History Main / TVGenius

[[folder:Fan Fic]]
* Sherman from ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries''.
[[/folder]]

** Many of his odd behaviours may have more to do with his culture and species. (All of his species think, speak, and act exhaustingly quickly; he just expediates his actions even moreso.)

* Largely [[AvertedTrope averted]] in the Literature/WhateleyUniverse, where the teen inventors tend to come across as realistic teenaged nerds. The trope best fits rich kid Ayla Goodkind (Phase) who has spent his whole life (up to his current age of fifteen) preparing to be a tycoon in the fmaily business. He knows tons of useless facts, and knows more about finance than any adult ought to. He speaks in a pompous manner with lots of long words. He took a special literature course on epics just for fun even though the class had to read about fifteen or twenty epics in a single term... and he did so well that he ended up writing several journal articles with the class lecturer.

** The concept was that a scientist had decided one night when all his other scientist friends were over to make copies of their minds which could be imprinted on someone by a machine. It wasn't that his intelligence was augmented, but that he had the combined knowledge of all those scientists. It was more that Wade was competing against several people in one body, rather than one supersmart individual.

The TeenGenius, the MadScientist, the ExtravertedNerd, TheProfessor, and the AbsentMindedProfessor all contain aspects of this.

Often overlaps with AmbiguousDisorder. The TeenGenius, the MadScientist, the ExtravertedNerd, TheProfessor, and the AbsentMindedProfessor all contain aspects of this.

* Brainiac 5 from the [[TheResolutionWillNotBeTelevised canceled]] ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' animated series seems to use this persona to hide his true emotions. Which seem to involve [[HoYay a lot of Superman]] and wanting ToBecomeHuman.

* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' gives us [[CloudCuckoolander Haruhi]], [[EmotionlessGirl Yuki]] and [[ThePhilosopher Koizumi]], all of whom are highly intelligent individuals with highly noticeable eccentricities. The trope is averted, however, with Kyon, who despite peppering his narrative with obscure references to literature, mythology and history, is a generally well-adjusted individual [[AlmightyJanitor with somewhat poor grades]].

* ''LightNovel/ThePetGirlOfSakurasou'': Ryuunosuke is [[InsufferableGenius highly intelligent and analytical]] but comes off as [[BrutalHonesty extremely blunt and insensitive]] when talking to others.

If a character becomes smarter, for instance through a GeniusSerum, [[ScrewLearningIHavePhlebotinum they'll instantly acquire all sorts of knowledge that they never actually learned at any point.]] Someone who becomes suddenly smarter may also suddenly acquire a [[LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine lab coat]] and NerdGlasses and start speaking like [[SpockSpeak Mr. Spock]], though this is usually limited to the more comedic examples. In cartoons, this will often be visualized as a swollen head, as if their brain is literally growing as it gets smarter. They may learn to appreciate their 'normalness' from the inner unhappiness that comes from being too smart for one's own good.

** Sylvester probably has the highest "Emotional Quotient" on the team, which would make him more personable if it weren't for his crippling fears and tendency to fanboy over games, tabletop, or (most prominently( his favorite comic-book character Super Fun Guy.

* 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 making people ''[[MagicFeather think]]'' they are smart, causing them to adopt TV Genius 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 show downplays with TheSmartGuy 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]].

In social situations, a TV Genius 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. Their lack of social skills is also likely to make them a CelibateEccentricGenius.

** The Doctor himself is impossibly smart [[note]] (granted, he's an alien who was considered BrilliantButLazy by his kind)[[/note]], arrogant, and butts heads with non-intellectual types. Across the years, he's played to such "smart guy" stereotypes as MadScientist, AbsentMindedProfessor, GadgeteerGenius, StarvingArtist, HotTeacher, {{Nerd}}, and MisfitLabRat, some of them in the same incarnation.

* Most, if not all, of the {{Nerd}} clique in ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}''. Naturally, in a place like [[BoardingSchoolOfHorrors Bullworth Academy]], they're at the bottom of the social ladder and prime targets for the bullies and jocks there.

** Mordin is also old by Salarian standards (their lifespan is about 40, and he's 44 when you recruit him).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperheroSquadShow'' episode [[HulkSpeak "Hulk Talk Smack"]] featured the [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]] being smartinized by the show's MacGuffin. In addition to his skin turning grey (a ContinuityNod to the comics) he starts dressing well and speaking eloquently. He also becomes an insufferable jerk and can't seem to hold his own in a fight anymore.

* Happens in ''Literature/FlowersForAlgernon''; interesting essay about that [[http://yudkowsky.net/obsolete/singularity.html#beyond_smarter here]].

** The Doctor himself is impossibly smart [[note]] (granted, he's an alien who was considered BrilliantButLazy by his kind)[[/note]], arrogant, and butts heads with non-intellectual types. Across the years, he's played to such "smart guy" stereotypes as MadScientist, AbsentMindedProfessor, GadgeteerGenius, StarvingArtist, HotTeacher, HollywoodNerd, and MisfitLabRat, some of them in the same incarnation.

