What bugs me about this show is it's so-called nerds. It seems nowadays that what passes as nerds are whiny little idiots that go out of their way to look and act weird and freaky then whine and cry about being socially rejected. If I had a chance I'd love to tell these brats a thing or two. Not long ago being a nerd wasn't something you'd ever brag about. It wasn't a title you'd willingly apply to yourself. And it had nothing to do with having pink hair or prattling on about useless comic book trivia. Not long ago being a nerd meant getting the hell beaten out of you because you preferred reading over playing ball. It meant getting the hell beaten out of you because you were deemed too skinny or too fat or too freckled or whatever else some jock douche decided was uncool at any particular point in time. To me, watching any of these twits being crowned king of the nerds would be a little like Rosa Parks watching Will Smith being crowned king of the civil rights movement. Maybe not the best analogy but you get my point. These are kids who go out of their way to not fit in then whine about not fitting in. In my day being a nerd meant doing whatever you could to avoid attention and fly under the radar to avoid someone noticing that Tolkien book in your hands and beating the crap out of you or doing some other humiliating thing to make you feel like you just want to die. These kids act like weirdos then cry when they're not voted prom queen. I guess it's nice to see nerds getting some positive attention these days, but for those of us who were nerds back when being a nerd meant facing serious abuse and humiliation, this show seems worthy of a major eye roll.
19 Reviews
Wouldn't they have known that?
canadaiscold10 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I enjoyed this show, I just thought the outcome was strange. I had no objection to the outcome, but the criteria the "nerds" used to vote the winner was suspect. Her growing so much and overcoming stage fright, she proved to be a mighty actor and played everyone. It is common knowledge, especially in the nerd community, that Pro Gamers play before an audience. Also, anytime you win you are up on stage at the center of everyone's attention, not to mention press and promotion. Also, the "jury" thing is tired, by far the worst part of 'Survivor' and didn't satisfy here either. Have a legitimate contest for King, I think Nerds have spent their whole life losing to a popularity contest, why would you perpetuate such insolence?
For Nerds, it's the only game in town!
old_dreamer17 August 2015
I don't know what the first reviewer was expecting, but if you're a nerd, you should be well-acquainted with "lowered" (i.e. realistic) expectations. True, nerds come in many flavors, so a reality-show competition is going to be putting up apples against oranges, but so what? What are you going to do, have them all sitting around the campfire, singing Kumbaya and giving speeches about why they're nerds?
Look, it's all in fun, rather tongue-in-cheek overall (losers are "destroyed" by special effects as they leave), although it's serious enough for the contestants, apparently. And really, is it any surprise that someone whose only claim to being a nerd is being a cosplayer can't compete with rocket scientists, chemists, or even dedicated/pro gamers who are also up on all the sci-fi shows and fantasy books?
It is unfortunate, sad, and ironic that there is a "popularity contest" aspect to it, even if it is popularity among fellow nerds, but then, it is entitled "The King of the Nerds," not, "The Nerdiest of Nerds." The final decision comes down to a head-to-head contest.
SO, if you're nerdy, like or are interested in sci-fi, fantasy, science, video games, LARPing, cosplay, musicals, logic puzzles, math, tinkering, robotics, horror movies, superhero comics and movies... I call this a "must see" show! Imagine you are one of the competitors -- match your knowledge to theirs -- cheer on the one most like you, or that you like for some other reason. Just don't get too emotionally attached or take anything too seriously.
Enjoy being a nerd!
Look, it's all in fun, rather tongue-in-cheek overall (losers are "destroyed" by special effects as they leave), although it's serious enough for the contestants, apparently. And really, is it any surprise that someone whose only claim to being a nerd is being a cosplayer can't compete with rocket scientists, chemists, or even dedicated/pro gamers who are also up on all the sci-fi shows and fantasy books?
It is unfortunate, sad, and ironic that there is a "popularity contest" aspect to it, even if it is popularity among fellow nerds, but then, it is entitled "The King of the Nerds," not, "The Nerdiest of Nerds." The final decision comes down to a head-to-head contest.
