Children are depicted in many different ways on television, from the rebellious kid who loves to get up to trouble to the quiet and reserved one, the jock, the nerd, the ditzy, or even the self-absorbed one. But one common theme among kids on television series, including on some of the best sitcoms of all time like The Simpsons and Full House, is that of child geniuses.
They might not all be certified geniuses, but they are smarter than the average adult and mature well beyond their years. With that said, when it's all said and done, they are still kids, which means, sometimes, they do traditional "kid-like" things, too.
Max Fuller - Fuller House (2016-2020)
It's unclear if Max from Fuller House had genius-level intelligence, but he was certainly very academically inclined, driven, and always striving to be the best. Often seen ready for school decked out in formal attire, his briefcase in tow, Max had the gift of gab as well, and was quite precocious.
Despite his high level of intelligence, Max had insecurities, like when he arrived at high school for the first time and realized that he didn't fit in. The moral of the story, of course, was that, after trying to be something he was not, Max accepted who he was, which was a ridiculously smart and quirky child forging his own path.
Sheldon Cooper - Young Sheldon (2017-Present)
Naturally, a list of child geniuses on television would have to include Sheldon Cooper, who fans of The Big Bang Theory know was fiercely smart. The adult Sheldon was by far the most intelligent on The Big Bang Theory with an IQ of 187.
Young Sheldon tells the story of his earlier days, and while there are plenty of things that have changed about him over the decades, it's clear Sheldon was way ahead of others his age early on. He went from grade school to high school at just 10, and before he even reached puberty, he was heading to college.
Lahela "Doogie" Kamealoha - Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. (2021-Present)
Inspired by the original '80s and '90s series Doogie Howser, M.D. that allowed Neil Patrick Harris to join the ranks of child actors who went on to star on hit shows decades later, this one follows a young woman with a similar level of intelligence and skill when it comes to medicine.
Considered a child prodigy, Lahela begins working in medicine at a young age while also still attending high school. The existence of the original series is acknowledged on the fictional show, prompting everyone to nickname her "Doogie."
Stewie Griffin - Family Guy (1999-Present)
Stewie, one of the best onscreen baby characters, might not always have the most wholesome of intentions, and he is technically still a baby. But his eloquent speech, upper-class British accent, and vocabulary that would be considered advanced for an adult, much less a child, and even much less a baby, indicate a superior intellect.
He is violent and obsessed with killing his own mother and taking over the world. But Stewie has also invented a series of interesting technologies and devices on various episodes of Family Guy that demonstrate how smart he is. Among these is one that can control minds, a laser gun disguised as a sandwich, and even a time machine, which he used to try and fast forward past the pain of teething.
Micah Sanders - Heroes (2006-2010)
Micah appeared in both Heroes and Heroes Reborn, but in the original, was just a young child of 11 years old. He had a special ability called technopathy that uniquely allowed him to communicate with computers and other electronic devices.
But his intelligence went beyond just his powers. Micah's mother Niki realized he was gifted from a young age when he was doing things like building a pin-hole camera for the solar eclipse. He was even able to, at his young age, dismantle an entire computer and put it back together.
Ralph Dineen – Scorpion (2014-2018)
The story behind the show Scorpion is that of an elite group of computer experts and outcasts who band together to work with authorities to solve global problems. Through happenstance, they meet and become friends with a young single mother named Paige who begins to work for them as an office manager.
What truly connects them to Paige is her son Ralph, who seems to have trouble communicating with average individuals due to his high level of intelligence that rivals, and potentially even exceeds, theirs. Ralph is clearly a genius, which earns the respect of the team, each member of which is able to communicate with him on a level that even his mother was never able to accomplish.
T.J. Henderson - Smart Guy (1997-1999)
The entire premise of this sitcom, which is one of the top shows from the '90s to watch on Disney+, was about a child genius with an IQ of 180 that led to him skipping several grades, going from fourth grade right to high school. Not only does he know several languages, T.J. also has a photographic memory.
With themes of bullying as well as acceptance as he navigates high school life in his pre-pubescent years, T.J. manages to fit in by doing things like becoming the basketball team's mascot and playing in a band. But the heart of his interactions both at school and with family is the fact that he's clearly way smarter than everyone.
Jimmy Neutron – The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius (2002-2006)
This computer-animated science-fiction series from way back in 2002 focuses on the title character, an 11-year-old boy from Retroville who happens to be a genius. Naturally, Jimmy likes to invent things, but, as he goes on a variety of adventures with his best friends, situations always seem to arise where he has to further use his intellect.
It's usually because Jimmy's inventions in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius end up going awry, though he is always up to the task of fixing things. The series was so popular, it even spawned a movie as well as a spin-off called Planet Sheen.
Lisa Simpson - The Simpsons (1989-Present)
Despite never aging through The Simpsons' multi-decade run (aside from in flash forwards), Lisa remains wise beyond her years. A bookworm and academic, she is the anthesis of her rebellious, troublemaking brother Bart. Because she is so much smarter than her peers, however, Lisa has trouble making friends as well as communicating with her own much less intelligent family members.
Beyond academics, Lisa cares deeply about social issues like animal rights, the environment, and feminism, doing her best to use her intelligence to foster positive change, even if she doesn't always go about it the right way. Now on the air for more than three decades, The Simpsons remains a sitcom with the best re-watch value, in part thanks to Lisa along with the other main characters.
Bryce Lynch - Max Headroom (1987-1988)
Bryce was the one man working for Network 23's technology research department who had no reservations about doing whatever necessary to further the company's interests. Set in a dystopian future, this '80s sci-fi series focused on a time when television networks came to rule the world, led by Max Headroom, a computer reconstruction of a reporter.
Bryce had few morals, if any, which is precisely what made him so good at his job. But it was truly his intelligence as a child prodigy and computer hacker that made Bryce invaluable to those in power.