If a character becomes smarter, for instance through a GeniusSerum, [[ScrewLearningIHavePhlebotinum they'll instantly acquire all sorts of knowledge that they never actually learned at any point.]] Someone who becomes suddenly smarter may also suddenly acquire a lab coat and NerdGlasses and start speaking like [[SpockSpeak Mr. Spock]], though this is usually limited to the more comedic examples. In cartoons, this will often be visualized as a swollen head, as if their brain is literally growing as it gets smarter. They may learn to appreciate their 'normalness' from the inner unhappiness that comes from being too smart for one's own good.

In TV land, it seems, intelligence isn't just a matter of being able to learn more quickly, reason better, and understand more easily. The TV Genius is what you get when intelligent characters conform to an unintelligent person's idea of how an intelligent person acts. A TV Genius has [[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 a "normal" person, [[BookDumb clever enough but no rocket scientist]], with the tradeoff of better looks and more social competence.

* Jason from ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot''. He's extremely skilled when it comes to mathematics, science, and computers, but utterly lacking in common sense and scruples. Hence, we see him building inadvisable BambooTechnology (such as a catapult to launch himself to frighten his sister), using his PlayfulHacker talents to spread devastating computer viruses (at least one of which seemed to have no purpose other than to protest that he didn't have a crush on a girl in his class), and doing his BookDumb siblings' homework in exchange for money (but often giving them the wrong answers).
** His lack of common sense makes some sense as he is only 10 years old and raised in a house with a father and brother who also lack common sense. Also, it is notable that the author probably had far more experience with book-smart science nerds than your average (non-scifi) writer, as he did complete his bachelors degree in physics at Amherst College.

* The eponymous character of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'': he's a world renowned genius capable of building [[TimeTravel time machine]]s, giant robots and create all sort of genetically modified creatures, yet thinks "girl" is some kind of tribe, doesn't know what dirt is, and one time thought he was going to die due to having ''gas''. Justified, as genius or not, he's still a little boy.

** Mostly averted with Lisa -- while she sometimes has problems with IntelligenceEqualsIsolation, she's actually one of the most well-adjusted characters on the show. Her level of knowledge ''is'' totally implausible for an eight-year-old, but it depends entirely on RuleOfFunny.
*** Lisa does at very least have InsufferableGenius qualities and on occasion is rather blindly obnoxious and self serving in her ethics, to the point of being a SoapboxSadie. She also has some obvious [[InnocentProdigy childlike follies]] on occasion. These flaws obviously became less significant as the rest of the cast was Flanderized excessively but her shortcomings still show on occasion.

* Ian Irvine's ''Well of Echoes'' books have Gilhaelith, the world's most powerful Geomancer and the inventor of Mathemancy, around whom some whapping great hints are dropped that he actually has Aspergers' Syndrome.

** There's also Lloyd, who isn't nicknamed [[FanNickname "Lloyd Aspie"]] for nothing.

** The show downplays 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]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TransformersGeneration1'', Grimlock gets an IQ boost after chewing into a supercomputer. Not only does it boost his intellect, it makes his speech far more intelligible to the point of snooty. He becomes the go-to guy for the Autobots' problems, but the rest of the Dinobots don't think he's fun anymore.

** Reid 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. It's even implied in the show that he might have a form of high-functioning autism. 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]], both shows being examples of "nerdy" interests.

* Hakase [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname (aka. literally professor)]] from ''Manga/Nichijou'' is this as she can make RidiculouslyHumanRobot with minimal funding at young age.

** Keita and Keitaro are able to find artifacts quickly and easily, in ways which make RealLife archeologists green with envy ''and'' shocked (due to these two treating the artifacts recklessly).

* Brainiac 5 from ''Series/Supergirl2015''. Especially in his relationship with Nia

* Reed Richards of the ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'' sometimes is portrayed this way.
* Played true at first by Grunge of the ''ComicBook/{{Gen 13}}'' reboot, then subverted.

* Henry [=McCoy=], a.k.a. The Beast of the ComicBook/XMen. He's actually one of the better socialized members of the team, but constantly spouts volumes of jargon and technobabble and frequently expresses amazement at others' lack of intellectual curiosity.
* Hank Pym regularly falls into this, as the most dysfunctional of Marvel's science heroes. He's generally considered to be one of the five smartest humans on Earth, but he's got serious insecurities and a very bad tendency to not consider anyone else's point of view which causes him endless social problems.

* ''Franchise/{{Ben 10}}'':
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'' has a morph, Grey Matter, that greatly increases his intelligence. As Grey Matter, Ben knows a lot of information that he couldn't possibly know, speaks in unnecessarily long words (unlike his usual, typical ten-year-old method of speech), and appears to lose common sense and the ability to talk to normal people (when asked "where are you?" [[MathematiciansAnswer he begins to give information that could find his geographical position]], such where he is in reference to a mountain, until prompted for the name of a street).

* The ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode ''Holoship'' involves a whole shipload of these, plus Rimmer becoming the most alarmingly extreme example.

* Most if not all of the Nerds clique in ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}''.