TBS, which has basked in the glory of nerd-dom with the enormously popular acquired sitcom The Big Bang Theory, is now ready to take things to the next level. TBS has greenlit the new unscripted competition series King of the Nerds, hosted by two of the stars of the movie blockbuster Revenge of the Nerds, Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstrong.
TBS has ordered eight episodes of King of the Nerds, which is being executive-produced by Ben Silverman (The Biggest Loser, The Office) and Jimmy Fox (Mob Wives) of Electus, Rick Ringbakk (The Amazing Race), Tod Mesirow (MythBusters) and Craig Armstrong (Survivor) of 5X5 Media, as well as Carradine and Armstrong. The show is slated to premiere in early 2013. Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, will distribute the series internationally.
King of the Nerds is primed to become television's ultimate nerd-off. The show invites competitors spanning the full nerd spectrum to come together to face challenges that will test their intellect, ingenuity, skills and pop-culture prowess. The nerds will first compete as teams before moving on to individual challenges, all with the goal of being named the quintessential master of all things nerdy.
"It's been said we're living in the 'Age of the Nerd', and if so, what better way to acknowledge that than to have a competition to crown the King of the Nerds?" said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "King of the Nerds is a lot of fun as it not only celebrates nerd culture, but also illuminates it. We believe King of the Nerds is an ideal fit with The Big Bang Theory, and we look forward to having it on the network"
"King of the Nerds will be the first-ever nerd-on-nerd warfare competition series. Who better to have as our hosts than Robert and Curtis, the founding fathers of the Nerd Universe," said Jimmy Fox, head of creative development for Electus. "We are incredibly excited to partner with TBS to not only celebrate the nerd in each and every one of us, but to bring an incredibly fun, smart and entertaining competition series to the TBS audience."
King of the Nerds is the latest new series slated for launch on TBS. In May, the network will premiere the new buddy comedy series Men at Work, starring Danny Masterson, James Lesure, Michael Cassidy and Adam Busch. Also this summer, TBS will launch Sullivan & Son, a new sitcom starring comedian Steve Byrne and executive-produced by Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsley and Rob Long. Later this year, TBS will debut Wedding Band, a new scripted comedy series starring Brian Austin Green, Harold Perrineau, Peter Cambor and Derek Miller, Melora Hardin, Jenny Wade and Kathryn Fiore.
Robert Carradine has starred in such hit movies as The Long Riders, The Big Red One and Ghosts of Mars. His television credits include roles on Lizzie McGuire and The Cowboys, as well as guest appearances on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Practice, NYPD Blue, The Pretender and Nash Bridges. Carradine has also been cast in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming western Django Unchained, with Leonard DiCaprio.
Curtis Armstrong is known for his memorable performances in Revenge of the Nerds and Risky Business. Additional film credits include Ray, Akeelah and the Bee and the upcoming Sparkle. For television, Armstrong has played regular roles in the series Dan Vs., American Dad and Moonlighting, along with guest roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hot in Cleveland and TNT's The Closer.
