advantageous conversation]], and has the full package of exaggerated traits and strange behaviors Hollywoodland associates with "big brains". This is especially obvious when [[ThisLoserIsYou the lead character]] is [[ViewersAreMorons a "normal" person]], inasmuch as being [[BookDumb clever but not actually very smart]].

While intellectuals often do have interest in obscure topics, the TVGenius [[FanMyopia is inexplicably baffled that other people have different interests than themselves]]. Their only pastimes will be [[GeniusBookClub reading thick tomes]] and [[SmartPeoplePlayChess playing chess]]. They will frequently rattle off statistics and calculations to [[LudicrousPrecision implausible degrees of precision]]. These may be relevant to the plot at hand but not their assumed field of study; statistics and math articles are like Playboy magazines to these folks.

In social situations, a TVGenius will come across like a human robot: their brain is so filled with jargon and minutiae that it leaves no room for [[NoSocialSkills interpersonal skills and social graces]]: either they have no idea how to communicate their thoughts without seeming blunt and insensitive, or they carry themselves with a sort of overbearing arrogance that comes from remaining emotionally detached and logical-minded in contrast to their sentimental colleagues (a la TheSpock) and can expect to be the [[StrawVulcan token Vulcan]] of a FiveManBand.

There's also a chance that the TVGenius will be used in AnAesop about respecting non-intellectuals and appreciating the hard work they put into being the best and the brightest via an encounter with someone with a learning disorder that locks them out of the genius strata.

Often overlaps with AmbiguousDisorder. Compare TheRainman, a.k.a. the TVGenius taken UpToEleven. The TeenGenius, MadScientist, and ExtravertedNerd all contain aspects of this.

* In the ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' novel "Ogre, Ogre", the protagonist Smash Ogre gets tangled with an "Eye Queue Vine", which raises his extremely low intellect into above-average for a human; he stops talking in rhyme, and finds that he can analyse and think rationally and inquisitively about things. (Which upsets him, as it is inappropriate for ogres, who pride themselves on their strength and stupidity.) However, near the end it is revealed that [[spoiler: the vine is actually only capable of [[MagicFeather making people ''think'' they are smart]], causing them to adopt TVGenius mannerisms and deluding themselves; however, thanks to Smash's half-human heritage, he was smart all along and deluded himself into downplaying it all his life.]]

** The other three are also extremely intelligent, but no where near as TVGenius as Sheldon.

* In the 4th-season episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' called "The Nth Degree", Lieutenant Barclay is struck by a Cytherian probe and becomes a TVGenius.

* Subverted with a vengeance in ''{{Warehouse 13}}''. Claudia (as well as her brother) is an off-the-charts genius, but talks like a fairly typical girl of her age, if a tad on the nerdy/techy side. After Claudia, Artie is probably the most intelligent of the central cast of characters, but aside from [[SmartPeoplePlayChess a penchant for chess]], he doesn't display any TVGenius tendencies at all. One wouldn't go so far as to [[MeanBoss say he]] [[JerkassFacade has good]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold social skills]], but that has nothing to do with his intelligence.

* [[ALoonaticsTale Jasper Zinc]] fits the trope, although it's not that he ''is'' a TVGenius so much as [[InvokedTrope he's obsessed with making sure everyone around him knows he's a genius]], period. So he deliberately avoids using contractions and adopts a high-falutin', faux-educated manner of speech so that it's absolutely clear even to the lowest common denominator that this is an intellect you don't mess with. He doesn't appear to have thought it through, though, as people too far above said lowest common denominator tend not to be impressed.

* In an episode of the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' cartoon series, Aladdin's head was separated from his body. The head, containing the brain, suddenly became a TVGenius and was able to spout scientific knowledge that ''no one'' in this period (barring perhaps genies) should have access to, such as how nerves work. Aladdin's headless body, containing his good heart, became an embodiment of DumbIsGood, whereas the head turned into an {{Anvilicious}} StrawVulcan.

** Could also be considered a subversion considering Skeeter's intelligence is demonstrated realistically--he likes reading juvenile fiction, but he is capable of reading difficult, Kant-level material if he finds it interesting. Traits such as this challenges Doug's view of geniuses when he describes the typical TVGenius:"suspenders, thick glasses", the works, which further explains Doug's frustration at the fact that Skeeter does not fit the trope.

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* In ''StarCraftII'''s cinematics, the scientists seem incapable of using normal-sized words, jump to conclusions in a very unscientific way, and wear lab coats and nerd glasses or goggles all the time.