SO, if you're nerdy, like or are interested in sci-fi, fantasy, science, video games, LARPing, cosplay, musicals, logic puzzles, math, tinkering, robotics, horror movies, superhero comics and movies... I call this a "must see" show! Imagine you are one of the competitors -- match your knowledge to theirs -- cheer on the one most like you, or that you like for some other reason. Just don't get too emotionally attached or take anything too seriously.
Enjoy being a nerd!
A huge disappointment
Foxbarking21 February 2013
I was really looking forward to this show from the first time it was advertised. I have always fit very securely in the nerd demographic. The commercials made it look like it was going to be the new rave in reality television.
It has not lived up to those expectations. There are some interesting participants in the competition. Some of the guests are fun to see. But honestly, I am failing to see the point in the competition. The Throne of Games looks quite stupid and sitting on it seems to be the only prize the winner will get. None of the players really seem motivated to win it. In the episode tonight, Virgil's attitude is the correct one. He has lost all interest because there is no reason to have it. Alana was the only nerd who seemed motivated to win and she was the single most annoying reality show character since Puck in the third Real World.
The competitions are boring. Cosplay is not fun when you make up your own characters. The point of it is that you get to BECOME an actual character in media. If you are just making up costumes and playing, it's not Cosplay. The video game competition had the nerds piloting a hovering device rather than playing video games. The nerdoff sets are subparr compared to Ren Faire sets.
Nothing else about the show works either. Nerdvana as a nerd paradise leaves a lot to be desired. Curtis Armstrong and Robert Carradine's participation seems forced.
All I can say is that it seems like they threw this show together way too quickly. The idea was great, but they should have worked to get sponsors that would make the competition more interesting. They could work with Marvel or Tite Kubo to cosplay Marvel or Bleach. They could have had actual video games on consoles. It is just so unfortunate that such a great idea was so poorly executed.
It has not lived up to those expectations. There are some interesting participants in the competition. Some of the guests are fun to see. But honestly, I am failing to see the point in the competition. The Throne of Games looks quite stupid and sitting on it seems to be the only prize the winner will get. None of the players really seem motivated to win it. In the episode tonight, Virgil's attitude is the correct one. He has lost all interest because there is no reason to have it. Alana was the only nerd who seemed motivated to win and she was the single most annoying reality show character since Puck in the third Real World.
The competitions are boring. Cosplay is not fun when you make up your own characters. The point of it is that you get to BECOME an actual character in media. If you are just making up costumes and playing, it's not Cosplay. The video game competition had the nerds piloting a hovering device rather than playing video games. The nerdoff sets are subparr compared to Ren Faire sets.
Nothing else about the show works either. Nerdvana as a nerd paradise leaves a lot to be desired. Curtis Armstrong and Robert Carradine's participation seems forced.
All I can say is that it seems like they threw this show together way too quickly. The idea was great, but they should have worked to get sponsors that would make the competition more interesting. They could work with Marvel or Tite Kubo to cosplay Marvel or Bleach. They could have had actual video games on consoles. It is just so unfortunate that such a great idea was so poorly executed.
Got worse as seasons progressed
lucaswinchester-2922422 March 2019
The first season was alright, I quite enjoyed it. There were a wide range of "nerds" and the Nerd Wars and Nerd-Offs were quite interesting. Another thing is that it was the first season, therefore, nothing was expected and nobody knew about the twists and turns. Many of the competitors seemed more passionate about their nerdiness and strong bonds were made. It felt like most aimed for the title of "King of the Nerds" rather than the prize money.
But personally, I feel like in season 2 and 3, competitors were more willing to stab each other in the back for the money. Besides, they had an idea of what was going to happen and so they came into the challenges much more prepared. So that made it a lot less exciting to watch.
Nerd games. Best show ever. Period
junlinmo19 January 2013
This is a must for me because I am a total nerd. King of the Nerds combines many internet celebrities with countless other brains to compete for the ultimate reward. I am especially surprised for their pick on nerds. I knew Jovenshire, or Joshua Ovenshire, one of the nerds on the show, as he was a host and producer over at Smosh Games. He was one of the most loved people ever for everything he did and how he would sacrifice himself countless times to be the one getting hurt on their hilarious...and somewhat humiliating games. But hey it's the internet. Joven was awesome and too see him on King of the Nerds was definitely one of the greatest highlights of this show for me. I was in the biggest state of shock in the history of the state of shocks when I saw himself, his face, on the show. I didn't move for at least 15 minutes. I think for people who are a part of the internet, this is one of the best, or the best show ever for them because there's a good chance for people to know the contestants for this show and the looks on their faces are priceless when they see for the first time Joven or Danielle or anyone else they "know" on that show. They are in a state of shock and the memory of it will last them a lifetime. This show is undoubtedly one of the greatest things TV directors have ever created.
