As the contestants were welcomed into Nerdvana, I welcomed the new competition series “King of the Nerds” into my DVR. The show airs every Thursday night at 10 p.m. on TBS. The competition follows eleven competitors as they set out to win $100,000 and be crowned King of the Nerds.
The contestants range from neuroscientists to professional video gamers with a few comic book nerds thrown into the mix. The hosts, Curtis Armstrong and Robert Carradine are . In each episode, the nerds first compete as teams and then as individuals, facing challenges that range from live gaming to a dance-offs.
The series premiere aired Jan. 17, and was definitely worth waiting for. The premiere included the introduction of the diverse contestants. At the beginning of the premiere, the contestants were divided into two teams, with Genevieve, a fantasy writer and Batman fanatic, leading the blue team and Ivan, a game developer, became the orange team captain.
Each episode consists of a team and an individual challenge. The team that loses the team challenge then has to send two teammates to the “nerd-off”. The winner of the “nerd-off” stays in the competition while the loser gets sent home. The challenges cover all aspects of the nerd realm from life-size chess to a role-playing challenges
The contestants come from all across the nerd spectrum. Brandon, a neuroscientist, is definitely my favorite contender because of his adorable attitude and his outlook on the competition, although I also find myself rooting for Moogega, who went to college at the age of 16 to study terrestrial and extraterrestrial microorganisms because of her willingness to get along with everyone. Even though a lot of the nerds are book smart, not all of them are. Celeste is a professional gamer and Nicole is a video game blogger. One of the contestants, Virgil, is a master-hacker and New York Times “man of mystery.Although some of the contestants are doing well, other contenders are falling behind in the competition. Alana is an avid comic book convention attendee and is not very well liked by the other contestants.
This real life “Big Bang Theory” brings humor and intelligence to its viewers. If you like shows such as “The Office” or “Community” you’ll love King of the Nerds.
Everyone can find something they like in this show. It has competition, video games, intelligence, humor and much more. Make sure you set aside time for the new show King of the Nerds.
by OLIVIA GRAHL
