Comedian Chris Hardwick (Nerdist) lands BBC America deal

By Carrie Andersen | May 23, 2011 at 2:00 pm | 6 comments | News, TV/Movies | Tags: bbc america, chris hardwick, hollywood reporter, nerdist, stand-up

Chris Hardwick, performing at Punchline Mag's 5th anniversary show at Largo in LA in Oct. 2010.

Standard operating procedure in the online comedy world these days often involves a Tumblr account turning into a book deal or a Twitter feed turning into a television show. A new development with BBC America, though, offers another growing avenue for comedy: a podcast turning into a pilot.

Hollywood Reporter tells us that Chris Hardwick has signed a deal with BBC America to create a panel-style talk show about all things geeky, derived from his Nerdist podcast. In addition to Hardwick, celebrity guests of any and all varieties will be featured on the panels to share their nerdy loves.

As if this new venture won’t keep him busy enough, Hardwick will also be hosting BBC America’s Saturday night comedy block, beginning June 18. Get ready!

About the Author

Carrie Andersen

In addition to writing for Laughspin, Carrie is a graduate student in Austin, Texas, where she researches popular culture, new media, music, and social movements. When not reading or writing in any official capacity, she spends her time playing the drums, watching crappy TV, and eating copious amounts of tacos and barbecue. She also blogs sporadically at carrieandersen.com.

Charles

Are the other Nerdist guys going to be a part of the show at all? Jonah and Matt are a big part of what makes the podcast great.
E.H.

Chris Hardwick comes off in the vain of Olivia Munn, sort of a poser and someone to avoid. BBCAmerica’s treatment of Doctor Who has been a disappointment and another reason to cut the cord. Download or wait for Netflix. No commericals, no stupid Amy intro, horrible edits on rerunds. This feels like a last ditch attempt to appeal to viewers.
Name Required

I agree with E.H. Hardwick needs to drop the geek/nerd act. Playing video games and watching a lot of television doesn’t make you a nerd or a geek.
Ender Wiggin

Hardwick isn’t a poser. You girls are just like any other negative prick on the internet. The only thing setting you apart from the other assholes is you appear to either be able to spell, or able to utilize Spell Check. Kudos for that. Go fuck your pathetic selves for being cunts.
- Whatever
  
  Ah, you must be in love with him. Why don’t you go knit him a Doctor Who scarf then, fanboy.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Reiter/850900116 Eric Reiter

Chris Hardwick is totally a poser. You know how you spot a nerd/geek poser? Ask him what he doesn’t like? Where’s his nerd-rage? No geek is into EVERY geeky thing. I call bullshit on anyone who says they are. Watching him on the Tabletop show with Will Wheaton when he plays Dragon Age the TTRPG. He acts like he’s too cool to play a bit of D&D seriously. He has to do it “ironically.”
The guy is fake, just like Olvia Munn.

And I agree video games and TV/Movies do not make you a geek. Sorry, doing something that millions and millions of people do and like and is totally socially acceptable is pretty much the opposite of geeky. And doing to appear geeky, not only makes you not a geek, it makes you an idiot too.

Chris Hardwick is one of a dozen of assholes who are part of the campaign to take our geek culture, homogenize it, and water it down to pablum so it can be sold to the masses. The trend will end soon enough.