The most cringe worthy television show of all time.
ChrisMichael8121 February 2013
By many respects I would be considered a "nerd". I game, I read fantasy novels and I prefer fantasy characters to real humans. The creators of this show are furthering the idea that if you wear glasses, you are a nerd. Are the people on this show legitimate "nerds"? Yes they probably are. That is not the problem with this show.
The problem with this show is that it shows decent looking people who are not socially awkward and parades them around in the absolute worst way possible. The people that should be on this show are the 300 pound acne ridden basement dwellers. If this show recruited from 4chan then I would probably watch it.
Lastly, the girl with the pink hair should be banished from our planet.
The problem with this show is that it shows decent looking people who are not socially awkward and parades them around in the absolute worst way possible. The people that should be on this show are the 300 pound acne ridden basement dwellers. If this show recruited from 4chan then I would probably watch it.
Lastly, the girl with the pink hair should be banished from our planet.
Great Show
lilys_hotmail27 January 2014
In King of the Nerds different nerds compete to win the title of King of the Nerds. This is a reality game show. The show is hosted by two guys that are just awful but the nerds, are lovable, sweet, smart, interesting, and fun. Each week the nerds must compete in a Nerd War or Nerd Off and each week someone is eliminated and sent home from Nerdvana which is a nerd's dream home, where all the contestants stay. The Nerds Wars require the nerds to put their nerdy skills and knowledge to win. At the end of the season one of the nerds is crowned King of the Nerds, and the winner of the season. This is a reality game show, but is quite fun and entertaining and that makes a good show. I would recommend this show I enjoy watching it and think that everyone should give this show a shot. This is not like most reality game shows, which is probably why some people love it and some hate it maybe they were hoping for more drama filled shows, or maybe you enjoy that it is a different take on reality game shows. This isn't like Beauty and the Geek or Big Brother where they shove a bunch of people together to watch them fight. This is smart people using their skills to do actually interesting competitions.
stupid outcome
maggiewang011610 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Honestly, the outcome of this show is so stupid and it definitely defeats the purpose of the show. The point of the show was to show someone who was worthy to be king of the nerds. Celeste won, but she was definitely not worthy. Her area of expertise is supposed to be gaming, but she failed at that area when that was in the competition. People want to say that Celeste won because she has grown a lot as a person throughout the show because she grew confidence, but she was actually rather cocky from the very beginning. I guess everyone just forgot from the very first episode that she thinks she is the most valuable player and was shocked as time went on when people do not find her as a threat at all. Just because she started to have more interactions with the players as the episodes go on, does not mean she gained more confidence. She was very cocky, but she just kept it to herself rather than saying it out loud to everyone else.
And it was rather stupid because she was a guest on Conan a few weeks before the out come of the game. That pretty much gave away the fact that she's going to win.
In the beginning I enjoyed the concept of the show, but as I watched more, I realized the show is stupid. We all know the only reason Celeste was there until the very end is because no one looked at her as a threat, and the blue team kept her because they looked at her as a valuable asset as a gamer. Then in the very end, she just had to pull the sympathy crap to make sure she wins. Does she represent the nerd community? I don't think so. She didn't do anything to win. They just want someone who is a little better looking to represent the nerds.
And it was rather stupid because she was a guest on Conan a few weeks before the out come of the game. That pretty much gave away the fact that she's going to win.
In the beginning I enjoyed the concept of the show, but as I watched more, I realized the show is stupid. We all know the only reason Celeste was there until the very end is because no one looked at her as a threat, and the blue team kept her because they looked at her as a valuable asset as a gamer. Then in the very end, she just had to pull the sympathy crap to make sure she wins. Does she represent the nerd community? I don't think so. She didn't do anything to win. They just want someone who is a little better looking to represent the nerds.
