TBS Puts Fanboys & Physicists to the Test in New Unscripted Competition Series "King of the Nerds"
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.
Curtis Armstrong and Robert Carradine are both repped by Buchwald/Fortitude.
About Electus
Electus is the first integrated multimedia entertainment studio to unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world. Headed by Ben Silverman in partnership with IAC [NASDAQ: IACI], the company connects advertisers, distributors and content creators early on in the development process, enabling marketers and advertisers to be a true partner in campaigns and content creation. Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, is responsible for all international sales and distribution for Electus' programming and its studio partners as well as programs and formats from other well-known 3rd party providers. For more information on Electus, visit www.electus.com.
About 5X5 Media
5x5 Media, Inc. is a full-service television and film production company. 5X5 creates, develops, writes, packages and produces both scripted and unscripted television programming and feature films, and has the in-house capability of taking an idea from original concept to the final delivery of the product. The company's principals have produced over 1000 broadcast hours for networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, MTV, Discovery Channel, PBS, UPN, TLC and others. Titles include Survivor, The Amazing Race, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Super Nanny, Extreme Makeover - Home Edition, Smash Lab, Monster Garage, MythBusters and Wired Science, to name a few.
About TBS
TBS, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television's top-rated comedy network and is available in 100 million households. It serves as home to the Emmy(R)-nominated late-night series CONAN, starring Conan O'Brien; and original primetime comedy series like Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse and the upcoming Men at Work, Sullivan & Son and Wedding Band. TBS also features an outstanding slate of contemporary comedies, such as The Big Bang Theory, Family Guy and The Office, as well as blockbuster movies and championship sports. In addition, TBS produces special live comedy events, including the star-studded comedy festival held each year in Chicago.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
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