Pop Quiz Debuts On E!

ere has to be a reason why the new Canadian TV series called Pop Quiz is debuting this time of the season.
I'm still trying to figure that one out.
But Pop Quiz which will run weeknights at 9 on E! starting Monday Nov. 4 has been tailored as a vehicle for the evolving talents of Devon Soltendieck.

You first caught him aged only 18 on various MuchMusic outings.
Then he jumped to anchoring CP24 News  still looking like a teenager but a very self possessed one --his reading skills were immaculate. He just got "promoted" to reporter on eTalk.
My CTV insiders are hinting Soltendieck is being rapidly advanced by CTV just in case Ben Mulroney jumps to a better paid position on U.S. TV.
Soltendiecks's first starring vehicle, Pop Quiz, is very craftily assembled to take advantage of a young audience whose familiarity with modern culture is assured.
I saw Episode Nine --I'm not entirely sure in what order the episodes will run.
The studio set ressembles a forum --there are 10 contestants stationed around a gigantic circular set and they try to answer a wide variety of questions --some of them were easy, others I had no clue about the correct answer.
There are bleachers with an overly enthusiastic audience and as judge comedienne Emma Hunter cattily notices Devon's hair has been sprayed into an odd shaped cone.
He's dressed in a casual grey suit without a tie to make him seem more mod.  I'd say the tie should come back and his method needs to be toned down just a bit. But at least he gets things moving at a rapid pace.
Other than that this is a standard quiz show. I'm not sure why quizzes faded out but this one has been carefully structured to appeal to a very young audience.
There are Three Rounds called Eliminations, Connections and Definitions and some of the preselected conterstants were quite dire while others  were far more knowledgeable.
All the contestants were in the age range of under 30 I'm guessing. In the Semi-Finals there's a Face-Off followed by Finals or Winner's Circle.
Devon at 28 is already a seasoned TV performer. Let's all hope he never becomes as unctuous as Ryan Seacrest. Nut I think that is improbable.
Pop Quiz is made by Pixcom Productions and Incendo.
There is no emphasis on Canadian content leading me to conclude it can be easily exportable to the U.S.
The time of the night may be a little late for this sort of thing. I'd be more inclined to watch on a regular basis at 7 or 7:30 p.m.
POP QUIZ DEBUTS MONDAY NOVEMBER 4 AT 9 P.M. ON E!
MY RATING: ***.