Formulaic, and predictable, but so was lunch, and you ate that just fine.
face-819-93372625 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking to myself : "Hey self? When do you think that King of the Nerds will be back, they have to continue that show. Then a few days ago up jumps this little ol' season two. This show is a blast as far as low grade reality shows go. This is the most basic of premise, and they end up bringing in the most ignorant of people to fill the teams. However the fact that you get Robert Carridine, and Curtis Armstrong as hosts, and the funnest looking toys, make this show worth watching. The season is short, and it's just a catty bunch of basement dwellers, but it's well produced, and fun. Doesn't rank up there with The Mole, or Big Brother but it's fun.
Interesting Premise, But Fail Overall...
cgharlow10 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I did watch the entire season and found it to be interesting overall. But what started out as a very interesting idea was left flat in implementation.
The first show started out with 11 contestants and a popularity contest. The promise of the series started out with this show as, in a true acknowledgement of nerds, the one that wasn't picked was recognized as being in the typical nerd situation of picked last and was given elevated power. It would have been a wonderful touch if it wasn't for the fact that the "winner" of that episode was one of two clearly "not nerds".
The season ended with the same popularity contest, but the opposite result...the most popular was given the crown. In this case, it was handed to the other "not nerd" (in the few events that she should have shined with her core skills, she demonstrated a surprising lack of skill which leads me to wonder if she just wasn't an actress in the end...she never even spoke like anything resembling a nerd during the entire season). Just this simple example demonstrates the lack of focus this show ultimately exhibited.
The episodes typically involved a group contest with the losing group forced to pick one of their own in a "nerd off" and the winning group allowed to pick someone of the losing group. The "nerd off" was a contest very similar to the group challenge. A result of the approach used is that the strongest (and perhaps more interesting contestants) were taken out early in the season.
The contests themselves ranged from something that you would expect nerds to undertake (e.g. comic book knowledge) to events that just seemed silly and not really that nerdy (e.g. maze challenge on Segways). It really seemed like some producers did a google search on "nerd games" and threw a bunch of things together.
From an episode perspective, there was a consistent pattern of showcasing a nerd as having (or/and bragging about) a strong skill set which they ultimately failed at. This would have been an interesting thing for a couple of episodes, but it was done so consistently that you could tell who was going to lose early in the episode.
The finale also seemed like something that was just thrown together quickly to finish the season off. With 4 contestants remaining, there were 3 quick contests to just eliminate them quickly...leading up to the aforementioned popularity contest at the end. It was like the producers just finally gave up rather than figure out an ultimate nerd contest at the end. And, ultimately, I will likely not watch any following seasons as a result...
The first show started out with 11 contestants and a popularity contest. The promise of the series started out with this show as, in a true acknowledgement of nerds, the one that wasn't picked was recognized as being in the typical nerd situation of picked last and was given elevated power. It would have been a wonderful touch if it wasn't for the fact that the "winner" of that episode was one of two clearly "not nerds".
The season ended with the same popularity contest, but the opposite result...the most popular was given the crown. In this case, it was handed to the other "not nerd" (in the few events that she should have shined with her core skills, she demonstrated a surprising lack of skill which leads me to wonder if she just wasn't an actress in the end...she never even spoke like anything resembling a nerd during the entire season). Just this simple example demonstrates the lack of focus this show ultimately exhibited.
The episodes typically involved a group contest with the losing group forced to pick one of their own in a "nerd off" and the winning group allowed to pick someone of the losing group. The "nerd off" was a contest very similar to the group challenge. A result of the approach used is that the strongest (and perhaps more interesting contestants) were taken out early in the season.
The contests themselves ranged from something that you would expect nerds to undertake (e.g. comic book knowledge) to events that just seemed silly and not really that nerdy (e.g. maze challenge on Segways). It really seemed like some producers did a google search on "nerd games" and threw a bunch of things together.
From an episode perspective, there was a consistent pattern of showcasing a nerd as having (or/and bragging about) a strong skill set which they ultimately failed at. This would have been an interesting thing for a couple of episodes, but it was done so consistently that you could tell who was going to lose early in the episode.
The finale also seemed like something that was just thrown together quickly to finish the season off. With 4 contestants remaining, there were 3 quick contests to just eliminate them quickly...leading up to the aforementioned popularity contest at the end. It was like the producers just finally gave up rather than figure out an ultimate nerd contest at the end. And, ultimately, I will likely not watch any following seasons as a result...
As a fellow self-named nerd, I Love this show!
jackshengtan10 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The hosts were awesome! They were our(fellow nerds) heroes growing up... I loved them in Revenge of the Nerds! Also the fact that they have a place called Nerdvana is supremely appropriate! It really is too bad that some of the best nerds were some of the first to go out (Jon, Hendrik, and Brandon)...all 3 in the first 3 episodes. Don't get me wrong, the other nerds on the show are super awesome nerds and were delightful in their own nerdish ways, but those 3 were some of the most "colorful" nerds on there. As Celeste put it, Brandon was adorkable and he was by far my favorite. In the end, a lot of them remind me of my fellow nerd friends (past and current) and they each have a nerd "flavor" that I could definitely feel the essence of from comic nerds/gamers/science & math nerds/fantasy & rpg nerds. I love how in the end the King of the Nerds was chosen by their fellow nerds... it may be true that a popularity contest is not very nerd-like, but the fact that everyone voting is a high-caliber nerd made it right.
A decent premise ruined by reality show-ism
Animus10 November 2013
The show is nothing special, i mean we have shows about cooks, shows about hunters, shows about people who buy storage buildings, shows about truck drivers, so a show about who is the "best" nerd is nothing special. The problem with the show is two-fold. First and foremost as they recognize there are many types of nerds yet the goal of the show is to sit atop the "Throne of Games", a twist on the popular "Game of Thrones" which is a much better show to watch than this one, but I digress. The show tries to cover a lot of types of nerds as as such most contestants are at a disadvantage most of the time since the challenges cover a diverse range of skills. On a cooking show you might be asked to make desserts one week and Italian food the next but you still use the same tools and the same skills. Creating a cos-play costume is NOTHING like piloting a drone, winning at chess, or answering obscure trivia. The second problem is how the winner is actually chosen. The whole concept is to focus on nerds, people who are perceived as social misfits, the kids never chosen for sports or to be prom queen, yet in the end the winners chosen BY A POPULARITY CONTEST! Epic Fail.
For Nerds by Hollywood.
zolar-los8 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Fail. It is a start; over all, Fail. The hosts are not actual Nerds, they just play them on TV. The eliminations are extremely cutting, chewing up and spitting out the strongest and best competitors early in the games, while the related challenges are only barely nerd related. The final came down to the least appropriate Nerd challenge ever: A Popularity Contest. Stacking blocks and a lame Segway race are barely nerdy, but to finish with a very whiny popularity contest? That is down right offensive. In the end, it was one of the least Nerdy people, and the one nerd to fail at almost every challenge, to take the crown. Why? Because real nerds are offensive and cliquish with poor social skills. The runner-up was one of the least liked people in the house that stayed until the end after smashing through every challenge, but she was a snotty, know-it-all, like every true Nerd is. Celeste is super hot, but Genevieve is my King (and pretty cute too). I hope the Nerd-o- sphere lashes out at this show and we get some REAL nerds running it instead of some Hollywood buffoon-prat that does not know a Dilithium Crystal from a Kaiburr.
People, reality is no longer reality
crash212 March 2013
I do not understand the point to these so-called "reality shows". The funny irony here is that "King of the Nerds" doesn't even have real-life nerds. I was actually expecting to see something having to do with computer people or something similar to TruTV's "World's Dummest..", but the so-called "nerds" in here make me think of stuff like Steve Urkel in the old sitcom "Family Matters", which used the most stereotypical definition of a nerd. I hate to tell you this, but a good majority of the actual people are a lot more like someone out of the sitcom "Becker" or "The Drew Carey Show" and they tend to have a lot of smart-mouth sarcasm built in to them along side their intelligence.
Give it up people, the reality shows are basically dead. One of the few reality shows that even had sense in the show was the stuff like "Cops". At least those shows were about real-life moments in reality, and not one of the silly little games that simply fool around with people's lives, like "King of the Nerds" does.
Give it up people, the reality shows are basically dead. One of the few reality shows that even had sense in the show was the stuff like "Cops". At least those shows were about real-life moments in reality, and not one of the silly little games that simply fool around with people's lives, like "King of the Nerds" does.
Waste of time
jaredd26 January 2014
After hearing that this show was a successor of sorts to "The Big Brain Theory," I figured I had better check it out. Sure, "The Big Brain Theory" had the usual stupid reality TV components that will rot your brain and lower your IQ, but they counter balanced that with some really great challenges which got those neurons making plenty of new connections.
WELL, the "King of the Nerds" is basically just 100% brain rot. The winner did NOTHING the entire show other than sit in the corner. The runner-up was shockingly good at everything yet didn't win the final popularity contest due to simple revenge by the losers. My IQ went down quite a few points during this show's run. Fortunately, I've kept all my college textbooks and was able to recover in about 10 minutes of studying.
If you analyze this show carefully, you will realize the producers really don't have the proper background to make an "intelligent" program. They simply have a reality TV formula that they are regurgitating over and over. Our taste in entertainment these days IS quite a sad commentary on our culture and proof that there is little innovation but plenty of exploitation.
A final thought: of the participants that got enough screen time to get to know, I have to say Ivan really stood out. Not only did he make an impression in the challenges, but his commentary was shockingly intelligent and enlightened. If I were CEO of a large corporation, I'd hire him in an instant. This guy is an asset.
WELL, the "King of the Nerds" is basically just 100% brain rot. The winner did NOTHING the entire show other than sit in the corner. The runner-up was shockingly good at everything yet didn't win the final popularity contest due to simple revenge by the losers. My IQ went down quite a few points during this show's run. Fortunately, I've kept all my college textbooks and was able to recover in about 10 minutes of studying.
If you analyze this show carefully, you will realize the producers really don't have the proper background to make an "intelligent" program. They simply have a reality TV formula that they are regurgitating over and over. Our taste in entertainment these days IS quite a sad commentary on our culture and proof that there is little innovation but plenty of exploitation.
A final thought: of the participants that got enough screen time to get to know, I have to say Ivan really stood out. Not only did he make an impression in the challenges, but his commentary was shockingly intelligent and enlightened. If I were CEO of a large corporation, I'd hire him in an instant. This guy is an asset.
Shocking
mbrumbley27 February 2015
I watched a few episodes of "King of the Nerds" and came to a startling realization, and that is that nerds in a group act a lot like the rest of us. I watched this show because I thought that maybe somewhere in the world some people may be able to look over all the crap that society shoves down people's throat about the right way to act and look, and be themselves. I thought if there are people that can do that it would definitely be the nerdy type, but these "nerds" are just as underhanded as the rest of us. I watched three episodes and they put this African American guy in the "nerd off" all three episodes. This puzzled me, so I looked back on all these "nerd offs" and there was only one time that a member of his team had to go to a nerd off that he didn't go. I also noticed that every time he went to the nerd off everyone in the house cheered for the nerd that was competing against him. Actually, one of the other contestants actually volunteered herself to go to the "nerd off" because she was a huge horror buff and she really thought she could beat him. It was like they were all teaming up against him. I'm sorry, but this looked like bullying to me. All these nerds say that they were bullied as they grew up, but when the tables were turned they did the same thing. I understand that they are trying to win a game, but the means should justify the ends. I don't think these "nerds" see this the same way. BTW after watching this, I'm never eating Little Caesars again.
Good premise, but ultimately ruined..
rons-2817516 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I remember watching the previews for season one of the show and thinking it had promise. For the most part season one delivered with some pretty good nerdy challenges.
I'll forever hate this show because for the whole season the best player was Genevieve.. she won most challenges and was truly queen of the nerds and then to crown the champion they basically turn it into a popularity contest by asking other players who they think should win. So of course the Asian girl, Celeste I think, takes the whole thing even though she did nothing to earn it.
Didn't watch the subsequent seasons, but always thought it was so unfair how it went down.
I'll forever hate this show because for the whole season the best player was Genevieve.. she won most challenges and was truly queen of the nerds and then to crown the champion they basically turn it into a popularity contest by asking other players who they think should win. So of course the Asian girl, Celeste I think, takes the whole thing even though she did nothing to earn it.
Didn't watch the subsequent seasons, but always thought it was so unfair how it went down.
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